I got a fiance in Pakistan. Got my COPR and will be landing soon in Canada IA. If we ONLY get our nikkah done here in Pakistan/online and not register it legally here, can we later get our court marriage done in Canada? He will be there on LMIA work visa. Or should we wait and get whole marriage including nikkah done there in Canada once he lands there and not in Pakistan?
Nikkah in Pakistan to legal marriage in Canada
- Thread starter abidingperson
- Start date
Do not mess with doing a 'half' marriage before you land. If you do decide to get married before you come, you will have to delay your application until he is finalized and added to it.
Since you are landing 'soon' and they already have a visa - you would be better advised to get married after you land (wherever you like). If you will get married and live together immediately, you can do a court marriage here (and separately do whatever religious/traditional marriage you like, if you like).
Or the full religious/traditional marriage.
Some may say 'full' is only route if an arranged marriage - I don't have an opinion on that in this instance except to say that you should apply from within Canada only when you are already married and residing together, with docs to show it. (I do agree that almost all with arranged marriages should do the full traditional - just a bit different for those that can apply once already living together in Canada. IMO).
Let me rephrase and explain more. I am landing soon within a month and not getting married here. He on the other hand will be coming after his LMIA processings (hopefully 4 months IA).
My question is if I am in canada and we get online nikkah only from Pakistan and then get the legal court marriage done when he lands there. Is that possible?
Or should we get nikkah and the legal one together here in Canada?
Our only purpose of prior nikkah is that he gets to live with me as soon as he lands. It's like religiously we get a permission to stay together.
We will not get the legal marriage registration in Pakistan. Just the nikkah part with a religious scholar.
My question is if I am in canada and we get online nikkah only from Pakistan and then get the legal court marriage done when he lands there. Is that possible?
Or should we get nikkah and the legal one together here in Canada?
Our only purpose of prior nikkah is that he gets to live with me as soon as he lands. It's like religiously we get a permission to stay together.
We will not get the legal marriage registration in Pakistan. Just the nikkah part with a religious scholar.
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Only do nikkah AFTER you have landed in Canada and officially become a PR. Do not do nikkah before coming to Canada and becoming a PR. Once you have become a PR, you can do nikkah either in Canada or outside of Canada.
So I CAN do nikkah in Pakistan online while being in Canada? Before he lands there? And then we get our court marriage done after he lands there as well?
Just to confirm, you mean you will do nikkah online AFTER you become a PR, correct?
In principle okay - the nikkah will have no legal force because online and not be recognzied in Canada.
Personally I think it would be better / less risk of issues if all is done in Canada after his arrival.
Quick q: arranged marriage or not?
Yes online AFTER my PR and landing. Just because religiously we will be allowed to stay together asap when he lands. And then legally marry in Canada.
No not arranged at all lol.
Would that be possible? Like getting nikkah done in Canada just the next day? I thought it would take time like finding an appointment for marriage a month or two.
Why would he have issues landing with work permit?
I overall have no opinion on this 'nikkah by phone' issue, except to note that it's not going to have any legal force anyway. If it works for them religiously/culturally, by all means. They could get pretend-married by exchange of pipe cleaners for all I care, mind, so perhaps my view on religious stuff doesn't much matter.
As for whether IRCC will find this weird or think nikkah essential - as long as they have other relationship proof and are living together when applying are the main things, mind. (Side note: I'm not sure if it's worth telling IRCC about the 'online nikkah' - no legal significance anyway, and not relying on full religious/traditional).
That said: as I mentioned before, it may be best to have 2-3 months living together to apply. Since he will have work permit, no major rush, and that gives time to document life together and paperwork etc.
Well, he may not. Would he be considered single when he cross into Canada with his work permit if he did online nikkah? Would he be considered almost married?
I guess we do not know if online nikkah will be questioned. But they should not try to hide it from IRCC.
If not legally married by IRCC regs, and any online/by proxy/not-present marriage won't be recognized by IRCC, then yes, still single.
Next: is it required anyway that someone entering on a work permit disclose marriage (that happened between getting the visa and arrival)? I don't know - but not critical or relevant anyway, because his 'spouse' is already a PR anyway.
So every way they cut it - as far as I'm aware - no harm, no foul.
I see your point. But see my points above - not a marriage in IRCC eyes anyway.
So before reading the below: I have my opinion but this part of it not strongly held; maybe it would be better to disclose to IRCC this non-marriage ceremony.
And my related point is, why raise the issue of whether they did a 'complete' traditional marriage anyway? They know they didn't. They are not even going to try to register it. It's not an arranged marriage (where more critical). They will have a court marriage and be residing together. If they want a 'blessing' or some rite to not feel guilty about living together, as long as that rite is not actual legal marriage, what's the issue?
And repeat point: if IRCC did find out about it, there's no basis to believe it constitutes misrepresentation. (IMO).
Again, I end up with 'no harm no foul.' But I'm not going to claim to expertise in Pakistani marriage customs and the related issues. Nor how IRCC will see this as a strength or an oddity requiring further inquiry.