2. Learn what can happen if you didn’t mention your spouse or partner

You may not be able to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner if:

• you were married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship to one another when you became a permanent resident, and
• you did not tell Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before you became a permanent resident.

The law says you cannot sponsor them. But IRCC created a policy that says they'll not always enforce this law if you got your permanent resident status because:

• you're a protected person
• you were resettled from outside Canada as a refugee
• you were a sponsored spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent child

IRCC has extended this policy until September 2026.

When this policy will not apply

If telling IRCC about your spouse or partner would have made you inadmissible to Canada, the policy will not apply to you. For example, this could happen if your spouse or partner would have been inadmissible because of a criminal record.

This policy will also not apply if you were sponsored as a dependent child but:

• had a spouse or common-law partner before you became a permanent resident, and
• did not tell IRCC.

If the policy does not apply to you, you need to get legal advice about:

• the risk that you could lose your own status in Canada
• options for your spouse or partner to come to Canada