Qualification to Conjugal Partner class?

[manisk1981]

Hi all,

I am a Canadian citizen who is in a committed relationship with my boyfriend for over a year now who lives in South Africa. We are both Congolese-born individuals. He currently has a work permit status in SA. I traveled to visit him last November for 10 days since I have 2 young children from a previous relationship.

Because we have not lived together before, I am inclined to believe that the conjugal partner program would be suitable for us.

Our immigration barriers are as follows: as a Canadian citizen, I cannot, unfortunately, move to SA to live with him for a year to be considered common law because of my children who are Canadian citizens. Their father would not approve of this move and will accuse me of kidnapping them. Safety is an issue in SA, therefore i do not want to move there. As an immigrant in SA, it is hard for him to find work and provide for himself and us. I am not guaranteed a job there if i were to consider moving there; while i have a permanent job in the public service here. Because he does not have stable employment there, he has become dependent of me as i send him money to pay rent, feed himself and survive. As a result, an application for a visitor visa to Canada will not be approved since Canada requires him to prove that he has job in SA and a loaded bank account.

Based on this summary, can you please tell me if we stand a chance of being accepted? what other reasons can i provide to prove the immigration barrier?

Your input is appreciated

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi all,

I am a Canadian citizen who is in a committed relationship with my boyfriend for over a year now who lives in South Africa. We are both Congolese-born individuals. He currently has a work permit status in SA. I traveled to visit him last November for 10 days since I have 2 young children from a previous relationship.

Because we have not lived together before, I am inclined to believe that the conjugal partner program would be suitable for us.

Our immigration barriers are as follows: as a Canadian citizen, I cannot, unfortunately, move to SA to live with him for a year to be considered common law because of my children who are Canadian citizens. Their father would not approve of this move and will accuse me of kidnapping them. Safety is an issue in SA, therefore i do not want to move there. As an immigrant in SA, it is hard for him to find work and provide for himself and us. I am not guaranteed a job there if i were to consider moving there; while i have a permanent job in the public service here. Because he does not have stable employment there, he has become dependent of me as i send him money to pay rent, feed himself and survive. As a result, an application for a visitor visa to Canada will not be approved since Canada requires him to prove that he has job in SA and a loaded bank account.

Based on this summary, can you please tell me if we stand a chance of being accepted? what other reasons can i provide to prove the immigration barrier?

Your input is appreciated

Why can't you get married?

 

[scylla]

Agreed with the above question - what is your barrier to marriage?

 

[manisk1981]

Why can't you get married?

Well, when i went to visit in November, it was our first time meeting so we didn't really want to go ahead and get married... But if it comes down to that, I dont mind going back there for a week to just do it... I mean now, the relationship has moved to new heights and all

 

[scylla]

Well, when i went to visit in November, it was our first time meeting so we didn't really want to go ahead and get married... But if it comes down to that, I dont mind going back there for a week to just do it... I mean now, the relationship has moved to new heights and all

In that case you don't qualify for conjugal. Conjugal is for people who are in a marriage-like relationship but it's impossible for them to get married.

So short answer is that you need to get married before you'll be able to sponsor him.

 

[manisk1981]

i should also mention that SA is a country highly flagged by CA as a country of high levels of crime. so if my country advises against going there for my own safety and he cannot get a visitor's visa, then is that considered a huge immigration barrier?

 

[manisk1981]

In that case you don't qualify for conjugal. Conjugal is for people who are in a marriage-like relationship but it's impossible for them to get married.

So short answer is that you need to get married before you'll be able to sponsor him.

hi Scylla, thank you for your quick response. when you say marriage-like relationship... what do you mean? this is us: we talk on a daily basis, he talks to my children, he depends on me financially (i have western union receipts to prove it), our convos are added to the application. is that enough or not? if not, what other factors must be considered?

 

[scylla]

i should also mention that SA is a country highly flagged by CA as a country of high levels of crime. so if my country advises against going there for my own safety and he cannot get a visitor's visa, then is that considered a huge immigration barrier?

No - it's not a barrier. You don't qualify under conjugal.

 

[scylla]

hi Scylla, thank you for your quick response. when you say marriage-like relationship... what do you mean? this is us: we talk on a daily basis, he talks to my children, he depends on me financially (i have western union receipts to prove it), our convos are added to the application. is that enough or not? if not, what other factors must be considered?

You really need to forget the conjugal route - you don't meet the basic requirements. There's nothing preventing you from getting married. SA is absolutely fine to visit.

 

[Rob_TO]

i should also mention that SA is a country highly flagged by CA as a country of high levels of crime. so if my country advises against going there for my own safety and he cannot get a visitor's visa, then is that considered a huge immigration barrier?

If you can get married but choose not to, then you don't qualify for conjugal. You need to get married anywhere in the world, then apply as spouses.

 

[manisk1981]

alright, i understand! thank you both very much for providing this advice. you saved me the hassle of submitting and waiting to be refused. i shall plan a visit there to get married.

a final question: do you know if the Canadian embassy in SA would accept that the ceremony take place there or how will it be accepted here in Canada?

 

[Rob_TO]

A marriage performed legally in any country in the world, is also legal in Canada. So you'd just need a copy of the marriage certificate from country you get married in (translated to English/French if needed), and that is all the evidence of legal marriage you need. Plus all the usual relationship proofs, pics of wedding, etc of course.

 

[manisk1981]

A marriage performed legally in any country in the world, is also legal in Canada. So you'd just need a copy of the marriage certificate from country you get married in (translated to English/French if needed), and that is all the evidence of legal marriage you need. Plus all the usual relationship proofs, pics of wedding, etc of course.

Thank you so much for this, I appreciate it!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Well, when i went to visit in November, it was our first time meeting so we didn't really want to go ahead and get married... But if it comes down to that, I dont mind going back there for a week to just do it... I mean now, the relationship has moved to new heights and all

hi Scylla, thank you for your quick response. when you say marriage-like relationship... what do you mean? this is us: we talk on a daily basis, he talks to my children, he depends on me financially (i have western union receipts to prove it), our convos are added to the application. is that enough or not? if not, what other factors must be considered?

You have many potentially serious red flags. What is your relationship history? I know you are from the same country but do you have the same culture/religion/education/etc.? Any age difference?

 

[manisk1981]

You have many potentially serious red flags. What is your relationship history? I know you are from the same country but do you have the same culture/religion/education/etc.? Any age difference?

hello,

we met back in my country before i left 20 years ago... I was 12 and he was 15. we met through a friend at a church function and lost touch since. i continued my life here in Canada, had kids and now we reconnected almost 17 months ago online, continued as friends, which soon developed into a relationship. i finally traveled to see him this past November and we have decided to continue to have a relationship and spend the rest of our lives together... the obstacle is that i cannot live there because i have shared custody with my kids' father. We do have the same culture: we're from the same tribe/village. We're both protestants, with the same beliefs and views. I have a bachelor's degree in communications and he has a college diploma in computer science...