Month: April 2020

Canada has always welcomed various nationalities from different parts of the world into its borders. Whether you’re a Canadian citizen wanting your foreign common-law partner to come over or a permanent resident planning to have your spouse immigrate to the country, you now have the option to apply for a spousal sponsorship. As you may or may not be aware, this application allows you to sponsor your loved one to live permanently with you in the country.

In this article, we’ll share with you how Canadian spouses reunite in the country and what you can do to sponsor your spouse to immigrate to Canada.

Reuniting with Canadian spouses

There’s no denying that Canada has been fulfilling its commitment to keeping families together. This has become even more apparent as many Canadians are reuniting with their foreign spouses in the country due to the COVID-19 crisis that has separated many of them. In fact, a total of 15,999 applications were finalized last year, wherein 14,816 of these were approved, 837 were rejected, and 346 were withdrawn. Along with this is the fact that two-thirds of the applications were from people outside the country.

Government’s commitment and initiative

The global pandemic led the Canadian government to slow down its application processing last year. However, it has soon sped up its processing for spousal sponsorship applications since September of last year. In fact, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has increased its staff responsible for spousal sponsorships by 66 percent. This has led to a total of almost 16,000 applications having been finalized. Because of this, you can expect the application processing to be more robust this year!

Sponsoring your spouse for Canadian immigration

If you want to sponsor your partner, whether it is your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, you must consider a few key points, such as the following:

• Your eligibility: You must first be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident living in the country, or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act. Second, you must be in a married, common-law, or conjugal relationship. Lastly, you must be able to provide for your sponsored spouse’s needs financially.

• Your partner’s qualification: Your sponsored spouse must meet several criteria as well. One, your partner must be 18 years old and above. Two, you and your spouse must not have been married to anyone else at the time of your marriage. Finally, you must not live apart for longer than a year as a common-law or conjugal partner.

• Application: Take note that you must fill out an application form as a sponsor and submit it to the government’s case processing center. Don’t forget the forms, documents, and proof of relationship required to be filed to the agency. Once everything has been submitted, you can check the application status online. Finally, you will receive a notice from the immigration office regarding your application’s approval or denial.

Conclusion

At this point, you now realize that a spousal sponsorship application in Canada isn’t a walk in the park. For this reason, you must consider all the valuable information discussed above and work with an immigration agency for a successful application process. Ultimately, hiring an immigration consultant who can help you out every step of the way will be your best option! 

If you’re looking for professional help from a trusted firm, please contact us at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-8472.

Immigration applications can be tricky. If you get one thing wrong or miss a requirement, then it’s a sure way to get it returned to you, causing you to have to start the process all over again. This is especially true when it comes to sponsoring your spouse or partner for immigration to Canada. 

The goal is to get your application accepted for processing and approval on the first submission attempt. With the help of an immigration expert and these tips, you can be more confident in your application being accepted. 

Know the Different Categories and Requirements for Partner Sponsorship

There are three categories eligible for spousal or common-law partners with two methods of sponsorship. Here are the three categories your relationship may fall under:

1. Spouse – an individual that you are legally married to
2. Common-Law Partner – a partner that you are in an exclusive, committed relationship with and with whom you have lived for at least one year
3. Conjugal Partner – a partner that you are in an exclusive, committed relationship with for at least a year but with whom you are unable to marry or live due to external reasons

There are two types of sponsorship that are valid for immigration to Canada, which are:

The Family Class Sponsorship 

This sponsorship is typically processed in an office outside of Canada, and spouses may or may not live with each other. It’s important to note that only Canadian citizens can sponsor while residing outside of Canada. 

While the sponsored spouse is processing their application, they cannot apply for a work permit in Canada, though travel is permitted during processing. 

The Inland Spouse or Common-Law Partner Sponsorship

Unlike the Family Class Sponsorship, the Inland Spouse or Partner Sponsorship is processed inside Canada, including the interviews. Both the sponsor and the sponsored spouse must live together during the processing period, and in this case, the sponsored spouse can apply for an open work permit in Canada while the sponsorship application is ongoing. They can also work before the application is approved. However, travel outside Canada is typically not recommended, and there is no appeal granted when the application is refused or denied. 

