Sponsoring a spouse or partner to Quebec: who can sponsor, and who can be sponsored

When sponsoring a spouse or partner to Quebec, who can sponsor and who can be sponsored depends on two separate tests. The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, a person registered as an Indian, or a permanent resident who meets the federal age and residence rules. The relationship must qualify as a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner. A Quebec case also involves a provincial undertaking, so applicants must follow the federal and Quebec instructions in the correct order.

Key takeaways

• Check the sponsor and relationship separately. Being eligible to sponsor does not establish that a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner qualifies.
• Choose the right relationship category. Each has its own legal and factual criteria, and the evidence should support the category selected.
• Quebec adds a provincial undertaking. Federal eligibility is only one part of sponsoring a spouse or partner who plans to settle in Quebec.
• Expect a financial commitment. The undertaking concerns the sponsored person’s basic needs, and applicable rules may require the sponsor to repay certain assistance.
• Follow the requested sequence. Start with IRCC’s federal process and submit the Quebec undertaking when instructed.

Who can sponsor a spouse or partner to Quebec?

To sponsor a spouse or partner, a person must be a Canadian citizen, a person registered as an Indian, or a permanent resident, and be at least 18. A permanent resident must live in Canada, while a Canadian citizen living abroad must plan to return to Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. The sponsor’s personal eligibility is separate from the question of whether the relationship meets the rules for a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.

Quebec applicants must also complete the province’s undertaking process. Meeting federal sponsor conditions alone does not complete a Quebec sponsorship.

Generally, there is no minimum income to sponsor a spouse or partner. A financial-capacity test can apply if the person being sponsored has a dependent child who also has a dependent child. Quebec’s undertaking remains a binding commitment to meet the sponsored person’s basic needs, regardless of whether an income threshold applies. Check Quebec’s current undertaking instructions against the family members in your case.

Some circumstances can prevent or restrict sponsorship. IRCC lists reasons that can make a sponsor ineligible, including if the sponsor:

• already applied to sponsor the same person and the decision is still pending;
• is in jail, prison or a penitentiary, or is under a removal order;
• receives social assistance for a reason other than a disability;
• was convicted of a violent offence, an offence against a relative causing bodily harm, or a sexual offence, in or outside Canada;
• was sponsored as a spouse or partner and became a permanent resident less than five years ago;
• signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner, and it has not been three years since that person became a permanent resident.

IRCC’s list also includes being behind on court-ordered support payments, not providing the support promised in a past sponsorship, and an undischarged bankruptcy. IRCC states that those three items do not apply when sponsoring a spouse, partner or child in Quebec; Quebec handles that side through its own undertaking rules. Some bars have exceptions or depend on the offence and case details, so review IRCC’s current sponsor eligibility rules and Quebec’s instructions before starting.

Our spousal sponsorship assistance checks sponsor and relationship eligibility, organizes relationship evidence, and prepares the federal and Quebec applications in the appropriate order. This can help applicants assess both eligibility questions before assembling the file.

Which relationships qualify for sponsorship?

IRCC recognizes three relationship categories for this type of family sponsorship: spouse, common-law partner, and conjugal partner. A couple needs to qualify under one category rather than using the labels interchangeably.

The person being sponsored must also be at least 18, meet medical, criminality, and security admissibility requirements, and disclose family members as required. A genuine relationship in a qualifying category does not by itself settle admissibility; each person included must meet the applicable requirements.

Spouse

A spouse is legally married to the sponsor. Applicants should use the category that matches their legal and personal circumstances, starting with proof of a legally valid marriage.

Common-law partner

A common-law partner must have lived with the sponsor in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months. They must have shared a home and a conjugal domestic life; dating, a long-distance relationship, or visits do not count as cohabitation. A lasting move-out can interrupt the period, while short temporary absences need context and evidence.

Couples should be able to show that they shared a home and built a domestic life together during the relevant period. IRCC explains the category and its current requirements in its guide to sponsoring a spouse or partner.

Conjugal partner

A conjugal partner is a distinct category, separate from spouse and common-law partner. The couple must establish eligibility under that category.

A conjugal partner must have been in an exclusive conjugal relationship with the sponsor for at least a year and live outside Canada. This category is for couples whose circumstances create significant barriers beyond their control to marrying or living together, such as legal, immigration, social, cultural or religious barriers; preference or convenience alone is not enough. Explain how the barriers prevented marriage or cohabitation and support that explanation with evidence of the ongoing relationship.

Describe the relationship accurately and organize evidence that supports the category selected.

