Spousal sponsorship

[Ponga]

Common-law and marriage are viewed equally, in terms of assessing a genuine relationship. There's no need to get married for the sake if immigrating to Canada.

Having said that, the burden of proof is greater for a Common-Law couple, but only in terms of proving the required 1 year (or more) of continuous cohabiting together. This evidence is not required for a married couple.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

1. I know that the inland route allows an OWP. Does the outland allow any sort of concurrent work permits while the application is being processed--or would I be limited to the standard (180 days, no working) of Americans in Canada?

2. Does it look bad to apply the day after getting married or do immigration officers understand that this is a logical (and legal) watershed event for most couples?

3. Is marriage seen as stronger--and faster to process--than common-law? For religious and political reasons, we normally wouldn't go for a state-sanctioned marriage certificate from a civil agency. But we don't want our application to look "weaker" and so are willing to do this if it's seen as a stronger option by immigration. We'd meet the common-law requirements otherwise. (And plan to spend our lives together, have kids, etc.)

1. They just announced some big changes, so right now, no one knows for sure if the OWP option will apply to every applicant in Canada or not. Dec 15th is when the new changes roll out.

2. If applying as married, you can't apply until you have the actual marriage certificate. Ontario takes around 10 weeks to issue it. You can request urgent processing but you may just have to wait.

3. As said above, common-law is equal to marriage. Being married will not make your app stronger. You should just apply ASAP as common-law and avoid waiting for the marriage certificate.

 

[lafayette]

1. They just announced some big changes, so right now, no one knows for sure if the OWP option will apply to every applicant in Canada or not. Dec 15th is when the new changes roll out.

2. If applying as married, you can't apply until you have the actual marriage certificate. Ontario takes around 10 weeks to issue it. You can request urgent processing but you may just have to wait.

3. As said above, common-law is equal to marriage. Being married will not make your app stronger. You should just apply ASAP as common-law and avoid waiting for the marriage certificate.

Many thanks to both of you for your prompt and super-helpful replies. My partner is a Quebec resident. Your observation about the 10-week Ontario processing time raises a pair of follow-up questions:

1. Is there any advantage (in the eyes of the law--in terms of, say, the viability of us living together in Montreal) to getting married in Montreal versus Toronto?

2. Does the processing time for the wedding certificate vary across Canada. If, for example, we got married in Montreal, would it still get routed through Ontario and take 10 weeks, or is there a separate (and, hopefully, faster) office for Quebec?

Many thanks again,
Lafayette

 

[scylla]

Many thanks to both of you for your prompt and super-helpful replies. My partner is a Quebec resident. Your observation about the 10-week Ontario processing time raises a pair of follow-up questions:

1. Is there any advantage (in the eyes of the law--in terms of, say, the viability of us living together in Montreal) to getting married in Montreal versus Toronto?

2. Does the processing time for the wedding certificate vary across Canada. If, for example, we got married in Montreal, would it still get routed through Ontario and take 10 weeks, or is there a separate (and, hopefully, faster) office for Quebec?

Many thanks again,
Lafayette

For what it's worth, there are a number of us on this forum who got their Ontario marriage certificates much faster than the 10 weeks posted. I think I got mine less than two weeks after I got married (I applied for it right away based on some advice I received on this forum). Some people do have to wait the full 10 weeks - but not everyone.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

1. Is there any advantage (in the eyes of the law--in terms of, say, the viability of us living together in Montreal) to getting married in Montreal versus Toronto?

2. Does the processing time for the wedding certificate vary across Canada. If, for example, we got married in Montreal, would it still get routed through Ontario and take 10 weeks, or is there a separate (and, hopefully, faster) office for Quebec?

1. It doesn't matter where you get married.

2. I gave you the Ontario processing time because you said you were getting married in Toronto. Processing times vary province to province.

 

[Joyce_tosf]

Google the file name sc-isp-1811(2014-08-01)e_oas and it comes up.

Thank you all so much!!! I found the form in google with this.

 

[lafayette]

For what it's worth, there are a number of us on this forum who got their Ontario marriage certificates much faster than the 10 weeks posted. I think I got mine less than two weeks after I got married (I applied for it right away based on some advice I received on this forum). Some people do have to wait the full 10 weeks - but not everyone.

Thanks very much again for both of your replies.

I did some digging around to see what the current estimated processing time was and it appears to be 6-8 weeks, which looks promising. However, I'm concerned that I might be misreading the officialese.

Here's what it says:

Before you can get a marriage certificate, a marriage needs to be registered. The official who performed the marriage will do this by sending a complete and signed marriage licence to ServiceOntario. You can order a marriage certificate about 6-8 weeks after this happens. [quoted from Ontario's own gov't site]​

What does that mean? Can you order the marriage certificate the day of the marriage and then hope to receive it 6-8 weeks later, or does this mean that you have to wait 6 to 8 weeks before the marriage certificate is registered and then order it (with another wait in actually getting the thing processed)?

I ask because if it's a compounded wait (first for the registration and then for the processing), that could be more than 10 weeks, in which case I think we'd just get married here in the States instead.

Many thanks,
Lafayette

 

[diding]

I have somewhat different question here. Im holding a permanent residency in US but about to move in Winnipeg with my spousal sponsorship visa. Since we will live near the border, i am thinking of working part time (2x a week) in the US but still live in canada with my husband.. Will there be any issues with regards to my canadian Residency? Im not really interested in applying for my us citizenship.

 

[drnafisa]

Hi all

For spousal visa, I finally got my email for passport request on Tuesday, 29th Nov 2016. It was a long wait and it was definitely not an easy ride.

