How to immigrate to Canada as a couple

Whether you are engaged, married, or in a common law partnership, Canada has a number of immigration schemes for couples.

Sponsorship for a spouse

Spousal sponsorship is one of the most efficient ways for a couple to enter Canada. If you already have a spouse or partner in Canada, or if your spouse or partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, this is the best option.

If your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, he or she may sponsor you to join them in Canada and become a permanent resident, provided you meet certain eligibility criteria.

The sponsor must be one of the following in order to sponsor a spouse or partner:

  • At least 18 years old
  • A Canadian permanent resident or a Canadian citizen living in Canada
  • You must not be incarcerated, bankrupt, subject to a removal order (if a permanent resident), or charged with a serious crime; and
  • Have not been sponsored to come to Canada as a spouse in the last 5 years

Your relationship with your sponsor must also be proven, and it must fall into one of three categories:

You are legally married to your spouse. If the marriage occurred in Canada, a Certificate of Marriage from the province or territory is sufficient to prove the marriage’s validity. If the marriage took place outside of Canada, it must be recognized by both the laws of that country and Canadian federal law.

Common law partner: you have been living together for at least a year.

Conjugal partner: a sponsored person may be defined as a conjugal partner if exceptional circumstances beyond the partners’ control have prevented them from qualifying as common law partners or spouses, such as immigration barriers or legal restrictions limiting divorce or same sex relationships. Furthermore, for at least one year, the partners must be in a mutually dependent relationship with the same level of commitment as a marriage or common law partnership. Emotional ties, intimacy, financial closeness such as joint ownership of assets, and efforts to spend time together and reunite can all demonstrate this.

Express Entry

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are all managed by the federal government through Express Entry.

You can apply for Canadian permanent residency as a couple through Express Entry in one of two ways:

  • The spouse, common law partner, or conjugal partner is listed as a dependent by the main applicant, or
  • They can be listed as a secondary candidate.

It is important to note that you may only have dependents on your application to the FSWP and the FSTP, as the CEC does not allow dependents.

When you list your spouse or partner as a dependent on your application, you are the primary applicant and must show proof of sufficient settlement funds. To demonstrate that you can financially support yourself and your dependents in Canada, you must meet the proof of funds requirement.

However, if your spouse or partner is a dependent on your application, the profile of your partner will not be considered when calculating your overall Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Candidates are ranked using the CRS score based on factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience. In Express Entry draws, candidates with the highest CRS scores are invited to apply for permanent residence.

If your spouse meets the Express Entry requirements, they can apply as a secondary applicant. Each spouse would create their own Express Entry profile, including their spouse. This means that when you submit your own application, you can earn an additional 40 CRS points for your partner’s profile.

This method still necessitates applicants demonstrating proof of funds. It works differently, however, because your partner is viewed as a contributor to the program.

It is critical to consider which partner has the best profile before naming that person as the main applicant. If your partner performs well on CRS factors such as language, level of education, and so on, it’s worth including them as a secondary applicant. If they would receive a low score, it might be better to list them as a dependent instead.

Program for Provincial Nominees

Another excellent option for relocating to Canada as a couple is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The PNP is used by nearly every province and territory to welcome skilled workers to their respective regions.

When applying for the PNP, the main immigration candidate should be the partner with the most work experience, education, and so on. If this is the case, you would list your spouse or partner as a dependent on the application.

As the primary applicant, as with Express Entry, you must provide proof of sufficient funds to settle in Canada.

If you and your spouse or partner are both eligible, you may apply separately to immigration programs and withdraw from one when an invitation to apply (ITA) is issued.