Spousal Sponsorship Immigration To Canada Tracking Lower Than Last Year

Spousal sponsorship immigration to Canada rebounded in July by 8.3 per cent with 6,170 new permanent residents that month after a soft June performance, the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals. 

In June, the number of spouses and common-law partners immigrating to Canada through this program had fallen by 7.1 per cent, to only 5,695 new permanent residents, from the 6,095 in May.

July saw spousal sponsorship immigration roar back to life.

But the overall level of immigration through this program in the first seven months of this year is still 18.6 per cent below, at 40,700 new permanent residents, the 50,065 new permanent residents who arrived through spousal sponsorships during the comparable period last year.

Based on the trend this year from January through to the end of July, Canada could welcome 69,891 new permanent residents through spousal sponsorships this year, or 7.1 per cent fewer than the 75,270 who arrived under the program last year.

Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, once again saw the greatest number of arrivals under the spousal sponsorship program in the first seven months of this year with 20,395 spouses or common-law partners making it their home during that period.

The other provinces and territories attracted the following number of new permanent residents under the spousal sponsorship program during the first seven months of this year:

• Newfoundland and Labrador – 115
• Prince Edward Island – 90
• Nova Scotia – 515
• New Brunswick – 365
• Quebec – 5,095
• Manitoba – 1,205
• Saskatchewan – 700
• Alberta – 5,525
• British Columbia – 6,665
• Yukon – 40
• Northwest Territories – 45
• Nunavut – 15

The Atlantic Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador saw the greatest percentage increase in the number of new permanent residents through the spousal sponsorship program in July, a jump of 75 per cent.

The Prairie province of Saskatchewan saw the biggest percentage drop in monthly spousal immigration in July with 13 per cent fewer new permanent residents through the program that month compared to the previous one.

In most cases, there is no income requirement to sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner.

Sponsors only need to show they meet income requirements if sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has one or more children of their own.

EI Payments Considered Income For Sponsor Of Spouse

When a Canadian citizen or permanent resident chooses to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner to immigrate to Canada, the sponsor must sign an undertaking, promising to give financial support for the sponsored person’s basic needs, including:

• food, clothing, shelter and their needs for everyday living, and;
• dental care, eye care and other health needs not covered by public health services.
• This agreement cannot be cancelled, even if:
• the person sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen; 
• the couple divorces, separates or the relationship breaks down;
• either the sponsor or the sponsored spouse or common-law partner moves to another province or country, or;
• the sponsor experiences financial problems.

Maternity, parental and sickness benefits paid under the Employment Insurance Act in Canada are all considered income and contribute to allowing a person to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner but other payments from the government, such as employment insurance and federal training allowances, are not considered income.

On its website, IRCC provides estimates of the current processing times for various types of applications, including spousal sponsorships.

According to that website, the current processing time for sponsorship applications for spouses or common-law partners currently outside the country and planning to live outside of Quebec is now down to 10 months, a considerable improvement over the 20-month processing time in 2022.

That estimated processing time includes:

• the time needed to provide biometrics;
• the assessment of the sponsor and the person being sponsored, and;
• the time immigration officials need to ensure the sponsor and his or her spouse or common-law partner meet the eligibility requirements.