Rights of Fiancé in Canada?

Canada has one of the most comprehensive and extensive immigration systems in the world, which is geared towards the reunification of family members.

However, it has certain restrictions on who actually qualifies as members of the family class and, therefore, those who can be sponsored as such.

For the purposes of Immigration, members of the family class are as follows:

• Spouse
• Common Law Partner
• Conjugal Partner
• Dependant or Adopted Child
• Parent/Grandparent

Currently, CIC is no longer accepting applications to sponsor parents or grandparents; however, this application is scheduled to reopen in January of 2015.

You will notice that Fiancée is not on the list as they are not members of the family class.

Canada does not recognize the relationship that exists between an intended spouse. You must solidify your marriage in order to be considered eligible for sponsorship or have rights as a couple. You could also potentially be considered common-law partners and qualify for this sponsorship type if you have resided together for at least 12 months in a “marriage-like situation.”

Unfortunately, Canada did away with its Fiancée class sponsorship in June of 2002, unlike the United States of America, which still recognize this relationship for the purposes of Immigration.

In Canada, however, this is no longer an option. You and your fiancé will need to wait until you have finalized the marriage to submit an application. This does not mean you cannot prepare in advance, however.

It can be a very time-consuming process to obtain all the necessary documentation, especially when it comes to such things as replacing civil documents that have been misplaced or obtaining police clearances. If you have the intention to sponsor your spouse, you should make sure that you have everything ready to go, and you just need to literally attach a marriage certificate and submit it.

These applications have extensive processing times, and having a head start will make all the difference in being able to begin your life in Canada