Thanks! Just another question: we can start living together in Canada once we get married, and can I get a work permit till these applications are in progress?
From what I know, after you get married and submit your spousal PR application and somehow land in Canada on a visitor visa or some other visa, you can apply for an open work permit which you can keep extending until you get your PR. Spousal PR application can be applied from within Canada only and your spouse cannot leave Canada until the application is finalized.
If you are already in Canada or have some other visa to enter Canada, then get married, apply for spousal sponsorship and apply for OWP after that. If you are not in Canada, then your spouse needs to be physically present in Canada, apply for spouse PR and stay in Canada till the application is finalized, you will not get any work permit if you are outside of Canada and getting a visitor visa after getting married is pretty much impossible which is the worst part about sponsoring an outland spouse.
Not sure how your own express entry application will factor into all this.