Sponsor your common-law partner for Canadian permanent residence with a clearly documented cohabitation history. Argus Immigration helps couples assess the 12-month relationship requirement, organize cohabitation evidence, review sponsor eligibility and prepare the sponsorship and permanent residence package with RCIC guidance.
Common-law sponsorship is a family sponsorship pathway for eligible couples who are not legally married but meet Canada's common-law relationship requirements. An eligible sponsor may be able to sponsor a qualifying common-law partner for Canadian permanent residence.
For immigration sponsorship, simply describing a relationship as common-law is not enough. The application must establish the required cohabitation period, show that the relationship is genuine and demonstrate that the sponsor and applicant meet the applicable immigration requirements.
For spouse or partner sponsorship, IRCC describes a common-law partner as someone who is not legally married to the sponsor, is at least 18 years old and has lived with the sponsor for at least 12 consecutive months in a conjugal relationship.
The 12-month period is based on continuous cohabitation. IRCC states that time spent apart during that period should be short and temporary, for example because of family obligations or work or business travel. Long periods apart can create an eligibility issue and should be reviewed carefully.
If one partner chooses to end the relationship, IRCC considers the common-law relationship to have ended.
The evidence should show a coherent period of shared residence and a genuine interdependent relationship. Depending on the couple, useful documents can include:
No single document proves every case. The evidence should support the dates and relationship history stated throughout the application.
Not every short absence breaks the 12-month period. IRCC specifically recognizes that partners may spend short, temporary periods apart for reasons such as work, business travel or family obligations.
The concern is whether the couple actually maintained continuous cohabitation overall. Longer separations, a separate permanent household, contradictory addresses or evidence suggesting the relationship had ended can require closer analysis. If the 12-month timeline is not straightforward, the dates and supporting evidence should be reviewed before filing.
A sponsor generally must:
A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor from abroad.
In most spouse or partner sponsorship cases, there is no minimum income requirement. IRCC identifies limited exceptions involving certain dependent children who have dependent children of their own.
IRCC identifies circumstances that can prevent or delay sponsorship. Examples include having become a permanent resident through spouse or partner sponsorship less than 5 years ago, still being responsible under a previous spouse or partner undertaking, certain defaults or support obligations, receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability, being an undischarged bankrupt, certain criminal convictions or being subject to a removal order.
The restrictions are fact-specific. A potential issue should be assessed before the sponsorship package is prepared.
IRCC has different processing routes depending on the couple's circumstances. The Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class is generally relevant when the common-law partner lives with the sponsor in Canada. Family Class may be used in other circumstances, including when the qualifying partner is outside Canada.
The appropriate route can affect practical issues such as temporary resident status, travel and procedural options. It should be selected based on the actual facts rather than simply where the couple would prefer the application to be processed.
The exact checklist depends on the couple and country-specific requirements, but a file commonly includes:
IRCC document checklists and country-specific instructions should be reviewed for the actual application being filed.
Some common-law partners living in Canada who are being sponsored for permanent residence may qualify for an open work permit.
Under current IRCC instructions, the principal permanent residence applicant generally needs to be in a genuine relationship with the sponsor, be included in a permanent residence application with an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), and be living in Canada with the sponsor. Temporary resident status requirements also apply.
IRCC has a limited exception that may allow an eligible applicant to apply before receiving the AOR when their current work permit, study permit or temporary resident status will expire in 2 weeks or less. A sponsorship application by itself does not authorize a person to work in Canada.
These issues do not all have the same legal effect. The important step is identifying them before submission and addressing them accurately.
Argus can review the cohabitation timeline, assess sponsor and applicant eligibility, identify evidence gaps, organize the relationship-evidence strategy, prepare or review forms and supporting documents, explain application-route considerations and represent clients in communications with IRCC within the agreed scope of the retainer.
The objective is a complete, internally consistent application that explains the relationship and supporting evidence clearly without overstating what the documents prove.
For this sponsorship category, IRCC generally requires at least 12 consecutive months of living together in a conjugal relationship, without long periods apart.
No single document is universally required to prove the relationship. The application should contain evidence that, taken together, supports the claimed cohabitation period and genuine relationship. The applicable IRCC checklist should be followed.
Yes. IRCC states that time apart during the 12-month period may be acceptable when it is short and temporary, such as for family obligations or work travel.
Potentially, yes. A qualifying common-law partner can be sponsored through Family Class when the applicable requirements are met. The couple still needs to establish the qualifying common-law relationship.
The family-sponsorship definition still focuses on the required common-law relationship and cohabitation. Parentage alone should not be treated as a substitute for the sponsorship requirements.
Immigration rules can change. This page was reviewed against current IRCC information on September 25, 2026. For government requirements, review the official sources directly:
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A consultation can help clarify the 12-month cohabitation timeline, sponsor requirements, evidence strategy, application route and potential issues relevant to your circumstances.