What we help with
Immigration applications for Pickering residents
Each pathway is explained on our immigration law page. This page goes deeper into one question: how to sponsor a partner properly. Other local services are on our Pickering page.
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Spousal & partner sponsorship
Married, common-law and conjugal partners, inland or outland, with the relationship evidence organised around what the officer must decide.
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Children, parents & super visas
Dependent children, and super visas for parents and grandparents while the parents and grandparents program is paused.
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Work permits
Extensions before expiry, new employers and LMIAs, and open work permits for sponsored spouses.
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Permanent residence & citizenship
Express Entry, Ontario’s nominee program, PR card renewals and citizenship applications.
Spousal sponsorship
Inland or outland: the first decision for a Pickering couple
When your partner already lives with you in Pickering, you can usually choose between two classes. The choice affects work, travel and what happens if the answer is no.
Inland: spouse or common-law partner in Canada class
For a partner who lives with you in Canada and has valid temporary status, or is exempt from needing it. Once IRCC confirms it has received the permanent residence application, the partner may be able to apply for an open work permit for sponsored spouses and partners, or earlier if their current permit expires within two weeks. The catch is travel: IRCC warns that a partner who leaves Canada before becoming a permanent resident may not be allowed back in.
Outland: family class
Processed through IRCC’s overseas network. It suits couples where the partner lives abroad, or lives here but expects to travel during processing. If an outland application is refused, the sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division, which can look at the evidence afresh.
Why it matters
An inland refusal has no appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division, only an application for judicial review to the Federal Court, with a short deadline. IRCC’s complete sponsorship guide (IMM 5289) explains the two classes. We weigh your partner’s status, travel plans and any weak points before recommending one; our family sponsorship page covers eligibility, the undertaking and refusals in full.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
Common-law couples
Proving a year together, and swearing the declaration
Common-law partners must have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months. Saying so isn’t enough; the file has to show it.
Evidence of living together
The strongest evidence comes from third parties and shows the same Pickering address for both of you over the whole period: a joint lease or both names on the deed, utility and internet bills, bank statements, driver’s licences and health cards, insurance policies naming each other, and mail from employers or government. Short absences for work or family don’t necessarily break the 12 months, but they need explaining. Evidence that the relationship is genuine, such as how you met, time with each other’s families and shared finances, still matters as much as it does for a married couple.
The statutory declaration
Most common-law couples complete IRCC’s Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union (IMM 5409). Both partners sign it, and it has to be solemnly declared in front of an authorized person, such as a commissioner for taking affidavits. We commission it at our Toronto office, together with any affidavits the file needs. Come together, bring government photo ID, and don’t sign in advance.
If you have been married before
A previous marriage or common-law relationship that hasn’t legally ended can affect eligibility, and every earlier relationship must be disclosed consistently with what either of you told IRCC before. Bring divorce certificates, or tell us early if one is missing.
Conjugal partners
If you have been in a committed relationship for at least a year but couldn’t live together or marry because of serious legal or immigration barriers, such as marriage between you not being possible in your partner’s country, the conjugal partner category may apply. It is narrow, and conjugal partners are always sponsored through the outland class.
In Durham Region
Newcomer help in Pickering, and where we fit in
In the 2021 Census, 36.3% of residents in private households were immigrants, and about 35% of those admitted between 1980 and 2021 came as family-sponsored immigrants (Statistics Canada). Free local services can help a sponsored partner settle once they arrive.
Free settlement services
- Welcome Centre Immigrant Services has a Pickering location, listed on the Durham Immigration Portal, with help on forms, housing, health cards, social insurance numbers and English classes
- The Portal, run by the Durham Local Immigration Partnership with the Region of Durham, covers jobs, schools and local programs
What a lawyer adds
- Choosing the sponsorship class and checking the sponsor’s eligibility
- Relationship evidence organised around what the officer decides
- A response to a procedural fairness letter or an interview invitation
- Advice after a refusal, while the deadlines are still open
Also for Pickering families
- A will once your partner has arrived: see our Pickering wills page
- Adding a partner to the title of your home: our Pickering real estate page
Questions
Pickering immigration questions
Do you have an office in Pickering?
No. Our only office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, in Toronto, which borders Pickering. Consultations are by phone; you only need to come in to swear or certify documents.
Can my partner work while I sponsor them from inside Canada?
Often, yes. A partner sponsored in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class may be able to get an open work permit once IRCC confirms receipt of the application, if they meet the conditions.
Can we travel while an inland sponsorship is processed?
It is risky for the sponsored partner. IRCC warns that a partner who leaves before becoming a permanent resident may not be allowed back in. If travel is likely, the outland class may suit you better.
We have lived together for ten months. Can we apply as common-law partners?
Not yet. Common-law status needs 12 continuous months of living together. If you are married, you can apply as spouses instead; otherwise, wait until you have the full year and the evidence to show it.
My partner is visiting me in Pickering. Can we apply inland?
Possibly. The inland class is for a partner who lives with you in Canada and has valid temporary status, and a visitor can qualify. They would need to keep their status valid, by extending it before it expires, and should expect not to travel until the application is decided. If they can’t stay, the outland class is usually the better fit.
Who can commission our IMM 5409 declaration?
An authorized person such as a commissioner for taking affidavits, lawyer or notary. We do it at our Toronto office with both of you present.
What if the sponsorship is refused?
For an outland application, the sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. An inland refusal can only be challenged by judicial review in the Federal Court. Deadlines are short in both cases, so contact us the day the refusal arrives.
Areas We Serve
Immigration advice in nearby cities
Phone consultations for all of Durham Region and the rest of the GTA.
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Scarborough
Immigration lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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North York
Immigration lawyer for North York clients.
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Markham
Immigration lawyer for Markham clients.
Here to help
Choose the right sponsorship class first.
Book a free 15-minute call, or tell us about your application in the quote form.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic