Spousal Sponsorship vs Open Work Permit: Which One You Need

Canada has no single "spouse visa". There are two very different routes, and the right one depends on one question: what is your husband's or wife's status in Canada?

• If your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you for permanent residence. That is spousal sponsorship.
• If your spouse is an international student or foreign worker in Canada, you may qualify for a spousal open work permit. That is a temporary permit, tied to your spouse's study or job.

All rules and fees below were checked on official Government of Canada pages on 22 October 2026. They can change, so check again on the day you apply.

The short answer

Spousal sponsorship: permanent residence

Who can sponsor you

IRCC says your sponsor must be "a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act," be at least 18 and live in Canada. Two location rules matter:

• A Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor, but must "show that you plan to live in Canada" when you become a permanent resident.
• A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor.

A sponsor may be ineligible if, for example, they became a permanent resident through spousal sponsorship less than 5 years ago, still have an undertaking for a previous partner that is under 3 years old, receive social assistance for reasons other than disability, or have an undischarged bankruptcy. In most cases there is no income requirement to sponsor a spouse or partner.

Who can be sponsored

You must be at least 18 and one of the following:

• a spouse: legally married to the sponsor
• a common-law partner: not married, but living with the sponsor for at least 12 consecutive months
• a conjugal partner: in an exclusive and mutually interdependent relationship with the sponsor for at least 1 year, living outside Canada, and not married or common-law

The undertaking

Your sponsor promises to support you financially. For a partner this undertaking lasts 3 years (outside Quebec), starting the day you become a permanent resident. IRCC states there is "no way to cancel or shorten the undertaking period," even if the relationship changes. Quebec residents sign a separate undertaking with Quebec, with different periods.

Inland vs outland sponsorship

IRCC's guide (IMM 5289) names two classes: the Family Class (often called "outland") and the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class (often called "inland").

Outland (Family Class). Apply this way if you live outside Canada, for example in India. It is also the class for conjugal partners and for couples who want the option to appeal a refusal to the Immigration and Refugee Board. If approved, the visa office issues a permanent resident visa.

Inland (Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class). This is only for a spouse or common-law partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada and has valid temporary resident status (or is exempt under a public policy). IRCC warns that if you leave Canada during processing, you may not be allowed back in. If approved, IRCC invites you to confirm your permanent residence.

The open work permit for sponsored spouses

If you live in Canada with your sponsor, IRCC says you "may qualify for an open work permit" while your application is processed, whether you applied inland or under the Family Class. You must:

• be a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner living in Canada who is being sponsored for permanent residence
• be in a genuine relationship with your sponsor and live in Canada with them
• have an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) for your permanent residence application (an exception applies only if your status expires within 2 weeks)
• have valid temporary resident status

It cannot be requested at a port of entry, and it is not available to you while you wait in India.

Medical exams and police certificates from India

For sponsorship, IRCC asks for:

• A medical exam with a panel physician. IRCC says "You must see a doctor on the list of panel physicians," not your own doctor. Sponsored spouses and partners wait for IRCC's instructions after applying, then have the exam within 30 days.
• Police certificates. Anyone 18 or older must give a police certificate for each country other than Canada where they spent "6 or more months in a row since the age of 18." For India, IRCC's page lists a local district police station, a passport office, an Indian embassy or consulate, or a BLS International centre. It adds that "Character Certificates are not accepted."
• Biometrics: pay the fee when you apply, then give them after you get IRCC's instruction letter.

Spousal open work permit: temporary, linked to your spouse

This permit lets you work for almost any employer while your spouse studies or works in Canada. It does not make you a permanent resident. Since 21 January 2025 the rules are narrow:

• Spouses of students qualify only if the student holds a valid study permit and is in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, a listed professional degree such as MD, JD, BEd, BEng or BScN, or one of IRCC's listed eligible programs (such as the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot). Your permit is usually valid for the same period as their study permit.
• Spouses of workers generally qualify only if the worker is in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job, lives (or plans to live) in Canada, and has a permit valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives your application. Your permit cannot go past their permit, your passport or your biometrics. Some special measures have different rules; see who qualifies for a spousal open work permit.

For the last-term rule, the eligible TEER 2 and 3 jobs and renewals, read who qualifies for a spousal open work permit.

Which one do you need?

• Your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident: spousal sponsorship. If you live in India, that normally means the outland (Family Class) route.
• Your spouse is studying or working in Canada on a permit: the spousal open work permit, if their program or job qualifies.
• Your spouse is a permanent resident living outside Canada: sponsorship is not possible until they live in Canada.

Fees and processing times

From IRCC's fee list, checked on 22 October 2026, in Canadian dollars:

• Sponsor your spouse or partner: CAD 1,260. IRCC says this "includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee." Without the right of permanent residence fee, it is CAD 660. Each dependent child adds CAD 180.
• Spousal open work permit: CAD 155 for the permit, CAD 100 open work permit holder fee.
• Biometrics: CAD 85 per person, or CAD 170 for a family of 2 or more applying together.

Processing times are not given here because IRCC updates them weekly. Use IRCC's processing times tool and choose family sponsorship or work permit; it shows separate times for applicants inside and outside Canada. IRCC says these are estimates, not a maximum.

Meeting the rules does not mean an application will be approved. An IRCC officer decides each case, and nobody can promise the outcome.

About the Spousal Open Work Permit guide

The Spousal Open Work Permit Guide (India edition) is for the open work permit only. It does not cover spousal sponsorship. It contains a decision flow to test whether your spouse's program or job qualifies, IRCC's list of eligible TEER 2 and 3 occupations, what the officer assesses, costs and timeline, step-by-step routes from India and from inside Canada, a worked example, document checklists, three letter templates (cover letter, spouse's support letter, employer letter request), special situations, common mistakes and what to expect at the border.