Sponsoring a Spouse; Living Separately

[TPB]

Greetings,

I have what I guess is a somewhat specific question. I couldn’t find any answer anywhere. Here it goes.

I am a Canadian citizen by birth. I have been in a relationship with a Japanese citizen for two years and a half. Married to her for one year. I want to apply to sponsor her for permanent residence from inside Canada.

Is it possible for us to live at separate addresses during the application process? What about after she gets permanent resident status?

If my wife is self-sufficient in Canada and has a good-paying job with her open work permit or with her status as a permanent resident, is it possible for me to go work abroad for some time?

Thank you for any information. I can provide clarifications if necessary.

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.

Based on the information on the CIC website,

Sponsored spouses or partners in a relationship of two years or less and who have no children in common with their sponsor at the time of the sponsorship application have a condition attached to their permanent resident status.

and

If you have been granted conditional permanent residence, you must live together with your sponsor in a legitimate relationship for two years from the day you receive conditional permanent residence. The condition ends after the two-year period.

It also states in the Applying for permanent residence from within Canada: Spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (IMM 5289) guide,

You may sponsor your spouse or common-law partner if he or she meets the following requirements:

-lives with you in Canada,
-has a valid passport or travel document,
-is 18 years of age or older,
-is your spouse or common#8209;law partner for genuine reasons and not primarily to obtain permanent resident status in Canada.

You may want to contact the a CIC Call Centre directly to confirm this information.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

=====
Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org