I have some issues now: I have not yet sent my passport for stamping and I am hoping some seniors could solve this problem as I cannot find a solution!

I am currently working and residing in Bahrain. But the letter clearly states that I have to send the passport via VFS India (which is not in Bahrain). The letter also states that if the New Delhi visa office does not receive the passport within 30 days, my application will result in refusal.

The problems are that:
1- There is no passport courier service from Bahrain to New Delhi

2- I do not stay in India, and have not visited India since 22 years, so I would not know where to stay and for how long until my visa arrives, if I were to go to India. - On this note, my query is: Am I able to go directly to New Delhi visa office to get my passport stamped, and I return back to Bahrain the same day?

3- There is a passport courier service from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi visa office - On this note can I send my passport to Abu Dhabi to get the PR visa stamped. I was thinking the visa offices will coordinate with each other upon the receipt of my passport at Abu Dhabi.

FYI: I have already emailed Delhi immigration on Wednesday without any response back yet. I have already lost 11 days, tomorrow 12 days and Monday I believe is a public holiday so come Tuesday I have lost 14 days!

I am stuck! Please give me an action plan! :-[

regards
u

 

[TANMEX]

Hi all

For spousal visa, I finally got my email for passport request on Tuesday, 29th Nov 2016. It was a long wait and it was definitely not an easy ride.

I have some issues now: I have not yet sent my passport for stamping and I am hoping some seniors could solve this problem as I cannot find a solution!

I am currently working and residing in Bahrain. But the letter clearly states that I have to send the passport via VFS India (which is not in Bahrain). The letter also states that if the New Delhi visa office does not receive the passport within 30 days, my application will result in refusal.

The problems are that:
1- There is no passport courier service from Bahrain to New Delhi

2- I do not stay in India, and have not visited India since 22 years, so I would not know where to stay and for how long until my visa arrives, if I were to go to India. - On this note, my query is: Am I able to go directly to New Delhi visa office to get my passport stamped, and I return back to Bahrain the same day?

3- There is a passport courier service from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi visa office - On this note can I send my passport to Abu Dhabi to get the PR visa stamped. I was thinking the visa offices will coordinate with each other upon the receipt of my passport at Abu Dhabi.

FYI: I have already emailed Delhi immigration on Wednesday without any response back yet. I have already lost 11 days, tomorrow 12 days and Monday I believe is a public holiday so come Tuesday I have lost 14 days!

I am stuck! Please give me an action plan! :-[

regards
u

Can you FedEX your passport to VFS India from Bahrain and include a pre-paid Fedex return label and envelope for the embassy to use to return your passport ?

Yo

 

[srinu77]

hi guys i am from India i got an overstay in Australia. ( For nearly two years, lost my passport in Australia and no advice on how to stay back legally so overstayed)and my wife is in Canada on student visa, so do i need to mention my AUSTRALIA history ?? if so what may be the chances to get my dependent visa.
If i dont mention my Australia history what are the chances.. If anyone knows PLZZZZ help me guys..my wife is on student visa want to accompain her.

 

[scylla]

hi guys i am from India i got an overstay in Australia. ( For nearly two years, lost my passport in Australia and no advice on how to stay back legally so overstayed)and my wife is in Canada on student visa, so do i need to mention my AUSTRALIA history ?? if so what may be the chances to get my dependent visa.
If i dont mention my Australia history what are the chances.. If anyone knows PLZZZZ help me guys..my wife is on student visa want to accompain her.

Yes - you must mention your stay in Australia.

If you fail to mention it - this is misrepresentation (lying in an immigration application). Countries exchange information and it's relatively easy for CIC to find out if you lied. If CIC catches you in a lie, your application will be refused and you can expect to be banned from Canada for 5 years.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

What does that mean? Can you order the marriage certificate the day of the marriage and then hope to receive it 6-8 weeks later, or does this mean that you have to wait 6 to 8 weeks before the marriage certificate is registered and then order it (with another wait in actually getting the thing processed)?

I ask because if it's a compounded wait (first for the registration and then for the processing), that could be more than 10 weeks, in which case I think we'd just get married here in the States instead.

The officiant generally sends the marriage license a day or 2 after the wedding and you can then order the marriage certificate.

I have somewhat different question here. Im holding a permanent residency in US but about to move in Winnipeg with my spousal sponsorship visa. Since we will live near the border, i am thinking of working part time (2x a week) in the US but still live in canada with my husband.. Will there be any issues with regards to my canadian Residency? Im not really interested in applying for my us citizenship.

Won't have any effect on your Canadian PR status. However, it will most likely be determined by US CBP that you have abandoned your PR status in the US by permanently relocating to Canada, which will probably lead to revocation.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

3- There is a passport courier service from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi visa office - On this note can I send my passport to Abu Dhabi to get the PR visa stamped. I was thinking the visa offices will coordinate with each other upon the receipt of my passport at Abu Dhabi.

FYI: I have already emailed Delhi immigration on Wednesday without any response back yet. I have already lost 11 days, tomorrow 12 days and Monday I believe is a public holiday so come Tuesday I have lost 14 days!

Have your spouse in Canada contact their MP's office about the situation. The office should be able to get a faster response from IRCC.

Can you FedEX your passport to VFS India from Bahrain and include a pre-paid Fedex return label and envelope for the embassy to use to return your passport ?

It is illegal in India to mail a passport across borders. They will only return it to an address within India.

 

[Shriya]

Post in the Foreign Worker section of the forum.

I have posted . But, I didn't get answers . Maybe people not visiting on that page more .thats why , I have posted here. If you know anything let me know . Unlesss,No problem. Thank you!