Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Sponsorship of a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child living outside Canada — Part 2: The immigrant’s guide (IMM 3999)
How to apply to immigrate to Canada
If you are a member of the family class as described earlier and you think you are admissible to Canada, proceed as follows:
STEP 1. Only one of each form you and your family members must complete is being provided with this guide. Before you start to complete the forms, make a photocopy for each person who needs to submit an individual form. To determine how many photocopies of the blank forms you will need, consult the table below.
| Form | Must be completed by |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship Agreement (IMM 1344B), if your sponsor lives in a Canadian province or territory other than Quebec | You, unless you are under 22 years of age and not the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. Your sponsor will already have signed this form and sent it to you with this guide. You must sign it also and return it to your sponsor. |
| Application for permanent residence in Canada (IMM 0008 Generic) | You. |
| Spouse/Partner questionnaire (IMM 5490) |
You, if you are the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the sponsor. |
| Schedule 1, Background / Declaration (IMM 0008 Schedule 1) |
You and each of your family members 18 years of age or over, whether accompanying you to Canada or not, must complete their own copy of this form. |
| Additional Family Information (IMM 5406) |
You and each of your family members 18 years of age or over, whether accompanying you to Canada or not, must complete their own copy of this form. |
If you choose to have a representative, complete also the Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476).
STEP 2. Complete the forms following the step-by-step instructions in the next section.
STEP 3. Obtain police certificates/clearances as instructed and collect all other documents you need to support your application. The checklist at Appendix A will tell you which documents you must submit with your application and which require translation and/or certification (notarization). Refer to section on security requirements for related information on police certificates.
Make an appointment with a Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) and undergo the medical examination. See Appendix C for further details.
Use the checklist to verify that you have all the required documents. It is important to note that we may request more information at any time during the process.
STEP 4. Send all your forms completed and signed along with supporting documentation to your relative in Canada.
If any of the documents required in the checklist at Appendix A are not sent with your forms, the application will be returned to your sponsor, who will have to obtain the missing documents and re-send the complete application with all proper documentation.
All information and documents are required to assess your application correctly and quickly. If following the submission of your application, there are any changes to your family status such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, your address or telephone/fax number, or any other important information, advise the visa office immediately, by mail or facsimile. Except for a change in address or telephone/fax number, this is required even if a permanent resident visa has already been issued to you.
When advising the office of such changes, you must clearly state your file number, if available. It is normally included at the top of the first page of any correspondence received from our immigration services.
If you are subject to an unenforced removal order, a permanent resident visa will not be issued to you. If you were previously ordered to leave Canada and received a written notice to that effect, consult our website or contact your sponsor for additional information on removal orders and their consequences before you submit your application.
