after getting married can we apply right away?

You can apply right away the problem is that some of the documents that you need might not be available right away.

You should definitely start collecting the necessary documentation right away to file the application as soon as possible. In fact, I have seen cases where a DELAY in filing the sponsorship application (i.e. following marriage) was used by IO's as an excuse to question the bona fides of the relationship.

@tgchi,

Ditto all the responses that say the issue is documentation.

I would caution about "consultants." Apparently they are getting better, but they have been notoriously bad in the past.

Consultants may offer real services for other types of immigration to Canada, but for spousal sponsorships, the process is so straight forward that consultants are not necessary and in many cases seem to over-charge and under-perform.

Just to note: if you lived together in a conjugal relationship for two years, you qualify now, based on common-law.

Married couple couples qualify the day they are married (again, the issue then is really one of compiling the necessary documentation).

When to submit the application is mostly about when you can gather all the necessary documentation and completely fill out the forms and submit a thoroughly, carefully completed package.

I doubt, I really really doubt, that waiting three months or six or eight months to submit would in any way hurt an application unless there was no reason for the delay and the couple was separated during that time and had minimal contact during that time.

So much depends on the particulars of your individual case it is really unwise to generalize much.

But, bottom-line, it should be mentioned, is that living together for two years really puts most of the "genuineness" issues to rest . . . in that case, you focus on the technical requirements, meet those, and document that time together, and it should be an easy, done deal. Some patience in order, as usual, of course, but a pretty straight forwad deal.