1. Check if you’re eligible to sponsor

You cannot sponsor a spouse or partner if:

• you were sponsored by a former partner as a spouse or partner, and
• you became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago.

You cannot sponsor your current partner if:

• you sponsored a former spouse or partner, and
• it has been less than 3 years since that person became a permanent resident.

There are also other reasons why you may not be qualified to sponsor your spouse or partner, for example:  

• you were convicted of certain crimes, or  
• you're getting social assistance, unless you're getting income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) because you have a disability.  

Other situations where a sponsorship will be refused include:

• if the spouse being sponsored is under 18 years old
• if the marriage ceremony was done when one or both of the spouses were not physically present, which is also called marriage by proxy

If any of the situations above apply to you, you need to get legal advice.