Conjugal-Partner Sponsorship in 2025: A Complete Guide for Canadian Sponsors

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Canada’s conjugal-partner sponsorship stream exists for couples who have been in a committed relationship for at least one year but cannot marry or live together because of genuine barriers—legal, immigration, religious, cultural or sexual-orientation related. The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; the applicant must be outside Canada (there is no inland conjugal stream). Processing averages 12 months in 2025, the same service standard that IRCC applies to spousal and common-law cases.

Why publish a dedicated guide? Because conjugal files have the highest refusal rate in the family-class category—chiefly due to weak proof of “barriers” and recycled spousal checklists.

Conjugal vs. Spouse vs. Common-Law: Key Differences

Factor

Spouse

Common-Law

Conjugal Partner

Legally married?

Yes

No

No

12 months continuous co-habitation?

Not required

Required

Not possible due to barriers

Applicant’s residence

Anywhere

Anywhere

Must live outside Canada

Acceptable barriers?

N/A

N/A

Divorce impossible, same-sex ban, immigration refusal, religious restrictions, persecution, etc.

Inland (in-Canada) option?

Yes

Yes

No – always “outland”

Open work permit during processing?

Inland only

Inland only

Not permitted

Eligibility to Sponsor (Canadian Side)

You can sponsor if you:

  • Are 18 years + and a Canadian citizen (in Canada or able to prove intent to re-settle) or a permanent resident living in Canada.
  • Sign a 3-year undertaking to provide basic needs (food, shelter, health costs) of the partner after landing.
  • Are not receiving social assistance other than for disability.
  • Are not in default of a past sponsorship, immigration loan or child-support order.
  • Have no violent or sexual criminal convictions that make you ineligible.

No minimum income applies unless the partner has dependent children with children of their own.

Who Qualifies as a Conjugal Partner

IRCC defines a conjugal partner as someone who:

  1. Isn’t legally married to you.
  2. Has been in an exclusive, mutually inter-dependent relationship with you for 12 consecutive months (joint commitment to a shared life akin to marriage).
  3. Lives outside Canada.
  4. Cannot live with or marry you in their country for valid barriers.
  5. Is at least 18 and not inadmissible to Canada.

Proving a Genuine Conjugal Relationship

IRCC looks for proof in four areas:

Area

Examples of Strong Evidence

Physical and Emotional Exclusivity

Photos together over time, detailed travel itineraries, call logs, chat histories showing daily contact.

Social Recognition

Affidavits from friends/family, social-media posts, invitations addressed to both of you.

Financial Inter-dependence

Joint bank accounts, money transfers, shared real-estate titles, beneficiary designations.

Long-Term Commitment

Wills, powers of attorney, future plans (school, kids), proof you intend to live together in Canada.

Provide well-translated documents and label everything clearly; officers refuse files that “data-dump” 500 pages without context.

Barriers You Must Demonstrate (“Why We Can’t Marry or Cohabit”)

IRCC will refuse the case if the only obstacle is “we didn’t want to live together yet.” Acceptable barriers include:

  • Legal: Applicant is still married in a country where divorce is impossible.
  • Immigration: Repeated visitor-visa refusals or lack of legal status preventing co-habitation.
  • Sexual Orientation: Same-sex marriage illegal; couple fears prosecution.
  • Religious or Cultural: Interfaith marriage banned; parental violence or ostracism likely.
  • Persecution or Conflict: Living together would endanger one partner’s safety.

Supply country-condition evidence (laws, news reports, expert affidavits) directly linking the barrier to your inability to marry or live together.

Obligations After Approval

  • 3-year financial undertaking starts on the day your partner becomes a permanent resident—even if the relationship ends.
  • Misrepresentation voids PR and can trigger a 5-year sponsorship bar.
  • Change of address: Sponsor must remain in Canada; citizens abroad must land back before partner.
  • Open work permit: Not available for conjugal class until the person becomes a PR.

Quebec-Specific Steps

If you live in Quebec:

  1. Submit the federal application first (IRCC will issue an instruction letter).
  2. Within 30 days, file an undertaking with Quebec’s MIFI and pay provincial fees (≈ C$ 309 in 2025).
  3. MIFI sends a Certificate of Acceptance (CSQ) to IRCC.

