Sponsorship of a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child living outside Canada — Part 2: The immigrant’s guide (IMM 3999)

What happens next

What happens after you have sent your application to your sponsor

When your sponsor receives your forms and supporting documentation, he or she will forward these together with his or her application to sponsor and supporting documents to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M), Canada. CPC-M will verify that all forms and documents are complete and signed, that the applicable fees have been paid by your sponsor and that your sponsor in Canada meets sponsorship requirements.

If your sponsor meets the requirements or fails to meet the requirements but chooses to proceed with the application, CPC-M will send details of their assessment and your application for permanent residence (with supporting documents) to the visa office for processing.

The visa office will process your application and decide if a visa may be issued to you and your family members. It may require an interview or additional information and documentation before it can make a decision about your application. If you are asked to provide additional documents, the visa office will send you a written request. It is in your interest to comply as quickly as possible. If the visa office does not receive the additional information or documents within three months of the date of the request, your application may be refused. If you need to be interviewed, the visa office will notify you in writing in advance of the date, time and location of the interview as well as of the documents to bring with you.

If you have to meet other requirements, for example take additional medical tests, or provide more current or additional information needed for background checks, it could take considerably longer to reach a decision about your application. Visit our website or contact your sponsor for additional information on processing times.

If you and your sponsor meet all immigration requirements, the visa office will request you to submit passports and issue permanent resident visas to you and your family members accompanying you to Canada. You must then arrive in Canada either with or before your family members, and within the validity period of the visas.

If you or your sponsor do not meet all immigration requirements, your application will be refused. You will receive a letter outlining the reasons for the refusal. Your sponsor will also receive a copy of the refusal letter and will be informed of his or her right to appeal the decision to the Immigration and Refugee Board.

If your sponsor chooses to withdraw the sponsorship in the event he or she fails to meet the sponsorship requirements, CPC-M will return your complete application (including supporting documents) to your sponsor. Your sponsor will be repaid all processing fees except the sponsorship fee of $75. Your application for permanent residence will not be processed.

What you should expect at the interview

You, your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children may be asked to come to the interview. The visa officer may ask about your relationship to the sponsor, your education, your reasons for emigrating, your plans and preparations. The officer may also ask about your family, your health, your financial situation, or past difficulties with the law. There may also be questions to determine your ability to settle successfully in Canada.

Processing times for an application and visa issuance

We are committed to issuing visas for routine cases of spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and/or dependent children as quickly as possible. In order to ensure that we have the information we need to make a decision on your application,

• complete and sign the forms as instructed. All information must be correct and truthful;
• send the forms and all supporting documents, including police certificates and proof of medical examination, to your sponsor.

If your case is not routine, we may not be able to process your application within the regular service standards for routine cases. Information on factors that can affect the processing of your application has been included in your sponsor’s guide. Visit our website for additional information on processing times.

Checking your application status

To find out the current status of your application, follow these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status.

If you do not want your information to be made available online, you can remove it by following these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status.
5	Access your account.
6	Select the check box next to the message Please don't show my application status on the Internet.

Current processing times are updated weekly on our website.

What happens when you arrive in Canada

When you arrive, you must present your permanent resident visa to a Canadian customs or immigration officer at your first port of entry. The officer will check your visa and travel documents and ask you questions similar to those on the Application for Permanent Residence to verify that you are of good character and in good health. If there are no difficulties, the officer will authorize your admission to Canada as a permanent resident and ask you to sign in his or her presence the Confirmation of Permanent Residence form you will have received from the visa office. The officer will then send this form to a processing centre and you will receive your Permanent Resident Card in the weeks following. Make sure that when you arrive in Canada, you know the address, including the postal code, where you are going to live.

A permanent resident is a person lawfully in Canada as an immigrant who is not yet eligible for, or has not yet been granted, Canadian citizenship.

What settlement services are available

Canada’s settlement services are limited. Your sponsor will have signed an undertaking with the Government of Canada or, if you intend to live in Quebec, with the Government of Quebec, to provide for your basic requirements and those of your family members after you arrive in Canada. You can learn about settlement services from Citizenship and Immigration Centres, Human Resources Canada Centres and private organizations.

Finding a job

Upon arrival in Canada as a permanent resident you may seek assistance in finding a job from a Human Resources Centre of Canada. Most employers will ask potential candidates to provide a social insurance number (SIN). You will receive forms to apply for your SIN at the time you are processed for admission to Canada as a permanent resident.

Leaving Canada to settle your affairs after obtaining permanent resident status

Permanent residents may leave and re-enter Canada as often as they wish, to settle their affairs or to travel, as long as, at the time they re-enter Canada, they can prove that they have been physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within the five years preceding the day they re-enter, if they have been permanent residents for five years or more, or that they will be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within the five years immediately following the day they became permanent residents, if they have been permanent residents for less than five years. Permanent residents outside Canada may also meet the residency obligation if certain conditions apply.

Rights and obligations as a permanent resident of Canada

You and your family members have the right to live, study and work in Canada for as long as you remain permanent residents, and are entitled to most social benefits accorded to Canadian citizens. As a permanent resident, you also have the same legal obligations as Canadians, such as paying taxes and respecting other laws.

When you have met citizenship requirements, including permanent residency in Canada for at least three years, you may apply for Canadian citizenship and a Canadian passport.

There are a few limitations on permanent residents:

• You cannot obtain a Canadian passport.
• You cannot vote in certain elections.
• You may be ineligible for certain jobs requiring high-level security clearances.
• If you or your family members commit serious crimes, you or your family members risk being deported from Canada.

Your sponsor and co-signer, if applicable, are responsible for providing for your basic requirements and those of your family members after you arrive in Canada, for the period specified by the Undertaking, and for ensuring that you do not become dependent on the Canadian social assistance. Under the agreement you have signed with your sponsor/co-signer, you are committed to making every reasonable effort to provide for your own basic requirements and those of your family members.

You remain a permanent resident until you become a Canadian citizen or abandon Canada as your place of residence. You may be considered to have abandoned Canada if you have frequent and/or lengthy absences from the country. If after becoming a permanent resident you return to live in your home country indefinitely, you will lose your permanent resident status.

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