Sponsoring boyfriend while being a student and on government loan.

[Q.t.Zandi]

Hi.
Me and my boyfriend have been together for almost 4 years now. We have not met but plan to soon.

He is Kurdish from Iraq and I'm a Canadian Citizen. I attend University as an independent student. I'm on Osap (Ontario student loan). I get approved for tuition and living costs. My boyfriend with his brother have their own business in Erbil. But he doesn't have a bank account. He never had one.

I was wondering what is best and fastest way to get my boyfriend here in Canada?

My family members have agreed to support us. We wish marry as well.

We have not met though because of my studies and had no time or money. I don't know if I could go to Iraq to visit him. But there isn't any Canadian embassy there.

The nearest one is in Turkey and we planned on meeting there but with the way things are in Iraq, he can't leave his mother and sister.


Is there anyway to get him and his family here even if we have not met and I'm a student actively looking for a job as well?

 

[scylla]

You can't sponsor him until you are either married or common law. Common law means you have lived together for a minimum of one full year. It's also extremely important that you visit and meet each other in person at least a couple of times before you submit the application. Otherwise CIC will think it's just a marriage of convenience.

You could travel there to meet him - or he could try to get a TRV to come to Canada on a visit. If neither of those options work, you could meet in a third country.

Regardless, you can't sponsor him now.

As for sponsoring his family to come here - that will take many years longer. His family will not be able to accompany him to Canada. He will have to leave them behind.

 

[newtone]

Hi.
Me and my boyfriend have been together for almost 4 years now. We have not met but plan to soon.

He is Kurdish from Iraq and I'm a Canadian Citizen. I attend University as an independent student. I'm on Osap (Ontario student loan). I get approved for tuition and living costs. My boyfriend with his brother have their own business in Erbil. But he doesn't have a bank account. He never had one.

I was wondering what is best and fastest way to get my boyfriend here in Canada?

My family members have agreed to support us. We wish marry as well.

We have not met though because of my studies and had no time or money. I don't know if I could go to Iraq to visit him. But there isn't any Canadian embassy there.

The nearest one is in Turkey and we planned on meeting there but with the way things are in Iraq, he can't leave his mother and sister.


Is there anyway to get him and his family here even if we have not met and I'm a student actively looking for a job as well?

Firstly you have not met this guy.
He runs a business without a bank account, you might want to find out what kind of business he is into.
Why does he want to come to Canada, you could possibly be a golden pass for him to Canada. Iraq is going through a turmoil. He being anywhere in Canada is far batter than him in Iraq

The answer to your question is basically NO, you cannot get him or his family to come here. There are way too many uncertain variables to make this case strong case of marriage of convenience

 

[Q.t.Zandi]

He doesn't have a bank account because people there are constantly worried about war so they keep the money they have with them. Banks there ha very shut down and the bank people taken the money and runaway, so everyone literally just earns hard cash and keeps it safe with themselves just in case they might need escape if the defense in the border fails. He owns a computer store there and things had gotten better there in his city. I was supposed to go to him and live there but the war started again and our families won't let me go see him and come to Iraq. He has tried to apply for visa in Europe and US because his uncle is citizen there but there are restrictions for Kurds in Erbil to get the visa and can't apply as refugees because it's not bad enough there. I have been with him for 4 years and it has taken me 3 years to convince him to let me sponsor him and have him come here. He is pretty settled with his business and well known in the entertainment industry there. He can't continue that because extremist political groups threatened him and his friends.

I heard if a couple hasn't met because of immigration problem (lack of Canadian embassy in Iraq) they apply to sponsor the person under a special condition.

OR
If we marry online would that be okay?

Or do we need to meet in Turkey and marry there. What would we need to do after that? Like gather what information for myself and him? I mentioned the bank thing because I know financial records are checked and he has none to show except his business account books I think.

 

[Q.t.Zandi]

I am more concerned about my own financial status. I do odd jobs to get by and looking for employment and have student loan. I am not on the welfare system though. If I was I couldn't sponsor him right?

But really I just want to know what should he do if we get married and Turkey. What are paper work needed so he can bring them over when we meet.

 

[scylla]

I heard if a couple hasn't met because of immigration problem (lack of Canadian embassy in Iraq) they apply to sponsor the person under a special condition.
OR
If we marry online would that be okay?

Or do we need to meet in Turkey and marry there. What would we need to do after that? Like gather what information for myself and him? I mentioned the bank thing because I know financial records are checked and he has none to show except his business account books I think.

