Getting Married after COPR (Common-Law); no Marriage Certificate

[pinemaple]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has heard of a case like this.

My common-law partner and I are getting married after submitting our passports and getting the COPR, which we received under common-law status. We plan to send a webform to IIRC to inform them right after the wedding.

The issue lies in getting the marriage certificate for proof. In the Philippines, the official (PSA) marriage certificate will take several months to process. We can get the local civil registry marriage certificate, but at least for spousal sponsorship the IRCC requires the PSA version.

Do you think it will be fine to land in Canada with just the local marriage certificate and a promise to send the PSA one when it's ready?

Thanks for any insights.

 

[iSaidGoodDay]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has heard of a case like this.

My common-law partner and I are getting married after submitting our passports and getting the COPR, which we received under common-law status. We plan to send a webform to IIRC to inform them right after the wedding.

The issue lies in getting the marriage certificate for proof. In the Philippines, the official (PSA) marriage certificate will take several months to process. We can get the local civil registry marriage certificate, but at least for spousal sponsorship the IRCC requires the PSA version.

Do you think it will be fine to land in Canada with just the local marriage certificate and a promise to send the PSA one when it's ready?

Thanks for any insights.

Since your partner listed in your EE profile as a common law - you can do soft landing as common law and get married after becoming a PR.

 

[armoured]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has heard of a case like this.

My common-law partner and I are getting married after submitting our passports and getting the COPR, which we received under common-law status. We plan to send a webform to IIRC to inform them right after the wedding.
...
Do you think it will be fine to land in Canada with just the local marriage certificate and a promise to send the PSA one when it's ready?

I've not come across a case like this. My belief is that the marriage doesn't change anything for Canada from an immigration perspective - you both got your COPRs as marital/common law partners, and so your status (with respect to each other) as 'spouses' has not changed (for Canadian immigration purposes, that is - in other contexts the status of legally married can be significant).

The COPR and correspondence with it likely stated something like "you must advise IRCC if your family composition changes" or "have you any dependents other than those listed below". Question, what does it show on the COPR that shows your spouse? anything like this text? I'm not familiar with coprs for EE applications.

And hence, point being, if it shows your spouse as dependent (and vice versa), there should be no issue.

Obviously it would be nice to check this before arriving and landing in Canada. I don't know how to do that quickly. But if the COPRs show dependents (each other), I'd be more than 90% confident that it's not an issue that you applied as common law and got married in between receiving COPR and landing - your family composition has not changed and you remain dependents (of each other).

 

[iSaidGoodDay]

I've not come across a case like this. My belief is that the marriage doesn't change anything for Canada from an immigration perspective - you both got your COPRs as marital/common law partners, and so your status (with respect to each other) as 'spouses' has not changed (for Canadian immigration purposes, that is - in other contexts the status of legally married can be significant).

The COPR and correspondence with it likely stated something like "you must advise IRCC if your family composition changes" or "have you any dependents other than those listed below". Question, what does it show on the COPR that shows your spouse? anything like this text? I'm not familiar with coprs for EE applications.

And hence, point being, if it shows your spouse as dependent (and vice versa), there should be no issue.

Obviously it would be nice to check this before arriving and landing in Canada. I don't know how to do that quickly. But if the COPRs show dependents (each other), I'd be more than 90% confident that it's not an issue that you applied as common law and got married in between receiving COPR and landing - your family composition has not changed and you remain dependents (of each other).

The family composition hasn't changed is a valid point.

 

[armoured]

Since your partner listed in your EE profile as a common law - you can do soft landing as common law and get married after becoming a PR.

Just to note, I don't disagree with this - I wrote my response on basis that couple decided to get married before arriving in Canada.

I don't see any issue with getting married abroad first (as I explained, family comp hasn't changed). I see the issue of where/when to get married as personal choice, with small colouring of where the admin side is easier in short/long term.

Admin: Marriages in Canada generally easy (small caveat if using foreign divorce documents), and obviously Canadian marriage certificates easily recognized in Canada. Not that getting foreign marriage docs recognized is difficult in Canada either - just need a translation with stamped copy. But on the other hand, in Canada, one rarely if ever actually has to show marriage documents. My spouse and I haven't shown our foriegn marriage docs once, ever, in Canada since landing - and I struggle to think of a circumstance where we might need to; not that there aren't any, it's just not common.

Of course I've also no idea of whether there are any requirements in home country to be married to emigrate together or whatever else. So anyway - choice of where to get married is up to them, and I don't think any bearing on travelling together to land from a Candian immigration perspective.

 

[pinemaple]

Thanks @armoured and @iSaidGoodDay for the thoughts.

