ARE WEDDING PICTURES NECESSARY FOR SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP

[trial123]

Hi all,

I have a quick question. I was wondering if my spousal sponsorship application might be refused/ at risk if it doesn't include wedding pictures ? Is is listed in the document checklist to have wedding pictures ?

I am asking because my wife and I had a little engagement ceremony( we took pictures ) and we had our marriage certificate done. I went back to canada for work, but will return in the summer for the wedding ceremony. I am planning to fill out the application and send it now instead of waiting till the summer to get the wedding pictures. This will save me some time instead of waiting apart from my wife.

Please let me know !!

Thanks

 

[brucem]

Hi all,

I have a quick question. I was wondering if my spousal sponsorship application might be refused/ at risk if it doesn't include wedding pictures ? Is is listed in the document checklist to have wedding pictures ?

I am asking because my wife and I had a little engagement ceremony( we took pictures ) and we had our marriage certificate done. I went back to canada for work, but will return in the summer for the wedding ceremony. I am planning to fill out the application and send it now instead of waiting till the summer to get the wedding pictures. This will save me some time instead of waiting apart from my wife.

Please let me know !!

Thanks

So are you actually married or will you be applying as CL? Wedding pictures aren't essential they just help convince the officer that your marriage is genuine. A good bit of advice I got when I completed my application was put yourself in the visa officers shoes i.e. scrutinise your application as if you were the officer, do you think the alternative proof you submit will be enough to convince or avoid the need for further questioning?

Lots of pictures of you and your wife with happy smiley friends and family is a pretty solid evidence which is why most married couples will include it.

 

[trial123]

We are married on paper I would say. The wedding ceremony is planned to be in the summer. We have pictures of the engagement ceremony with family and friends. Unfortunately, we don't have much pictures together except for the engagement ceremony.

I understand that I need to have more pictures in my application to act as a support, but since I don't have them I am stuck between two options.

first option: submit application without wedding pictures and assume wedding pictures aren't an essential part of the application.

second option: wait till the summer to have wedding pictures and then submit the application.. This option is better to prove that marriage is genuine but in the same time I will have to wait till the summer to start the application !!!


I am not sure if that will be enough to convince the officer !! but thats all I have now !!

 

[tink23]

Did u even take a "selfie" when you finished signing the certificate??? Even something small like that is better than nothing! I find it strange that u didn't take any pictures of this, because this is when u were officially married. The visa officer may think the same thing.

 

[innosense]

Which visa office will process ur application ?
You can send all the proof u have now and write an explanation letter about ur ceremony in summer and that u will be sending wedding pictures then.
Anyways stage 1 is taking 85 days where they look only at the sponsor eligibility and for completeness of immigration forms.
you should be ready with ur pics just about the time ur file gets transferred to ur visa office.

 

[innosense]

And yes it is listed in the checklist to send the wedding pictures

 

[keesio]

I have a quick question. I was wondering if my spousal sponsorship application might be refused/ at risk if it doesn't include wedding pictures ? Is is listed in the document checklist to have wedding pictures ?

The need for pictures varies with the applicant (nationality). What nationality is your wife?

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi all,

I have a quick question. I was wondering if my spousal sponsorship application might be refused/ at risk if it doesn't include wedding pictures ? Is is listed in the document checklist to have wedding pictures ?

I am asking because my wife and I had a little engagement ceremony( we took pictures ) and we had our marriage certificate done. I went back to canada for work, but will return in the summer for the wedding ceremony. I am planning to fill out the application and send it now instead of waiting till the summer to get the wedding pictures. This will save me some time instead of waiting apart from my wife.

Please let me know !!

Thanks

Hi, please confirm:
- what country is your wife from?
- how long did you date before getting married?

 

[CdnandTrini]

We are married on paper I would say. The wedding ceremony is planned to be in the summer. We have pictures of the engagement ceremony with family and friends. Unfortunately, we don't have much pictures together except for the engagement ceremony.

first option: submit application without wedding pictures and assume wedding pictures aren't an essential part of the application.

third option: never assume anything with immigration ! I would submit the application ASAP with a detailed explanation as to why there are no wedding photos included (and why you have few other photos). Also take some more photos to include in the package.

