Dear applicants and sponsors of spousal sponsorship,
Please compare your submitted application with the following information to find out about spousal interview by visa offices
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[size=10pt][size=10pt] Assessing for relationship of convenience[/size][/size]
For applications received by CIC on or after October 25, 2012, officers are required to conduct an
assessment to determine if the conditional permanent resident measure applies.
Officers should be satisfied that a genuine relationship exists. A spousal relationship or commonlaw
partnership that is not genuine or that was entered into primarily for the purpose of
acquiring any status or privilege will be refused (R4). Similarly, under R4.1, the dissolution of a
relationship between two persons to acquire any status or privilege under the Act and its
subsequent resumption will result in the relationship being excluded. This means that the foreign
national will not be considered a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner under the
Regulations. Officers should carefully examine the documents submitted as proof of the
relationship to ensure that they are not fraudulent.
If the documents submitted do not provide adequate proof of a genuine conjugal relationship
within the context of a marriage or common-law relationship, or if officers doubt that the
applicant is living with the sponsor, the CPC should refer the case to an inland CIC for
investigation.
The local CIC office may need to interview the sponsor and the applicant separately to
establish whether the relationship is genuine. Please see Relationships of convenience for
factors that may be considered during this interview.
Officers should exercise procedural fairness when concerns arise that are material to the decision
(see OP 1, Section 8 ). If an interview is conducted to address such concerns, officers should
record all questions posed and answers given in the interview. Where applicable, the interview
notes may then be used to substantiate the decision made on the application.
Sponsored spouses can voluntarily provide consent – on forms IMM 5490 (Sponsored
Spouse/Partner Questionnaire) and IMM 5285 (Spouse/Common-Law Questionnaire) – for CIC to
release to the sponsor any information obtained in connection with an investigation of marriage
fraud. If they provide consent on either of these forms, a spouse is free to revoke it at any time
by advising CPC-M in writing.
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Best of luck,
Officer
Please compare your submitted application with the following information to find out about spousal interview by visa offices
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[size=10pt][size=10pt] Assessing for relationship of convenience[/size][/size]
For applications received by CIC on or after October 25, 2012, officers are required to conduct an
assessment to determine if the conditional permanent resident measure applies.
Officers should be satisfied that a genuine relationship exists. A spousal relationship or commonlaw
partnership that is not genuine or that was entered into primarily for the purpose of
acquiring any status or privilege will be refused (R4). Similarly, under R4.1, the dissolution of a
relationship between two persons to acquire any status or privilege under the Act and its
subsequent resumption will result in the relationship being excluded. This means that the foreign
national will not be considered a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner under the
Regulations. Officers should carefully examine the documents submitted as proof of the
relationship to ensure that they are not fraudulent.
If the documents submitted do not provide adequate proof of a genuine conjugal relationship
within the context of a marriage or common-law relationship, or if officers doubt that the
applicant is living with the sponsor, the CPC should refer the case to an inland CIC for
investigation.
The local CIC office may need to interview the sponsor and the applicant separately to
establish whether the relationship is genuine. Please see Relationships of convenience for
factors that may be considered during this interview.
Officers should exercise procedural fairness when concerns arise that are material to the decision
(see OP 1, Section 8 ). If an interview is conducted to address such concerns, officers should
record all questions posed and answers given in the interview. Where applicable, the interview
notes may then be used to substantiate the decision made on the application.
Sponsored spouses can voluntarily provide consent – on forms IMM 5490 (Sponsored
Spouse/Partner Questionnaire) and IMM 5285 (Spouse/Common-Law Questionnaire) – for CIC to
release to the sponsor any information obtained in connection with an investigation of marriage
fraud. If they provide consent on either of these forms, a spouse is free to revoke it at any time
by advising CPC-M in writing.
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Best of luck,
Officer