New Spousal Document Checklist – Part 2 – Effective January 31, 2017

With the new sponsorship application procedures streamlined, the immigration department has also revamped the documents needed for common law applications. IF YOU ARE COMMON-LAW AND CURRENTLY LIVING TOGETHER (or have lived together for 12 full months), provide the following: Joint ownership of residential property or joint residential leases or joint rental agreements listing both of[…]

Spousal Interview Questions – Inside Canada Application

Clients who file inside Canada spousal applications will receive a letter from Immigration just prior to the foreign national spouse being granted permanent status. At this interview, the foreign national spouse is given the confirmation of permanent residence. Immigration asks the foreign national and the sponsoring spouse to come for a scheduled permanent residence interview[…]

Is a Spousal Interview routine for Immigration?

One of the frequent questions that I am asked is whether an interview is necessary for all sponsorship applications involving immigration applications concerning marriages or common law relationships. The answer is – no. Generally interviews are not conducted on spousal sponsorship interviews so long as enough documentation is provided that shows a real and on-going[…]

Can a spouse of an IEC candidate obtain a work permit too?

The International Experience Canada (IEC) program itself does not allow for ‘accompanying dependents’ however, the Act and Regulations do allow for dependents who meet specific requirements to apply for work / study permits. Spouses or common-law partners of IEC participants cannot be included as ‘accompanying dependents’ in the principal applicants’ work permit applications. Instead, spouses[…]

What is a de facto family member?

Sponsorship is not just restricted to spouses or children. Occasionally a sponsored spouse may have an elderly relative or a member of the extended family living with them. They naturally want to have that person immigrate as well, but they do not fit the legal definition of a dependent. CIC describes such individuals as “…a[…]

Are all spousal visas conditional?

The answer to that question is – No. Recently a client who was applying for permanent residence, based on sponsorship by a Canadian, was concerned about the conditional status of the visa. His concern was that the immigration department could at any time within two years after he obtained his permanent residence take his permanent[…]