The expectation of in Canada sponsorship is that both sponsor and principal applicant are to co-habitate in Canada. That said, the law states that a PR MUST remain in Canada (inland OR outland). They have been known to tolerate short (week or two) trips from Canada, but longer and they will send a Procedural Fairness letter advising their concern about the sponsor not residing in Canada and how it's in direct contravention to the rules of sponsorship. They will give the sponsor 30 days to prove they were wrong, before they refuse the case.
One such case happened just within the last month to a forum member (PR who went to Australia to clear up the remainder of a work contract while the application was in (outland) for his spouse). Exactly what I described happened to this individual.
EDIT: Here is the snip of law from IRPA, Division 3 Sponsors ( http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-27.html#h-79 ) :
"
Sponsor
130 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a sponsor, for the purpose of sponsoring a foreign national who makes an application for a permanent resident visa as a member of the family class or an application to remain in Canada as a member of the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class under subsection 13(1) of the Act, must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who
(a) is at least 18 years of age;
(b) resides in Canada; and
(c) has filed a sponsorship application in respect of a member of the family class or the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class in accordance with section 10.
Sponsor not residing in Canada
(2) A sponsor who is a Canadian citizen and does not reside in Canada may sponsor a foreign national who makes an application referred to in subsection (1) and is the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child who has no dependent children, if the sponsor will reside in Canada when the foreign national becomes a permanent resident.
Five-year requirement
(3) A sponsor who became a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen after being sponsored as a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner under subsection 13(1) of the Act may not sponsor a foreign national referred to in subsection (1) as a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, unless the sponsor has been a permanent resident, or a Canadian citizen, or a combination of the two, for a period of at least five years immediately preceding the day on which a sponsorship application referred to in paragraph (1)(c) is filed by the sponsor in respect of the foreign national.
"
