I just copied and paste this for you... The IRCC answers this question as well. Generally, your foreign marriage will be recognized by the Canadian government, if the marriage:
- Is legal according to the laws of the place where it occurred; and
- Complies with Canada's federal laws on marriage.
According to Canada's federal laws on marriage:
- Close relatives by blood or adoption (grandparent-grandchild, parent-child, brothers-sisters) cannot marry each other.
- You can be married to only 1 person at a time.
- the current minimum age for marriage is 16 (as per section 2.2 of the Civil Marriage Act)
- parental consent must be provided when one or both spouses are between 16 years old and the age of majority of the province or territory where the marriage took place
If there is any doubt as to whether the marriage is legal in the place where it occurred, it is
the applicant's responsibility to prove that it is legal in that place.
If the marriage is illegal where it occurred, or if the laws of that place do not allow the marriage(for example, you are in a same-sex relationship and your country of origin does not allow same-sex marriage), IRCC will not recognize your relationship as a marriage.
Once they are legally married he can apply to sponsor his spouse