An unmarried partner does not qualify merely through a long relationship. The question is whether a legally valid marriage exists, including a common-law marriage recognized under the applicable law, rather than whether the household informally uses spouse terminology.
Check the partner's status against the current text directly
Identify the jurisdiction and facts establishing the claimed marriage. Bring any official confirmation or legal analysis of marital rights, not only evidence of sharing a home. Apply the spousal relationship rule to those facts; Gold Card’s FAQ does not offer a separate category for unmarried cohabitants.
Determine whether the relationship is a valid marriage under the law governing its formation; shared residence, duration, finances, or Canadian benefit terminology cannot create spousal status by themselves. Gather the legal opinion or official records needed to establish where and when marriage arose. Under Gold Card family terms, the principal’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 are included in the principal’s application, each with a separate processing fee and a separate gift. The current program proceeds through EB-1 or EB-2 classification, not EB-5, so the principal must still meet the applicable immigration framework. A common error is treating payment capacity or long cohabitation as a substitute for a qualifying marital relationship.
Hypothetical example: A LaSalle physiotherapist and partner have lived together for twelve years but never held a ceremony and are unsure whether any jurisdiction recognizes a marriage. Before identifying the partner as a spouse, they should document every place of residence and obtain advice on the relevant marriage law. If no valid marriage exists, the partner cannot be included merely because the couple shares property or could afford program payments. The principal’s eligibility and the partner’s possible independent options must then be evaluated separately.