Do you mean the Guide (IMM 5289)? (Sorry, there are so many bloody guides and manuals and references on that website, I want to make sure I'm looking at the right one.)Ponga said:That's exactly how I interpreted the information in ip08.
A person that is deemed to have `Lack of Status' would in fact include a person that worked beyond the validity of their WP.
Ironically, CIC updated the Inland Guide last September, removing the previous section about legal status not being required, as long as the applicant has an eligible sponsor, and replacing it with language that says legal status is now required.
The Guide has since been updated again, earlier this year, and that new language remains.
What does this now mean for a person in Canada without status that has applied for spousal sponsorship AFTER September 2014?
I guess ultimately they will never advise someone to let their status lapse and I certainly wouldn't let my spouse's status lapse either. If you come into contact with the police and are issued a ticket for something minor, you could actually find yourself caught up in the deportation process if you lack status, even though you are exempt from the requirement to be in status when you become a permanent resident. That said, staying in status is about as easy as straightforward as fairground midway game.