Your spouse or partner is already in Canada, and you want them to stay. Inland sponsorship lets them live with you — and work — while their permanent residence is processed. Federal representation, posted flat fee, handled personally.
Inland sponsorship — formally called the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class — is available when the person being sponsored is already physically present in Canada, has legal status here (or is in a limited exception scenario), and intends to remain here throughout processing. The application is filed with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and the sponsored spouse can live, work, and study in Canada while it is being reviewed.
The defining benefit is the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP). Once the sponsorship application meets basic completeness criteria and reaches a certain stage of processing, the spouse can obtain an open work permit that allows them to work for almost any Canadian employer while permanent residence is pending. For couples who want to build a life together in Canada now — not in two years — this is the most direct route.
You should generally consider inland sponsorship if:
Inland can be more complex if your spouse's status is close to expiring, if there is a prior refusal or removal history, or if travel outside Canada is likely — because inland applicants do not have an automatic right to re-enter Canada while their application is in progress.
We confirm sponsor eligibility, the genuineness of the relationship, and identify any inadmissibility or status concerns before the application is filed.
Sponsorship application, PR application, relationship evidence, background documents, medical exam, biometrics — prepared as a single complete package.
The application is submitted to IRCC. Once processing reaches the SOWP-eligible stage, the open work permit is issued — typically within a few months of filing.
After medical, background, and relationship review are complete, permanent residence is granted. IRCC currently estimates about 26 months for inland files outside Quebec (October 2026); Quebec files take longer.
A sponsored spouse who lives in Canada with the sponsor can apply for an open work permit once IRCC acknowledges receipt of the permanent residence application. An approval in principle is needed only for spouses without valid temporary status (IRCC rules). The permit is open — meaning it does not tie the holder to a specific employer — and is generally valid until permanent residence is decided.
Rules as of 2026: the permit is available to a sponsored spouse living in Canada with the sponsor, whether the file is inland or outland, once IRCC acknowledges receipt, provided they hold valid temporary status (inland applicants without status can qualify after approval in principle). Rules for spouses of workers and students are different and were narrowed in 2025. During your consultation, we will confirm your spouse's exact eligibility based on their current status and file.
Most inland refusals we see on file transfers involve one of a small set of recurring issues:
The professional fee for inland spousal sponsorship is posted on the homepage and does not change based on the complexity of your case unless something material is added (for example, a criminal inadmissibility issue requiring a separate procedure). Government fees are additional and paid directly to IRCC. There are no hidden costs.
Every inland file has variables that only become clear in a short conversation. In a free 15-minute consultation I will confirm whether inland is the right route for you, flag any issues that need attention before filing, and give you a realistic timeline.