Meet All Eligibility Criteria Before Applying

When working with a Canadian immigration company, you will certainly be told not to submit any application unless you meet the full set of criteria for eligibility. For instance, unmarried couples who do not meet common-law partners’ definition will turn in an application that is guaranteed a refusal! 

Making sure that all forms and supporting documents are properly filled up and signed after the date you become eligible is required; otherwise, you will have to start the process over again. 

Use the Updated Forms

While this seems like a no-brainer, some couples make the mistake of using outdated forms when accomplishing their application. CIC changes these forms frequently, so ensuring that you stay updated with the correct forms will prevent your application from getting denied. 

Forms will have a validity date indicated on them to help you ensure that you’re using the latest version. You can refer to a reputable immigration consultant in Toronto to ensure that your application is up to date. 

Remember, it’s also important to fill up every single field on the form. Use N/A if it does not apply to you. 

Keep Temporary Status in Canada Until the Application Is Finalized

While waiting for permanent residency, it’s crucial to ensure that you have a valid temporary status until your application is approved. You will need to extend your temporary status by applying for an extension of your visitor record, work permit, or study permit. Those who are out of status inside Canada can opt to apply for Permanent Residence under the inland category using the public policy for out of status spouses. 

Conclusion

Overall, getting your spouse to immigrate to Canada is certainly possible with careful attention to detail. Understanding all the requirements and ensuring that you meet all the criteria is crucial for the application to be considered upon the first submission. Enlisting an immigration expert’s help will ensure that you are updated with all the forms, requirements, and criteria to fulfill a successful application. 

At Bright Immigration, we are an immigration agency in Toronto that’s committed to making a difference by providing quality legal care and immigration assistance to all who need it. If you’re looking for professional help from a trusted firm, please contact us at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-8472.

Immigrating to Canada requires you to provide plenty of requirements to immigration officials. Besides the paperwork you need to prepare, you will also need to pass the Canadian citizenship test. It’s a written test that contains 20 questions that you must answer under half an hour. Although it may seem like a short task, it’s an essential requirement for your citizenship application’s validity.

Ensuring that you ace the Canadian citizenship test on your first try

Although 20 items might seem few, you should still do your best to score 15 points or higher. If you fail the Canadian citizenship test, you may retake it for a second time. However, a third failure will require you to have a citizenship judge interview you, which is much more complicated. For this reason, it’s best to ace the test the first time around.

If you want to avoid the hassle of retaking the Canadian citizenship test, here are three tips you should follow:

1. Read the study guide from page to page

Although it’s great to take classes for citizenship classes, nothing beats studying straight from the source material. The basis of the test questions will come from the book “Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship” that’s available to download online. Reading it from page to page will give you an overall understanding of Canada’s general topics and facts you should memorize and take into heart. Besides downloading it in PDF format, you can also listen to it in audio form so that you can review your lessons while doing other activities.

2. Take practice tests online

Like other subjects, the Canadian citizenship test will be tough to do if you don’t practice beforehand. After reading through your reading material, you should try to test your knowledge with practice tests online. However, you should only do this after going through several hours of studying.

Try to get as much information about Canadian history, its culture, and politics from fellow Canadians. It will give you an advantage in your studying by applying the facts you read to real-life experiences. However, make sure that you’re receiving the right information from your friends by cross-referencing it with your study guide. Once you’re ready to utilize this knowledge, you can test it by taking several practice tests like the Citizenship Counts Online Quiz and the Citizenship Support Simulation Test.

3. Ask help from a study buddy

It may be harder for others to prepare for a test if they don’t have any classmates they can talk to. This is because group talks deepen your understanding of a subject matter. Having interactions with other people while you’re studying allows you to grasp the topic better. Although your family or friends may not be taking the test with you, that doesn’t mean they can’t help you out. Asking one of them to be a study buddy to review you on lessons with quizzes and discussions will give you a better chance of recalling your lessons.

Conclusion

Being a citizen of Canada gives you several benefits, like applying for Canadian-only jobs and access to public health care. However, you must first prove yourself before you reach that privilege. Getting a stellar score from your Canadian citizenship test will be a positive step toward realizing your dream of being a Canadian. Ask an immigration agency to learn more about the steps you should take when scheduling a Canadian citizenship test.

If you’re looking for professional help from a trusted firm, please contact us at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-8472.