FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
PERMANENT RESIDENCE
(Family
Class)
Where can I obtain application packages?
I am a Canadian Citizen currently residing abroad and would like to sponsor my spouse. How do I prove my intent to return to Canada, as requested? What constitutes proof of 'ties' to Canada?
Where can I find the form required to do the up-front medical exam (referred to as Appendix D in the guide)?
What is involved in a medical examination?
I would like to sponsor my spouse but I am not working and am currently financially dependent on my spouse - what kind of financial documents do I need to submit?
Must I submit an original Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate etc..?
How long does the application take to process?
I am sponsoring my spouse but he / she has a criminal conviction, how will this affect his / her application?
My application has been refused due to my criminal convictions and the refusal letter states not to attempt to enter Canada as a visitor. How can I obtain permission to enter Canada as a visitor?
I am being sponsored by Canadian citizen spouse and have children who are Canadian citizens (or have a claim to Canadian citizenship), do I need to include them on my application?
Once I land in Canada (enter Canada using a permanent resident visa) must I remain in Canada to ensure I don't lose my status? If I leave Canada, how will I get my Permanent Resident card?
Once my permanent resident visa is issued, how long will it be valid for?
What is the sponsor's obligation after the family member(s) arrive in Canada as Permanent Residents?
Where can I obtain application packages?
All the
guides and application forms required can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat
(version 6) from our website:
www.cic.gc.ca. Please ensure that you follow the links for and be sure
you get the particular kind of form that you need, for example, for a
spousal/common-law partner sponsorship. Also, use the following checklist to
ensure that you have all the relevant documentation before submitting
your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5491E.PDF
TOP OF PAGE
I am a Canadian Citizen currently residing abroad and would like to sponsor my spouse. How do I prove my intent to return to Canada, as requested? What constitutes proof of 'ties' to Canada?
You are
correct in thinking that you must satisfy the officials at our Case
Processing Centre in Mississauga that you will actually move as a couple to
live in Canada when your spouse receives a visa. (Only Canadian Citizens may
sponsor from abroad; a “permanent resident” must be physically resident in
Canada to be eligible.) In order to satisfy the officer reviewing the file
that you intend to return to Canada, you should include with your
application information on your plan for return to Canada and sufficient
documentation to substantiate it, including any or all of the following:
- A
written submission explaining the reasons why you have been abroad and why
you are now returning to Canada (employment, family obligations, studies,
etc...)
- letters
from relatives or friends in Canada offering initial accommodation and
assistance
- Proof
of registration in a University or College
- Proof
of a job offer
- Proof
of family obligations
- Proof
of purchase of home in Canada (or sale of property in your current country
of residence)
A
thorough written submission might be all that is required if the absence has
been temporary and easily explicable. However, supporting documents might
save time as, if the officer is in any doubt as to your intentions, he or
she will require additional information or might judge you ineligible to
continue.
TOP OF PAGE
Where can I find the form required to do the up-front medical exam (referred to as Appendix D in the guide)?
They can be
found at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3901e.pdf. You can try
typing this directly into your internet browser or follow the links as
indicated below:
- From
the
www.cic.gc.ca home page, select “Sponsor Your Family”
- Then
select “Information Guides and Applications”
- Then
select “Spouses, Common-Law partners, Conjugal partners, and dependent
children.”
- Then
Select - Part C - “Forms Specific to the Region”
- Select
“Western Europe” and the Appendix D is part of the guide which will
appear.
The
medical exam may be taken at any Designated Medical Practitioner’s office in
the world, including Canada. A list of which can be found at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/medical.html.
TOP OF PAGE
What is involved in a medical examination?
A medical
examination may include:
-
a
physical examination;
-
a mental examination;
-
a review of past medical history and records;
-
routine and diagnostic test to assess the health of the applicant. Routine
test may include: urinalysis, a chest x-ray, a syphilis blood test and an
HIV test.
TOP OF PAGE
I would like to sponsor my spouse but I am not working and am currently financially dependent on my spouse - what kind of financial documents do I need to submit?
The Case
Processing Centre in Mississauga will verify that you are not currently on
social assistance in Canada. For spousal sponsorships this is the only
financial requirement. No other financial documents need be submitted.
