Spousal sponsorship

[SAUMITRA]

Hello everyone,

I’m seeking some advice and clarity regarding the spousal sponsorship process.

I’m currently a permanent resident of Canada. I will be traveling to India in August 2025 for my engagement ceremony, and we plan to have our traditional wedding in March 2026. However, I am considering doing a legal court marriage in August 2025 while I’m in India, so I can begin the spousal sponsorship process sooner.
My questions are:

1. If we do a court marriage in August 2025, can I submit the sponsorship application based on that, even though our traditional wedding is planned for March 2026?
2. Will IRCC consider our marriage valid if the traditional wedding happens after I’ve applied?
3. What documents or steps should I prepare in August to ensure the sponsorship process goes smoothly?
4. Are there any potential issues or red flags in this approach I should be aware of?

I would really appreciate any advice or experience from others who have followed a similar path. My goal is to start the process as early as possible without facing complications later.

Thank you in advance!

 

[armoured]

Hello everyone,

I’m seeking some advice and clarity regarding the spousal sponsorship process.

I’m currently a permanent resident of Canada. I will be traveling to India in August 2025 for my engagement ceremony, and we plan to have our traditional wedding in March 2026. However, I am considering doing a legal court marriage in August 2025 while I’m in India, so I can begin the spousal sponsorship process sooner.
My questions are:

1. If we do a court marriage in August 2025, can I submit the sponsorship application based on that, even though our traditional wedding is planned for March 2026?
2. Will IRCC consider our marriage valid if the traditional wedding happens after I’ve applied?
3. What documents or steps should I prepare in August to ensure the sponsorship process goes smoothly?
4. Are there any potential issues or red flags in this approach I should be aware of?

I would really appreciate any advice or experience from others who have followed a similar path. My goal is to start the process as early as possible without facing complications later.

Thank you in advance!

If it's an arranged marriage, don't apply until after completion of all the ceremonies.

 

[jay4121997]

Anyone applied around APR 2025, got Background check cleared?

So far eligibility, bio, medical is showing passed in tracker and BG check in progress.

 

[Aquitaine90]

Is it true PR Tracker is experiencing issues? Haven't had an update since March 3rd in the tracker. GCKey doesn't have any movement either since medical. Have IRCC acknowledged any potential issues?

 

[smarties]

Is it true PR Tracker is experiencing issues? Haven't had an update since March 3rd in the tracker. GCKey doesn't have any movement either since medical. Have IRCC acknowledged any potential issues?

We've got the most recent update on our file on May 30th, so I wouldn't say the tracker is having issues.

 

[SinghRaj]

Hi,
Another question, so far I(sponser) have recived email from Sydney office that they have recived the application. Provided me with File number. From there I have set up new GC Key account for my spouse(PA) and linked the application (successfully).

Is there any other way you guys track the appliction as I have tried Client Application Status (didnt work) and also tried creating account for "Your Application Status Tracker" (didnt work either).

Its just there are so many options and its just confusing.

 

[harmanjotkaur870]

Hello everyone,

I’m seeking some advice and clarity regarding the spousal sponsorship process.

I’m currently a permanent resident of Canada. I will be traveling to India in August 2025 for my engagement ceremony, and we plan to have our traditional wedding in March 2026. However, I am considering doing a legal court marriage in August 2025 while I’m in India, so I can begin the spousal sponsorship process sooner.
My questions are:

1. If we do a court marriage in August 2025, can I submit the sponsorship application based on that, even though our traditional wedding is planned for March 2026?
2. Will IRCC consider our marriage valid if the traditional wedding happens after I’ve applied?
3. What documents or steps should I prepare in August to ensure the sponsorship process goes smoothly?
4. Are there any potential issues or red flags in this approach I should be aware of?

I would really appreciate any advice or experience from others who have followed a similar path. My goal is to start the process as early as possible without facing complications later.

Thank you in advance!

Hi,

I also did the same thing. I and my husband just had a court marriage, did not have any traditional wedding or any ritual performed.

