Spousal Sponsorship - Immigration Forms
As a cross-border immigration lawyer based in Windsor, Ontario, Christina Loebach helps couples who live on opposite sides of the Windsor-Detroit border reunite and live together. This blog post considers which forms must be submitted with a Canadian spousal sponsorship application.
As with all immigration applications, IRCC requires that many forms be completed when applying for spousal, common-law, or conjugal sponsorship. As of today’s date, about half of the forms must be completed as PDFs, whereas the other half are completed digitally on the IRCC permanent residence application portal. For the PDF forms, you always need to make sure that you download the most recent version of the form from the IRCC website.
Digital Forms
Forms that are completed digitally, as of today’s date, include IMM 0008, IMM 5669, IMM 5406, and IMM 5562. IMM 5562 isn’t actually a required form for spousal sponsorship, per the IRCC checklist, but due to a glitch in the portal it does appear as required.
IMM 0008 is a digital form that gathers personal information about the principal applicant. The principal applicant is the person who is being sponsored. This form also gathers personal information about any dependents of the principal applicant.
IMM 5406 is a digital form that asks for additional information pertaining to the principal applicant’s family - parents, siblings, and children. You need to know information such as residential addresses and email addresses in order to complete this form.
IMM 5669 is the Schedule A Background/Declaration form. It’s a digital form that asks for more information on the principal applicant. The questions seek information on personal details such as parents, educational history, and associations with organizations. Currently, this form has very short character limitations.
PDF Forms
Forms that are completed and submitted in PDF format, as of today’s date, include IMM 5532, IMM 1344, IMM 5533, and IMM 5476.
IMM 5532 is the Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation form. It is a PDF form that needs to be completed by both the sponsor and the principal applicant. Part A relates to the sponsor, and asks questions about their employment history, income, education, previous sponsorships, previous relationships, and address history. Part B asks questions about the principal applicant’s other relatives and previous relationships. Part C focuses on the relationship itself - how the couple met, whether they were introduced by someone, how they communicate, details on the wedding or other ceremonies, etc.
IMM 1344 is a PDF form that assesses the sponsor’s eligibility. For more information on sponsor eligibility, check out our previous blog post on the topic. Most of the questions on this form assess these requirements, as well as reasons why the person may not be eligible to sponsor - for example, if they themselves were previously sponsored within the previous 5 years.
IMM 5533 is a PDF form and is the document checklist. This must be completed and uploaded with the application. Write on the form as needed - for example, if you didn’t include something on the checklist because it doesn’t apply to your situation, indicate “N/A” or not applicable.
Finally, IMM 5476 is the Use of Representative Form. This form must be completed and submitted if someone is representing you - usually a lawyer or an immigration consultant. It’s the form that grants consent to the government to communicate with your representative on your file. If someone is representing you and this form isn’t completed, your file can be returned as incomplete.
Especially in the Windsor-Detroit area, it’s common for Canadians and Americans to fall in love and get married. Christina Loebach is licensed to practice law in both Canada and the United States, and loves working with clients who are considering sponsorship on both sides of the border. If you would like Christina to provide legal advice tailored to your situation, please schedule a consultation.