Among all the countries in the world, Canada holds itself high above anyone else when it comes to immigration thanks to its applicant-friendly policies and widely available programs.
Whether you’re a citizen or permanent resident that has a child abroad or a hardworking immigrant that wishes to bring your parents with you, the Great White North’s immigration laws are bound to help you. Beyond being immigrant-friendly and providing a high quality of life, however, the country has also been acclaimed to champion the importance of family reunifications.
For more than a decade, Canada has become a land of hope for many couples that fall in love, wed, and dream of spending their lives together—only to be separated by physical distances and tall immigration barriers.
In the case of anyone that decides to marry a Canadian but is from another country, the hopes of reunification are fairly high as the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada continues to promote spousal sponsorships. If you’ve managed to tie the knot with someone who happens to be from the land of the Maple leaf, then it’s safe to say that the chances of settling down with them in the country are high, but there’s one hurdle you’ll need to face: Marriage fraud.
What is marriage fraud in the first place, and why is it a significant barrier for many
Marriage fraud is best defined as a crime that is committed when couples are wed purely for the sake of affording one party the opportunity to attain Canadian citizenship. It may not seem like such a bad thing at first, but such a violation essentially thwarts the sanctity of a spousal sponsorship application and renders it prone to long-term abuse.
Given the advent of “green card” marriages in other countries, the CIC maintains a firm grip on the way it facilitates spousal sponsorships so that it can conserve the value of its programs. The Great White North, as a matter of fact, is especially prone to such a problem because of the quality of life it presents and the number of spousal applications it gets.
Taking the IRCC’s stand on marriages of convenience, wedded couples that wish to reunite and settle down together in Canada are implored to capitalize on every opportunity to prove the legitimacy of their relationship.
How is marriage fraud penalized?
When it comes to cracking down on “couples” that exploit the system, the CIC tries to ensure that its efforts are as airtight as possible by imposing various grave penalties that seek to deter the risk of offending applications. Various penalties include:
- Deportation of an offending Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Having a marriage fraud offence permanently included on both parties’ immigration records, significantly impacting the success of their future applications
- Visa refusal
- Administering of a five-year entry ban to both parties
What can you do to avoid the risk of being penalized for marriage fraud
No matter how true the love between you and your partner is, the risk of being seen as a fraudulently-married couple is still very much present as the CIC exercises the same amount of apprehension when checking applications.
If you’re looking to solidify the legitimacy of your union in an application, the best way to convince an immigration officer of the sincerity of your shared love is to provide wedding photos, love letters, texts, and holiday tickets. Beyond concrete proof, however, your best shot at having a positive result during your spousal sponsorship application is to enlist the help of a Canadian immigration expert, such as Bright Immigration!
Conclusion
For any couple that’s looking to seek a Canadian spousal sponsorship, there’s no doubt that the risk of having an application denied on the grounds of marriage fraud will always be present to some extent. With the help of this guide (and the services of Bright Immigration), you can best minimize this risk and ensure the success of your application process so that the both of you can live peacefully and happily in the same country!
If you’re looking for professional help from a Canadian immigration firm, please contact us at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-847.
