You may have permanent residency in Canada, but who wants to live the dream alone? Canada is one of the best places for immigrants to live. However, it can be tough to feel at home without your spouse by your side. Are you an immigrant or a Canadian citizen with a foreign spouse? If so, you don't need to worry about being in a long-distance relationship forever. An immigration lawyer in Calgary can help you reunite with your partner. To sponsor your spouse to come to Canada, you will need to understand the two application categories for those who wish to immigrate through the family sponsorship program: inland spousal sponsorship and outland spousal sponsorship. Keep reading to learn all about these two options and how to apply.
Inland Spousal Application
An inland spousal application is relevant when the foreign partner is already inside Canada. Suppose you are a permanent resident or Canadian citizen married to someone who is in the country on a temporary visa or work permit. In this case, you will seek a permanent solution to get your spouse to remain in the country. Inland sponsorship allows you to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner who lives in Canada to become a permanent resident of Canada. This path allows you to become reunited with your spouse and in some cases, avoid the backlog of other spousal sponsorship options.
Who Is Eligible?
A couple must be living together in Canada to qualify for an inland spousal application. The foreign partner must have legal status in the country on a temporary visa. You must be legally married or have lived together for at least 12 months. The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and must not have tried to sponsor any other partner in the past five years. Under an inland application, both applicants must remain in the country throughout the process. On average, the application takes about 15 months to process.
Outland Spousal Application
Outland spousal applications apply when the foreign partner does not reside in Canada. However, it is also useful for those living inside Canada, as it allows the applicant to travel to and from the country as they please. This can be useful if the foreign partner resides in Canada but needs to travel for work or personal reasons.
Who Is Eligible?
If you wish to apply for your foreign spouse to join you, you need to be a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen. For family sponsorship to Calgary, you will also need to prove you can support your partner once they arrive. Both of you must be older than 18 years old and not be bankrupt or have serious criminal charges against you. Outland application applies to those who are legally married or in a common-law partnership. This process is open to couples in a committed conjugal partnership who can prove legal reasons as to why they have not been able to live together. The application can take around 23 months to process.
Your Immigration Lawyer in Calgary
Bringing your spouse to Canada can be a complex process. You will need to prove your relationship is genuine and provide a long list of documents. The last thing you want is immigration authorities to deny the application due to a simple mistake or misunderstanding. An experienced immigration lawyer in Calgary will navigate you through all steps of your application. Contact us at Phoenix Legal for legal assistance with your immigration process.