Visitor Visa Rejected 3 Times for Chinese Fiance

[egiller]

Hi,

I am a Canadian citizen. I had dreams of having my Chinese boyfriend (now fiance) being able to visit my parents in Canada before we got married. I applied twice while we were dating over the last year and a half. Both times were rejected with the same reason - they simply don't believe he's going to go back to China at the end. He certainly has adequate funds. He works contracts on ships as a seafarer, which probably doesn't look as good as a 9-5 job. It sucks so much because I love my family and I obviously want them to meet him.

I applied two months ago for the third time. This was just after we got engaged so that we could at least marry in Canada and he could meet my family then. But was denied yet again stating he did not have enough financial resources (he has over 10,000 CAD for a two week visit) were not convinced he would leave Canada (despite stating he has plans to work, his parents are in China, and I am a student in China right now), and had strong family ties to Canada (which is probably referring to me, which can't be helped.) I have cried so much about this. My parents have freaking never met the guy I'm supposed to marry. They can't travel because they are looking after an ill family member.

I honestly think the fastest option now is to just get a civil marriage in China, apply for permanent residency, then try and apply for a visitor visa so he can meet my family. Which means I really have to give up having my family around for the marriage. And I'm not even sure a visitor visa would be approved since it sounds like approval rates are even lower than normal TRVs.

Besides how much I hate dealing with the Immigration department in my own country, what else can I do that I might have missed? A lawyer is too expensive (I would need to pay over $3000 CAD) and my fiance can't get a visa agency in China to help him (they won't help anyone who's been rejected within the last 6 months). I love my country, but I tell you truly that China is an easier country to visit as a tourist than Canada. It really seems like if someone from a visa country dates a Canadian, they can totally forget about ever visiting until after they are permanent residents.

This was me partly venting, partly asking for advice. If you have some, please share. Thanks.

 

[steaky]

How about you all meet in Hong Kong? Your parents and you can visit Hong Kong with the Canadian passport and it's really easy for them to get there.

 

[egiller]

My parents currently can't travel because they are caregivers for another ill family member who is in palliative care (end-of-life) otherwise they might try.

 

[canuck78]

Hi,

I am a Canadian citizen. I had dreams of having my Chinese boyfriend (now fiance) being able to visit my parents in Canada before we got married. I applied twice while we were dating over the last year and a half. Both times were rejected with the same reason - they simply don't believe he's going to go back to China at the end. He certainly has adequate funds. He works contracts on ships as a seafarer, which probably doesn't look as good as a 9-5 job. It sucks so much because I love my family and I obviously want them to meet him.

I applied two months ago for the third time. This was just after we got engaged so that we could at least marry in Canada and he could meet my family then. But was denied yet again stating he did not have enough financial resources (he has over 10,000 CAD for a two week visit) were not convinced he would leave Canada (despite stating he has plans to work, his parents are in China, and I am a student in China right now), and had strong family ties to Canada (which is probably referring to me, which can't be helped.) I have cried so much about this. My parents have freaking never met the guy I'm supposed to marry. They can't travel because they are looking after an ill family member.

I honestly think the fastest option now is to just get a civil marriage in China, apply for permanent residency, then try and apply for a visitor visa so he can meet my family. Which means I really have to give up having my family around for the marriage. And I'm not even sure a visitor visa would be approved since it sounds like approval rates are even lower than normal TRVs.

Besides how much I hate dealing with the Immigration department in my own country, what else can I do that I might have missed? A lawyer is too expensive (I would need to pay over $3000 CAD) and my fiance can't get a visa agency in China to help him (they won't help anyone who's been rejected within the last 6 months). I love my country, but I tell you truly that China is an easier country to visit as a tourist than Canada. It really seems like if someone from a visa country dates a Canadian, they can totally forget about ever visiting until after they are permanent residents.

This was me partly venting, partly asking for advice. If you have some, please share. Thanks.

China can refuse entry and deport anyone without a reason which is why it is easier to visit China. What ties does your fiancé have to China? His parents aren’t much of a tie because he isn’t their dependent and if a job is at sea then that doesn’t create much a tie either. Does he own property? The fact that your fiance is mostly at sea also creates less ties. Would warn you that applying for sponsorship would require proving that youwill relocate back to Canada once you have PR so on,y apply if you have concrete proof that you will be returning to Canada permanently. There may be better chances of being approved for a TRV once married given the announcement while it would have previously been harder to get a TRV once married. You could have a civil ceremony to get married and then a larger ceremony at another date.

