The IMM 5532 form, IRCC’s Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation, is a form that both the sponsor and the person being sponsored fill out and sign in a Canadian spouse or partner sponsorship application. It asks about the sponsor, the person being sponsored and the history of your relationship.
What is the IMM 5532 form?
The IMM 5532 is the form IRCC uses to collect information about the sponsor and about the relationship in a spouse or partner sponsorship. IRCC’s sponsorship guide says you must fill it out if you are sponsoring a spouse or partner, with or without dependent children.
If you are only sponsoring dependent children, the guide points you to different forms (IMM 5481 and IMM 1283). The IMM 5532 is one part of the application. For the full picture, see MAK’s spousal sponsorship guide.
Who fills out each part of the IMM 5532?
The sponsor fills out Part A, the person being sponsored fills out Part B, and you fill out Part C together. IRCC’s form page calls the person being sponsored the principal applicant, and says the form must be filled out and signed by both of you.
| Part | Who fills it out | What it covers | Where you sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A | Sponsor | Jobs and addresses for the past 5 years, other sponsorships, people who depend on you financially, education, living in Canada, past relationships | Sponsor, question 9 |
| Part B | Principal applicant | Any family link to the sponsor before this relationship, relatives in Canada, past relationships | Principal applicant, question 5 |
| Part C | Both of you | How you met, contact, living together, visits, who knows about the relationship, marriage and ceremonies | Sponsor, question 12, and principal applicant, question 13 |
Where do you download the IMM 5532?
Download it from IRCC’s IMM 5532 page, so you know you have IRCC’s own copy. When we checked on 5 November 2026, the page showed the form as last updated in February 2021.
Use a computer, because IRCC says the form “may not open on tablets or mobile phones”. Save it first, then open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 10 or higher. If it will not open, see IRCC’s help page on opening PDF forms.
What does Part A ask the sponsor?
Part A asks the sponsor for their work and address history for the past 5 years, plus other sponsorships, financial dependants, education, residence and past relationships. IRCC’s instructions say to leave no gaps in time in either history.
- Question 1, employment. Start with your current employer. If you were unemployed, explain how you supported yourself. If you were self-employed, give the business name and the date it was established. Write income before taxes.
- Question 2, other sponsorships. Include everyone you have ever sponsored or co-signed for, even if they are not permanent residents yet.
- Question 3, financial dependants. List anyone else who depends on you financially, including previous spouses or partners and children from past relationships.
- Question 5, addresses. Write addresses in full with no abbreviations and no P.O. boxes.
- Question 8, consent to disclose. This asks if the results of a marriage fraud investigation about you can be released to your spouse or partner. IRCC says consent is voluntary, and that if you do not consent, your application “will still be processed and this will not have a negative impact”.
What does Part B ask the person being sponsored?
Part B asks if the sponsor was related to you before this relationship, if you have relatives living in Canada, and if you have been married or in a common-law relationship before. It also has its own consent question and declaration.
The form says you do not have to list family members already listed on your Additional Family Information form (IMM 5406) in the relatives question. If you do not know a full date of birth, IRCC says to use “*” for the parts you do not know.
What does Part C ask about your relationship?
Part C asks for the history of your relationship, from your first meeting to today. You answer it together and each of you signs a declaration at the end.
- Question 1: when and where you first met in person, what the circumstances were, and if anyone introduced you.
- Question 2: any contact before you met in person, including who started it, when, and how.
- Questions 3 and 4: if you live together now and, if not, why not, plus your visits to each other.
- Questions 5 and 6: the languages you use, and how often and how you communicate when you are apart.
- Question 7: if close friends, family and children know about your relationship.
- Questions 8 and 9: how your marriage was arranged, if you are married, and any ceremonies or events, including who attended.
- Question 10: if either of you is pregnant.
- Question 11: anything else that supports your relationship. IRCC says you do not need to add anything here if your other answers already give enough information.
If you need more room, IRCC says to add a page with the section on it and upload it with your application, choosing “other” as the document type, in JPG, JPEG or PDF format. The form also says to write the part and question number on the sheet.
What should you write if you are living apart?
Part C question 3 asks why you are not living together, and question 4 asks why, if you have not visited each other. Answer both with the real reason and the real dates.
What our RCICs see: this is the question that gives couples the most trouble. A lot of couples do not explain why they have been living separately or how they have maintained their relationship. They assume IRCC will understand, but the officer does not know their personal circumstances.
The form also asks for the details around that explanation:
- When and where you lived together in the past, if you did. If either of you is living with someone else, give that person’s name and their relationship.
- For each visit: the dates, who travelled to visit whom, if you stayed together, and where you stayed.
- How often and how you communicate when you are apart (question 6).
