If you are in Canada on a working holiday visa and fell in love with the country as well as found the love of your life there is a way you can continue staying in the country. If your partner is a Canadian citizen he/she can sponsor your visa. Canadian spousal sponsorship is how a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor their partner to come to Canada and live permanently. You should have been working in Canada for at least a year if you want your partner to sponsor you. You may be eligible to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and meet the following conditions:

• Are at least 18 years old
• Live in Canada
• Are able and willing to provide for the basic financial needs of your spouse or partner for three years

It will cost you $1,050 in government fee approximately and in order for your relationship to be eligible for common-law sponsorship, you must prove that as a couple, you have lived together for a year or longer in a marriage-like relationship, you would need to provide documents proving that you have the same address, that you are married or in a common-law relationship, make sure you have proof of same bank accounts, bill payments, etc.

If you are in a conjugal relationship and looking into sponsoring your partner, immigration officers will expect to see evidence like shared residence, economic support, including joint financial arrangements, shared bank accounts, etc and the evidence that your friends and family recognize that the two of you are in a relationship. For both conjugal and common-law relationships, there is no legal documentation or a specific point in time that solidifies your commitment to one another. Instead, immigration officers will expect to see evidence of significant emotional and interpersonal ties that demonstrates that you are in a serious, committed relationship with the intention to remain in that relationship long-term. Visa officers will consider a range of items to determine if your relationship is genuine.

Sponsorship applications take approximately 12 months to process from start to finish. They are typically not processed much faster than 12 months but they can take longer, depending on the nature of your case.