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Partner visas: How your status affects your options

Your relationship status 鈥� whether you're married, in a civil union, in a domestic partnership, or in a same-sex relationship鈥攚ill significantly affect whether you can obtain a visa or residence permit, whatever its category (residence permit, work permit, dependent visa, entrepreneur visa, etc.).

If the host country recognizes your relationship, your expat partner may be able to sponsor you. If not, you'll have to meet whatever restrictions the host country imposes. For example, some countries will only allow sponsorship if you're legally married to the expat. Others require a legally recognized heterosexual marriage (e.g., the United States, Japan, and the Gulf states). Others are more flexible, granting sponsorship whether the relationship is formalized or not (e.g., Canada, Denmark and Ghana).

Your partner's immigration status

Not every visa or residence permit allows the holder to sponsor a spouse or partner. Many countries reserve this right for 鈥渇oreign talent鈥濃�攑ermanent residents, skilled or highly skilled work visa holders, , Golden Visa holders, PhD students, or those employed in officially recognized shortage occupations.

Authorities will first want to confirm that your partner has the financial means and suitable accommodation to support you. In some cases, you may also be granted the same privileges as their visa, such as work authorization or the right to study.

Some countries only recognize civil marriages between a man and a woman, while others accept religious marriages, domestic partnerships, or same-sex marriages. In all cases, it's your partner who must apply for your sponsorship.

If you are married

Civilly married spouses generally have the highest likelihood of obtaining a visa. Chances are even higher in a legally recognized heterosexual marriage, as more countries issue visas to married heterosexual couples than to married same-sex couples.

Your expat spouse will file the sponsorship request (often called a dependent visa, spouse visa, long-stay visa, or part of a family reunification program, depending on the country). The process is not free. Your partner will need to prove they have sufficient income and adequate housing to sponsor you.

If you are in a civil union

You can only be sponsored in countries that recognize civil unions, though the terminology varies. The UK, for example, uses the term 鈥渃ivil partnership.鈥� Canada does not recognize the French Pacs (Civil Solidarity Pact) but does recognize the 鈥渃ommon-law partner鈥� status. To sponsor you, your partner must prove that you have been in a continuous relationship for at least one year. If approved, you'll receive a dependent visa.

If you are in a domestic partnership (cohabiting)

Even fewer countries allow sponsorship for cohabiting couples. Canada recognizes the 鈥渃onjugal partner鈥� category鈥攜ou must be in a 鈥済enuine relationship鈥� for at least a year, exclusive and committed, but not married or in a common-law union. Australia offers two relevant visas: the 鈥�partner visa鈥� and the 鈥�prospective marriage visa,鈥� both for applicants not legally married and applying from outside Australia. Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Sweden, and Norway also grant visas to unmarried partners.

If both partners are European

If both you and your partner are EU citizens, and your partner has moved to another EU country, EEA country, or Switzerland, you don't need a visa to join them. Your EU citizenship guarantees freedom of movement in these countries.

However, you'll still need to register with the local municipality within three months of arrival. Depending on local regulations, you may be asked to provide documents when registering.

Same-sex partners: how to get a visa

It all depends on the host country's laws:

• Some countries recognize dependent status for both married and unmarried same-sex partners.
• Some only recognize it for legally married same-sex couples.
• Others don't recognize any same-sex partnerships at all.

If your relationship isn't recognized, you won't be able to get a visa through your partner's sponsorship. You'll need to apply for your own residence permit, depending on your intended length of stay (temporary or permanent) and purpose (work or study).

Countries that grant dependent status to same-sex partners include Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, and several European countries (Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, Croatia, Finland, Denmark, Germany鈥�).

Can the partner get a work visa?

Countries that recognize unmarried and same-sex couples often have more flexible rules on work rights. But it still depends on local regulations. In many European countries, Canada, the US, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia, residence permits for dependents often include work rights. In Australia, dependents can get work rights if the sponsoring partner is a permanent resident, a qualified self-employed worker, or in a shortage occupation. On the other hand, EU citizens living in another EU country can work without a separate work permit.

But even in 鈥渙pen鈥� countries, restrictions exist. In Canada, your work permit eligibility depends on your partner's immigrationprograme (open or closed work permit). Since 21 January 2025, new rules limit family open work permits to spouses of certain students and foreign workers, including PhD candidates and workers in shortage occupations.

Countries where dependents cannot work

Some dependent visas don't allow you to work, including those of India, China, Turkey, Colombia, Kuwait, and several Sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria鈥�). In Mauritius, the dependent visa linked to an expat's Occupation Permit doesn't allow the spouse to wor鈥攅venn as a micro-entrepreneur. You'll need your own work permit.

In Kuwait, you'll need a Kuwaiti sponsor. An exception exists in Cameroon: if you are self-employed and your partner is a permanent resident, you may start working without applying for a work permit.

Countries with restricted work rights

Some countries impose partial restrictions, including Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Thailand. In Japan, your partner must hold a highly skilled professional visa, and you can only work in 鈥渉ighly skilled鈥� fields (exceptions are rare and assessed individually). In the UAE, male spouses of female expats face additional restrictions.

Dependent visa: documents you may need

Requirements vary by country, but generally you'll be asked for:

• Valid passport;
• Your partner's visa/residence permit;
• Your partner's proof of income;
• Recent passport-sized photo;
• Visa application form (if applying on paper);
• Completed questionnaire (may include marital and professional details);
• Copy of family record book (if applicable);
• Marriage certificate;
• Application fees.

Some countries require extra documents, such as proof of your own financial resources, proof of address, or a medical check. Japan requires a questionnaire, and Thailand asks for a birth certificate. In the UAE, those deemed 鈥渕edically unfit鈥� cannot be sponsored.

Dependent visa: application deadlines

Watch out for deadlines, too. In the UAE, for instance, your partner must apply for your sponsorship within 60 days of entering the country. You could be granted a five-year residence visa. In Japan, visas range from 6 months to 5 years, but applications can take 鈥渟everal months.鈥� You'll first get a Certificate of Eligibility, which doesn't guarantee the visa itself.

In Canada, processing times vary from 11 to 37 months, depending on whether you live abroad or in Canada, and whether your partner lives in Quebec or another province (37 months if they're in Quebec and you're abroad; 11 months elsewhere; 38 months if you're in Canada and they're in Quebec; 34 months if they're outside Quebec). You can check processing times on the Canadian government's website.

If your partner's status allows (e.g., highly skilled worker), applying together is often the best way to stay within deadlines and avoid long waits.