Marrying on tourist visa and applying for spousal visa

[frightenedpanda]

I am an Indian citizen and a PR holder since Sept 2018. I am planning to marry my girlfriend who is a Pakistani citizen when she visits Canada on a tourist visa and then apply for stay extension, OWP, and spousal visa altogether.

We have been in a relationship since 2015 and have plenty of photographs of us on vacations and family gatherings. What else is required for proof of genuine relationship?

Is this something that is possible legally? What are the chances of her getting the spousal visa?

Any help will be appreciated. thanks!

 

[21Goose]

If she already has a valid visa for Canada, and is allowed to enter the country, you can do this. There's no legal bar if she has been allowed to enter Canada and decides to get married. If you are eligible to be a sponsor, you can sponsor her as well.

There's no such thing as a spousal visa. You would apply to sponsor her under the Spouse or Common-Law partner in Canada - Family Class.

You can read all about the process here -> https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...mily-sponsorship/spouse-partner-children.html

And here's the complete guide -> https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...-guide-sponsor-your-spouse-partner-child.html

Getting the extension is also legally possible, but of course individual circumstances apply and there may be a reason why she is denied an extension.

 

[frightenedpanda]

If she already has a valid visa for Canada, and is allowed to enter the country, you can do this. There's no legal bar if she has been allowed to enter Canada and decides to get married. If you are eligible to be a sponsor, you can sponsor her as well.

There's no such thing as a spousal visa. You would apply to sponsor her under the Spouse or Common-Law partner in Canada - Family Class.

You can read all about the process here -> https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...mily-sponsorship/spouse-partner-children.html

And here's the complete guide -> https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...-guide-sponsor-your-spouse-partner-child.html

Getting the extension is also legally possible, but of course individual circumstances apply and there may be a reason why she is denied an extension.

Thanks for the info!

 

[21Goose]

You will have to show that the relationship is real and was not entered into just to get permanent resident status in Canada. Besides the pictures, you can also show your Whatsapp/Facebook/etc chat history and any emails between the two of you. You don't have to share everything, just enough to show that you have been in a relationship for many years.

Any shared vacation - the tickets, hotel bookings, passport copies, pictures of the two of you standing in front of the Parthenon.. all that.

Take your time and understand the process thoroughly. For genuine couples it's really not that hard to go through, and if you have any concerns you can consult an immigration professional to help you.

 

[frightenedpanda]

You will have to show that the relationship is real and was not entered into just to get permanent resident status in Canada. Besides the pictures, you can also show your Whatsapp/Facebook/etc chat history and any emails between the two of you. You don't have to share everything, just enough to show that you have been in a relationship for many years.

Any shared vacation - the tickets, hotel bookings, passport copies, pictures of the two of you standing in front of the Parthenon.. all that.

Take your time and understand the process thoroughly. For genuine couples it's really not that hard to go through, and if you have any concerns you can consult an immigration professional to help you.

How did you know we went to the Pantheon? haha

we have pictures from past couple of years and pictures from the family gatherings. I can gather FB messages and whatsapp messages too but not sure how far back I have the backup of the whatsapp messages.

I will be consulting a lawyer for sure. If you know any reliable one in Toronto, please let me know

 

[21Goose]

I don't have any recommendations for lawyers in Toronto. I'd recommend the following course of action:

1. Study the guide and go through this forum to understand the process yourself. Your case sounds straightforward and there are many people who have gone through the process and have posted here. You should be very familiar with all the requirements and provisions. The more you know, the better equipped you'll be when you talk to a consultant/lawyer.

2. If after learning all about it you want to talk to a lawyer, call up/meet a few and get a sense of whether they are good. At the very least, they should know a lot more about the process than you do. I know this sounds obvious, but there are plenty of cases of lawyers giving incorrect or just not very good advice.

3. If you have concerns, come back here and ask. There are many people here with years of experience (not me) and you'll get unbiased advice.

Good luck!

 

[frightenedpanda]

I don't have any recommendations for lawyers in Toronto. I'd recommend the following course of action:

1. Study the guide and go through this forum to understand the process yourself. Your case sounds straightforward and there are many people who have gone through the process and have posted here. You should be very familiar with all the requirements and provisions. The more you know, the better equipped you'll be when you talk to a consultant/lawyer.

2. If after learning all about it you want to talk to a lawyer, call up/meet a few and get a sense of whether they are good. At the very least, they should know a lot more about the process than you do. I know this sounds obvious, but there are plenty of cases of lawyers giving incorrect or just not very good advice.

3. If you have concerns, come back here and ask. There are many people here with years of experience (not me) and you'll get unbiased advice.

Good luck!

thanks! will go through the guide and the forums today!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

How did you know we went to the Pantheon? haha

we have pictures from past couple of years and pictures from the family gatherings. I can gather FB messages and whatsapp messages too but not sure how far back I have the backup of the whatsapp messages.

I will be consulting a lawyer for sure. If you know any reliable one in Toronto, please let me know

You really don't need a lawyer. The process is fairly straightforward