Is it Possible to Sponsor my Fiance to Canada
There are many individuals that are head over heels for their significant other and, thus, become engaged to them. At that point, they would become fiancés to one another. This can be a very hard time for the couple if they are away from each other i.e. one person is in Canada and the other is abroad. For that reason, the family class spousal or common-law sponsorship is available. It is important to know that Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada cannot sponsor their fiancés to Canada but they can sponsor their spouse or common-law partner. Therefore, in this article, I will explain how a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada can sponsor their fiancé to Canada and what other options they have in order to be reunited in Canada.
As previously mentioned, Canada does not have any option under the Family Class sponsorship to sponsor your fiancé to Canada. As a result, you must choose one of the following options for your fiancé to come to Canada and reunite with you, either temporarily or permanently.
Spousal Sponsorship
The spousal sponsorship would ultimately be the next step for fiancés to be reunited in Canada. Since one of the spouses has proposed to the other for marriage, it is assumed that they will be getting married soon. Once they are married, the marriage is registered and the couple receives their marriage certificate, this would be the first and most important element for eligibility to sponsor their spouse to Canada. Of course, there are many other factors that must be considered when applying for spousal sponsorship. For instance, the genuineness of the marriage must be demonstrated and proven with documentary evidence to show that the marriage is real and acknowledged.
Common-Law Sponsorship
Another very popular option that the couple can pursue is the common-law sponsorship. To become eligible under the common-law sponsorship category, you must cohabitate with your partner for a minimum of one year continuously. Therefore, if you have been living with your fiancé for over 12 months and have not had many long periods away from each other, you may possibly be able to apply under the common-law sponsorship category, if you do not intend on marrying each other soon. Because for this specific category, you do not need to be married, it is essential that you prove the genuineness of your relationship to Immigration Canada. It is very important to show them that you have been living together for a minimum of 12 months by providing them with documentation, such as joint documentation for your property, insurance, utility bills, etc. There are many different types of documents that you may submit, therefore, anything you think will help make the application stronger, we highly suggest you include it.
Conjugal Sponsorship
There are many couples that are engaged around the world that cannot live with their significant others due to circumstances completely outside of their control. These circumstances can be because of war, persecution, and other legal barriers. In these specific circumstances, you may be eligible to apply for conjugal sponsorship. You must have been together with your fiancé for a minimum of one year, but unlike the common-law sponsorship requirement, you do not have to have lived with them for the one year. The reason why living with them was unable to happen is essentially because of the barriers outside of your control.
Other Options
Visitor Visa or eTA
Depending on where your fiancé lives, they may be able to come to Canada on a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization document to reunite with you. If they are coming from a Visa-exempt country, such as the United States, they may be able to visit you for a period of up to 6 months at a time. If this is the case, you may be able to marry them in Canada and then pursue a spousal sponsorship application for them to obtain permanent residency in Canada. The same thing would apply for individuals that come from Visa required countries, however, they must first get the visitor visa approved before attempting to travel to Canada.
Express Entry
Express Entry is an economic immigration selection system used by many skilled foreign nationals from all over the world in order to permanently immigrate to Canada. This may be a viable option for fiancés as they do not need to be sponsored to Canada through the family class and can become eligible based on their own credentials. These credentials include age, language ability, education and work experience. It is also important to recognize that processing times for these types of applications are much less than sponsorship applications, and thus, your fiancé can immigrate to Canada to reunite with you much faster. Another important factor is that the Express Entry category does not have the same stipulations and undertaking conditions as the spousal sponsorship.
Contact Akrami & Associates
If you would like your fiancé to come to Canada either temporarily or permanently, it is essential to take all of the aforementioned information into consideration before applying. This is especially the case if you do not know whether you are eligible for any of the above mentioned options. These types of applications are difficult applications to pursue on your own and it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to apply or researching whether or not you and your fiancé are eligible. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients reunite with their fiancés in Canada and obtain permanent residency in Canada. If you believe that you may be eligible for any of the above mentioned applications, please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!
