Canada granted entry to 46,350 new permanent residents via spousal sponsorships in 2015. This number further increased by 22.7% and rose to 56,855 in the following year.
However, spousal sponsorships are expected to decline throughout 2023 since it would otherwise grant entry to 120,780 new permanent residents under a single program.
Interestingly, Ottawa’s Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 contains a limit of 84,000 new permanent residents through programs to sponsor partners, spouses, and children. Don’t forget this year’s target for such immigrants is 78,000 new permanent residents.
It should be noted that any Canadian citizen or permanent resident who wants to sponsor a common-law partner or spouse for Canadian immigration is required to sign an undertaking pledging to offer financial support for the sponsored individual’s fundamental needs. These include clothing, shelter, food, dental care, eye care, and other health needs that do not fall under public health services.
You may visit the IRCC’s official website to view estimates of the current processing times for different types of visa applications, including spousal sponsorships.
According to the website, the processing time for sponsorship applications for common-law partners or spouses living outside Canada is 16 months, which is quite an improvement over the last year’s processing time of 20 months.
Here’s what the estimated processing time covers;
- The time taken to submit biometrics
- The assessment of the individual being sponsored, as well as the sponsor
- The time taken by immigration officials to confirm that the sponsor and the person being sponsored satisfy the eligibility criteria fully
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on Canadian immigration.
