Canada Spousal Sponsorship from China — Evidence Guide
For Chinese applicants applying to Canada. Official source: Embassy of Canada to China.
Applicable visa categories
- Spousal Sponsorship (Family Class, applicant outside Canada) (IMM 1344) — varies by case; IRCC’s service standard for complete applications from outside Canada is 12 months — check the IRCC processing-times tool
- Common-Law Partner Sponsorship (Family Class) (IMM 1344) — varies by case; IRCC’s service standard for complete applications from outside Canada is 12 months — check the IRCC processing-times tool
- Conjugal Partner Sponsorship (partner outside Canada) (IMM 1344) — varies by case; IRCC’s service standard for complete applications from outside Canada is 12 months — check the IRCC processing-times tool
- Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (living with the sponsor in Canada) (IMM 1344) — varies by case; check the IRCC processing-times tool
What is different for Chinese applicants
- IRCC’s country-specific instructions for China: People’s Republic of China passport holders, and the family members included in the application, provide copies of the household register (hukou, 户口簿) and proof of marital status for any children aged 16 or older. Applicants living in the People’s Republic of China give their mailing address in Chinese characters and in Pinyin or English, with the postal code — a post-office box is not accepted.
- People born in the People’s Republic of China after 1996 submit a notarized copy of the medical certificate of birth (出生医学证明, issued nationwide from 1996), or an explanation if they cannot get one. IRCC does not accept a kinship certificate as proof of relationship from applicants living in the People’s Republic of China.
- Police certificate: for Chinese citizens, IRCC lists the Certificate of No Criminal Record from the local Public Security Bureau, covering the period from birth to the present, with a notarized or certified translation. Applicants living outside China contact the office where their hukou is registered; IRCC notes that Chinese embassies and consulates cannot issue or obtain hukou-related certificates.
- Biometrics: unless exempt, applicants aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photo, by appointment, within 30 days of IRCC’s biometric instruction letter. IRCC lists 11 visa application centres in mainland China.
Document authentication (China)
The Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for mainland China on 7 November 2023. Public documents issued in the mainland are apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by the local Foreign Affairs Offices it has entrusted; India objected to China’s accession, so the Convention does not apply between China and India.
Issuing authority: Department of Consular Affairs — Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA China).
Civil documents commonly required
- Birth notarial certificate (出生公证) from a Chinese notary office (公证处)
- Marriage certificate (结婚证) and a marriage notarial certificate (结婚公证)
- Resident ID card (居民身份证)
- Household registration booklet (户口簿 / hukou)
- No-criminal-record certificate (无犯罪记录证明), notarized by a mainland notary office
Official form guides
Common refusal grounds at Embassy of Canada to China
- Relationship found to be in bad faith under section 4 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations — not genuine, or entered into primarily to acquire status or privilege under the Act.
- Misrepresentation: submitting false documents or misrepresenting facts leads to refusal, and IRCC keeps a record of the misrepresentation.
- Family members not declared (accompanying or not) — the IMM 5533 checklist warns this may lead to refusal and to being unable to sponsor them later.
- Marriage not recognized: a marriage outside Canada must be legally recognized where it took place and in Canada, and proven by a document showing it was registered (a record of solemnization or marriage licence is not accepted). IRCC does not recognize proxy, telephone, fax or internet marriages, or any ceremony where one or both people were not physically present.
- Incomplete package — for example, missing hukou copies, the medical certificate of birth or the Certificate of No Criminal Record without the detailed written explanation IMM 5533 asks for. IRCC’s guide says incomplete packages are returned without being processed, and missing police certificates can delay processing.
What officers scrutinize on this corridor
- Proof of contact, for couples not living together: letters, printed text messages, emails or social-media conversations (such as WeChat) — a maximum of 10 pages, with certified English or French translations of anything not already in English or French.
- Also for couples not living together: proof of the sponsor’s visits, such as used boarding passes or airline ticket coupons and passport pages with entry/exit stamps — or an explanation in IMM 5532 if the sponsor has not visited.
- Up to 20 photos (wedding, customary celebrations, engagement, outings) taken at different times and places, with a brief description of each — asked for unless the couple lives together, has a child together, is in a first marriage for both, and has been married at least two years.
- Under the same condition, documents from at least two of four options: proof you are recognized as each other’s spouse (such as employment or insurance benefits), financial support or shared expenses, recognition of the relationship by friends and family, or past cohabitation.
Frequently asked questions
What China-specific documents does IRCC ask for in a spousal sponsorship?
