Canada Spousal Sponsorship from Pakistan — Evidence Guide

For Pakistani applicants applying to Canada. Official source: High Commission of Canada in Pakistan.

Applicable visa categories

Spousal Sponsorship (Family Class, spouse living outside Canada) (IMM 1344) — 12-month IRCC service standard (aimed at 80% of applications); varies by case — check the IRCC processing-times tool
Common-Law Partner Sponsorship (lived together for at least 12 consecutive months) (IMM 1344) — 12-month IRCC service standard for partners living outside Canada (aimed at 80% of applications); varies by case
Conjugal Partner Sponsorship (partner lives outside Canada) (IMM 1344) — 12-month IRCC service standard (aimed at 80% of applications); varies by case
Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (applicant living with the sponsor in Canada) (IMM 1344) — IRCC's service-standards list has no standard for this class; varies by case — check the IRCC processing-times tool

What is different for Pakistani applicants

Applications are submitted online through the IRCC Permanent Residence (PR) Portal, with the sponsorship and permanent residence applications sent together; IRCC rejects incomplete applications. IRCC's Pakistan instructions add an Authorization to Disclose Information (IMM 5536) for anyone on the application who is a Pakistani national over 18. After IRCC's biometrics letter arrives, the people being sponsored have 30 days from its date to give biometrics; in Pakistan, IRCC lists VACs in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
Marriage proof must show registration, not just the ceremony: IMM 5533 asks for a marriage certificate or other proof that the marriage is legally registered with government authorities, and says a record of solemnization is not acceptable. IRCC's country-specific instructions for Pakistan ask for a copy of the Nikkah Nama bearing the Nikkah registry seal; a NADRA marriage certificate can be added but is not enough on its own, and affidavits are not accepted to prove marriage, divorce, death or custody.
Both spouses need to have been physically present at the nikah: IRCC does not recognize marriages performed outside Canada by proxy, telephone, fax or internet, and section 5 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations excludes them (with a narrow exception linked to service in the Canadian Forces).
Pakistani citizens living in Pakistan get police certificates through the procedure for their province or Islamabad (IRCC lists Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan); those living abroad apply through the nearest Pakistani embassy or consulate. IRCC notes that the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad cannot help obtain one.

Document authentication (Pakistan)

Pakistan acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for it on 9 March 2023. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issues apostilles in Islamabad and at its Foreign Affairs liaison offices after verifying the underlying document; Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Poland objected to the accession, so the Convention does not apply between Pakistan and those countries.

Issuing authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Apostille (MOFA Pakistan).

Civil documents commonly required

Birth Registration Certificate from the Union Council (recorded in the provincial Civil Registration Management System, CRMS)
Nikah Nama with the Marriage Registration Certificate (MRC) from the Union Council
CNIC (Computerized National Identity Card)
Family Registration Certificate (FRC) from NADRA
Police Character Certificate issued by the District Police Officer (DPO)

Official form guides

Common refusal grounds at High Commission of Canada in Pakistan

Relationship assessed as not genuine, or as entered into primarily to acquire a status or privilege under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 4(1)).
Excluded relationship under IRPR s. 5 — for example, the applicant is under 18, either spouse was married to someone else at the time of the marriage, or one or both spouses were not physically present at the marriage ceremony.
Sponsor not eligible — for example, the sponsor was sponsored as a spouse or partner and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago, it has not been 3 years since a previously sponsored partner became a permanent resident, or the sponsor receives social assistance for a reason other than disability.
Marriage or divorce certificates that do not comply with what IRCC calls the Muslim Family Law Ordinance of 1961 — IRCC's Pakistan instructions say this may delay the application or lead to refusal.
Misrepresentation or false documents — IRCC states the application will be refused and the applicant could be found inadmissible to Canada for five years.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