My husband and I did not have a camera or a "photo taking" cell phone for the 1st three years of our relationship but I explained all of this clearly in our application. It ended up being important as the officers that worked on our file had commented on this in our file notes (called GCMS notes - Global Case Management System - I think).

The other members will provide some additional visa office (VO) specific answers, that is why the questions about your wife's country/VO. They each operate a bit differently and some countries (generally non-visa exempt ones) are scrutinized more closely. You will find some good help and support here.

 

[warzo]

Did you just do Nikah and are planning to do walima/reception in the summer? If this is the case, then the pictures of the ceremony are nikah ceremony pictures (not engagement). And you are able to submit, and make sure you explain all of this in a detailed letter.

I know people have done this, and gave a timeline of the wedding date. VO did ask them for additional wedding ceremony/reception pictures and proofs at a later date.

Hi all,

I have a quick question. I was wondering if my spousal sponsorship application might be refused/ at risk if it doesn't include wedding pictures ? Is is listed in the document checklist to have wedding pictures ?

I am asking because my wife and I had a little engagement ceremony( we took pictures ) and we had our marriage certificate done. I went back to canada for work, but will return in the summer for the wedding ceremony. I am planning to fill out the application and send it now instead of waiting till the summer to get the wedding pictures. This will save me some time instead of waiting apart from my wife.

Please let me know !!

Thanks

 

[janice27]

So the wedding pictures with my friends would be enough? I will soon marry my fiance but we plan to
keep it from our our family since there are conflict as to our religious beliefs.

 

[innosense]

Not sure how cic will interpret if u r hiding it from ur parents. U can say that ur parents are not in agreement with ur marriage and hence not present for the wedding. Also mention why they r not in agreement. How many friends will be there at ur wedding ?
Make sure they all r dressed properly and not in jeans ( as per the study )
And save all receipts for the wedding !

 

[CdnandTrini]

So the wedding pictures with my friends would be enough? I will soon marry my fiance but we plan to
keep it from our our family since there are conflict as to our religious beliefs.

Hi janice27 and as innosense suggested, please make sure you clearly explain in your application the detailed reasons for not telling your families. Particularly if there is a threat of violence if you make your marriage known to them.

Give examples of any family conflict throughout the course of the relationship as well and "paint the picture" for them. Your situation is not unheard of. If possible, you can include letters from others that know the history of the conflicts in your relationship prior to marriage. Even better if you have any e-mails between you and your fiancé discussing these issues or any emails/instant messages from family members expressing their opposition.

CIC have been known to follow up and contact people who submit letters on behalf of a couple so make sure that if you do decide to include letters of support, the friend or friends are trustworthy and would be able to respond well if questioned. I am sorry you are not able to freely share your happiness with your family but even in marriages where there is no religious conflict, family members and in-laws can still be a problem!! ;D So you are not alone. Blessings

 

[fabibeach]

Hi!

We applied as common law in october 2014, we were engaged by that time. We had lived together for four years, I said on my application that we wanted to get married but still didn´t know when. Then on November, a month after we applied my husband let me know he was coming to visit and he said let´s see f we can get married on that month, so I looked at requirements in my country, and arranged a civil wedding in the next two weeks. We have our certificate and wedding pics so I am going to send them to my Visa Office as soon as I have my UCI.

I think you should explain everything in a letter to Immigration, be very transparent, they will for sure understand, tell you are engaged and when yu are planning to get married, and then, make sure you send them an update of the situation, invitations, receipt for the reception, everything can work for your case.

We didn´t have invitations, and had a very small reception, I have small family so most of the guests were coworkers and friends, and no one from his family could attend (my husband is not very close to his canadian family). So before that, we sent what we consider to be a big evidence of our common law relationship, and hopefully our marriage certificate will help in case officer might have any doubt.

So yes, I recommend you send your application with the píctures of your engagement and explain when you are plannng to get married and always try to be very clear to them.

Good luck