Sponsoring my Girlfriend

[greenside]

Hi, new to this forum.

I am wanting to sponsor my girlfriend to move to Canada. I am a permanent resident but living in the UK with her. We have been going the whole common-law partner route since february. We have been thinking that should we get married now it would be a speedier way to emigrate. We are very much in Love and there is no question of our relationship (although im sure it will be pulled apart and tested). My question is, will it be denied straight off the bat and the immigration services say' well no it doesnt matter your a genuine couple if we have had a quick marriage', do they specify what Is a marriage by being engaged for 2 years planning and having a big wedding or would they accept that we are in love and want to get going with our life together?

If anyone has any advice I would be truely thankfull

 

[Rob_TO]

No there is no set rule in place regarding marriage. Each case is looked at individually.

You have been living together since February (so around 5 months now), which is a very good thing. How long were you dating before moving in together? In general, I think any marriage that happens after a full year of dating/relationship (even if not living together), would be considered acceptable and not put under any undue scrutiny. So if you were dating say 6 months then moved in together for 6 months, and then got married... that would be pretty safe.

In general one thing that is looked at closely is what kind of wedding you have. If it's a simple civil ceremony at the courthouse with no friends/family, then the VO could be very suspicious of this. They expect to see a big celebration with lots of pictures of both sides of the family that show they support you and that the marriage is real and not just for immigration purposes. Not saying you would be denied if you did this, but just explaining what the VO may or may not deduce. If you don't have a real wedding celebration you can always explain your circumstances and why you chose a smaller one (just don't repeat what you said here about speedier way to a PR!!).

Since I assume you would apply through the London office, they are pretty lenient with applicants from wealthier stable countries, so you probably wouldn't have any issues here if you put together a good application with lots of other strong proofs you guys are a legit couple.

 

[Sweden]

As long as you can prove either common-law, or married and with a history of dating ( and in your case living together) it should be fine.
One thing though : as you are a PR, you have to wait until you're back in Canada to be able to send your application. You can prepare everything in advance but you have to be living in Canada - and stay in Canada for the duration of the process. You can not sponsor your partner from the UK.

If she's from the UK, she can come on a visitor visa to Canada but she won't be allowed to work etc. However, like this you won't have to be apart.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[greenside]

Thanks for the great replies. We wouldnt have any problem showing our relationship we have been together for 2 years now. Obviously my family and I started our application before i met my girlfriend and have stayed in the UK with her until we can both move over. I dont think its unreasonable for us to get married, we both love each other and she having just finnished her degree, we have the time just not the money for a big wedding. Im just hoping they dont turn around and say nope wedding isnt big enough youre not a real couple. I'm just hoping that with all the evidence and application put together well the application will not take too long, by the looks of it it can be a year with both processing stages. Is it potentially easier to gain a temporary work visa whilst a permanent residency through sponsorship application is in place ??

 

[MilesAway]

Just to confirm, are you already a Canadian PR? You've landed and gotten your PR card? And if you haven't, how are you applying for PR? You mention your parents/family, if you are included as a dependent, marrying or being common-law excludes you from being a dependent.

Depending on your culture, the size of the wedding isn't that important, as long as you can explain your choices. For example, the New Delhi VO expects a big wedding with hundreds of guests, as that is the cultural norm. Some US applicants have had civil ceremonies with only a few friends as witnesses. In general, as long as you give the reasons for your choice of wedding, it's not an issue. As well, some people have a small ceremony, and plan a big reception for when the spouse lands in Canada. This is also acceptable, if you explain it to the VO.

 

[greenside]

Hi, to clarify I am a permanent resident through a family vis which my father applied for and I was a dependant. Does this mean I can still sponsor my girlriend or does it void my own status somehow ?

 

[MilesAway]

If you have already landed, then you are free to go get married or become common-law. The problem is if you are married/common-law BEFORE you land.

 

[canadianwoman]

we have the time just not the money for a big wedding. Im just hoping they dont turn around and say nope wedding isnt big enough youre not a real couple.

For most couple from Western countries, the visa officers do not expect a big wedding. They expect what is normal in your culture. So if you and your girlfriend are British citizens of Indian ethnicity, the visa officer might expect a big wedding, or at least an explanation of why you didn`t have one. If you are both ethnically English, then a small civil wedding is fine. However, even if you have a small wedding, you should do your best to make it look special - get dressed up, have rings, maybe flowers, take photos, have some kind of celebration afterward, even if it is only dinner at a nice restaurant.

The visa officers rarely suspect applicants from Western countries of marrying just to get into Canada. So I would not worry about that. Just prepare your application well, include lots of proof of your cohabitation, and everything should be fine. As well, if the application is not `suspicious`and the visa officer decides an interview is not necessary, this ordinarily means the application will be processed more quickly than the timeline given on the CIC website.

You`ve been dating long enough (and then living together) that getting married now would not look suspicious.

 

[greenside]

Thanks for the replies, We are in the Uk so small weddings do happen quite a bit.
Just to clarify, I gained my permanent residency through a family application which my Father obviously headed. I have been a permanent resident since this February, I will most likely be marrying my girlfriend and then going through the spousal sponsorship.
IS that all good ?, having my permanent residency through a family application makes no difference I am able to sponsor her no problem ???.
Sorry if im seeming stupid or anything I'm just trying to get everything straight in my mind.

 

[opmama]

If you are a PR, then *you* have to be in Canada to sponsor her (citizens can sponsor from outside the country, so long as they show intent to return, but I think PRs have to be inside Canada to sponsor). So depending on her citizenship, if she's from a visa-exempt country (like the UK), she could likely join you in Canada while the application is in progress, but if she's not, then you might be looking at a separation while you apply.