General information only. A lawyer should review the facts, documents and current rules before you rely on this information for an application or deadline.
Sponsor eligibility comes first
A sponsor generally must be at least 18 and have qualifying Canadian status. Canadian citizens living outside Canada may have a route if they establish an intention to return, while permanent residents living outside Canada generally cannot sponsor from abroad.
The relationship category matters
Marriage, common-law partnership and conjugal partnership are distinct legal categories. Common-law generally requires at least 12 consecutive months of cohabitation.
Status inside Canada should be reviewed separately
Being sponsored does not itself answer every temporary-status question. Current status, expiry dates, prior refusals and any work or study authorization should be reviewed rather than assumed.
Open work permits may be available in qualifying cases
IRCC currently provides an optional open-work-permit pathway for certain spouses/partners and accompanying dependent children in Canada whose permanent-residence application has reached the required stage and who meet the conditions.
IRCC / Canada.ca