VisabuddiesVB
ExploreGuidesQuestionsHow it works
Sign inStart selling
GuidesCanadaSpousal Sponsorship

Can you leave your Canadian job and stay with your spouse abroad while their spousal PR is processing?

Canada • Spousal Sponsorship • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Step-by-Step

If you're a Canadian PR sponsoring your spouse from abroad and are wondering whether you can quit your Canadian job to be with them while the application is processing:

  1. You can leave your job and travel to be with your spouse, as long as you maintain your PR status. PR status has its own residency obligation (roughly needing to be physically present in Canada for a portion of every five years), which is separate from any single employer or job.

  2. Your primary residence should still be understood to be Canada. Even while temporarily staying abroad with your spouse, treat Canada as your home base rather than establishing permanent residence elsewhere — this matters both for your own PR obligations and for how the sponsorship application is viewed.

  3. Submitting an employment letter earlier in the process doesn't lock you into that job. Job changes after submission generally don't retroactively affect the sponsorship application, since spousal sponsorship isn't points-based on your employment the way Express Entry is.


In short: temporary travel or even quitting your job is generally fine, but keep your PR residency obligations and Canada-as-home-base in mind throughout.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Keep track of your own PR residency obligation (time physically present in Canada) even while temporarily staying abroad with your spouse.
  • Tip: Changing or leaving your job after submitting an employment letter generally doesn't affect a spousal sponsorship application, since it isn't points-based like Express Entry.

Have a question about this? Join the discussion.

View Thread

Related Guides

immigration

Bank statement vs. bank balance certificate for a spouse's study permit application with 2 kids

immigration

Spouse got PPR while visiting Canada: virtual landing vs flagpoling to activate CoPR

immigration

What affects the chances of a spouse visa being approved alongside a study permit?

immigration

Small guest count on IMM 5532 for an Indian wedding — does it raise a red flag?

immigration

Study permit approved but spouse's open work permit is still pending: is that normal?