How to show that the relationship is genuine

Evidence should support both the relationship category and the history of the couple’s shared life. A well-organized application makes it easier to understand how the documents fit together.

• For spouses: Include proof of the legally valid marriage, then add evidence of a shared life, such as joint housing or financial arrangements, correspondence, travel records, and photographs from different points in the relationship.
• For common-law partners: Focus on continuous shared residence. A joint lease, household bills, official letters sent to the same address, and records of shared responsibilities can help show a common home.
• For conjugal partners: Document the relationship’s history and commitment, along with the specific barriers that prevented marriage or cohabitation. Supporting records can make those barriers clearer than personal statements alone.

Arrange documents chronologically and check that names, dates, and addresses are consistent. If there are periods apart, gaps in the record, or unusual circumstances, explain them clearly and support the explanation where possible.

Evidence should be relevant rather than simply extensive. A focused set of documents with clear dates and context can tell the relationship’s story more effectively than a large collection of unexplained records.

What Quebec adds: the undertaking and financial responsibility

IRCC assesses federal sponsor and relationship eligibility, while Quebec applies its own requirements to an undertaking for a sponsor settling in the province. The provincial undertaking is a separate part of the process, not an alternate version of the federal decision.

In Quebec, the undertaking for a spouse or partner lasts three years from the date the person becomes a permanent resident, and it survives a separation. Quebec also currently limits the number of spousal undertaking applications it receives. Our guide on how the Quebec undertaking fits the federal process explains the steps and the limit, and our article on what the undertaking commits you to goes into detail.

Read the undertaking carefully before signing so you understand the commitment you are taking on. Our Quebec sponsorship support also helps organize relationship evidence and prepare the federal and provincial applications in the appropriate order.

How the federal and Quebec steps fit together

Use the current instructions for the relevant relationship category to prepare the sponsorship and permanent-residence application. Follow the forms and document requirements that apply to your case.

Do not submit the Québec undertaking with the initial federal application. Submit it only after IRCC asks you to proceed with Quebec’s undertaking process, and follow the current provincial instructions.

Keep track of the federal requirements and the Québec undertaking that apply to your case.

Forms, requirements, and instructions can change. Use current IRCC and Government of Quebec guidance for the applicable steps, and avoid relying on old checklists or assumptions about how the two processes fit together.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using relationship categories as if they were interchangeable. Choose the category whose legal and factual requirements the couple can establish; “common-law” has a specific legal meaning.
• Stopping after checking federal sponsor eligibility. A Quebec case also requires the provincial undertaking process.
• Treating the federal and provincial requirements as interchangeable. Keep the Québec undertaking distinct from federal eligibility.
• Overlooking prior obligations or restrictions. A past undertaking, the five-year bar, or another eligibility issue may affect whether someone can sponsor.
• Relying on outdated forms or figures. Check the current IRCC and Quebec instructions because requirements can change.

Frequently asked questions

We have lived together for 10 months. Can I sponsor my partner as common-law?

Not yet: the common-law category requires at least 12 consecutive months of living together. If you are married, the spouse category may apply instead.

Can a sponsored spouse work in Canada while the permanent-residence application is being processed?

A sponsorship application and permission to work are separate matters. Check the current work-authorization instructions for the sponsored person’s circumstances.

Can a sponsor withdraw a sponsorship application after it has been submitted?

If you want to withdraw an application, contact IRCC through its current instructions and keep a copy of your request.

What happens to a sponsorship application if the couple separates during processing?

Inform IRCC, document the change and seek case-specific guidance before providing further information about the relationship. A sponsorship rests on the relationship, and a separation changes the file.

Can the sponsored person’s dependent children be included in the application?

Accompanying dependent children must be included, according to the dependent-child rules. List family members accurately and follow the current application instructions; their inclusion can also change the length of the Quebec undertaking.

See also: sponsoring your spouse in Québec, the Quebec undertaking and the federal process, work permit, visitor visa, visa refusal, complex cases.

Conclusion

Sponsoring a spouse or partner to Quebec requires the sponsor to meet federal eligibility conditions, the relationship to qualify under the correct category, and the sponsor to complete Quebec’s undertaking process. Reviewing each part separately, organizing evidence carefully, and following the federal-to-provincial sequence can help applicants prepare a coherent file.

Rules change, so use the current IRCC and Government of Quebec guidance for requirements and figures. To discuss your circumstances, book a consultation or describe your situation.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 11, 2026:

• IRCC — Sponsor your spouse, partner or children: eligibility
• IRCC — Who you can sponsor