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Canada to Process More Spousal Applications Between 2021-23

Canada proposes new policies to bring spouses, partners and children of Canada permanent residents and Canadian citizens closer.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be processing more spousal immigration applications annually succeeding a slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the pandemic, the Maple country was planning to attract 70,000 new immigrants under its Spouses, Partners and Children category. However, under the new 2021-2023 Immigration Level Plan, this goal will rise to about 80,000 annually heading forward.

The majority of those who are welcomed in this group are the wives, husbands and spouses of permanent residents and Canadian citizens who sponsor them.

The pandemic has struck immigration processing and admissions badly and slowed down the process. However, a significant announcement released by IRCC in September indicated the aim to expedite up to 6,000 spousal applications every month till December 2020.

IRCC Spousal Sponsorship Application Processing Almost Doubled

The new data released by IRCC indicates that the final applications for spousal sponsorship have been doubled in September 2020 in contrast with July.

In September, IRCC approved and agreed on just over 4,000 applications, compared with just around 2,000 in July. Significant changes have been made to both domestic and international applications. The number of finalised in-land applications rose to almost 2,000 in September, compared with almost 1,200 in July.

Most of the development has come from overseas applications that have been finalised. This estimate was over 2,000 in September, contrary to almost 800 in July.

Because of IRCC's announcement at the end of September about speeding up the processing of spousal applications, we should expect an even higher level of finalised applications for the rest of 2020.

Eligibility Criteria to Sponsor Your Wife, Husband, or Partner

Permanent residents and Canadian citizens can sponsor their spouse, conjugal, partner, or common-law partner. To be eligible, sponsors must be:

• At least 18 years old
• Prove they don't receive any government support for a cause other than a disability
• Show that they can tend to the basic financial needs of their partners
• Canadian citizens currently residing overseas must prove that they plan on returning to Canada to stay with the person they are sponsoring
• Legally married to spouse and of 18 years old
• Common-law partners or conjugal partners must be at least 18 years old and have spent a minimum of 12 consecutive months with you

Note: Conjugal partners are those who have been in a relationship with you for at least twelve months in a row, now reside outside of Canada, and are unable to live with you or marry you due to various significant obstacles.

Spousal Application Submission: Three Main Steps to Follow

IRCC requires you to submit two applications simultaneously: an application for funding and an application for permanent residency. Follow these three main steps to submit a spousal application:

• Step 1: Download the application package from IRCC's website.
• Step 2: Pay the application fees on IRCC's website (fees for processing, right of permanent residence and biometrics).
• Step 3: Send your final application to IRCC via mail.

Aspire Can Help You Immigrate on Spousal Sponsorship

Contact Aspire World immigration today. All visa applications are handled by our competent and experienced immigration counsellors who are affiliated with Aspire World Immigration Consultancy Services LLP.