The family class does not cover a fiance - generally you need to be married or to have lived together for at least 1 year before a sponsorship application may be filed. Spouses and common-law partners may be sponsored solely from within Canada, although in this instance there is no right of appeal if the application is denied. Usually a sponsorship application processed outside Canada will be a better choice, however there are some circumstances where an 'inland' application is preferable. Please note: if you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
marriage to a Canadian does not automatically entitle you to live in Canada - your spouse must sponsor you for immigration to Canada. We specialise in helping couples deal with the practical ramifications
of these issues and guiding them through the formalities. See copy of CIC announcement on May 18, 2005 about sponsorship of out-of-status spouses from within Canada. Under the interim policy for same-sex couples, sponsorship of a same-sex partner is effected in the same way as sponsorship of an opposite-sex partner; provided a couple have lived together for at least one year, they are considered
for immigration purposes to be common-law partners, or if they marry in Canada, to be spouses.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has proposed that "conditional permanent residence" be issued to spouses who have
been married for fewer than 2 years. It is expected that couples in this situation will have to remain together in Canada for some time for their
permanent residence to become unconditional.