Sponsering Spouse who is a recognized refugee in Greece

[Canadianlivingabroad11]

Hello everyone,
I am an Arab Canadian Citizen who is volunteering in the refugee camps located on the Greek Islands. I arrived in August 2017, and fell in love with a great Iraqi man who was an asylum seeker fleeing persecution from his home country. He recently received a positive decision for his asylum claim and was granted subsidiary protection.
He is sincerely one of the greatest men I know. He works so hard to support himself and also myself (I am here as a volunteer so I have ran out of most of my savings) so he helps me out. He is such a hard worker and a genuinely great man who I am so happy that I have found.

We have been together for almost one year and we are planning to get married once he receives his official Refugee travel document. My question is, i have been reading online many of the questions and stories people have regarding spousal sponsorship and the chance of rejection.

This has really scared me because I really cannot live without him right now and I hope we can build a life together in my home country Canada.

I am afraid that our story will make CIC think the marriage is not genuine when it truly is. This is because my family aren't able to come down and attend a normal wedding and i don't think we will host a normal type wedding here. Instead we are thinking of having a civil marriage and invite some of our close friends here and have a small reception and destination wedding dinner in Santorini. My family is much more strict than I am and have specific customs and traditions, and they won't accept for me to be married if they are not there, however unfortunately there is no other option. I am afraid if CIC would reject our application due to my parents not accepting or consenting our marriage as in my arab and muslim culture this is what happens usually and I'm afraid CIC will think i am hiding something.

I have many proof of our relationship such as conversations, trips we have traveled to, photos of many of our outings, proof of our dates. Letters form our friends here that are witnesses to this. A letter from my co worker and a letter from my roommate who witnessed our relationship progress.

I am currently here in Greece for about a year until my residence permit expires, once it expires I must return back to Canada.

I know my story is pretty unique and not many people are in the same boat as me, but if anyone has any advice can you please share your input?

Thank you.

 

[Wakki]

Your sponsorship will be approved based on the proof and genuineness of your marriage/relationship..........refer…...Spousal Sponsorship checklist…….Proof of relationship to Sponsor.....section.

You are planning to get married once he receives his official Refugee travel document…….and planning to have a civil marriage………but must make sure you have a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage. The marriage documents must show that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place……..refer….… Marriage certificates.

Once he receives his official Refugee travel document……..as a refugee (asylum claimant) he certainly can’t travel to where he is running away from persecution like Iraq…….if you are not an Iraqi citizen……are there any reasons why your he can’t travel to your country of origin to marry you so that your family could fully support and attend your marriage……this is a question you must address.

You parents won't accept for you to marry if they are not there which is not a problem but complicates the marriage considering your Arab culture.…….and your parents not accepting or consenting to your marriage as in Arab and Muslim culture…….will not automatically make IRCC to reject your sponsorship but will make IRCC more likely to tightly scrutinize genuineness of your marriage/relationship.

Before you marriage……will advice you consider how to manage the issue of not getting the full support of your parents/family…….and also consider if you could provide enough convincing documents to proof the genuineness of your marriage/relationship when you apply to sponsor.......refer checklist.

 

[Canadianlivingabroad11]

Your sponsorship will be approved based on the proof and genuineness of your marriage/relationship..........refer…...Spousal Sponsorship checklist…….Proof of relationship to Sponsor.....section.

You are planning to get married once he receives his official Refugee travel document…….and planning to have a civil marriage………but must make sure you have a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage. The marriage documents must show that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place……..refer….… Marriage certificates.

Once he receives his official Refugee travel document……..as a refugee (asylum claimant) he certainly can’t travel to where he is running away from persecution like Iraq…….if you are not an Iraqi citizen……are there any reasons why your he can’t travel to your country of origin to marry you so that your family could fully support and attend your marriage……this is a question you must address.