IRCC’s country-specific instructions for China ask People’s Republic of China passport holders (and the family members included in the application) for copies of the hukou, plus proof of marital status for any children aged 16 or older. People born in the People’s Republic of China after 1996 submit a notarized copy of the medical certificate of birth, or an explanation if they cannot get one. IRCC does not accept a kinship certificate as proof of relationship from applicants living in the People’s Republic of China, and their mailing address must be given in Chinese characters and in Pinyin or English, with the postal code.
Do our WeChat messages in Chinese need to be translated for IRCC?
Yes. The IMM 5533 checklist asks for certified English or French translations of all proof-of-contact documents that are not already in English or French, and limits proof of contact to 10 pages for couples who are not living together. IRCC’s guide says translations cannot be done by the applicants or members of their family, and a translator who is not certified in Canada must provide an affidavit. A short, dated selection that spans the relationship keeps both the page count and the translation work manageable; PartnerProof’s Canada setting is formatted for IRCC uploads; check the final page count before you upload.
Do Chinese documents need an apostille for IRCC?
The Apostille Convention entered into force for China on 7 November 2023 and for Canada on 11 January 2024, according to the HCCH status table. However, Global Affairs Canada states that Canadian law does not require foreign public documents to be authenticated before they are used in Canada. For the sponsorship itself, follow the IMM 5533 checklist and IRCC’s China-specific instructions (for example, the notarized copy of the medical certificate of birth), and provide anything else IRCC asks for during processing.
Which police certificate does a Chinese spouse need?
IRCC lists a Certificate of No Criminal Record (or a Notification of Non-issuance of Certificate of No Criminal Record if there is a record). Chinese citizens living in China apply to the local Public Security Bureau or police station for their hukou address or usual residence, or through the local government website or app where available. For Chinese citizens it must cover the period from birth to the present, and it needs a notarized or certified translation. If a certificate cannot be obtained for part of that period, IRCC asks for a letter explaining why, and processing may be delayed.
Can I sponsor my Chinese fiancé(e) before we marry?
IRCC’s “Who you can sponsor” page lists spouses (legally married), common-law partners (living together for at least 12 consecutive months) and conjugal partners (an exclusive, mutually interdependent relationship of at least one year, where the partner lives outside Canada and the couple may not be able to live together or marry for legal, immigration, religious or other reasons); it does not list a fiancé(e) category. A marriage outside Canada must be legally recognized where it took place and in Canada, and IRCC does not recognize proxy, telephone, fax or internet marriages, or any ceremony where one or both people were not physically present.
How long does Canadian spousal sponsorship from China take?
It varies by case. IRCC’s service standard for complete Family Class spouse and partner applications from outside Canada is 12 months, with a goal of meeting it 80% of the time. Current estimates — including separate figures for applicants who will live in Quebec — are on IRCC’s Check processing times page.
Official sources
- IRCC — Sponsor your spouse, partner or child
- IRCC — Who you can sponsor
- IRCC — Checklist, forms and country-specific requirements (China)
- IRCC — IMM 5533 Document Checklist: Spouse
- IRCC — Complete guide (IMM 5289)
- IRCC Help Centre — Marriages by proxy, telephone, internet and fax
- IRCC — How to get a police certificate: China
- IRCC — Biometrics: who needs to give them
- IRCC — Biometrics: where to give your fingerprints and photo
- IRCC — Find a visa application centre
- IRCC — Service standard: Family Class (overseas spouses and partners)
- IRCC — Check processing times
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 4 (Bad faith)
- Global Affairs Canada — Authentication of documents: FAQ
- HCCH — Apostille Convention status table
- Embassy of Canada to China, in Beijing
- Tongling Municipal People’s Government — Medical Certificate of Birth (出生医学证明)
Related corridors
- US Spouse & K-1 Visa from China — US CR-1, IR-1, and K-1 evidence guide for Chinese applicants — Guangzhou consulate, notarial certificates, 2023 apostille change.
- Canada Spousal Sponsorship from India — Canadian spousal sponsorship guide for Indian applicants — IMM 5532/5533, the 10-page proof-of-contact limit, and IRCC’s India document instructions.
- Canada Spousal Sponsorship from the Philippines — Canadian spousal sponsorship guide for Filipino applicants — IMM 5532/5533, Manila and Cebu VACs, CFO certificate, PSA documents.
- Australia Partner Visa from China — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Chinese applicants — subclass 309/100, 820/801 & 300, notarial police certificate, translations, marrying in China.
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