Is having relatives in Canada a red flag?

[canadianwoman]

What about this situation, my girlfriend in the Philippines has two relatives living in Canada - a first cousin (married) and a niece (a daugher of a cousin -married) but she is not at all close to them, no contact between them. Has only met the first cousin once when 4 yrs old and the niece she never met. All we know is the city they live in but not address. On lives in Manitoba, the other in Ontario. Is this a red flag for our outland common law sponsorship to Canada?

This would not be a red flag - the relatives are too distant. Just list them on the forms where it asks about relatives living in Canada. She should put as much as the address as she knows, then attach a separate sheet of paper explaining that they are not close, she has only met one of them once, and has never met the other, and does not know their addresses.
BTW, the daughter of her cousin is not her niece. Don't call her that on the form - say she is the daughter of a cousin.

Having relatives in Canada is considered a plus for other categories of immigration. For a spousal sponsorship, it is either neutral or a negative. Two distant relatives your wife does not even know should be considered neutral. Just don't try to hide it.

 

[canphil]

This would not be a red flag - the relatives are too distant. Just list them on the forms where it asks about relatives living in Canada. She should put as much as the address as she knows, then attach a separate sheet of paper explaining that they are not close, she has only met one of them once, and has never met the other, and does not know their addresses.
BTW, the daughter of her cousin is not her niece. Don't call her that on the form - say she is the daughter of a cousin.

Having relatives in Canada is considered a plus for other categories of immigration. For a spousal sponsorship, it is either neutral or a negative. Two distant relatives your wife does not even know should be considered neutral. Just don't try to hide it.

Thanks for the good advice.. will not call her niece. As for address, only know city and province for both.

 

[Survivor27]

Hello!

What if I write that through my marriage, I now have relatives in Canada and they are my husband's immediate family and his other relatives, will this be accepted or makes sense?

Would appreciate input from anyone, please. Thanks!

 

[mikeymyke]

Hello!

What if I write that through my marriage, I now have relatives in Canada and they are my husband's immediate family and his other relatives, will this be accepted or makes sense?

Would appreciate input from anyone, please. Thanks!

You don't need to do that. On IMM 5490, one of the question asks "PRIOR to getting married, do you have any family members living in Canada?

 

[Survivor27]

You don't need to do that. On IMM 5490, one of the question asks "PRIOR to getting married, do you have any family members living in Canada?

Thank you mikeymyke!