What is Inland Sponsorship?
Inland sponsorship enables Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent resident status, provided they are living together in Canada.

To qualify for this process, the foreign spouse or partner must have valid temporary status in Canada as a worker, student, or visitor. Throughout the processing of the Inland sponsorship application, the sponsored individual can continue to live, work, or study in Canada.

For the sponsored person to receive a Canadian PR visa through this route, both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and the foreign national must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Newcomers applying for Inland sponsorship may be eligible for an open work permit (OWP), allowing them to work full-time in Canada while their permanent residence application is being processed. An OWP can alleviate some of the economic and emotional stress that can come with a lengthy application process, enabling the spouse or partner to actively participate in the Canadian labor market.

Applicants for Inland sponsorship are generally expected to remain in Canada during the processing period. If the spouse or common-law partner intends to travel outside the country or does not plan to stay, Outland sponsorship might be a more suitable option.

Who Can Apply Under Inland Sponsorship?
To sponsor a loved one under Inland sponsorship, you must meet specific criteria:

Your spouse or partner must live with you in Canada.
Your spouse or partner must hold temporary resident status in Canada.

Additionally, both the sponsor and the sponsored person must meet certain fundamental immigration requirements:

The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Both parties must be at least 18 years old.
The relationship must be one of the following:
Spouse: Legally married with a valid marriage recognized under both the jurisdiction of registration and Canadian law.
Common-law: Cohabiting or having cohabited in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months.
The sponsored person must not have been sponsored by their spouse in Canada within the past five years.
Neither party should be imprisoned, charged with a serious offense, or declared bankrupt.

Conjugal partnerships—where two individuals cannot live together or marry due to religious or marital constraintsare not eligible for this sponsorship.

How Does Inland Sponsorship Work?
Inland sponsorship involves a structured application process under Canada’s Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class immigration program. The process comprises two main parts:

1. The Canadian citizen or permanent resident applies to become a sponsor.
2. The foreign spouse or partner applies for permanent residence.

The application process includes several steps:

Confirming eligibility for both parties.
Paying the required fees online.
Collecting necessary supporting documents.
Completing the required forms and submitting them to the correct visa office.

Applicants are typically expected to remain in Canada throughout the application review. If the spouse or common-law partner needs to leave Canada during processing, Outland sponsorship may be preferable.

How Can I Receive an Open Work Permit Under Inland Sponsorship?
In 2023, IRCC updated the eligibility criteria for spousal OWPs, allowing eligible applicants under the Inland sponsorship program to obtain these permits while their applications are processed. Dependent children of sponsored individuals can also apply for an OWP.

To qualify for an OWP, the foreign national must be:

The spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada, or
An accompanying dependent child of the principal applicant being sponsored.

For the first condition, applicants must also:

Be in a genuine relationship with their sponsor.
Be included in a permanent residence application and have received an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) letter confirming the application is in process.
Reside in Canada with their sponsor.

For dependent children, the principal applicant must:

Be in a genuine relationship with their sponsor.
Be included in a permanent residence application and have an AOR letter confirming processing by IRCC.
Live in Canada with their sponsor and the principal applicant.

What Are the Steps to Apply for Inland Sponsorship?
Sponsoring a foreign spouse or partner involves several stages:

1. Obtain the application package from the government website, which includes a guide with instructions, forms, and a checklist.
2. Pay all required application fees online (application fees, right of permanent residence fees, biometric fees).
3. Complete and sign all necessary forms.
4. Send your application to the appropriate visa office in Canada as outlined in the guide.
5. During the review period, you may be asked for additional supporting documents.

If you are in Quebec, note that there are specific immigration procedures to follow.

How Long Does It Take to Process Inland Applications?
The current processing time for Inland spousal sponsorship applications is approximately 12 months.

Previously, Inland applications took longer than Outland applications, but IRCC is now aligning processing times for both categories. The COVID-19 pandemic may impact processing, with priority given to:

Canadians returning to Canada.
Vulnerable individuals.
Those providing or supporting essential services.

Where Are Inland Applications Processed?
Depending on your choice of sponsorship (Inland or Outland), you will need to submit your application to a specific mailing address in Canada. You can refer to the downloadable guide from the IRCC website for the correct address for Inland sponsorship applications.