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Spouse

You are a spouse if you are married to your sponsor and your marriage is legally valid.

If you were married in Canada:

• You must have a Certificate of Marriage issued by the province or territory where the marriage took place.

If you were married outside Canada:

• The marriage must be valid under the law of the country where it took place and under Canadian law;
• A marriage performed in an embassy or consulate must comply with the law of the country where the ceremony took place, not the country of nationality of the embassy or consulate.

Are You Eligible For A Partner Visa?

Sponsoring your same-sex partner as a spouse under the family class (CIC's Interim Policy). You can apply to sponsor your same-sex partner as a spouse if:

• You are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident; and
• You were issued a marriage certificate by a Canadian province or territory on or after the following dates:
• Quebec (on or after March 19, 2004)
• Ontario (on or after June 10, 2003)
• British Columbia (on or after July 8, 2003)
• Yukon (on or after July 14, 2004)
• Manitoba (on or after September 16, 2004)
• Nova Scotia (on or after September 24, 2004)
• Saskatchewan (on or after November 5, 2004)
• Newfoundland (on or after December 21, 2004)
• New Brunswick (on or after July 4, 2005)
• All other provinces or territories (on or after July 20, 2005).

If you were married outside Canada, you cannot apply to sponsor your same-sex partner as a spouse. However, if you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident you may qualify to sponsor your partner as a common-law or a conjugal partner.

Medical Requirements and Up-front Medicals

The medical requirements for spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children are different from the medical requirements that must be met for other members of the Family Class.

Up-front medical examination allows applicants (your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent children) to take the medical examination before the applications for sponsorship and permanent residence are submitted.

Are You Eligible For A Partner Visa?