What You Need to Know About Same Sex Spousal Sponsorship

Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents can sponsor their same-sex partners to come to Canada within 6 to 12 months. This is part of the Spousal Sponsorship to Canada. You can apply to sponsor your same-sex partner as a spouse if you:

1. Are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
2. Were married in Canada and issued a marriage certificate by a Canadian province or territory on or after one of these dates:

• British Columbia (on or after July 8, 2003),
• Manitoba (on or after September 16, 2004),
• New Brunswick (on or after July 4, 2005),
• Newfoundland and Labrador (on or after December 21, 2004),
• Nova Scotia (on or after September 24, 2004),
• Ontario (on or after June 10, 2003),
• Quebec (on or after March 19, 2004),
• Saskatchewan (on or after November 5, 2004),
• Yukon (on or after July 14, 2004) or
• all other provinces or territories (on or after July 20, 2005).

If you were married outside of Canada, you may apply for Spousal Sponsorship to Canada as long as the marriage is legally recognized according to both the law of the place where the marriage occurred and under Canadian law.