Your answers also connect to your documents. For spouses not living together, IRCC’s spouse checklist (IMM 5533) asks for proof of contact and proof of the sponsor’s visits, and says “If your sponsor did not visit you, make sure you provide an explanation in your IMM5532 form (Part C, Question 4).” The same checklist reminds applicants that to apply under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class, you must be living with your sponsor in Canada, and that if you are not living with your sponsor, you should apply under the Family Class. MAK’s relationship evidence guide explains what the checklist asks for.
Omer Khalil, RCIC R710149, on proof of relationship documents and how to organize them. General information, not advice for your case.
What mistakes do RCICs see most on the IMM 5532?
The mistakes our RCICs see most often are couples giving different dates or not explaining their relationship properly. Sometimes what they write on the IMM 5532 does not match their travel history, chats or other documents.
Sit down together before signing and compare these against your records:
- First meeting and first contact (Part C, questions 1 and 2) against your chats and photos.
- Visit dates (Part C, question 4) against your tickets, boarding passes and passport stamps.
- Jobs and addresses (Part A, questions 1 and 5) against your other forms, with no gaps in time.
- Past relationships (Part A, question 7, and Part B, question 3) against your divorce or separation papers.
Also read the form as a stranger would. If an answer only makes sense because you know the background, add the background. IRCC’s guide says to complete all sections and to write “Not Applicable” or “NA” where a section does not apply, and that IRCC returns applications with missing or incomplete information.
What happens if your IMM 5532 does not match your other documents?
In our RCICs’ experience, even small differences in dates or relationship details can raise questions, and IRCC may ask for clarification or call an interview, which can delay the application.
IRCC’s guide says “It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information on these forms” and that the information on your application may be verified. It also says that if an interview is needed, IRCC will tell you in writing, and that an officer may ask the principal applicant about their relationship with the sponsor. While processing, IRCC may ask for more documents. There may be delays if you do not submit them, and if you do not respond to a request for information, your application may be refused.
False documents or misrepresented facts are more serious, and a false answer on this form can itself count as a misrepresented fact. The guide says the application will be refused, a record of the misrepresentation will be kept, and applicants and their dependants could be deemed inadmissible to Canada for five years. How IRCC treats a particular difference depends on your file.
If you find a difference, work out which date or detail is true, write the true answer, and explain any difference that remains, all before you sign. Do not change an answer only to make two documents match. If you have already submitted your application, speak to a licensed representative about your own facts. If IRCC has written to you about a concern, see MAK’s guide on procedural fairness letters.
How do you sign the IMM 5532?
Finish the form first, then use print to PDF to create a version you can sign, type your name in the signature fields, and enter the date beside each signature. The two of you have 4 signature lines: the sponsor signs at Part A question 9 and Part C question 12, and the principal applicant signs at Part B question 5 and Part C question 13.
IRCC’s sponsorship guide says that to digitally sign, you must first complete the form and then select “print to PDF”. IRCC’s form page says the form must be digitally signed and dated by both of you, and that you “may have to” follow these steps:
- Download the completed form.
- Go to File and select “Print”.
- Select “Microsoft Print to PDF” from the printer location.
- Save the file to your desktop.
- Sign the form by typing your name in the signature fields.
Those steps name a Windows printer, and that page gives no steps for a Mac. IRCC’s help page on PDF forms has a section for Mac users, but it covers downloading the form, not signing it. If you cannot sign on a Mac, IRCC’s published steps will not match your computer, so a Windows computer is one option.
By signing, IRCC says you certify that you fully understand the questions and that your information is “complete, accurate and factual”, so check your answers first. If you used an interpreter, they complete the Interpreter Declaration at question 14.
Who uploads the IMM 5532?
The principal applicant uploads it, unless a paid representative is submitting the application for them through the Representative Portal. IRCC’s guide says the sponsor fills out their PDF forms and gives electronic copies to the person being sponsored, who uploads them to their online application.
The guide also says the principal applicant electronically signs for the entire application, and that this means typing your full name exactly as shown on your passport. That is a separate step when you submit, on top of the signatures on this form, and the principal applicant still signs this way if a representative submits. Check the current checklist for your relationship before you submit: IMM 5533 for a spouse, IMM 5589 for a common-law partner, or IMM 5629 for a conjugal partner. IRCC says a whole application missing requested forms or documents is returned without being processed.
MAK’s RCICs can go through your IMM 5532, your dates and your evidence with you, from Mississauga, Scarborough or online. If you are earlier in the process, see MAK’s spousal sponsorship page, or try the free Immigration Scanner. No consultant can guarantee an outcome or speed up IRCC’s processing. IRCC makes all final decisions.
Last checked against official sources: 5 November 2026. This page is general information, not advice for your case. Question numbers are from the February 2021 form, and the checklist wording is from the September 2022 version. IRCC’s instructions can change, so check IRCC’s form page before you use this guide. IRCC makes all final decisions.