You parents won't accept for you to marry if they are not there which is not a problem but complicates the marriage considering your Arab culture.…….and your parents not accepting or consenting to your marriage as in Arab and Muslim culture…….will not automatically make IRCC to reject your sponsorship but will make IRCC more likely to tightly scrutinize genuineness of your marriage/relationship.

Before you marriage……will advice you consider how to manage the issue of not getting the full support of your parents/family…….and also consider if you could provide enough convincing documents to proof the genuineness of your marriage/relationship when you apply to sponsor.......refer checklist.

Thank you for your response,

I had a look of the checklist link that you have attached as well as the link regarding the marriage certificate. For the marriage certificate It will not be a problem I have already done my research regarding that. My parents and family are now getting to know him and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, but at the same time are not fully ready for me to get married without them truly getting to know him. But hopefully all works out. As for him traveling to meet my family.....I am Canadian but my roots are Middle Eastern, so once he receives his official refugee document he can come meet my family in Canada since thats where my whole family lives. I believe that it would be difficult for him to receive a visitor Visa if he is traveling with a travel document.

But i am pretty sure his family will not be able to attend. I don't know if that will cause any problems but I hope not.

We are now planning a small intimate wedding maybe in Santorini where only my close family and some of his good friends and my good friends will be attending. We will then have a bigger wedding once he arrives to Canada ***Once he is accepted I hope***.


Do you think I should go to the Canadian Embassy in Greece and ask for more information or would that be pointless?

 

[Wakki]

Thank you for your response,

I had a look of the checklist link that you have attached as well as the link regarding the marriage certificate. For the marriage certificate It will not be a problem I have already done my research regarding that. My parents and family are now getting to know him and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, but at the same time are not fully ready for me to get married without them truly getting to know him. But hopefully all works out. As for him traveling to meet my family.....I am Canadian but my roots are Middle Eastern, so once he receives his official refugee document he can come meet my family in Canada since thats where my whole family lives. I believe that it would be difficult for him to receive a visitor Visa if he is traveling with a travel document.

But i am pretty sure his family will not be able to attend. I don't know if that will cause any problems but I hope not.

We are now planning a small intimate wedding maybe in Santorini where only my close family and some of his good friends and my good friends will be attending. We will then have a bigger wedding once he arrives to Canada ***Once he is accepted I hope***.


Do you think I should go to the Canadian Embassy in Greece and ask for more information or would that be pointless?

Go to the Canadian Embassy in Greece to ask for more information about.....how to bring your husband to Canada....its up to you.

Most information regarding visitor visa and spousal sponsorship are on the web.

Sponsoring your spouse.....forms and checklist

Sponsor your spouse Complete Guide (IMM 5289)

Visitor visa.......Letter of invitation

 

[canuck78]

Going to the embassy would be pointless. Just be aware that the fact that he is a refugee with subsidiary protection in Greece and you have known each other for less than a year will raise some red flags. At least he was awarded asylum because if he was rejected that would create even more concern. As you know most asylum seekers don't want to stay in Greece so that will also raise a red flag. All you can do is provide as much proof as you can but your application may take longer than average. You mentioned you have been volunteering and have run out of money so what is equally important is that you start working and establish some savings so you can show that you can both support him while paying to process the application. If you have family members that are willing to help you financially that may also be required.

 

[Canadianlivingabroad11]

Going to the embassy would be pointless. Just be aware that the fact that he is a refugee with subsidiary protection in Greece and you have known each other for less than a year will raise some red flags. At least he was awarded asylum because if he was rejected that would create even more concern. As you know most asylum seekers don't want to stay in Greece so that will also raise a red flag. All you can do is provide as much proof as you can but your application may take longer than average. You mentioned you have been volunteering and have run out of money so what is equally important is that you start working and establish some savings so you can show that you can both support him while paying to process the application. If you have family members that are willing to help you financially that may also be required.

