Can You Sponsor Your Spouse While They’re Already in Canada?
❤️ Can You Sponsor Your Spouse While They’re Already in Canada? CANBRIDGE LEGAL INSIGHTS Category: Canadian Immigration | Spousal Sponsorship Last Updated: August 2026 Reading Time: Approx. 7 minutes Your spouse is already in Canada. Maybe they entered as a visitor, worker or student. You are living together and now want to start the permanent residence process. A common question is: “Do they have to leave Canada before I can sponsor them?” Not necessarily. But the correct sponsorship route and the spouse's temporary status both matter. Two Important Issues: PR and Temporary Status Spousal sponsorship is a permanent residence process. Your spouse's visitor, worker or student status is a separate temporary-residence issue. IRCC specifically says a person waiting for permanent residence can remain in Canada only as long as they maintain legal temporary status. Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class For this class, the sponsored spouse or partner...