Sponsoring Your Spouse from Nigeria
By: Katherine MacDonald
Sponsoring a spouse to gain entry into Canada can be a stressful undertaking and the steps involved can vary depending upon a spouse’s country of origin. Due to the aforementioned reasons, and our wealth of experience working with Nigerian clientele, we have decided to select the Spousal Sponsorship (SS) process for a Nigerian spouse as the topic of our firm’s first ever blog post! Within this post, we will discuss and summarize the general eligibility requirements for SS as well as several of those specific to Nigeria. At the end of the post, we will provide the sources this post draws upon and additional helpful links for those who would like to do some further independent research on the topic. Keep reading to find out more information relating to the specifics involved in this sponsorship stream!
First and foremost, Shelby Thevenot, writing for CIC News, states that it is highly important to ensure that the partner who will act as the sponsor is eligible to do so. In order to meet the requirements for consideration, potential sponsors must be 18 years of age or older, economically stable, and either a permanent resident or citizen of Canada (Thevenot). While it is of utmost importance to meet these three requirements, Thevenot states that it is likewise necessary to consider that a number of factors could render a person ineligible such as a criminal history or individual financial circumstances. As a result, it is extremely important that potential sponsors conduct their own research regarding eligibility prior to beginning the process.
As with the sponsor, it is equally, if not more, important to ensure that the spouse who will be sponsored is also eligible to enter Canada through the SS stream. First and foremost, Thevenot maintains that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires proof demonstrating that the partnership is authentic through the provision of documentation and photographic evidence. Furthermore, persons eligible to be sponsored are required to be 18 years of age or older and successful in securing a satisfactory background, health, and security check (Thevenot).
Now that we have provided a broad overview of the general requirements for SS, we will discuss IRCC requirements directly applicable to Nigerian applicants. Thevenot states that spouses originally from Nigeria must submit and complete two forms which relate to previous military service as well as trips taken over the decade leading up to the date of application. In addition to the completion of these forms, proof of a Nigerian birth certificate is required by IRCC (Thevenot). For further information relating to the specifics of each aforementioned requirement, page-specific links for the Government of Canada’s IRCC website will be provided at the end of this post.
A final important note relates to the means through which an applicant from Nigerian can obtain their police and medical certificates if they presently reside in their country of origin. The Government of Canada website states that the Nigerian police certificate document, officially referred to as a Police Character Certificate, may be obtained either at the Central Criminal Registry located in the Nigerian city of Lagos or via mail by sending hard copies of the required documents to the commissioner of police. Alternatively, a Police Character Certificate may be acquired at the applicant’s expense by visiting either a Nigerian consulate or embassy (Government of Canada). In terms of acquiring a medical certificate, the Government of Canada states that it is necessary to locate a Panel Physician recognized by the IRCC which can be found through the website listed in the helpful links section of the blog post.
The aim of this blog post has been to primarily familiarize readers with some of the most important steps involved in sponsoring a spouse from Nigeria. However, it is important for us to state that this post can in no way can be used as a comprehensive guide or considered legal advice as the SS process involves a plethora of steps and is highly individualistic in accordance with a couple’s specific circumstances. As noted above, we have provided some helpful links below which relate to the blog post’s contents to offer readers further information. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about SS in general or obtaining information specific to the process for Nigerian applicants, please do not hesitate to contact us as we are very experienced in this area!
Works Cited
Government of Canada. “Medical exam for permanent resident applicants.” Government
of Canada, 28 September 2021, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams/requirements-permanent-residents.html.
Government of Canada. “How to get a police certificate – Nigeria.” Government of
Canada, 27 October 2020, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/nigeria.html
Thevenot, Shelby. “How to sponsor your spouse from Nigeria.” CIC News, 3 December
2021, https://www.cicnews.com/2021/11/how-to-sponsor-your-spouse-from-nigeria-1119566.html#gs.jq78p4.
Helpful Links for Further Reading
Guide 5525 – Basic guide: Sponsor your spouse, partner or child
Sponsoring your spouse, partner or dependent child – Checklist, forms and instructions
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp#country
Find a Panel Physician in your country, territory or region
