2nd wife of a Canadian Citizen, Outside Canada

[TLKMS]

9 years ago, my husband immigrated to Canada on skilled worker class and later became a Canadian citizen.
I got married to him (a Canadian citizen already having a wife) last year and became his 2nd wife. He has NOT divorced his 1st wife.
I, (the 2nd wife) live out of Canada and he visits me twice a year for a month or so. His 1st wife is NOT aware of his 2nd marriage.
I, (the 2nd wife) have no plans to go to Canada on spousal visa as I understand that 2 wives are legally not allowed in Canada.

My husband is planning to reveal his 2nd marriage to his 1st wife.

What can be the legal implications/issues, my husband can face when he reveals to his 1st wife about his 2nd wife?
To further simply, what can be the worst consequences for my husband when if the 1st wife, after learning about the 2nd marriage, engages law enforcing agencies or informs CIC. This is a stressful situation for me so any advice in this regard will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[scylla]

9 years ago, my husband immigrated to Canada on skilled worker class and later became a Canadian citizen.
I got married to him (a Canadian citizen already having a wife) last year and became his 2nd wife. He has NOT divorced his 1st wife.
I, (the 2nd wife) live out of Canada and he visits me twice a year for a month or so. His 1st wife is NOT aware of his 2nd marriage.
I, (the 2nd wife) have no plans to go to Canada on spousal visa as I understand that 2 wives are legally not allowed in Canada.

My husband is planning to reveal his 2nd marriage to his 1st wife.

What can be the legal implications/issues, my husband can face when he reveals to his 1st wife about his 2nd wife?
To further simply, what can be the worst consequences for my husband when if the 1st wife, after learning about the 2nd marriage, engages law enforcing agencies or informs CIC. This is a stressful situation for me so any advice in this regard will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

His first wife could file for divorce and through this divorce your husband could lose significant assets he has in Canada (i.e. the courts could award these assets to his first wife).

I feel sorry for his first wife and hopes she takes him to the cleaners. Your husband is a bad person.

 

[TLKMS]

Losing assets is one of the factors that have already been considered. I will pass on your sympathies to his 1st wife. I know, my husband is not at all a bad person, neither for his 1st wife not for me. I don't understand why do we become judgmental without knowing the facts, without realizing the complete picture of what could have been the scenario, what were the circumstances that he married me as a 2nd wife. Nothing personal but we become a judge for others and a lawyer for ourselves. Anyways, appreciate your valuable feedback. Thanks.

 

[YVR123]

Regardless of what's happnening with his first wife. Your marriage (a second marriage) is not recongized in Canada.
So you are not his spouse in the eyes of Canadian immigration.

 

[trk1]

Losing assets is one of the factors that have already been considered. I will pass on your sympathies to his 1st wife. I know, my husband is not at all a bad person, neither for his 1st wife not for me. I don't understand why do we become judgmental without knowing the facts, without realizing the complete picture of what could have been the scenario, what were the circumstances that he married me as a 2nd wife. Nothing personal but we become a judge for others and a lawyer for ourselves. Anyways, appreciate your valuable feedback. Thanks.

Yes, I think individual circumstances are different, and the opinion is basically from the eyes of the beholder.

But, maybe from a pure legal standpoint, that is misrepresentation, Section 10(1) Citizenship Act, and it will have impact as I understand for any future sponsorship by him. If he has dual citizenship, he may have other challenges too...including possibility of Citizenship revocation as a possible scenario. Based on dual nationality, if Minister decides against him / Minister successfully refer for a Court declaration, he will loose Citizenship and not be allowed to stay as a PR or Temporary resident, resulting in a removal order maybe. IRPA 47(2).
Ofcourse, he will have a fair chance as part of administrative law and the process to explain his circumstances, so there is Procedural fairness.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/acquisition-loss/revocation.html

"Canadian law allows for revocation in certain circumstances. Subsections 10(1) and 10.1(1) of the Citizenship Act provide that a person’s citizenship or renunciation of citizenship may be revoked if the person obtains, retains, renounces, or resumes citizenship by

• false representation;
• fraud; or
• knowingly concealing material circumstances."

...I am not an legal expert...so please view it as just another view point.

 

[canuck78]

Losing assets is one of the factors that have already been considered. I will pass on your sympathies to his 1st wife. I know, my husband is not at all a bad person, neither for his 1st wife not for me. I don't understand why do we become judgmental without knowing the facts, without realizing the complete picture of what could have been the scenario, what were the circumstances that he married me as a 2nd wife. Nothing personal but we become a judge for others and a lawyer for ourselves. Anyways, appreciate your valuable feedback. Thanks.

