Conjugal Partner Sponsorship Canada

Conjugal Partner Sponsorship Canada allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor a conjugal partner for permanent residence. It is intended for couples who, because of significant barriers — such as immigration restrictions or legal constraints — cannot live together or marry, but have still built a genuine, committed relationship. To qualify, you normally need at least one year in that committed conjugal relationship.

The process involves the sponsor submitting a sponsorship application while the conjugal partner applies for permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processes both parts together. Sponsors must be at least 18 years old and sign an undertaking to support the sponsored person for the length of the undertaking (often three years for a partner, subject to current rules).

Conjugal sponsorship reflects Canada's commitment to family reunification where exceptional circumstances prevent traditional marriage or cohabitation. It is a demanding category: officers look closely at whether the barrier is real and whether the relationship is truly marriage-like in commitment and interdependence.

Eligibility criteria

Sponsor eligibility

• Status — The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and at least 18 years old.
• Proof of relationship — Evidence of a genuine, committed conjugal relationship for at least one year — similar in substance to marriage or common-law, but not formalized because of exceptional circumstances beyond your control (for example immigration bars, legal impediments to marriage in a relevant jurisdiction, or other serious barriers IRCC may recognize when supported by proof).
• Financial responsibility — Sponsors sign an undertaking to provide essential needs for the required period. For most federal sponsorships of a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner (outside Quebec), there is no minimum necessary income test; Quebec has separate financial requirements. Always verify current instructions.
• No default on past sponsorships — The sponsor must not have failed to meet sponsorship obligations when that affects eligibility.
• Social assistance — The sponsor must not be receiving social assistance for reasons other than disability, unless current instructions allow your situation.

Sponsored person eligibility

• Relationship — The applicant must be the sponsor's conjugal partner: at least one year in a genuine, committed conjugal relationship, and unable to marry or cohabit mainly because of exceptional circumstances outside your control — not because you find other options more convenient.
• Admissibility — The person must be admissible to Canada (medical, criminal, security, and other grounds), unless a separate legal pathway applies in rare cases.
• Intent to reside in Canada — Both partners must intend to live together in Canada after the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
• Prohibitions — The person must not be barred from sponsorship or entry where the law applies.

How to apply

1. Check eligibility — Confirm both the sponsor and the sponsored person meet IRCC criteria for conjugal partner sponsorship, including the barrier and one-year relationship tests.
2. Gather documents for the sponsor — Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, identity documents, and detailed conjugal relationship evidence: personal statements, correspondence, proof of visits or trips together, financial ties, and any other credible proof of commitment despite inability to marry or cohabit.
3. Gather documents for the sponsored person — Identity documents, proof of the relationship, birth certificates where needed, police certificates if required, and medical exam instructions when IRCC sends them.
4. Complete the forms — Use the current application kit from the IRCC website or directions from a visa application centre (VAC). Be accurate and consistent on every form.
5. Pay fees — Pay processing fees and biometrics (if applicable) according to the fee list in effect when you apply.
6. Submit the application — Submit online through your IRCC account where available, or by mail if you apply on paper, with all required supporting documents.
7. Biometrics — If required, provide fingerprints and a photo at an authorized collection point.
8. Processing — IRCC may take many months and can request more information — respond by the deadlines given.
9. Interview — If invited, prepare with your forms and evidence so answers match the written file.
10. Decision and landing — If approved, follow IRCC instructions; the sponsored person may receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) or electronic instructions before completing landing as a permanent resident.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Conjugal cases are fact-specific and policy-sensitive — confirm forms, fees, and rules on Canada.ca (and Quebec authorities if you reside in Quebec).