Thank you for your response but I find it offensive that being a refugee is a red flag. That is my only concern, is I hope that the migration officer doesn't have this bias or opinion right off the bat. People don't know how successful these people are. My man is actually working here in Greece making a nice living for himself. If it was legally possible we both wouldn't mind living here in Greece together, however I cannot stay here in Greece or in Europe once my residency expires. His family is a very wealthy family back home and due to his personal circumstances he had to flee his country. He has bought me a 10K diamond engagement ring, as well as bent over backwards for me here. Even though we have known each other for a little less than a year we see each other and go out every single day and spend every evening together. I know him inside out and he also knows me inside out.

Also, I am not volunteering here anymore, I am now on a work contract and am able to make some savings, however I am only here to gain experience as I will be pursuing law school once I am back.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you for your response but I find it offensive that being a refugee is a red flag. That is my only concern, is I hope that the migration officer doesn't have this bias or opinion right off the bat. People don't know how successful these people are. My man is actually working here in Greece making a nice living for himself. If it was legally possible we both wouldn't mind living here in Greece together, however I cannot stay here in Greece or in Europe once my residency expires. His family is a very wealthy family back home and due to his personal circumstances he had to flee his country. He has bought me a 10K diamond engagement ring, as well as bent over backwards for me here. Even though we have known each other for a little less than a year we see each other and go out every single day and spend every evening together. I know him inside out and he also knows me inside out.

Also, I am not volunteering here anymore, I am now on a work contract and am able to make some savings, however I am only here to gain experience as I will be pursuing law school once I am back.

Not sure why you would find it surprising or offensive the spousal sponsorship from a refugee would raise red flags. All asylum seekers are looking for a longterm home for them and hopefully their extended family. You have known each other less than a year and he only has subsidiary protection from Greece. Very few refugees want to remain in Greece due to the economy and social support programs plus he hasn't received full asylum. I assume your fiancé would like to reunite with as many family members as possible which will not be possible in Greece so I am sure he would like to be accepted by another country on a permanent basis. There have been many examples of spouses who are refugees or individuals who come from less stable or developed countries whose marriages have fallen apart once they were sponsored and have landed. Some had had children with their partners and some of the relationships were quite long but after arrival in Canada their true intentions became apparent. There was an example today of a marriage that was not genuine from Cuba where there is a child involved and lots of threats are being made. Not saying that this your case but securing the safety and prosperity of your family is very important so people are willing to do things like get married for a few years. This is why CIC tries to weed out the marriages that are no genuine. Given that you are going back to school for 3 years there may be some concern on how you will support yourselves so I would anticipate that you may need to provide more information about his savings and/or his job prospects and any family support from your family. I hope you are protecting yourself and asking to see his bank records, etc because you will be responsible for him for 3 years.

Yes it is unusual not to have family members at your wedding but not uncommon. One of the things that will be flagged again is that it sounds like you are from different countries, cultural groups, etc. which tends to be quite unusual. I assume you are younger than him because that is another that will cause concern. You can explain that your parents are not attending because they do not approve. That is common and a perfectly reasonable answer. I would make sure you do have guests and don't get married without many witnesses. Not sure what kind of repercussions getting married against your parents wishes will have for you personally. Your husband will not be able to join you in Canada for likely a year maybe more (or less) so you may be dealing with the consequences on your own. I assume your husband would like to bring his family to Canada. You both should look into how limited family reunification is in Canada and given that you are haven't been working in Canada it will likely over 5 years to bring his parents over as PRs unless you live in Quebec and of course you have to win the lottery. There is no guarantee the PGP will still be in place in it's current form. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[Canadianlivingabroad11]

Thank you for taking your time to respond to me again.

I mentioned how his family is a wealthy family, they have no intention to come to Greece or even Canada. I know knowing each other for less than a year may sound crazy which is why I asked this question here because I wanted to see if these predetermined " Red Flags" would harm our application regardless of it being the reality or not.

