12 December 2023
In matters of the heart, borders shouldn’t hinder love’s journey. Highly regarded for its welcoming and inclusive immigration policies, Canada offers a pathway for your fiancé or fiancée to join you in the country. Unlike other developed nations, Canada does not have a specific visa category for fiancés.
The same process in the great white north involves just a few simple steps:
- obtaining a visitor visa
- celebrating your union in Canada
- Initiate permanent residency through a spousal sponsorship program.
In this extensive guide, we’ll explore each phase of this path, ensuring you’re equipped with all the details to unite with your beloved.
Visitor Visa
First and foremost, acquire a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), commonly known as a visitor visa. This visa permits your partner to temporarily enter Canada, aiming to marry and, subsequently, initiate the process for permanent residency. Essential particulars encompass:
- Start by TRV application submission via the Visa Application Centre (VAC) located in your home country or the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) (online process). Ensure that you apply sufficiently ahead of your scheduled wedding date.
- Visitor visas (TRVs) usually come with a designated validity duration. Your future spouse must depart Canada before the visa expires unless they apply for and receive an extension.
- For TRV eligibility, your partner needs to show strong connections to their home country, like employment, family ties, or assets, as proof of their intent to return after their visit.
Nuptials
you can begin making arrangements for your wedding as soon as your partner arrives in Canada on TRV. Ensure all the legal requirements for getting married in the province or territory of your choice, are met.
Legal requirements can differ based on where you are but commonly involve acquiring a marriage license, ensuring witnesses are present, and arranging for an authorised officiant to conduct the ceremony. Following these requirements ensures that your marriage is legally recognized in Canada, a significant step for the following permanent residency application.
Spousal Sponsorship
Inland Spousal Sponsorship
Inland spousal sponsorship emerges as an ideal choice if your fiance happens to be in Canada on a valid visitor visa.
There are a host of advantageous opportunities:
Open Work Permit:
Open work permit grants them the ability to work in Canada during the processing of their sponsorship application.
Living Together:
Choosing inland sponsorship enables both of you to reside together in Canada during the application process, creating a seamless path toward permanent residency.
Outland Spousal Sponsorship
Should your spouse be outside of Canada, the outland spousal sponsorship path is available. This option caters to couples facing temporary separation caused by travel restrictions or other circumstances:
Flexibility:
Your spouse doesn’t have to be physically in Canada for you to apply through the outland route. This adaptable approach proves particularly valuable during times when physical reunions are challenging or impossible.
Visiting Canada:
Even as an outland applicant, your spouse maintains the opportunity to visit you in Canada while their application is processed, nurturing your relationship and bond.
Application Process
It involves two primary stages. Let’s delve into these stages in detail:
● Application as a sponsor
You kickstart the process as the sponsor by applying to sponsor your spouse for permanent residency. This involves showcasing your eligibility as a sponsor, including your financial capacity.
● Application for Permanent Residency (Spouse’s end)
At the same time, your spouse needs to pursue permanent residency. This application demands providing documentation to verify their eligibility and the authenticity of your relationship, such as marriage certificates and shared assets.
Approval and Processing Time
The timeline for spousal sponsorship applications fluctuates, influenced by factors like the chosen category (inland or outland) and the workload of processed applications. Patience is crucial at this stage. Upon approval, your spouse achieves permanent resident status in Canada, marking a significant milestone in your shared journey.
Permanent Residency
Gaining permanent resident status grants your spouse the freedom to live and work in Canada indefinitely. They also gain access to healthcare and enjoy the privileges afforded to Canadian residents.
Citizenship Prospects:
Once your spouse has secured permanent residency, they can, over time, become eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship, granted they fulfil the necessary criteria.
Conclusion
The path to bringing your fiancé or fiancée to Canada, and embarking on a shared life, brims with love and hope. Though the phrase “Canada fiance visa” might not be an official step, Canada’s inclusive immigration policies reflect the belief that love transcends boundaries.
In your quest to reunite with your beloved in Canada, having the right guidance proves essential. Contact our experts to help you with the Canadian fiance visa process.
