Marital Status Single before landing

[sahilk]

Hi.

I have been in Canada for 5 years. My marital status mentioned on the COPR was single.

I recently went back to my home country and got married. It's an arranged marriage. I was not planning to sponsor her right away, due to some personal reasons.

While coming back to Canada at the immigration office, I told the officer that I recently got married at my home country but the marital status mentioned on my CoPR is single. Even though I'm not sponsoring her right now do I have to update my CoPR, because I still have a valid work visa? He said its not needed at this moment.

I have seen couple of topics here on the forum with the same situation and its considered as misrepresentation, getting my PR revoked and I cannot sponsor my spouse ever? What happens if I notify this to CIC? Getting my PR revoked means am I going to be deported back to my home country?

What are my options then? Can I still call her on Visitor's or on student visa?

 

[scylla]

When did you get married? Before you landed in Canada as a PR or after you landed in Canada as a PR?

If you became a PR some time ago and got married after you became a PR - there's no need to change your COPR.

 

[carolbb23]

Hi.

I have been in Canada for 5 years. My marital status mentioned on the COPR was single.

I recently went back to my home country and got married. It's an arranged marriage. I was not planning to sponsor her right away, due to some personal reasons.

While coming back to Canada at the immigration office, I told the officer that I recently got married at my home country but the marital status mentioned on my CoPR is single. Even though I'm not sponsoring her right now do I have to update my CoPR, because I still have a valid work visa? He said its not needed at this moment.

I have seen couple of topics here on the forum with the same situation and its considered as misrepresentation, getting my PR revoked and I cannot sponsor my spouse ever? What happens if I notify this to CIC? Getting my PR revoked means am I going to be deported back to my home country?

What are my options then? Can I still call her on Visitor's or on student visa?

you have to call cic or they see you lied to them when you want to sponsor her

 

[sahilk]

When did you get married? Before you landed in Canada as a PR or after you landed in Canada as a PR?

If you became a PR some time ago and got married after you became a PR - there's no need to change your COPR.

I got married before I landed. And I even told the officer about this.

 

[sahilk]

you have to call cic or they see you lied to them when you want to sponsor her

I would definitely call them. But I just need to know what are my options if anyone has faced a similar situation.

 

[scylla]

Just to confirm, did you already use your COPR to land?

Telling the CBSA officer at the border is unfortunately not the process you need to follow if you get married before you land. You must return your COPR to the visa office that processed your application and notify them that you've gotten married (at that point your COPR is technically no longer valid since it was issued when you were single). You must then send in the paperwork to add your spouse to your application (including police certificates) and your spouse must take and pass the medical. Once the visa office has processed your spouse's paperwork, they will issue a new COPR.

 

[sahilk]

Just to confirm, did you already use your COPR to land?

Telling the CBSA officer at the border is unfortunately not the process you need to follow if you get married before you land. You must return your COPR to the visa office that processed your application and notify them that you've gotten married (at that point your COPR is technically no longer valid since it was issued when you were single). You must then send in the paperwork to add your spouse to your application (including police certificates) and your spouse must take and pass the medical. Once the visa office has processed your spouse's paperwork, they will issue a new COPR.

Yes, I did used my CoPR to land. I have made a huge mistake. :-[ :-[
What should I do now?

 

[scylla]

That makes things a great deal more complicated unfortunately. Since you failed to declare her and add her to your application properly before landing, you can never sponsor her. There are really two options at this point. One is that she qualify to immigrate on her own through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry. The other is that you officially renounce your PR status - and then apply again from scratch, this time including her in your application.

 

[keesio]

Telling the CBSA officer at the border is unfortunately not the process you need to follow if you get married before you land.

Doesn't the officer doing the landing ask if there was any change in your family status since when you applied? I thought they asked because that was your last chance to disclose any status change before landing...

 

[sahilk]

Doesn't the officer doing the landing ask if there was any change in your family status since when you applied? I thought they asked because that was your last chance to disclose any status change before landing...

Yes the officer asked if I have any dependents. And that when I explained him about my situation. I explained the officer that I recently got married at my home country but the marital status mentioned on my CoPR is single. Even though I'm not sponsoring her right now do I have to update my CoPR, because I still have a valid work visa? He said its not needed at this moment and the dependents needs to be with you right now.

 

[sahilk]

That makes things a great deal more complicated unfortunately. Since you failed to declare her and add her to your application properly before landing, you can never sponsor her. There are really two options at this point. One is that she qualify to immigrate on her own through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry. The other is that you officially renounce your PR status - and then apply again from scratch, this time including her in your application.

1. If she comes via Express Entry, does she needs to declare her marital status as single or married? Will the immigration do a cross check about my landing date with our marriage date?
2. If I renounce my PR, am I going to be sent back to my home country?
3. Can she still apply for visitor or student visa without declaring her marital status as married? And then get remarried here in Canada, so then I can add her as a dependent. I know this sounds silly and have risk involved. But I just want to be clear about my options and then proceed.

We got married fairly recent on 3rd March and our marriage has not been declared anywhere but registered in court in our home country.

Thanks scylla.

 

[Rob_TO]

2. If I renounce my PR, am I going to be sent back to my home country?

Probably. Unless you can find some way to get a visitor, study or work visa here to stay.

1. If she comes via Express Entry, does she needs to declare her marital status as single or married? Will the immigration do a cross check about my landing date with our marriage date?

3. Can she still apply for visitor or student visa without declaring her marital status as married? And then get remarried here in Canada, so then I can add her as a dependent. I know this sounds silly and have risk involved. But I just want to be clear about my options and then proceed.

She is married, she must put married on any immigration document she fills out. Lying more that she is single, will just hurt the situation even more.

If she is applying independently for PR, then putting she's married to a Canadian PR should not raise any flags on your own misrepresentation when you landed as a PR. If she qualifies under express entry or some other program, this is the best option.

 

[thecoolguysam]

@sahilk

If I understand you correctly, you were on a work permit in Canada and went to your home country and got PR VISA ( Immigrant VISA + COPR) and during same time got married and came back to Canada and landed as a immigrant using your Immigrant VISA & COPR, correct?

 

[sahilk]

@sahilk

If I understand you correctly, you were on a work permit in Canada and went to your home country and got PR VISA ( Immigrant VISA + COPR) and during same time got married and came back to Canada and landed as a immigrant using your Immigrant VISA & COPR, correct?

Yes. Correct

 

[thecoolguysam]

Yes. Correct

This is a very complicated situation. I am not sure what is going to happen however, you should have requested to add your spouse in your application after marriage in your home country and you should have got your updated documents (VISA, COPR) and your wife should have got her medicals/pcc/immigration paperwork done and then accordingly she would have got her VISA and COPR accordingly.