I am asking if I was not present at the religious marriage ceremony that took place via video on August 20, 2020 due to Corona, but after two months I went to my country, Lebanon, and my wife and I went to court on October 12, 2020, and the marriage that took place was registered. Two months via video, and our marriage since 08/20/2020 has been considered legal in Lebanon. My most important question is that they considered our marriage not to be Category A for the request for reunification of spouses, and that my marriage took place while I was not present, and they want us to prove the marriage. Is there any advice? Thanks
Spousal sponsership ، proxy
- Thread starter Hsndomyan
- Start date
proxy marriages are not recognized in canada and most probably your application will be refused. you need to do a new religious marriage and both of you should be present.
see this below example of people how they solved it:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/proxy-marriage.568068/post-10081180
hopefully they will exempt you due to covid. but i doubt it. see this with simple search from IRCC
https://ircc.canada.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1081&top=14
Thank you for your response, but my wife and I met after two months and we went to court and we were asked by the judge do you accept the marriage and we answered yes and on this basis he decided to register our marriage which took place two months ago. If it is proven that my wife and I go and sign registration papers? Our marriage in court helps make this a legal marriage for the Canadian government, noting that my wife and I were in a relationship seven years before marriage and this was placed in the basic file before.
It won't be valid. You can not make a proxy marriage valid for IRCC in any circumstances.
In the marriage certificate there are two different dates, the date of the religious marriage that took place via video and the date on which this marriage was given legitimacy, in which my wife and I were present. Another different date, and before I submitted the application, a legal lawyer in Canada was consulted and he told me to explain on a paper the method of marriage that took place and took place. I actually explained it before and submitted it in the basic file, and on this basis the application was submitted.
I will express with more doubt than others, this is a legal question of what constitutes a valid civil marriage in Lebanon. And the answer could be that the religious marriage on its own IS a valid marriage and the registration is only a civil registration procedure. Canada would say that this is therefore a proxy marriage (if that's the case).
Or the answer could be that the 'registration' is actually what constitutes the civil marriage. This would be the case, conceivably, if done in just a religious ceremony (incl by proxy) and then a civil ceremony held separately (physically present).
But we cannot say that this is how it might work in Canada can apply elsewhere. In some countries, religious ceremonies are not just statutory but actually required (depending on the faith of the participants). Given the history of Lebanon and religious ... complications there, I simply couldn't say. Your lawyer in Canada probably doesn't know either although has told you how to put forth a non-legal argument (basically, it seems to me, asking IRCC to give you a break, although in a nice way). It's possible IRCC might use the generous interpretation; seems to me more likely they won't, but only a guess.
Better would be if you have ever lived together in the years you have known each other, if ever for more than 12 months continuous, they could accept it's a common law relationship.
Failing that, you could do what others have done (links provided elsewhere).
if you had already explained it when you submitted your application and IRCC still have concerns, then you should fix the issue. another explanation letter will not be enough to resolve the concerns. I would highly recommend that you go to your country and fix it before IRCC issues a refusal. no need for legal lawyer here, IRCC made it clear on their website.