Living in Québec is a Disadvantage When Sponsoring Your Spouse

If you're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident hoping to sponsor your spouse for permanent residence, you may be surprised to learn that where you live can have a major impact on how long your application takes to process—especially if you reside in Québec.

As of April 2025, the processing time for an overseas spousal sponsorship application is 35 months when the sponsor lives in Québec, compared to just 11 months for sponsors who reside elsewhere in Canada.

Yes, you read that correctly: more than three times longer.

Why Does Québec Have Longer Processing Times?

The main reason lies in Québec’s unique role in immigration. Unlike the other provinces, Québec has its own immigration agreement with the federal government. This means that any family sponsorship application involving a sponsor living in Québec must go through an additional layer of approval: a provincial-level assessment and issuance of a "Certificat de sélection du Québec" (CSQ) before IRCC continues processing the permanent residence application.

This dual process introduces considerable delays—especially at times when Québec is backlogged or processing applications more slowly than IRCC. Add to that administrative silos between the federal and provincial governments, and you have a recipe for prolonged family separation.

Is It Worth Moving Out of Québec to Sponsor Your Spouse?

It’s a difficult and deeply personal question—but one worth asking if you’re facing a years-long wait. 

Of course, this isn’t a simple decision. It means potentially leaving behind family, work, or community ties, and in some cases, the logistics of moving may be too disruptive. Still, for couples desperate to end their separation or start a life together in Canada, the choice may not be about comfort—it may be about feasibility.

Final Thoughts

Québec’s unique status in Canada’s immigration system brings benefits in some areas, but for spousal sponsorship, it clearly results in a disadvantage. In a process meant to reunite families, a three-year delay is more than an inconvenience—it’s a hardship.

If you are currently in Québec and considering sponsoring your spouse, it may be worth consulting an immigration professional to explore all options, including the possibility of relocating to expedite the process.

At the very least, it’s time for this question to be raised more loudly: Should family reunification timelines really vary this much depending on where you live in Canada?