Sponsoring wife question, very uniqe case, please help

[Sabz]

Hi

My fiance is originally from Iran, but currently lives in Pakistan with her family. The whole family are refugees there, they applied for refugee status from the United Nations, but were turned down years ago. I am a Canadian permanent resident, and I plan to go to Pakistan and marry her soon.

Her case is unique, because she is a rejected refugee who is stuck in a 3rd country, and does not have a birth certificate or a passport from her country of origin since when the family moved to Pakistan, she was still a teenager. Also, given the political climate, and the fact that she is a Bahai and a refugee, it's impossible that the Iranian embassy in Pakistan would issue her any national card or passport. The only document she has is are the UN letter/document about the refugee status of the family, and she says that she can get a separate one for herself too, from the UN office there. She has also applied for a Baha'i ID card, which would be probably issued for her soon.

Given all this, would I be able to apply for spouse sponsorship and bring her to Canada after our wedding, or would I need to make a different application? How would she be able to travel to Canada without a passport? Has anyone heard of a similar case? Anything else she or I can do? Any suggestions and/or tips would be appreciated. I really love this girl, and want to start to my life with her as soon as possible.

 

[bflava]

this is very unique and i will suggest you consult an immigration lawyer andsee what happens

good luck

 

[ariell]

Is there some sort of organization for Iranian refugees in Pakistan? Perhaps they can direct you to what would be a suitable form of ID. Yes, I know she is a failed refugee in Pakistan but they should still have information that they can share with you. I would also think that the Iranian embassy in Pakistan should be able to help her. Try also asking for information at the Iranian embassy in Canada. http://www.salamiran.org/content/ Also, what is your fiancee's status in Pakistan? Given that she's been living there for what sounds like a substantial amount of time, I assume she has legal status there. Does she have the equivalent of permanent resident status there? Isn't there some form of identification that would go along with this?

My husband had a somewhat similar situation. He was a Tibetan refugee living in India and did not have a birth certificate or passport. He got an affidavidit from a notary public which was accepted in lieu of a birth certificate. In India, the Tibetan Government in Exile issues an Identity Certificate (IC) which is acceptable in lieu of a passport. (That's what the Dalai Lama uses to travel by the way. He also doesn't have a passport.) That's why I think you need to contact someone in Pakistan that has experience with Iranian refugees.

I would also suggest that you contact your member of Parliament for your area. I did and they were very helpful in helping to direct me. It took my husband 2 years to get the identity certificate that I mentioned above so I contacted the MP's office to see if there was anything else that would be accepted instead of a passport or identity certificate. The MP's representative explained that in exceptional circumstances, Canada will issue a travel document that can be used instead of a passport to individuals who are unable to obtain one in either their country of nationality or their country of residence. But you need to prove that it is an impossibility to get a passport, otherwise they expect you to follow the required steps even if it does take a long time. In our case, we didn't need the travel document because eventually my husband got his identity certificate. There are certainly cases where it is impossible to obtain a passport and of course CIC is aware of that so your case will certainly not be the first one that they have seen. A qualified immigration lawyer, preferably someone familiar with the applicants from Iran or Pakistan should also be able to guide you.

Best of luck to you. Don't worry, it will take some time but you can definitely still be successful even with a unique situation.