Sponsor my spouse

[OCanada888]

I am both a Hong Kong citizen and a Canadian citizen. I have come back to Hong Kong for twenty years. I have been married for nearly 10 years. Now we have a son aged seven and he has owned a Canadian passport. However, I haven’t sponsored my wife to become a Canadian yet. My family (my wife, my son and I) have already planned to go back to Canada and settle. We will leave Hong Kong in a few months.
My question is:
Should I sponsor a Canadian citizenship for my wife right now in Hong Kong or after we enter Canada? Which is the fastest way?

 

[PaoTalamantesh]

Hi.

You need to first apply to sponsor your wife and have her become a Permanent Resident before applying for Canadian citizenship.

It used to take 4-8 months for Outland applicants and 1 to 2 years for Inland applicants. Although each case is different and may take longer to resolve.

Currently waiting times are longer due to the COVID situation.

 

[scylla]

I am both a Hong Kong citizen and a Canadian citizen. I have come back to Hong Kong for twenty years. I have been married for nearly 10 years. Now we have a son aged seven and he has owned a Canadian passport. However, I haven’t sponsored my wife to become a Canadian yet. My family (my wife, my son and I) have already planned to go back to Canada and settle. We will leave Hong Kong in a few months.
My question is:
Should I sponsor a Canadian citizenship for my wife right now in Hong Kong or after we enter Canada? Which is the fastest way?

Your wife doesn't qualify for citizenship. As said above, you need to sponsor her for permanent residency first. She will then need to live in Canada for several years before she will qualify for citizenship.

You can sponsor her for PR while living outside of Canada however you will need to include evidence with your application that your family will be relocating to Canada to live here as soon as her PR application is approved.

Alternatively you can wait until you have all come to Canada and sponsor her using the inland method.

 

[canuck78]

Hi.

You need to first apply to sponsor your wife and have her become a Permanent Resident before applying for Canadian citizenship.

It used to take 4-8 months for Outland applicants and 1 to 2 years for Inland applicants. Although each case is different and may take longer to resolve.

Currently waiting times are longer due to the COVID situation.

Processing times are now closer to 1 year for both although due to covid there are delays so it is likely to take over a year for both.

 

[OCanada888]

Hi.

You need to first apply to sponsor your wife and have her become a Permanent Resident before applying for Canadian citizenship.

It used to take 4-8 months for Outland applicants and 1 to 2 years for Inland applicants. Although each case is different and may take longer to resolve.

Currently waiting times are longer due to the COVID situation.

Hi,
Does applying PR use the same forms as Canadian citizenship?
If I sponsor my wife to become a PR outside Canada now, can she go along with me and our son to Canada three months later? And will her application be carried on to process?
Thanks!

 

[armoured]

Hi,
Does applying PR use the same forms as Canadian citizenship?
If I sponsor my wife to become a PR outside Canada now, can she go along with me and our son to Canada three months later? And will her application be carried on to process?
Thanks!

You can read about the process and get forms here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/spouse-partner-children.html

Assuming your wife is admitted to Canada, she can stay while the application is being processed. If you apply from outside Canada, referred to as 'outland', she won't be able to work. If the process takes longer, visa can be extended.

If you wait and apply 'inland', she would get the possibility to work (work permit) after a period of time.

You may want to look into health insurance implications, especially for spouse, as you and child would get health insurance after the waiting period (specific to each province), but not your spouse. I believe if she works, health insurance is allowed under most provincial plans.

 

[scylla]

Hi,
Does applying PR use the same forms as Canadian citizenship?
If I sponsor my wife to become a PR outside Canada now, can she go along with me and our son to Canada three months later? And will her application be carried on to process?
Thanks!

No. PR does not use the same forms as citizenship. They are completely different forms.