Regarding the soft landing - unfortunately flights from the Philippines to Canada are prohibitively expensive compared to local wages, so we want to fly once and be done with it. It's also something like 16 to 36 hours of travel time, one-way, so not a journey to be undertaken lightly!

We did send a webform to IRCC but I understand it can take up to a month to get a reply. We haven't got the COPRs yet - they have our passports right now - but I believe it differentiates between Common-Law and Spouse. My main concern was, everyone else who said they went from Common-Law to Married was able to show a Marriage Certificate as proof, or they waited abroad until they could get the certificate.

Considering the huge costs and risks if we run into issues, we've decided to push up the timeline and get married earlier than planned, to finish up the paperwork before leaving.

By the way, the information on marriage certificate documents is pretty useful - thanks for that as well.

 

[armoured]

We did send a webform to IRCC but I understand it can take up to a month to get a reply. We haven't got the COPRs yet - they have our passports right now - but I believe it differentiates between Common-Law and Spouse.

It may distinguish between common law and spouse (I don't know) but that's a question of use of legal terms (or to what extent these are legal terms vs common usage); again, I think the important q is whether it matters to IRCC that you travel as 'which type of marital partner.' (I don't think it does, is probably obvious).

My main concern was, everyone else who said they went from Common-Law to Married was able to show a Marriage Certificate as proof, or they waited abroad until they could get the certificate.

Here it really depends whether it mattered in their cases. There are many cases - incl for immigration, esp other countries - where it might.

Considering the huge costs and risks if we run into issues, we've decided to push up the timeline and get married earlier than planned, to finish up the paperwork before leaving.

Sure. Of course, you could also just get married in Canada afterwards, but up to you and mostly a personal decision.

By the way, the information on marriage certificate documents is pretty useful - thanks for that as well.

If the original is in English, no problem. If not, I'd strongly suggest getting a few (extra) notarized copies with translations from home, likely easier and cheaper and neve rhaving to worry about it again.

 

[suansh]

Hi
I got my copr in april 2023, I got married in may 2023 but did not know the process where i had to inform ircc. now copr expires in 10 days. Already raised webform but they said my information has been passed to the concerned office and they will get back to me. It has been 20 days since this and till now no reply and my copr expires on 4th march 2024. What should I do ? will i lose of chance of PR if I don't receive reply before 4 march. How can i expedite this. Please reply

 

[pinemaple]

Hi
I got my copr in april 2023, I got married in may 2023 but did not know the process where i had to inform ircc. now copr expires in 10 days. Already raised webform but they said my information has been passed to the concerned office and they will get back to me. It has been 20 days since this and till now no reply and my copr expires on 4th march 2024. What should I do ? will i lose of chance of PR if I don't receive reply before 4 march. How can i expedite this. Please reply

Yes if you don't land before it expires you will lose it. Don't waste more time just waiting for a reply, just go to Canada now. IRCC didn't even ask about my marriage certificate, though I clarified we were common-law that got married. No issues at all.

Edit to add - I was also sending webforms that got no reply even after several months. Don't bother waiting, they might not even reply!

 

[suansh]

Yes if you don't land before it expires you will lose it. Don't waste more time just waiting for a reply, just go to Canada now. IRCC didn't even ask about my marriage certificate, though I clarified we were common-law that got married. No issues at all.

Edit to add - I was also sending webforms that got no reply even after several months. Don't bother waiting, they might not even reply!

Hi,
Thank you for replying. But I think you misunderstood my case. I did not have common law partner. I simply got married after receiving CoPR. My current CoPR states that I am single, so I anyway cannot travel on that CoPR. That would be an offence. I have to add my spouse to my file. So can you suggest how to expedite the process or what else to do?

 

[armoured]

Hi,
Thank you for replying. But I think you misunderstood my case. I did not have common law partner. I simply got married after receiving CoPR. My current CoPR states that I am single, so I anyway cannot travel on that CoPR. That would be an offence. I have to add my spouse to my file. So can you suggest how to expedite the process or what else to do?

You can try calling IRCC but I don't know if the call centre people will be able to expedite things. It would at least again register your issue (although will be duplicate).

 

[pinemaple]

Hi,
Thank you for replying. But I think you misunderstood my case. I did not have common law partner. I simply got married after receiving CoPR. My current CoPR states that I am single, so I anyway cannot travel on that CoPR. That would be an offence. I have to add my spouse to my file. So can you suggest how to expedite the process or what else to do?

Sorry, since you commented on my thread about getting married after being common law that's what I assumed. I'm not familiar with your situation.