Canadian Visa for Thai Spouse

A Canadian spouse visa is one of the two types of visa issued by Canadian Immigration. The Canadian spouse visa is a Permanent Resident visa unlike other types of visa, which are Temporary ones. Thai citizens who are married to Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents are qualified to apply for the Canadian spouse visa. Those granted the visa would be able to live and work in Canada. The applicants for this type of visa must be sponsored by their spouses. Application for sponsorship may be done whether the individual being petitioned is living inside or outside Canada.

Eligibility

To be able to sponsor for Canadian Spouse Visa application in Thailand, you must:

• be a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• be 18 years of age or older
• be willing to sign a written agreement with the Government of Canada or Quebec
• able to provide for the basic requirements of his/her spouse for a prescribed time
• not be bankrupt, in prison, charged with a serious offense
• not be charged with a criminal offense, defaulted on a court-ordered support order
• not under a removal order (if a permanent resident)

Requirements

Those who would like to apply as a sponsor must complete and submit the following official forms:

• Application to sponsor and Undertaking (IMM 1344A)
• Sponsorship Agreement (IMM 1344B)
• Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5481) or Financial Evaluation (IMM 1283)
• Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) if applicable
• Receipt (IMM 5401) or specified equivalent
• Sponsor Questionnaire (IMM 5540)

In addition to the those listed above, those applying to be sponsors must also provide supporting documents such as his Canadian passport, Permanent Resident Card, Canadian birth certificate, marriage certificate, a divorce, death certificate of deceased spouse or annulment certificate (whatever is applicable) and proof of sufficient income.

The Thai spouse being sponsored is required to submit the following documents:

• Application for Permanent Residence (IMM 008 Generic)
• Schedule 1-Background/Declaration (IMM 008 Schedule 1)
• Spouse/Partner Questionnaire (IMM 5490)
• Additional Family Information (IMM 4506)
• Use of a Representative (IMM 5476), if applicable

Canadian Spouse Visa Process

The application for both sponsorship and permanent resident visa should be filled out and applied at the same time. The sponsorship application is processed by the Case Processing Center. If the sponsorship is approved, the permanent resident visa application is sent to the Canadian Visa Office in Thailand. The sponsor for this type of visa should follow the steps listed below:

• STEP 1: Obtain an application kit by downloading it from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website (www.cic.gc.ca).
• STEP 2: Complete all the forms. Note that there are separate forms and required documents for both the sponsor and spouse or common-law spouse. The forms for the Thai spouse must be sent to Thailand and once accomplished, must be sent back to Canada. It is also important that the sponsor and the applicant gather as many evidence as possible in order to prove that the marriage is genuine and include these with the rest of the documents.
• STEP 3: Pay the visa fees after gathering all the documents. Then the sponsor should mail the sponsorship application along with the spouse's permanent resident application to the Citizenship and Immigration Center Canada for review. Additional fees or documents may be requested. If all the documents are in order, the application will then be sent to a Canadian visa office in Thailand for further processing.
• STEP 4: Wait for the final decision of the sponsorship approval made at a Canadian visa office. There may be a request for an interview and/or more documents. Once the sponsorship is approved, a permanent resident visa will be issued.