Spouse Sponsorship to Canada from Western Sahara
Family reunification is one of the major goals of the Canadian Immigration system. Every year, many thousands of spouses and partners start a new life together in Canada, including several thousand on Spousal Sponsorship to Canada from Western Sahara.
Spousal sponsorship from Western Sahara to Canada is one of the main ways Canada achieves its objective of bringing families together. Canada welcomes over 80,000 new immigrants through family based visas every year, with Western Sahara being a very popular source of Canada visa spousal sponsorships.
Via the family based spousal sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara visa system, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are able to apply to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner from Western Sahara to obtain Canadian permanent residence. The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recognizes same-sex relationships.
Is the Spouse Sponsorship to Canada Application made in Western Sahara or in Canada?
If the sponsor is a full Canadian Citizen then the application can be made outside of Canada, in Western Sahara or elsewhere.
If the sponsor is a Canadian Permanent Resident (and not yet a Citizen), the application cannot be made in Western Sahara and must be lodged in Canada. If you are a Canadian citizen currently living abroad such as in Western Sahara, you will need to demonstrate to IRCC you intend to live in Canada with your partner from Western Sahara upon them gaining permanent residence. Permanent residents looking to sponsor their partner from Western Sahara must reside in Canada at the time of submitting their sponsorship application.
How to sponsor your spouse from Western Sahara
The eligibility criteria to sponsor your loved one from Western Sahara is as follows:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- You must not be on Government benefits (apart from disability)
- You must show you can meet the financial needs of your loved one in Canada, via form 5532
- Sponsored individuals from Western Sahara must be at least 18 years old
A Canadian Citizen or Permanent resident can sponsor these categories of partners for immigration:
- Spouse: This means your Western Sahara partner is legally married to you.
- Common-law partner: This means your Western Sahara partner is not legally married to you, but has been living with you for at least 12 consecutive months.
- Conjugal partner: This means your Western Sahara partner is not legally married to you, has been in a relationship with you for at least one year, resides outside of Canada in Western Sahara or elsewhere, and is unable to marry you due to a cultural, religious, or legal obstacle.
How to submit your sponsorship application for your spouse from Western Sahara
You need to submit two spousal sponsorship applications for your Western Sahara spouse to the IRCC at the same time.
- sponsorship application
- permanent residence application
Step 1: Confirm you meet the eligibility criteria to sponsor your spouse from Western Sahara
Step 2: Get the application package from the IRCC’s website
Step 3: Pay all required fees on IRCC’s website. Examples of fees include processing, right of permanent residence, and biometrics fees for you Western Sahara spouse
Step 4: Send both applications together to IRCC by post
Once the IRCC approves the application to sponsor your spouse from Western Sahara for Canada Immigration , you and your partner must fulfill certain obligations. You are financially responsible for your loved one from Western Sahara for at least three years. Your partner from Western Sahara is not allowed to sponsor another person for five years after they obtain Canadian permanent residence.
Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara Checklist
The first step in Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara is to make sure you are eligible
Are you a Canadian citizen, or permanent resident? Are you over the age of 18? Can you financially provide for your spouse from Western Sahara, any dependent children, and yourself? These are some of the basic questions that determine your eligibility for Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara. From here, things get a little more specific. For instance, you can sponsor your partner from outside Canada in Western Sahara yet only if you have full citizenship status. You also have to show in your application that you plan to settle in Canada (not Western Sahara) when your spouse from Western Sahara gets permanent residency status. Unlike Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents cannot sponsor their spouse from outside of Canada.
Financial Requirements for Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara
The Sponsor cannot be receiving Government social assistance unless it’s disability benefit, or maternity, parental, or sickness assistance. In most cases, there is no minimum income cut off for sponsoring spouses from Western Sahara, common-law partners, and children. There will only usually be an income assessment if your Spouse from Western Sahara has a dependent child who of their own.
What can make me ineligible for Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara
Certain circumstances could make you ineligible to sponsor your Spouse from Western Sahara to Canada. As well as violent criminal offenses, you could also be ineligible for other reasons such as bankruptcy, or if you sponsored a previous spouse within three years of your application.
If you were a sponsored spouse from Western Sahara now with Canadian permanent residency, you cannot sponsor a new spouse within five years of your landing in the country.
Once you confirm your own eligibility, the next step is to make sure that your partner in Western Sahara is also admissible to Canada.
Is my spouse from Western Sahara eligible to be sponsored?
- Your spouse from Western Sahara must be over the age of 18, and pass background, security, as well as medical checks.
- The IRCC will check to see that your spouse from Western Sahara is admissible. People with criminal convictions from Western Sahara or elsewhere are generally refused.
- The IRCC will want to be assured you and your partner from Western Sahara are in a genuine relationship.
Onshore vs Offshore sponsorship for residents of Western Sahara
If your partner is residing in Western Sahara during the spousal sponsorship application process, you will be considered an offshore applicant. Canadian citizens can live in Western Sahara while the Spousal Sponsorship from Western Sahara is being processed. If you are only a Permanent Resident of Canada you must make the application while in Canada. Even if you are a Canadian Citizen living in Western Sahara looking to sponsor your spouse or partner you must demonstrate clearly your intention to move to Canada after the visas have been granted.
If you and your partner from Western Sahara are already living in Canada, you will usually be classed as an onshore Spousal Sponsorship case. The benefit of an inshore application is that your spouse from Western Sahara may be eligible for an Open Work Permit while the case is being processed.
What documents do you need from Western Sahara
- Birth certificates and any death certificates need to be the original certifications issued by Western Sahara and on official paper.
- If there is no record of birth registration in Western Sahara the IRCC will accept copies of Western Sahara baptismal certificate, hospital or medical birth records, Western Sahara school records, old passports, or the birth certificate issued by the local civil registrar in Western Sahara.
- If you were married in Western Sahara, you will need the original marriage certificate. If you are not married then your partner will need a Certificate of no record of marriage.
What happens after the application is lodged?
The processing of your Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara begins once the IRCC receives your completed application and documents. The Spousal Sponsorship Canada visa processing time is 12 months.
During this time the IRCC asks for biometrics and a medical for the spouse, and may request an in-person interview at any time. It is possible to track and update your application online. The last step is to complete the landing process. After that, you have officially immigrated to Canada via Spousal Sponsorship Canada from Western Sahara.
Canada Spouse Sponsorship from Western Sahara
