Canadian spousal sponsorship splits into two distinct streams — and choosing the wrong one can cost you a year of waiting and an open work permit. Our team analyzes your situation and recommends the stream that protects your rights and gets your spouse to permanent residency in the shortest realistic time.

Inland sponsorship is for couples already living together in Canada. The sponsored spouse must hold valid temporary status (worker, student, visitor). One major advantage of the inland stream is the Spousal Open Work Permit, which lets your spouse work for any Canadian employer while the application is processed.

Outland sponsorship is processed at a visa office abroad. Despite its name, the sponsored spouse can be either inside or outside Canada — the key difference is that outland applications generally allow the spouse to travel freely while the application is pending and can sometimes be faster to finalize, depending on the visa office of responsibility.