Canadian Citizenship Through Marriage

Immigration to Canada through marriage, a fiancée or fiancé visa — many people wonder how this can be done and how to obtain Canadian resident status. The company “Nakaz” will take full responsibility for supporting the immigration process. For our clients the company will provide a full range of services, from consultations, filling out forms and declarations, and preparation for an interview with a visa officer to obtaining an immigration visa. With us you can get a lot of useful information regarding obtaining status in Canada and how to travel legally and quickly.

The immigration process of obtaining Canadian citizenship through marriage falls under the category of Family Sponsorship ( Family Sponsorship) or family reunification, goes through a Sponsorship Organization in Canada, and imposes a number of requirements on the sponsor and the sponsored person. Under Canadian law, obtaining the long-awaited status through marriage means proving the authenticity of the relationship and not pursuing immigration as the goal. The sequence of actions is as follows:

• legal entry into the country using the status of spouse or fiancée/fiancé,
• obtaining permanent resident status,
• obtaining Canadian citizenship.

For a Canadian to be able to act as a sponsor, they must meet the requirements for the Family Sponsorship category:

1. Be at least 18 years old.
2. Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
3. Reside permanently in Canada.
4. Not receive social assistance, except for disability benefits.
5. Have a stable income to provide for the basic needs of the partner. The income amount is determined by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada ministry.

In some cases the Canadian partner cannot act as a sponsor if:

1. They are financially unreliable (arrears in child support, failure to pay taxes).
2. They have a criminal record.
3. They have received a deportation order from Canada.
4. They receive social assistance from the state, except for disability benefits.
5. They immigrated to Canada under a sponsorship program and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago.
6. They sponsored the immigration of a former spouse and 3 years have not passed since then.

After collecting the required documents and filling out the forms, the Canadian sponsor must pay the processing fee and submit:

• an application to become a sponsor,
• an application to sponsor the immigration.

Fiancée Visa to Canada

There is no specific fiancée visa in Canada; instead there is a sponsorship program for immigration. It allows Canadian citizens and residents to bring their partner to the country by using one of the following options:

Option 1. Get married outside Canada, submit reunification (sponsorship) documents and wait in the country of residence.

Option 2. Enter Canada on a multiple-entry TRV, which is issued for several years. Get married on Canadian territory and apply for reunification.

Reunification occurs in two stages:

• confirmation of sponsorship,
• review of documents confirming the marriage and obtaining confirmation of residence status.

Sponsorship in this case means providing financial support, as well as covering medical services not covered by insurance (optometrist and dental services). For 3 years the sponsor must assume all financial responsibilities for the spouse after the partner receives permanent resident status in Canada.

If the marriage is contracted outside Canada, it is very important to confirm the relationship with the sponsor. You should attach the marriage certificate, provide tickets for joint vacations, wedding photos with dates and locations, letters from the spouse’s relatives stating that they know the fiancée and are awaiting the meeting, phone call details, Skype printouts, a shared residential address, insurance policy, and joint purchases. When the marriage is common-law, you must live together for 12 months before immigration without long separations. In that case you need to confirm those 12 months of your relationship.

You should not be required to confirm your relationship if you cannot live with the Canadian before immigration due to legal or immigration reasons:

• marital status (the partner is married and divorce is prohibited in the country),
• sexual orientation (you are in a same-sex relationship in a country where they are prohibited),
• persecution (the partners belong to different religious groups).

Groom Visa to Canada

As with a fiancée visa, there is no specific groom visa in Canada. The rules for obtaining Canadian resident status (permanent residency) are possible under the family sponsorship category. This means the Canadian partner must submit a sponsorship file for the foreign spouse, and the foreign spouse in turn must submit the full package of documents and forms to obtain an immigration visa. If the foreign spouse is in Canada on a visitor visa and during that time registered the marriage in Canada, they can remain for the duration of the visa — 6 months. However, the application should be submitted at the consulate of the country of their residence and both parties must confirm to the government their intent to marry. To obtain a visa it is necessary to demonstrate that the partners have met, that they communicate, and most importantly — to show the intention to marry. To begin the immigration process and obtain an immigration visa, several procedures must be completed:

• prepare a file of documents,
• pay consular fees,
• successfully pass an interview with a visa officer,
• fulfill all requirements of the immigration process.

It is very important to provide the Visa Center with convincing evidence that will allow the visa officer to issue a positive decision.

In some cases there is a procedure to obtain the right to reside and resident status without leaving the country. It applies when the husband/fiancé receives a study permit. While in Canada, the student gains the right to reside and enjoys all social guarantees and rights. After obtaining the right to reside, they must meet certain residency conditions, namely from the day of receiving status they must live in Canada for three to six years in order not to lose resident status and to be able to apply for a Canadian passport.

Consular fees

• sponsorship fee – 75 Canadian dollars,
• processing fee for the principal applicant – 475 Canadian dollars,
• payment for obtaining permanent residence – 490 Canadian dollars,
• biometrics fee – 85 Canadian dollars.

All consular fees and the landing fee are paid online by the sponsor for the spouse.