My Spouse's Passport Expired During Processing: What Do We Do?

Spousal sponsorship applications take time, and passports have expiry dates that do not coordinate with immigration timelines. If your spouse’s passport expires while the application is being processed, or if you realise it is going to expire before the application is likely to be decided, this is something that needs to be handled correctly.

The good news is that this is a common and manageable situation. The key is knowing what needs to happen and not leaving it until the last moment.

A passport that expires during processing does not automatically pause or cancel the application. However, certain steps in the processing timeline require a valid passport, and an expired passport at the wrong moment can cause delays.

Specifically:

• Biometrics collection requires a valid travel document
• Visa stamping or issuance of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) typically requires a valid passport
• Port of entry landing requires a valid travel document

If your spouse’s passport is expiring during the processing period, the practical goal is to ensure there is a valid passport in hand well before any of these steps require one.

When your spouse renews their passport and receives a new one, IRCC needs to be notified of the change. The new passport will have a different passport number, which needs to be updated in the application file.

Notify IRCC through the online portal’s secure messaging function or through the IRCC webform. Your notification should include:

• The application number and full names of both the sponsor and the sponsored person
• The old passport number
• The new passport number, issue date, and expiry date
• A scanned copy of the biographic page of the new passport

Keep a copy of the notification and any confirmation you receive from IRCC. The update ensures the officer managing the file has the current travel document information and that any visa or travel document issued by IRCC goes to the correct passport.

Biometrics are linked to the person, not the passport. Renewing a passport does not automatically require a new set of biometrics. Biometrics remain valid for ten years for most applicants, or until age 14 for children, whichever comes first.

However, if the biometrics on file were collected under the old passport number and IRCC’s system does not automatically link the new passport to the existing biometrics record, you may receive a new biometrics instruction letter. If this happens, follow the instructions and complete the biometrics collection within the specified window. Treat a biometrics instruction letter as a priority item regardless of its source.

In some outland processing scenarios, a temporary resident visa or an immigration document may have been issued and stamped in the old passport. A visa stamped in an expired passport is generally still valid, provided:

• The visa itself has not expired
• The traveller carries both the expired passport with the visa stamp and the new valid passport when travelling

This is a well-established travel practice recognized at most international ports of entry. Airlines and border agencies are familiar with two-passport travel where a visa is in the older document. The traveller presents both and the officer validates the visa in the old passport alongside the valid travel document in the new one.

That said, it is always preferable to have a visa or COPR associated with the current valid passport. If your spouse’s visa was issued with an old passport, notify IRCC of the new passport and ask whether the document can be reissued or linked to the new one before traveling.

No. The immigration medical exam is valid for 24 months from the date it was completed and is linked to the person, not the passport. A passport renewal does not require a new medical exam unless the original exam has expired or is about to expire independently.

Track the expiry date of the medical exam separately from the passport. If the medical exam expires before the PR is granted, it will need to be repeated regardless of the passport situation. This is a separate document management issue but one worth tracking proactively.