Processing pauses if you miss the 30-day window.

Ten Evidence Mistakes We See Every Year

  1. No barrier proof—relationship is genuine, but officer sees “choice,” not “impossibility.”
  2. Affidavits without ID—declarants must attach passport or citizenship card.
  3. Mass screenshots without translation or explanation.
  4. Joint phone bill but addresses differ.
  5. Old divorce filing no final decree—officer deems sponsor still married.
  6. Inconsistent timelines between IMM 5532 relationship history and chat logs.
  7. Photos at tourist sites only, none with families or friends.
  8. Bank transfers labelled “loan”, undermining claim of shared finances.
  9. Generic country-condition articles without connecting them to your situation.
  10. Sponsor abroad with no proof of intent to re-establish in Canada (job offers, apartment lease, school registration).

Frequently Asked Questions – 30 Precise Answers

  1. Is conjugal faster than spouse/common-law?
    No—same 12-month target.
  2. Can we marry midway to speed things up?
    Yes, notify IRCC; file updated marriage certificate. They’ll convert to the spousal category.
  3. Can my partner visit Canada during processing?
    Possible, but they must remain a foreign resident and may need a TRV or eTA.
  4. What’s the refusal rate?
    Historically 25-30 %, far higher than spouse/common-law (<10 %).
  5. Do we need an immigration lawyer?
    Not mandatory, but professional help is recommended because barrier evidence is nuanced.
  6. How recent must relationship proof be?
    Provide evidence covering entire 12-month period and up to submission date.
  7. Does a child together guarantee approval?
    No, but it strongly supports genuineness.
  8. Can we file Inland if partner secures a work permit?
    No. Inland class allows spouse/common-law only.
  9. Is COVID a valid barrier now?
    Not in 2025; travel restrictions lifted.
  10. How long must sponsor stay in Canada after filing?
    For PRs: entire processing period. Citizens may live abroad but must prove intent to re-settle.
  11. What if the sponsor receives CERB/EI?
    Social-assistance bar applies only to provincial welfare; EI and CERB are acceptable.
  12. Do we need police certificates for every country lived in?
    Yes, for each country >6 months since age 18.
  13. Medical exam validity?
    12 months; redo if expires before landing.
  14. Can same-sex couples qualify if marriage is legal locally?
    Rarely—you must prove why you can’t marry there (e.g., risk to safety despite legality).
  15. Will IRCC interview us?
    Possible; conjugal files receive more interviews than spousal.
  16. Sponsor has past bankruptcy—problem?
    Must be discharged; undischarged bankruptcy makes you ineligible.
  17. What if sponsor was sponsored within last 5 years?
    Cannot sponsor again until five years have passed from own landing date.
  18. Undertaking cancelled if partner gets social assistance?
    No—the sponsor remains financially liable for three years.
  19. Is joint property mandatory?
    No, but any financial inter-dependence helps.
  20. Do we need professional translation?
    Yes—certified translations for all non-English/French documents.
  21. Can pregnant partner do medical exam?
    Yes; X-ray can be deferred but file won’t finalize until completed.
  22. Does IRCC recognize proxy marriages?
    Not in conjugal class; proxy marriages are excluded unless consummated before 11 June 2015 and other conditions met.
  23. Can a partner include dependent children?
    Yes, fees and medicals apply. Children over 22 must meet dependency rules.
  24. Can the sponsor cancel after filing?
    Yes, by written request before IRCC issues the PR visa.

Conclusion & Call-to-Action

Conjugal-partner sponsorship is the most scrutinised family-class category. The relationship must be genuine and you must prove why marriage or co-habitation is genuinely impossible—not merely inconvenient. Weak or poorly organised evidence leads to a 30 % refusal rate, jeopardising both partners’ future plans.

Immigration Nation – Immigration Consultant Edmonton specialises in high-stakes conjugal files. We build barrier-evidence packages, draft statutory declarations, and guide you through every IRCC request until the visa is stamped.

Book a paid strategy session
Phone: (780) 800-0113  Email: [email protected]

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