Things You Must Know About Canada Spouse Visa Application
There isn’t anything as blissful for an immigrant than to have his spouse along. It is after a long struggle that you may have become part of the free, liberal and developed Canadian society and would now like to reunite with your spouse. At Canadapt Consulting we take pride in having helped several families reunite with spouse visa and other dependent visa. Right from explaining you the spouse visa Canada requirements to helping you with visa applications; we are a one-stop consultancy for all your needs.
For families separated by borders getting spouse visa in Canada is among the easiest in the world. At a time when many democracies are looking to raise the barrier towards immigrants especially refuges, Canada has stood up with its open arms immigration policies where it strongly believes a migrant is well within his/her rights to unite with the family. There are several doubts and confusions people have with regards to Canada spouse visa and more so with the Canada spouse visa processing time. We shall answer all these and more here to help you get over myths and misinformation and have in-depth knowledge on rules for spouse visa in Canada.
How long does it take to sponsor a spouse to Canada?
Though it rather difficult to state the exact spousal sponsorship processing time, it takes approximately 12 months for a visa application to be processed. Here we must mention that since 2019 there has been a backlog of visa applications and the Canada visa processing time has increased. First it was the overwhelming number of applications that were received by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) which has been renamed Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) due several conflicts around the world and then the Covid-19 pandemic and the health protocols have further delayed the process. While in the previous years IRCC has abided by a target of 12 months, the processing times have slightly gone up due to the overwhelming number of applicants in the last two years.
Factors Affecting CIC Spouse Sponsorship Processing Time
Though 12 months is the benchmark for spouse visa in Canada processing time, you must be aware of the factors that affect the processing time. At Canadapt Consulting we ensure that there are no delays in the processing time for spouse visa in Canada on technical grounds and constantly educate our clients on these factors. Let us now take a look at the factors that affect Canada immigration spouse visa processing time –
Completeness of Application
Though every immigrant is well aware of the importance of application’s completeness when it comes to visa processing you’d be surprised to know the percentage of applications that get delayed for the want of detailed information, supporting documents etc. It is given that a complete visa application is processed faster as it passes through all scrutiny. Compared to other types of visa application the level of scrutiny for spousal visas is higher. You need to provide with all the supporting evidences to prove the legitimacy of your relationship and these include photographs, messages, videos and emails.
Your visa processing agent would require maximum supporting documents to ensure a complete submission. This result is spouse processing time for visas. Our expert teams can cut down the processing time by eliminating the risk of incomplete visa application and offer you a hasslefree experience.
Country of Origin
This is an important consideration and dictates spousal sponsorship processing time. The country of origin would decide upon the level of scrutiny your application will need to undergo. It is important for you to bear in mind that there are different legalities involved based on the level of diplomatic relations Canada shares with your Country of Origin. You can further check out the processing time using IRCC’ dedicated tool.
People Applying for Visa
It is a no brainer that the number of people applying for visas would directly affect the time it takes for the officers at IRCC to process these applications. You can expect a lesser than average spouse visa processing time if the number of applications in your batch is less than average and vice versa.
Spouse Visa Document Checklist

To reduce the sponsorship application processing time, you must strictly adhere to the items in Part A of the Checklist. At Canadapt Consulting we ensure that all documents and information mentioned in the checklist are complete and genuine to ensure shorter visa application processing time. Among the important components in the checklist include –
- The IMM 1344 or the Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, and Undertaking. This is the most important part of the checklist and it should be duly signed by you and your spouse or the person you are sponsoring.
- IMM 0008 form or the generic application form for Canada should be duly filled and signed on behalf of your spouse.
- Receipts of all the fess paid for processing of the visa. This includes the application fee, biometric fee and other fee components that may be applicable to your case.
- The IMM 1283 or the financial evaluation form is a must in case you are sponsoring a person who has one or more dependent children or those who have dependent grandchildren.
- The checklist also contains a section where you need to provide information on the class of application. This is important as the person you are sponsoring may be aconjugal partner, common-law partner or a spouse.
- The visa application must clearly offer information on whether you are applying for a work permit for your spouse.
- There are some country specific requirements that must be submitted to Government of Canada. Ask your visa consultant if there are any country specific requirements for the person you are sponsoring based on his/her country of origin.
- IMM 5406 form or additional family information form should be duly filled to offer details about other family members of the person being sponsored.
- IMM 5669 or the Schedule-A form that offers background details on the person being sponsored should be filled.
- IMM 5532 or the relationship information and sponsorship evaluation form needs to be filled and all relevant information with regards to your relationship with the person you are sponsoring along with supporting documents needs to be filled.
- In case the person you are sponsoring wishes to use the services of a lawyer or an immigration consultant, you will need to fill up the use of a representative form.
- IMM 5475 form must be filled and submitted. This form offers IRCC the authority to share your personal information with designated authorities that may be used for verification and other purposes
To sum up, spouse sponsorship Canada processing time depends as much on the authorities as it dependent on how you approach the visa application process. Unintentional errors, oversights, misleading information or deliberately concealing information can increase the processing time or lead to your application being rejected. At Canadapt Consulting we have a team of seasoned immigration consultants who can help in cutting down the Canadian spousal sponsorship processing time by ensuring your application is complete and all supporting documents and forms that may be applicable in your case are duly filled and signed to ensure smooth sailing with IRCC.
Reach out to us if you have any queries with Canadian immigration processes. Our experts would be happy to assist you. Don’t forget to check out our free 15-minute consultation by filling out the evaluation form here.