We both have similar cultural and traditional views as I am an Arab Canadian ( My family background is Lebanese). We communicate in Arabic most of the time (he speaks Greek and some English but he is learning) and we pretty much have the same values and traditions. We sometimes differ with a couple things since I am coming from Canada where he is coming from Iraq. We both are 23 years of age and we both are the first real relationship for one another. When he first met me he didn't even know I was Canadian up until our first date. He has seen me around since I work in the refugee camp and so does he. He always thought I was a recognized refugee who spoke fluent English that just worked with an NGO even though that was not the case.

We got to know each other because he used to help an older lady with her daily needs ( he used to work near her Tent) and I also used to try and help this same old lady with her medical and legal problems. She told me she wanted to introduce me to someone and so we met. After that he asked me out a couple times and then I agreed and ever since then we have been together.

I know it may sound crazy when you hear he's a refugee in Greece, of course someone will think that any man in this position has ulterior motifs but I don't think thats the case for all of them. Many of the single men here have tried to smuggle themselves out of Greece and into Europe, and where able to claim asylum there because many European countries don't send asylum seekers back to Greece because of it's conditions. But he never decided to do so, what he did instead was settle down and try to build a life in a safe place. He had many opportunities where he was able to smuggle himself away but he didn't and never thought of it.


I have spoken to his whole family and he has spoken to my whole family. His family loves me and my family are now finally being accepting. I think they were a bit upset because she was afraid because she didn't know him and didn't know what his intentions were with me. He also has some tattoos and my mom is traditional, so that was a big shock to her and she was upset.

My father would be able to financially support us as well as my finance's family back in his home country.

I also have been offered a great internship with a well known humanitarian organization which will be paying me enough for me to be able to have some savings This organization has a branch in Canada and after my internship here in Greece I am pretty much guaranteed a job with them. I may put off going to Graduate school up until our Finances are more stable however.

Reading all of this is a short summary and background of our relationship, I hope to see your opinions! Thank you.

Not sure why you would find it surprising or offensive the spousal sponsorship from a refugee would raise red flags. All asylum seekers are looking for a longterm home for them and hopefully their extended family. You have known each other less than a year and he only has subsidiary protection from Greece. Very few refugees want to remain in Greece due to the economy and social support programs plus he hasn't received full asylum. I assume your fiancé would like to reunite with as many family members as possible which will not be possible in Greece so I am sure he would like to be accepted by another country on a permanent basis. There have been many examples of spouses who are refugees or individuals who come from less stable or developed countries whose marriages have fallen apart once they were sponsored and have landed. Some had had children with their partners and some of the relationships were quite long but after arrival in Canada their true intentions became apparent. There was an example today of a marriage that was not genuine from Cuba where there is a child involved and lots of threats are being made. Not saying that this your case but securing the safety and prosperity of your family is very important so people are willing to do things like get married for a few years. This is why CIC tries to weed out the marriages that are no genuine. Given that you are going back to school for 3 years there may be some concern on how you will support yourselves so I would anticipate that you may need to provide more information about his savings and/or his job prospects and any family support from your family. I hope you are protecting yourself and asking to see his bank records, etc because you will be responsible for him for 3 years.

Yes it is unusual not to have family members at your wedding but not uncommon. One of the things that will be flagged again is that it sounds like you are from different countries, cultural groups, etc. which tends to be quite unusual. I assume you are younger than him because that is another that will cause concern. You can explain that your parents are not attending because they do not approve. That is common and a perfectly reasonable answer. I would make sure you do have guests and don't get married without many witnesses. Not sure what kind of repercussions getting married against your parents wishes will have for you personally. Your husband will not be able to join you in Canada for likely a year maybe more (or less) so you may be dealing with the consequences on your own. I assume your husband would like to bring his family to Canada. You both should look into how limited family reunification is in Canada and given that you are haven't been working in Canada it will likely over 5 years to bring his parents over as PRs unless you live in Quebec and of course you have to win the lottery. There is no guarantee the PGP will still be in place in it's current form. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[zardoz]

Thank you for taking your time to respond to me again.