TOP OF PAGE
Must I submit an original Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate etc..?
We
recommend that you only submit photocopies of your civil documents with your
original application. Any originals you submit will be at your own risk, as
we cannot guarantee they will be returned. You must, however submit original
police certificates. These originals will not be returned to you so please
keep a copy for your records. If any other original document is required,
you will be informed during the processing.
TOP OF PAGE
How long does the application take to process?
Applications for spouses, partners and dependent children are given
priority. We attempt to process them in as short a time possible. For a case
with no complications, this means that from the time of the submission of
the sponsorship in Canada to the time the visa is issued, usually 6 months
or less has elapsed.
TOP OF PAGE
I am sponsoring my spouse but he / she has a criminal conviction, how will this affect his / her application?
If a
conviction is considered spent under the UK Rehabilitation of Offenders Act,
this will probably not affect his/her application. If, however, the
conviction has not been spent or if the offence was committed in another
country, it may mean that your spouse will be considered inadmissible. In
such cases, entry to Canada might be blocked. In other cases, special
permission to enter might be available. However, in the absence of a
completed application, properly submitted, we cannot provide opinions on
criminal admissibility. It is essential that responses to all relevant
questions on the application form are full and complete, and supported by
documentation if appropriate. Misrepresentation of a material fact also
renders an applicant inadmissible. Please see our website
www.cic.gc.ca for further information.
TOP OF PAGE
My application has been refused due to my criminal convictions and the refusal letter states not to attempt to enter Canada as a visitor. How can I obtain permission to enter Canada as a visitor?
You may
obtain an application for criminal rehabilitation from our website:
www.cic.gc.ca and submit it along with the appropriate fee.
TOP OF PAGE
I am being sponsored by Canadian citizen spouse and have children who are Canadian citizens (or have a claim to Canadian citizenship), do I need to include them on my application?
These
children need to be listed on the Additional Family Information Form
(IMM5406) but we do not require photos, processing fees or medical exams for
Canadian Citizen dependents.
If your
children were born outside of Canada to a Canadian citizen parent and if
Canadian citizenship has not yet been applied for, you may contact our
Consular Section at Canada House at 020 7258 6600 for advice on citizenship
issues. Sponsors not resident in the UK should contact the Consular Section
of the Canadian Embassy or High Commission in your country of residence.
TOP OF PAGE
Once I land in Canada (enter Canada using a permanent resident visa) must I remain in Canada to ensure I don't lose my status? If I leave Canada, how will I get my Permanent Resident card?
The
standard rule for all permanent residents is as follows: in order to
maintain your permanent resident status in Canada, you must reside in Canada
for 720 days in every 5 year period. These 720 days do not have to be
immediately following landing. Exceptions to this rule include:
- If you
are accompanying a Canadian Citizen spouse abroad
- If you
are employed by a Canadian company abroad
- In very
limited circumstances humanitarian and compassionate reasons are also
taken into account
Six to
eight weeks after landing in Canada, your Permanent Resident card should be
mailed to you at your address in Canada. If you do leave Canada after
landing without first obtaining a Permanent Resident card, you must apply at
a Canadian Embassy or High Commission for a “Travel Document for Permanent
Residents” prior to returning to Canada.
TOP OF PAGE
Once my permanent resident visa is issued, how long will it be valid for?
Permanent
resident visas are of varying validity, up to a maximum of one year. One
limitation is the maximum one-year validity of the immigration medical exam.
If more than one family member is sponsored, the validity date for all will
be the same, and could be one year from the date of the first medical exam
of any member. The visa will never be valid longer than the passport in
which it is placed.
TOP OF PAGE
What is the sponsor's obligation after the family member(s) arrive in Canada as Permanent Residents?
Sponsors
are responsible for providing for permanent residents after arrival in
Canada, and for ensuring that they do not become dependent on the Canadian
social assistance system. The undertaking duration is at least three years
from the date on which the family member becomes a permanent resident, and
may be up to 10 years, for dependent child for example.
TOP OF PAGE
Skilled Worker Frequently Asked
Questions
Business Frequently Asked
Questions
Provincial Nominee Frequently Asked Questions
Quebec Frequently Asked Questions |
