Permanent residence sponsorship for a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner is possible for any Canadian citizen or permanent resident as long as they are willing to sign an undertaking agreement to become financially responsible for their sponsored family for several years. The amount of sponsorship budget required changes when there are dependent children to support too.
Other Measures for Family Reunification
IRCC made the announcement on TRV in addition to the notification that spousal applicants and their dependent children who live with their sponsor in Canada and have temporary resident status may be eligible for open work permits. Their open work permit application can be submitted as soon as they have submitted a completed application for permanent residence to IRCC. Previously, spousal applicants were only eligible for an open work permit if they were applying for sponsorship from within Canada.
An open work permit is a permit that is not specific to certain jobs. As such you will not need a labor market impact assessment from Employment and Social Development Canada, as well as the proof of offer of employment, and payment of compliance fee from the employer when submitting your application.
Fraser also stated that open work permit holders can extend their permit for 18 months using a free facilitated process. This is applicable for those whose current permit expires between August 1st and the end of 2023. This extension includes spouses and dependents of most temporary workers, spouses of international students, and permanent resident applicants.
