Canadian Citizenship And Permanent Residency Through Marriage
Citizens of Canada are legally permitted to assist their immediate family members in obtaining citizenship and permanent residency. This includes their spouses as well. This does not imply that being the spouse of a Canadian citizen automatically grants one citizenship and permanent residence in Canada. The complete procedure involves several procedures, including immigration, obtaining permanent resident status, and finally obtaining Canadian citizenship.
How To Get Permanent Residence Through Marriage?
To expand its labour force and labour market, Canada places a high value on immigration. They also permit immigration to aid in the reunion of families that are separated by boundaries. The harmonious bond within a family is highly valued in Canadian society. The nation embraces cultural diversity and is tolerant of it, creating a multicultural society.
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can assist their spouse or common-law partner in obtaining citizenship or permanent resident status in Canada. The quickest method is to allow the spouse to cross the border into Canada with the aid of a work visa. If they already reside in Canada, their spouse who is a citizen may sponsor them to become permanent residents of Canada and citizens.
The Canadian federal government made the decision to implement new rules on immigration and the sponsorship of spouses in October 2012. To protect immigrants and Canadian citizens from fraud, deceit, and scams in the immigration process, this was done.
A spouse must have a genuine and legally binding relationship with their partner to be sponsored to live in Canada and get permanent residency. After they earn their status as permanent residents, the relationship must endure for at least two years. This regulation was put in place to stop immigration system fraud.
Getting Married:
Getting married to a Canadian citizen is the first stage in this procedure to get citizenship. The union should be recognized by law. There are a few options to have your marriage acknowledged. Obtaining a marriage certificate is the most typical form. It is provided to you after you get married and acts as evidence of your union and your new partnership.
If a couple has lived together for a considerable amount of time, they may also be regarded as being married. This type of connection is known as a common-law marriage, and different countries have different laws that govern it.
The legitimacy of your marriage will be examined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada before you begin the citizenship application process for your spouse. A couple can show that their marriage is sincere by doing things like having a kid together, living in the same house, sharing resources, and other things that naturally happen in a partnership. This mechanism has been put in place so that the CIC can make sure that this immigration process isn’t being used to circumvent the Canadian immigration system.
Permanent Residency:
You are free to live and work wherever in Canada for as long as you like if you are a permanent resident. Your permanent resident card is an official document that serves as your legal proof of residence in Canada. You continue to be a permanent resident even when the expiration date on your PR card has passed.
If you leave the country and don’t come back for a time, or if you commit a crime that violates your legal right to remain there, you run the risk of losing your permanent resident status. After being married, the Canadian citizen can apply to become a sponsor for their spouse who has immigrated to Canada.
After that, the spouse who has immigrated should apply for a Canadian immigration visa. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration, Canada, or a foreign consulate in Canada can assist with this. A crucial stage in this procedure is acquiring a permanent abode. It must be followed to proceed with obtaining Canadian citizenship.
Citizenship:
The spouse can start the process of becoming a Canadian citizen once they have been granted permanent residency status. You must also fulfil a few more requirements to become a citizen.
- The spouse’s permanent residence should not be the subject of any ongoing inquiries or be under scrutiny for fraud or removal.
- The spouse who wants to become a citizen must have resided physically in Canada for at least three of the previous four years. This indicates that they should have physically spent 1095 days in Canada over the past four years.
- The spouse should be capable of understanding and speaking at least one of the official languages of Canada, either French or English.
- The spouse should be knowledgeable about the nation’s history, culture, and political system.
As part of the citizenship application procedure, a test will be administered. This test will mostly be used to evaluate the spouse’s language abilities and understanding of Canada. The entire citizenship application procedure may take several years to complete.
Having Canadian citizenship has the following advantages:
- You become qualified to vote.
- By taking up the role of their sponsor, you can assist your close relatives in immigrating to Canada and obtaining citizenship there.
- Legal removal from Canada is never possible.
- A Canadian passport is acceptable for travel.
Eligibility:
If a person has the means to assist their spouse financially and is free from criminal activity, they are eligible to become a sponsor. The most crucial need is that they can sustain themselves financially because the Canadian government disapproves of immigrants who would want government assistance to live there because they are a burden to the economy. You can get assistance from many social programs if you worry that you won’t be able to maintain the person financially, but you’ll need to be able to show the officers in charge that you intend to support your spouse.
The following requirements must also be met for you to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- After your partner or spouse obtains permanent residency in Canada, you should already be residing there or have a plan to do so.
- For the next three years, you should be able to support yourself financially.
These are some of the documents that immigration agents will require.
- Your relationship information and sponsorship evaluation survey.
- your marriage certificate.
- Photos and wedding invitations.
- If you have adopted any children alone or with your spouse, you will also need to provide a certificate of birth and an adoption record.
- Registration evidence for the marriage license with a reputable government body.
The Application:
A spouse moving to Canada must submit two separate applications. The spouse is required to file a permanent residency application with the Canadian Case Processing Centre. Both of the applications—one from the spouse with Canadian citizenship and one from the other—should be submitted simultaneously.
Any person who applies for permanent residency must also go through a background check and medical examination; this includes couples. They risk having their admittance to the nation denied if they fail any of these tests.
How Long Does Spouse Sponsorship Take?
The processing period once the applications are submitted has been projected to be a little bit longer than one month. If your application was approved or denied, you will receive an update after the processing period. It is crucial to use caution at every stage of the procedure. Your application might not be rejected as a result of a mistake, but it might take longer to process.
What to Do While You Wait For Approval:
The official Canada website allows you to monitor the status of your application. In that case, you can get ready for your spouse to cross the border into Canada. The spouse who is applying for their permanent resident card should make sure they have all the required paperwork with them when they cross the border into Canada.