Not informing your wife that you have taken on another wife is why he is reveiving judgment. He should have been upfront wirh his wife and either gotten divorced before getting remarried or moved to a country where being married to 2 women is legal if his 1st wife was agreeaable to sharing her husband.

 

[Buletruck]

In fact, your husband has committed bigamy and could potentially face criminal charges.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Losing assets is one of the factors that have already been considered. I will pass on your sympathies to his 1st wife. I know, my husband is not at all a bad person, neither for his 1st wife not for me. I don't understand why do we become judgmental without knowing the facts, without realizing the complete picture of what could have been the scenario, what were the circumstances that he married me as a 2nd wife. Nothing personal but we become a judge for others and a lawyer for ourselves. Anyways, appreciate your valuable feedback. Thanks.

Ok, so no one is a bad person .Here is a fact that trumps everything, bigamy’ is AGAINST the law, you don’t need a lawyer or a public forum to tell you that.
You post on a public forum, you’ll get public opinions

 

[scylla]

Losing assets is one of the factors that have already been considered. I will pass on your sympathies to his 1st wife. I know, my husband is not at all a bad person, neither for his 1st wife not for me. I don't understand why do we become judgmental without knowing the facts, without realizing the complete picture of what could have been the scenario, what were the circumstances that he married me as a 2nd wife. Nothing personal but we become a judge for others and a lawyer for ourselves. Anyways, appreciate your valuable feedback. Thanks.

Canada disagrees. Bigamy is a crime here.

 

[mashulia_26]

Canada disagrees. Bigamy is a crime here.

And criminals are bad people. Which proves your first point that he is a bad person.

 

[BaNana82]

9 years ago, my husband immigrated to Canada on skilled worker class and later became a Canadian citizen.
I got married to him (a Canadian citizen already having a wife) last year and became his 2nd wife. He has NOT divorced his 1st wife.
I, (the 2nd wife) live out of Canada and he visits me twice a year for a month or so. His 1st wife is NOT aware of his 2nd marriage.
I, (the 2nd wife) have no plans to go to Canada on spousal visa as I understand that 2 wives are legally not allowed in Canada.

My husband is planning to reveal his 2nd marriage to his 1st wife.

What can be the legal implications/issues, my husband can face when he reveals to his 1st wife about his 2nd wife?
To further simply, what can be the worst consequences for my husband when if the 1st wife, after learning about the 2nd marriage, engages law enforcing agencies or informs CIC. This is a stressful situation for me so any advice in this regard will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

As you have been informed by others, what he's done is bigamy, which is an indictable crime in Canada. Worst case scenario according to the criminal code is 5 years imprisonment. Luckily for him he committed the crime after becoming a citizen otherwise he would also be in danger of being deported depending on how long a sentence he would get. You may not think of him as a bad person but what he did isn't a good thing either. Hoping for your sake everything works out

 

[Almost_Canadian]

I have a generalized question. What if a person is from an Arab country where having multiple wives is legal and he applies for PR ? Assuming he fulfils all the other requirements, would his application be rejected due to the fact that bigamy is a criminal offense in Canada ? Or would he get a PR for all his family including his multiple wives ?
This question is hypothetical as I'm curious to know since we have so many PRs here from Arab countries

 

[PMM]

Hi

I have a generalized question. What if a person is from an Arab country where having multiple wives is legal and he applies for PR ? Assuming he fulfils all the other requirements, would his application be rejected due to the fact that bigamy is a criminal offense in Canada ? Or would he get a PR for all his family including his multiple wives ?
This question is hypothetical as I'm curious to know since we have so many PRs here from Arab countries

1. Only his first wife would be able to get PR.
2. As bigamy is not a crime in Saudi, then no crime has been committed.

 

[Buletruck]

The difference being in the OPs case, he was married while in Canada then went elsewhere to intentionally get married again. That’s Bigamy.

 

[PMM]

Hi

The difference being in the OPs case, he was married while in Canada then went elsewhere to intentionally get married again. That’s Bigamy.

1. Only if one of the participants complain. I doubt that there has been a very many bigamy trials in Canada. Aside from the Bounty Polygamy trials
2, Under Sec. 290(1) of the criminal code

Under the wording of that provision, a conviction for bigamy can carry a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment, and occurs any time:

• A married person goes through a form of marriage with another person;
• Any person, knowing that another person is married, goes through a form of marriage in Canada with that person;
• Any person goes through a form of marriage with more than one person on the same day or simultaneously.

(And note that these situations must occur in Canada; however a person can also be covered by the bigamy definition if he or she is a Canadian citizen and resident in Canada, but leaves with the intent to engage in the prohibited conduct and carries out the intent to do so).