- No. There is no special condition that allows you to sponsor someone if you have never met. Also, the fact there is no Canadian embassy in Iraq does not prevent you from traveling there. Many countries have no Canadian embassies and there is no issue visiting.
- Online marriages are accepted provided they are legal in the country where they are held. However you still have to prove your relationship is genuine as part of the sponsorship process which will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do if you have never met.
- Yes, meeting in another country and getting married there is certainly an option. You should spend time reading through the information on the CIC web site if you want to understand what information you will then have to gather to sponsor him.

 

[scylla]

I am more concerned about my own financial status. I do odd jobs to get by and looking for employment and have student loan. I am not on the welfare system though. If I was I couldn't sponsor him right?

But really I just want to know what should he do if we get married and Turkey. What are paper work needed so he can bring them over when we meet.

Correct. If you are on welfare you cannot sponsor.

Google "getting married in Turkey" to find out what documents you need to get married there.

 

[Alurra71]

I am more concerned about my own financial status. I do odd jobs to get by and looking for employment and have student loan. I am not on the welfare system though. If I was I couldn't sponsor him right?

But really I just want to know what should he do if we get married and Turkey. What are paper work needed so he can bring them over when we meet.

Since you have never actually met face to face, I would suggest you don't get married on the first meeting. If you do, I will promise you'll need to have a veritable ton of money in your pocket to pay for not only the initial application fees, but also the lawyer(s) you will need when you have to file the appeal because you were denied.

It does not matter how long you have known him online or via telephone, since you have never met face to face and never spend any time together a first time meeting wedding is going to be the biggest red flag in your application and not one you will be able to overcome cheaply, if at all.

Once you do FINALLY get married to this man, he will not be able to bring his family with him. You have to get this part and understand. He will need to come to Canada by himself, then when your family income is enough to meet the current LICO standards +30% for your family composition (you and your husband and any children you might have by then) and also for his parents and any dependents they have still for 3 consecutive years; THEN he can apply to sponsor his family to come live in Canada. Of course that also presupposes that the rules do not change between now and the time he is eligible.

Since there aren't really any barriers stopping you from meeting even in a 3rd country then he wouldn't qualify for any 'special' consideration for immigration. Lack of money is not considered a barrier.

Also, there has been a VFS in Erbil since September 2014. Why hasn't he applied for a visitor visa to Canada?

Your first post stated he can't or won't leave his mother and sister. It sounds as if all your efforts and questions are a waste anyhow since he won't be able to bring them to Canada for a minimum of 3 years after he actually lands as a PR himself.

 

[Rob_TO]

- Online marriages are accepted provided they are legal in the country where they are held. However you still have to prove your relationship is genuine as part of the sponsorship process which will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do if you have never met.

To add to this, since proxy/online marriages are not legal in any province in Canada, then this is not even a possibility if OP is in Canada (no matter where the other party is).

 

[Q.t.Zandi]

I meant the since Erbil has no Canadian embassy so he can't apply. We did check the visa office but it wasn't open.

And in our religion there is no such thing as engagement* you just get married. But I guess it makes sense. I'll just have to go visit him a few times.


Thank you so much everyone.

 

[scylla]

I meant the since Erbil has no Canadian embassy so he can't apply. We did check the visa office but it wasn't open.

What you are staying still doesn't make sense. Just because a country doesn't have an embassy doesn't mean someone can apply for a tourist visa to Canada. Those living in Iraq apply for a TRV through the Jordan (Amman) visa office.

 

[Q.t.Zandi]

But it's war there. Countries there have closed off their borders except Turkey. This is why we are planning to meet there. Because there is a Canadian Embassy there.

 

[scylla]

But it's war there. Countries there have closed off their borders except Turkey. This is why we are planning to meet there. Because there is a Canadian Embassy there.

You don't go to an Embassy in person to apply for a TRV (in person applications are not allowed). You either mail in the application or you submit an application online.

If he holds a passport for Iraq, he will have to apply for the TRV through the Jordanian visa office. Turkey will not process his application since they do not handle applications from Iraq. The only exception to this rule would be if he has some sort of residency status in Turkey (e.g. a student visa or work permit that is at least one year in length) - then he could apply through Ankara.

 

[Q.t.Zandi]

He is Kurdish though. When I called Jordan they said he wasn't Arab. They could process it but it's better he applies in Turkey.