I mentioned how his family is a wealthy family, they have no intention to come to Greece or even Canada. I know knowing each other for less than a year may sound crazy which is why I asked this question here because I wanted to see if these predetermined " Red Flags" would harm our application regardless of it being the reality or not.

We both have similar cultural and traditional views as I am an Arab Canadian ( My family background is Lebanese). We communicate in Arabic most of the time (he speaks Greek and some English but he is learning) and we pretty much have the same values and traditions. We sometimes differ with a couple things since I am coming from Canada where he is coming from Iraq. We both are 23 years of age and we both are the first real relationship for one another. When he first met me he didn't even know I was Canadian up until our first date. He has seen me around since I work in the refugee camp and so does he. He always thought I was a recognized refugee who spoke fluent English that just worked with an NGO even though that was not the case.

We got to know each other because he used to help an older lady with her daily needs ( he used to work near her Tent) and I also used to try and help this same old lady with her medical and legal problems. She told me she wanted to introduce me to someone and so we met. After that he asked me out a couple times and then I agreed and ever since then we have been together.

I know it may sound crazy when you hear he's a refugee in Greece, of course someone will think that any man in this position has ulterior motifs but I don't think thats the case for all of them. Many of the single men here have tried to smuggle themselves out of Greece and into Europe, and where able to claim asylum there because many European countries don't send asylum seekers back to Greece because of it's conditions. But he never decided to do so, what he did instead was settle down and try to build a life in a safe place. He had many opportunities where he was able to smuggle himself away but he didn't and never thought of it.


I have spoken to his whole family and he has spoken to my whole family. His family loves me and my family are now finally being accepting. I think they were a bit upset because she was afraid because she didn't know him and didn't know what his intentions were with me. He also has some tattoos and my mom is traditional, so that was a big shock to her and she was upset.

My father would be able to financially support us as well as my finance's family back in his home country.

I also have been offered a great internship with a well known humanitarian organization which will be paying me enough for me to be able to have some savings This organization has a branch in Canada and after my internship here in Greece I am pretty much guaranteed a job with them. I may put off going to Graduate school up until our Finances are more stable however.

Reading all of this is a short summary and background of our relationship, I hope to see your opinions! Thank you.

OK, here is the one question that nobody ever wants to have to answer. As asked by Visa Officers during a relationship interview.

"If your application is ultimately denied, what will you do?". Bearing in mind that you are not able to remain in Europe and he is a refugee.

 

[Canadianlivingabroad11]

OK, here is the one question that nobody ever wants to have to answer. As asked by Visa Officers during a relationship interview.

"If your application is ultimately denied, what will you do?". Bearing in mind that you are not able to remain in Europe and he is a refugee.

I'd be devastated. I would try my best to appeal and find a way for it to work out. If that doesn't I would try my best to become legal in Europe, try to extend my temporary permit if that doesn't work I really don't know all i know is that we will keep trying to find a way to live together legally.

 

[canuck78]

When applying for spousal sponsorship in non-traditional circumstances you have to look at the situation critically like CIC would. I didn't say you wouldn't be approved but you have to anticipate any questions and address them. It is also very unusual for a son to require asylum and the whole family not be in danger in that region. That's why I brought up family reunification. His family's wealth will not help in the spousal sponsorship what is important is his savings and assets that are in Canada like your parents. Unless you stay I'm Greece you will have to be separated for a year. Are your from the same religion and religious sects? For example if you are Shia and he is. Sunni that would raise a red flag but doesn't mean that you will get refused. You have to remember that many people are willing to do some pretty desperate things to get Canadian PR so CIC must investigate. Also people in love often look past warning signs. If you look at the example of the woman who married a Cuban gentleman her friends saw the warning signs. Since you are going to be responsible financially foe him for quite a while I hope you are asking for concrete proof of his wealth before getting married. Would recommend that to any engaged couple.