I think it is totally fine to submit the application with just court marriage, but make sure to provide enough proofs of your relationship like chats, phone calls, video call screenshots if you have any, pictures of both of you together (on any event or vacation). Write an explained letter of how you guys met each mother, affidavits from your friends and family members to prove that your relationship is known to other people and is genuine. Also, include your engagement pictures in the application, you can also write in the explanation letter that because of certain reasons, like work related or any other, you cannot do traditional wedding at the same time of your engagement or court marriage as it takes lots of time and planning and will be doing it in March 2026.

I personally do not think there would be any problem in doing this.

 

[Akki9172]

Hello All
I am filling my spousal digital forms. And in every form I see the following:
You (the principal applicant) must fill out this form for yourself and on behalf of any of your family members 18 years of age or older who are not already Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Enter all names in English and in your native language or script (for example, Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Korean or Japanese script or Chinese commercial/telegraphic code). If a section does not apply, write “Not Applicable.”

Does the names we write has to be written in English and Native Language both or only English is enough. The preferred language we filled is English and Native language is Hindi?

 

[armoured]

Does the names we write has to be written in English and Native Language both or only English is enough. The preferred language we filled is English and Native language is Hindi?

The names are written in English (as in eg your passport). On the form, the first time names are entered, enter in English and in Hindi.

Basically they want the local script version so as to be able to compare documents and have the 'correct' name in local script (since English versions of other language names are notoriously variable).

 

[Kolex22]

I think GCMS notes can take up to 30 days to come through.

Good morning
Please what's the recent updates about your application?

 

[Kolex22]

Just a bit of background on our case.

Applied in 2020 October. Got a refusal in Feb 2023 reason given the officer didn't find the relationship to be genuine. We appealed, provided all the evidence needed and our appeal got approved after the hearing in August 2023. The file was opened last year after IRCC was provided the appeal approval document but since then they have asked for re-medical, Police Clearance Certificates (again), we submitted everything in first week of April (within the 30 days time period) and the status was changed to completed except the background check which shows in progress since April 4, 2024. Everything has been completed Medical, Biometric, Eligibility.

How else can we find out other than contacting IRCC regarding the delay as we have already done that. Any suggestions. Can we contact CBSA or RCMP to get notes.

Good morning please can you please share the recent updates on your application

 

[Kolex22]

We applied for my husband's outland PR application in JULY 2023. Got the AOR couple of months after, then applied for his visitor visa. Biometrics and medical were done in Oct 2023.
Visitor visa got approved in Nov 2023, he arrived in Canada as a visitor March 2024.
The application is still in progress. On 10th September 2024 they requested proof of cohabitation, more pictures of our traditional wedding ceremony. We provided them with proof and pictures on 12th September 2024.
Since then there has been no update at all. There was an update posted on the tracker stating:

• Sept 13th 2024- We received the information you sent us. We’ll review it and let you know if we need any other information from you.

Nothing ever since. It is extremely frustrating waiting for an update, we just wanted to see if its normal for an application to take this LONG. Normal processing time is 8 months and we are well over 17 months now.

Please what's the recent updates about your application?

 

[Kolex22]

Outland submitted Dec 2023. Same here, biometrics, eligibility (Oct) and medical (July) completed, Background in progress since October 2024. Received update 2 days ago that Background verification status has been updated to In progress. I am not what this means?

Any update from you?

Please what's the latest update on your application?

 

[Kolex22]

Yes

I applied for a visa through spousal sponsorship last year 16th March 2024, I have done my biometric and medicals passed and still haven’t gotten any response from the ircc. whenever I called the ircc visa office in Accra to find out what’s going on with my application they just tell me to call the Ghana embassy to ask for my status and when I call the embassy in Accra too they will also tell me they can’t give me any information because ircc doesn’t allow them to share that information on the phone. I wrote several web forms just to get the status of my application because my case has passed the normal processing time. I don’t even know what to do anymore, my rent is due and no one in the Accra visa office is responding to my web form. It’s really frustrating..

What's the recent updates on your application?

 

[CanadianAviator]

Good morning,
I was wondering, once you have received the COPR, and have your passport back with the attached visa, you are eligible to travel? Received it back late last week, but the PR Tracker has not said anything about a final decision being completed or anything like that.

As far as I can tell, the visa attached in the passport is the travel document required, and the COPR paper gets signed by the CBSA officer when landing and actually passing thru immigration.

If this is correct please let me know.

Thank you