Spousal, Common-law or Conjugal Sponsorship Applications and the sponsorship of dependent children are a priority at all Canadian Immigration Visa Offices and such applications are processed ahead of all other applications for permanent residence in Canada. The length of the Sponsorship Application process varies depending on the Canadian Immigration Visa Office to which the sponsored person's Application for Permanent Residence in Canada has been forwarded.

For those married in Canada, same-sex marriages are valid for sponsorship of a spouse. For those married outside Canada, same-sex marriages are valid if the marriage was recognized in the country in which it took place. Same-sex common-law and conjugal relationships are valid within and outside Canada for sponsorship of a partner.