Proof of contact for couples not living together: letters, printed text messages, emails or social media conversations, up to a maximum of 10 pages, with certified English or French translations of anything written in Urdu or another language (IMM 5533).
Proof of the sponsor's visits to Pakistan: used boarding passes or airline ticket coupons and passport pages with entry/exit stamps; if the sponsor has not visited, an explanation in IMM 5532 (Part C, Question 4).
Where IMM 5533 asks for more proof: up to 20 photos taken at different times and places (with a short description of each), plus at least two of: documents showing you are recognized as each other's spouse, financial support or shared expenses, recognition by family and friends, or past cohabitation. IRCC's Pakistan instructions ask couples married by local rites or customs for photos with relatives and friends of the Nikkah, the celebrations afterwards such as the Rukhsati, and the couple on other occasions, each labelled in English or French with names, date and occasion.
The registered marriage document (Nikkah Nama with the Nikkah registry seal) and, for any earlier marriage of either spouse, the final divorce certificate, annulment or death certificate. For a divorce in Pakistan, IRCC's Pakistan instructions ask for certificates from the union council or proper government office, including the Certificate of Talaq, and the Family Court's decree in a case of Khula.

Frequently asked questions

Which Pakistani marriage document should I upload for IRCC?

IRCC's spouse checklist (IMM 5533) asks for the marriage certificate or other proof that the marriage is legally registered with government authorities where it took place, and says a record of solemnization or a marriage licence is not acceptable. IRCC's country-specific instructions for Pakistan ask for a copy of the Nikkah Nama bearing the Nikkah registry seal, showing the marriage was registered by the union council or the proper government office. A marriage certificate issued by NADRA can be included, but IRCC says it is not enough on its own, and affidavits are not accepted to prove a marriage or divorce. Include a certified English or French translation of any document that is not already in English or French.

Is a nikah performed over the phone or by video call accepted for spousal sponsorship?

Not as a marriage for sponsorship purposes. IRCC's sponsorship guide says it does not recognize marriages performed outside Canada by proxy, telephone, fax, internet or other forms where one or both people were not physically present at the ceremony, and section 5 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations says a person is not considered a spouse in that situation. The only exception is where the absence was due to service as a member of the Canadian Forces and the marriage is valid both where it took place and under Canadian law.

Do Pakistani documents need an apostille or attestation for IRCC?

Global Affairs Canada says Canadian law does not require foreign public documents to be authenticated before they are used in Canada, and IRCC's spouse checklist (IMM 5533) asks for copies with certified translations without listing an apostille or legalization step. IRCC's Pakistan instructions do ask that Pakistani identity and civil status documents show the applicant's name and be endorsed by the issuing government office in the district where the event took place. If a Canadian authority or institution does ask for authentication, the HCCH status table shows the Apostille Convention in force for Pakistan since 9 March 2023 and for Canada since 11 January 2024, and Global Affairs Canada directs holders of foreign documents to the competent authority in the issuing country.

Do Urdu WhatsApp messages need to be translated for IRCC?

Yes. IMM 5533 asks for certified English or French translations of all proof-of-contact documents that are not already in English or French. IRCC's guide says translations cannot be done by the applicant or members of the applicant's family, and a translator who is not certified in Canada must also provide an affidavit. For couples not living together, IMM 5533 limits proof of contact to a maximum of 10 pages; PartnerProof's Canada setting is formatted for IRCC uploads; check the final page count before you upload.

Can my Pakistani spouse visit Canada while the sponsorship is being processed?

Pakistani citizens need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. IRCC says a spouse or partner who is outside Canada can apply for one while the permanent residence application is pending. If the sponsor has received an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) and the spouse meets all visitor visa requirements, the visa application gets faster processing automatically. Once in Canada, the spouse can apply for an open work permit if the AOR confirms the permanent residence application is in progress and they are living with the sponsor.

How long does Canadian spousal sponsorship from Pakistan take?

IRCC's service standard for Family Class applications from spouses and partners living outside Canada is 12 months, which it aims to meet for 80% of applications, and it needs all information and supporting documents to process a file. IRCC's list of service standards does not include one for the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class. Check the IRCC processing-times tool for the current estimate; it lists partners living outside Canada and inside Canada separately.

Official sources

Related corridors

UK Spouse Visa from Pakistan — UK Spouse Visa evidence guide for Pakistani applicants — Union Council MRC, VFS Global VAC, TB test, £29,000 financial requirement.
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.

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