Sponsoring a spouse in Canada might sound a lot easier than it looks. According to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) representative, you have two choices if you want to sponsor a spouse. If your spouse is outside Canada, then the answer is Family Class category whereas if your spouse is in Canada, you use the Inland Spousal Sponsorship.
Both of these options come with their own merits and demerits but it all depends on the type of sponsorship that you are likely to choose from your position. There are a lot of differences between the two options, but to choose a wiser decision, one can consider both the options and choose.
If your spouse is not from Canada and needs a Visa to get there, then you must make use of the Family Class Category. This is your only option. However, if your spouse can come to Canada without any complications, then they can make use of either one of these two options. Until recently, Family Class category was considered the fastest method in processing. In some cases, it is still the fastest processing method.
However, the only disadvantage is that it doesn’t allow you to work in Canada. You can travel in and out of Canada without any interruptions and in any case, if you are refused the privilege to do so, you can appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division for further clarification.
Under a humanitarian and compassionate appeal, this process was followed by another method called the Inland Spousal Sponsorship in 2006. This category allows spouses to sponsor for their respective partners even if they have breached very small laws like entering the country illegally or working without a permit. However if this does not tolerate something, then it is probably misrepresentation or criminality of some sort. The waiting time for this sponsorship, as of now is anywhere up to 2 years. The processing involves medical checkups, police clearances etc.
This sponsorship allows spouses to work with a work permit, but the only issue is that, a work permit will be allotted only when the application moves through a positive direction and the progress guarantees their work permit. A pilot project was launched in 2014 that issued work permits for spouses within 4 months of application.
The state of this pilot project, if it is going to become permanent or altered or removed altogether is yet to be decided. Choosing a program according to your capabilities or needs is ideal.