A spousal sponsorship decision in 4 months is possible — but it’s not typical. So what actually helps a file move without major delays? We recently supported a Canadian–Ukrainian couple with an outside-Canada (outland) spousal sponsorship application and received a decision in about 4 months. This is significantly faster than what many applicants experience, and it should be seen as an exception, not the norm. IRCC’s processing times can vary widely depending on country of r

Submitting your spousal sponsorship application does not always mean IRCC has started processing your case. Before a spousal or common-law sponsorship application enters full processing, IRCC does a strict completeness check. If a required form, signature, fee, or supporting document is missing or outdated, the entire package can be returned without ever entering the processing queue. Many couples only discover this when months have passed and nothing has moved forward. Com