Fill Out IRCC Form IMM 5409 Online
Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Declare a common-law relationship for immigration purposes.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
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Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
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Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
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Form IMM 5409, Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union, is the document Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses to record that two people are living together in a common-law relationship. Couples complete it when a common-law partnership is the basis for an application, most often spousal and partner sponsorship, but also when a common-law partner is listed as a family member on other immigration applications.
You can complete IMM 5409 in the Universal PDF editor, typing your answers directly into the official PDF, then download a clean copy to print and sign. Typed entries keep names, dates, and addresses legible, which matters because the declaration becomes part of your permanent application record. IRCC updates its forms periodically, so confirm on canada.ca that you are using the current version before you submit.
What is Form IMM 5409 used for
IRCC generally treats a couple as common-law partners when they have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least one continuous year. IMM 5409 is the formal statement of that fact. Both partners declare when their cohabitation began, where they have lived together, and that they consider themselves to be in a committed relationship comparable to marriage.
The declaration supports the relationship claim but does not prove it on its own. IRCC also expects documentary evidence such as shared leases or property, joint bank accounts, insurance policies naming each other, and mail addressed to both partners at the same address.
Who completes IMM 5409
Both partners complete and sign the same declaration. It is used whenever IRCC asks you to establish a common-law relationship, not only in sponsorship cases.
- Couples applying for spousal or common-law partner sponsorship for permanent residence.
- Applicants in economic programs who list a common-law partner as an accompanying or non-accompanying family member.
- Temporary residence applicants whose partner's status depends on the relationship, where an officer requests it.
How to fill out and swear the declaration
The form is short, but it must be completed carefully and then declared before an official who is authorized to take declarations, such as a notary public or a commissioner of oaths. Do not sign it in advance; sign in front of the official.
- Enter both partners' full legal names exactly as they appear on your passports and other application forms.
- State the date your continuous cohabitation began and the addresses where you have lived together.
- Bring government-issued identification to the appointment where the declaration is sworn or affirmed.
- Attach the signed declaration to your application package along with your supporting relationship evidence.
Common mistakes to avoid
Small inconsistencies in a relationship declaration can trigger requests for more evidence or doubts about the relationship, so review the details against the rest of your application before it is sworn.
- Cohabitation dates that conflict with the address history on other forms in the same package.
- Submitting the declaration without the notary or commissioner section completed.
- Relying on the declaration alone instead of including documentary proof of the shared household.
- Using an outdated version of the form; check the current one on canada.ca before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It is a statutory declaration, so both partners must sign it before someone authorized to take declarations, such as a notary public or a commissioner of oaths. A declaration signed at home without an official is generally not accepted.
IRCC generally requires at least one year of continuous cohabitation in a conjugal relationship. Short trips apart for work or family reasons usually do not break continuity, but extended separations can. Review the current IRCC guidance for your situation.
No. The declaration is a required statement, but IRCC also weighs evidence such as a joint lease or mortgage, shared bills and bank accounts, insurance beneficiary designations, and photos or correspondence showing a shared life.
You can type your answers into the official PDF using the Universal PDF editor and download the completed document. You must still print it and sign it in front of an authorized official, since IRCC needs the sworn paper declaration.
No. Married couples prove their relationship with a marriage certificate. IMM 5409 exists specifically for partners who are not legally married but live together in a common-law relationship.
If your relationship history is complicated, for example prior marriages that have not been formally dissolved or long periods apart, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC) or an immigration lawyer can help you present it accurately.
Related forms
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