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Family Class Sponsorship
Common-law Partner

This page is designed to guide your application for sponsoring common-law partners.

A common-law partner is a person who has lived together with the sponsor in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.

In a common-law relationship, there are no documents that officially recognize you as a common-law partner.  A common-law relationship exists from the day a couple decides to physically live together. In order for your sponsoring common-law partner application to be successful, Canadian Immigration law requires a couple to live together continuously for at least one year.

Documents that may prove the existence of a common-law relationship for your sponsoring common-law partner application:

• Joint bank accounts
• Joint credit cards
• Proof of property purchased in both names
• Invoices in both names
• Lease agreement showing both names
• Correspondence/bills sent to either party at the same address
• ID documents showing the same address
• Insurance policies showing the other partner as beneficiary

Eligibility

To be eligible for sponsoring common-law partner, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You are at least 18 years of age
2. You are a Canadian citizen living in Canada or living abroad
3. OR you are a permanent resident of Canada, living in Canada
4. You are not receiving social assistance
5. You are not in default of any previous sponsorship
6. You are not bankrupt
7. You are not in prison

Application Process

Along with the Sponsorship application and the Application for Permanent residence, the following supporting documents are required for sponsoring common-law partner:

Processing Timelines:

Decisions on sponsorship applications can take from 6 to 18+ months. Completing the application accurately can speed up the process. The following are the main reasons for delays and refusals in applications:

• You did not prove that the relationship between you and your common-law partner is not genuine
• The person you want to sponsor and his or her family members are inadmissible to Canada because they have a criminal record or serious illness that is contagious
• Forms are not completed properly or forms are not signed
• There are missing supporting documents

 Average time to complete application by Immigroup: 2-4 weeks

Fees Fees are paid in installments; last payment is due before the Sponsorship Application is submitted to CIC. If you need more time to make payments, please speak with our accounting department.
Immigroup representation	CDN $3000 + 5% GST
Government:
Sponsorship and permanent residence application fee	CDN $550 *
Right of permanent residence fee	CDN $490 *
TOTAL	CDN $ 4190 *

For more information about sponsoring common-law partner,
please call Immigroup at 1866 760 2623