“Why is the list of documents required for the Canada spouse visa endless? »
Because you need these documents as proof of the relationship to support your application for Spousal Sponsorship Canada, Many Canadian permanent residents and citizens successfully sponsor their non-Canadian spouse for permanent residence in Canada each year through the Spouse Sponsorship Program.
This immigration program will remain open for the foreseeable future thanks to the Canadian government’s commitment to increasing its contribution of immigrants over the next three years.
If you are considering sponsor your spouse outside Canada for a Canadian PR visa through this program, you must complete various forms and submit several documents. Knowing which ones to fill out and include in the application can be confusing, so we’ve included the list of Documents Required for Canada Spouse Visa in this guide.
Please note that we will refer to you, a Canadian permanent resident Or Canadian citizenas the “sponsor» in this guide. We will also refer to your non-Canadian spouse that you wish to sponsor and who currently resides outside of Canada as “Main applicant» in this guide.
Document Checklist for Spousal Sponsorship Abroad from Canada
Anyone applying to Canada spousal sponsorship abroad must submit various forms and documents described in the IMM5533 document checklist. This checklist contains numerous check boxes that list required documents and optional supporting documents. The sponsor and lead applicant must check each box that applies to them and submit the corresponding document indicated.
Forms for the sponsor and principal applicant to complete together
The sponsor and principal applicant must complete these two forms together because they need information from each.
Evaluation and Sponsorship Relationship Questionnaire (IMM 5532)
Form IMM5532 includes several questions about the sponsor and the relationship between the principal applicant. By completing this form, the couple provides Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with a compelling and verifiable story about their relationship.
Use of a representative (IMM 5476)
The sponsor and principal applicant must complete Form IMM 5476 whether they intend to use a representative, such as an immigration lawyer or unpaid assistant, to complete their application on their behalf.
The sponsor must complete these forms himself:
Sponsorship application, sponsorship agreement and commitment (IMM 1344)
IMM 1344 is the spousal sponsorship form. It includes sections in which the sponsor expresses their intention to sponsor their spouse for permanent residence in Canada through the Spouse Sponsorship Program. The sponsor must provide basic information about their background, status in Canada and contact information.
Forms the principal applicant must complete
The principal applicant must complete these forms themselves:
Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)
This is a generic application form in which the principal applicant declares their intention to be sponsored under the Spouse Sponsorship Program.
Additional information Your travels (IMM 5562)
This is a country-specific form that people from certain countries, such as India, must complete. The director must detail their travel history over the past ten years in this application.
Additional family information (IMM 5406)
This form asks for information about the principal applicant’s immediate family, even if they are not coming to Canada with them. Immediate family includes parents and siblings.
Annex A History/Declaration (IMM 5669)
This form asks the principal applicant about their education, employment, and travel over the past ten years. The applicant must complete this form accurately and ensure that they do not include any gaps or overlaps in the information they provide.
Justificative documents
Supporting documents must also be included with the spousal sponsorship application:
Identity documents
The sponsor must provide identity documents such as their Canadian citizenship certificate or card. The main applicant must provide their voter registration card, driving license and/or birth certificate.
Status documents
The sponsor must include photocopies of documents that verify their status in Canada. This includes a certificate of permanent residence, permanent residence card, Canadian passport or birth certificate.
The sponsor must also include their social insurance number (SIN).
Work documents
The sponsor must provide their employment documents if they are currently working in Canada. This includes:
- Their job offer letter
- An employment letter detailing their employment start date, weekly work hours and salary
- Salary slips up to six months, if applicable
If the sponsor filed their taxes within the last year, they must provide their Canada Revenue Agency (BOW). If the sponsor started working in Canada recently and has not yet filed their tax returns, they must include a Letter of explanation detailing this.
Financial documents
Sponsor must show their current bank balance via Bank statements. All of these documents will demonstrate that the sponsor has a stable source of income and funds to support their principal applicant spouse once they arrive in Canada.
The sponsor is required to demonstrate savings only if they are not currently working in Canada. IRCC has not explicitly specified the amount of money the sponsor should have. However, sponsors should aim to have at least the amount that covers a family of two in accordance with the Express Entry proof of funds requirement. The Express Entry proof of funds requirement for a family of two in 2024 is CAD 17,127.
Civil status documents
If the sponsor and the principal applicant are married, they must provide a copy of their marriage certificate.
Travel documents
The sponsor and principal applicant must provide scanned copies of their passport identity pages. The main applicant must also provide scanned copies of all stamped pages of their passport showing previous travel.
Police certificates
The main applicant must provide a criminal record certificate for each country in which he or she has lived for at least six months since the age of eighteen.
Pictures
The principal applicant must include two permanent residence application-sized photos. Applicants should note that these photos differ from those they must provide in their “proof of relationship» documents.
Proof of relationship Documents Canada
The promoter and lead applicant must also provide various “proof of relationship» documents and those mentioned above. These “proof of relationship” documents show IRCC that the relationship between the sponsor and the principal applicant is genuine.
These documents include the following:
Proof of contact
Since the sponsor and principal applicant currently reside in different countries, they must provide IRCC with proof that they are in contact with each other. This includes:
- Letters
- Emails
- Text messages
- Social media conversations
If the principal applicant has previously visited Canada to meet the sponsor, they must provide airline coupons, boarding passes and copies of their passport showing their Canadian entry stamp.
Proof of past cohabitation
If the sponsor and the principal applicant have previously lived together, they must prove their cohabitation as follows:
- Proof that they jointly owned residential property
- Rental contracts containing both of their names
- Common auto insurance documents
Children’s evidence
If the sponsor and principal applicant had children together, they must provide a copy of each child’s birth certificate.
Other proof of relationship
The sponsor and principal applicant must provide at least two of the following documents to prove their relationship is bona fide.
- Documents indicating that the sponsor and principal applicant are married. This includes insurance Or employment benefits documents with both of their names listed.
- Proof of financial support for shared expenses. For example, the sponsor may provide bank statements showing that they regularly transfer money to the principal applicant’s account.
- Statements from family and friends present at the wedding ceremony.
- Photos from the wedding ceremony, honeymoon and other photos showing the couple with family and friends after their wedding.
How to prove the authenticity of the relationship with the spouse visa in Canada?
Why should you hire licensed professionals?
As you can see, the sponsor and principal applicant must provide numerous forms and documents with the spousal sponsorship application. Couples who do not provide each of the documents listed above by IRCC will likely have their requests rejected.
For this reason, it is essential to double-check and see that you have completed each document requirement listed in IMM 5533.
If you need assistance with your application and would like to ensure your documents are complete, please do not hesitate to contact Elaar Immigration.
Our experienced Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants have helped many applicants apply for the spousal sponsorship program and understand what documents IRCC verifies. We can help you reunite with your partner as a permanent resident in Canada.