5. Get legal advice

You may need to get legal advice about:

• whether your spouse or common-law partner qualifies to be sponsored in Canada
• whether your spouse or partner might be forced to leave Canada while the sponsorship application is being processed because they do not have a temporary resident status
• how long the process is likely to take if you apply to sponsor your spouse or partner in Canada
• how long the process is likely to take if your spouse or partner returns to their country and you apply to sponsor them while they're outside Canada
• other options your spouse or partner might have for becoming a permanent resident

If you do not qualify as a sponsor, or your spouse or partner does not qualify to be sponsored, you might be able to ask IRCC to approve the sponsorship application based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds or reasons. You should get legal advice about your options and legal help with making any H&C requests.

There's more about getting legal advice in Where can I get legal advice and help with a problem about immigration status in Canada?