Hi everyone,
I’m a Permanent Resident in Canada, and my boyfriend holds a visitor visa. He plans to visit me, and we’ve been in a committed relationship for nearly a decade. We come from different religious communities in India — he’s Muslim, and I’m Hindu — and due to the complexities of our cultural and religious backgrounds, marriage in India is not a feasible option for us. His family and community would never accept a Hindu girl, and while my family is supportive, his family has been extremely difficult and is unlikely to ever accept our relationship.
We’ve had to navigate numerous challenges over the years, and at this point, we’ve come to the conclusion that getting married in Canada might be the only way forward for our safety and well-being. We intend to have a civil marriage here because of the religious differences, and we plan to inform my family and close friends, but unfortunately, we don’t feel safe telling his family due to the potential risks but we will once we are legally married.
Given the sensitive nature of our situation, we’re seeking advice on how to proceed with getting married in Canada while he is here on a visitor visa. We understand that IRCC usually requires a big wedding and extensive proof of a genuine relationship for spousal sponsorship, but in our case, we cannot have a traditional large wedding due to the circumstances. However, we do have proof of our relationship over the years, including travel history, regular communication, and occasional gifts. I am visiting India right now, and he is staying with me for the time being but it will only be for a few months while I am here.
Has anyone gone through a similar situation or can you offer guidance on how to approach this? Specifically:
Thank you!
I’m a Permanent Resident in Canada, and my boyfriend holds a visitor visa. He plans to visit me, and we’ve been in a committed relationship for nearly a decade. We come from different religious communities in India — he’s Muslim, and I’m Hindu — and due to the complexities of our cultural and religious backgrounds, marriage in India is not a feasible option for us. His family and community would never accept a Hindu girl, and while my family is supportive, his family has been extremely difficult and is unlikely to ever accept our relationship.
We’ve had to navigate numerous challenges over the years, and at this point, we’ve come to the conclusion that getting married in Canada might be the only way forward for our safety and well-being. We intend to have a civil marriage here because of the religious differences, and we plan to inform my family and close friends, but unfortunately, we don’t feel safe telling his family due to the potential risks but we will once we are legally married.
Given the sensitive nature of our situation, we’re seeking advice on how to proceed with getting married in Canada while he is here on a visitor visa. We understand that IRCC usually requires a big wedding and extensive proof of a genuine relationship for spousal sponsorship, but in our case, we cannot have a traditional large wedding due to the circumstances. However, we do have proof of our relationship over the years, including travel history, regular communication, and occasional gifts. I am visiting India right now, and he is staying with me for the time being but it will only be for a few months while I am here.
Has anyone gone through a similar situation or can you offer guidance on how to approach this? Specifically:
- What kind of evidence should we focus on providing to IRCC for spousal sponsorship, considering we cannot have a traditional wedding?
- Are there any potential pitfalls we should be aware of given our specific circumstances?
Thank you!
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