Bring Your Partner or Parent to Canada
March 19, 2021
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Immigrating to a new country is one of the biggest challenges a human being can undertake. It takes great courage to uproot yourself from the way of life you have always known and move thousands of miles to settle in a new country, with new customs, a new environment, and all new people. While there aren’t very many that do, one of the main reasons immigrants return to their home countries is the feeling of isolation they experience when settling in Canada. While you will undoubtedly make new friends over time and form long-lasting bonds (Canadians are the friendliest nation on earth), there is nothing quite like coming home from work to a familiar face you can share your experiences and emotions with. In fact, it’s good for your mental health, and the Canadian government recognizes this. That is why Canadian immigration has made it very easy to bring your partner through spousal sponsorship or even your parents with you when you come over and apply for your permanent residency in Canada.
The procedure for Canadian Sponsorship

Who You Can Sponsor
You can sponsor your common-law partner or spouse to join you in Canada. The Immigration, Refugee Council of Canada (IRCC) defines a common-law partner as a person with whom you have resided for at least one year in a ‘conjugal’ or ‘marriage-like relationship. You can prove this by providing a lease or mortgage that has both names. You can also show this using a utility bill, bank statement, credit card bill, phone bill, driver's license, or anything official that illustrates a shared address. You can sponsor a grandparent in one of two ways. The first is to apply for a super visa on their behalf. A Canadian super visa is only available to parents and grandparents of immigrants who already have permanent residency or are already Canadian citizens. The second option is the Parent and Grandparents Program, through which you can apply for permanent residency in Canada for your parent or grandparent. There are a limited number of applications that are processed every year though so it is important to submit yours early on.Inland Sponsorship versus Outland Sponsorship
Canada Outland spousal sponsorship is for when you apply for permanent residency for your partner through a visa office not located in Canada. If your partner's visa is approved they will be allowed to travel to Canada. Canada Inland spousal sponsorship is for when both partners are already in Canada, and the principal applicant/sponsor submits an application for their partner to stay in the country as a permanent resident. Your partner will also be allowed to apply for an open work/study permit, as long as you can show proof of your relationship and that you will or already currently reside together in Canada, at the same address.What to Do if Your Canadian Sponsorship Application is Incomplete
You can still submit your application even if you cannot get all the supporting documents at this time. The IRCC has provided extensions if you can motivate that you are unable to submit required supporting documents due to Covid-19 disruptions. Incomplete applications will be kept in the system and reviewed in 90 days, if in 60 days the required documents have still not been submitted, a further 90-day extension will be granted.Define Your Canadian Immigration Strategy with MDC