 

[steaky]

I honestly think the fastest option now is to just get a civil marriage in China, apply for permanent residency, then try and apply for a visitor visa so he can meet my family. Which means I really have to give up having my family around for the marriage. And I'm not even sure a visitor visa would be approved since it sounds like approval rates are even lower than normal TRVs.

It wouldn't be fastest option. His chances to get a visitor visa after you guys get married would be even tougher. It might be easier for you to sponsor him for spousal immigration.

 

[steaky]

China can refuse entry and deport anyone without a reason which is why it is easier to visit China. What ties does your fiancé have to China? His parents aren’t much of a tie because he isn’t their dependent and if a job is at sea then that doesn’t create much a tie either. Does he own property? The fact that your fiance is mostly at sea also creates less ties. Would warn you that applying for sponsorship would require proving that youwill relocate back to Canada once you have PR so on,y apply if you have concrete proof that you will be returning to Canada permanently. There may be better chances of being approved for a TRV once married given the announcement while it would have previously been harder to get a TRV once married. You could have a civil ceremony to get married and then a larger ceremony at another date.

OP is Canadian citizen.

 

[canuck78]

OP is Canadian citizen.

I know. She will still have to prove that they will relocate to Canada to sponsor her spouse from China.

 

[Kaibigan]

I honestly think the fastest option now is to just get a civil marriage in China, apply for permanent residency, then try and apply for a visitor visa so he can meet my family. Which means I really have to give up having my family around for the marriage. And I'm not even sure a visitor visa would be approved since it sounds like approval rates are even lower than normal TRVs.

Do you intend to live in Canada as a couple once married? Or would the PR application be solely to facilitate your bf to visit Canada? As @canuck78 mentions, you would have to prove that you will relocate to Canada to sponsor a spouse from China.

While your situation is worthy of some sympathy, it's not a particularly sad case. Not comparable to many of us here who cannot be with our spouses for very long periods due to Canadian immigration barriers. You guys are together. Seems to me, that what counts the most. Having your parents at you wedding would be nice, sure, but that's something many here cannot even contemplate. They must marry abroad to start the sponsorship process.

Being caregivers or not, for many parents of betrothed children, travel to a foreign land to attend their kid's wedding is simply not realistic. I married in the Philippines last year in order to begin process to sponsor my wife to Canada (thrice denied TRV...like you, we were called liars and told she would be a ship-jumper despite our representations to the contrary). My parents passed some time ago, so their attendance was not an issue, but even had they still been around, for them to travel from Toronto to small town Philippines where we were married would have taken many hours in the air (16 hours just Vancouver - Manila, then another 90 minutes from there, after waiting maybe 8 hours for a connecting flight). Some parents are elderly - or have medical issues - and such a trip is hard. The cost of their attendance would be, at a barebones minimum, about $7,000. This might come as a shock, but some pensioners don't have that to spend on travel, even if they are up to the trip.

Your parents' role as caregivers, said to be the source of their inability to attend in China or anywhere else, leaves me to ask if they cannot, for a few days, be relieved of duty. Is the care-receiver living in their home and they are providing round-the-clock nursing care? Can someone be hired to fill in for a short time? No other family/friends available? Or is it that their attendance would be an issue in any event, for some of the reasons I have stated? I get the impression that you really want to get married in Canada. Had your bf procured a TRV, would his parents have also applied, so they could attend the wedding in Canada?

So say you have cried a lot over this, but it seems to me you are making too much of it. I'll accept that the notion of your family around you on your special day holds more importance for you than for others. But, for those of us who elect to get into relationships with foreign nationals, we must accept the corollary that there will be some aspects of it along the road that won't be wholly to our liking.

A further thought - how about having them attend wedding via video link?

 

[B_Alvarez]

I'm in a similar situation, Canadian citizen living in China and married to a Chinese. Getting a PR here is not the fastest way (completely unrelated to a TRV in Canada, not to mention needing 5 years in-country from the moment you get married here, and then an IRCC-level mess of a process to get the paper).
Not sure about your fiancé's exact work status but to be fair, the lack of ties to home country does seem legitimate in this case.

Consulting with a lawyer might be a reasonable option in this case, because he might be able to advise you on how you can show that his various seafaring contracts over the years form a stable work attachment. Also, again, not familiar with your situation but finding another job or going back to school might help convince whoever at IRCC is actually looking at these applications.