How to Marry a Canadian and Immigrate to Canada

If you want to immigrate to Canada through marriage, it is very possible! This article will explain how you can marry a Canadian and immigrate to Canada from Nigeria or from any other country.

To be eligible to immigrate and join your spouse in Canada, you need to be legally married to your spouse and have a marriage certificate issued by a law court in your country.

In addition, your spouse in Canada needs to meet certain other requirements that include the following:

• he or she must be over the age of 18,
• must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
• must not be receiving social assistance from the Canadian government.
• and be able to financially support you and your family (this includes you and any dependent children you have).

Once you are married to your spouse in Canada and meet all other requirements, you can then apply for a spousal sponsorship visa. And only after the spousal sponsorship application is approved will you be able to become a Canadian permanent resident.

Now, before we get into full details, let’s look at some of the benefits of marrying a Canadian citizen.

What are the Benefits of Marrying a Canadian Citizen?

The benefits of marrying a Canadian citizen or permanent resident are many, but I will list just a few.

First, as someone married to a Canadian, you stand a chance of getting a Canadian permanent residency through spousal sponsorship. And after fulfilling a few requirements, you can eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.

Another interesting benefit is that you do not need to worry about the financial implication as your spouse in Canada assume all your financial duties by sponsoring you.

Besides, as part of the requirements when applying for PR as a spouse, you will not be judged heavily on your professional work skills or abilities, which may benefit applicants who lack a degree or required work experience.

What do you need to marry a Canadian Citizen?

If you are planning to get married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, here is what you need to know. A Marriage that is legally performed in Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, or outside Canada is usually valid in Canada.

Below are the marriage process and requirements in Nigeria;

• Your marriage should be registered at a local public registry.
• You and your spouse need to be at least 18 years old to get married in Nigeria. If you are under 18 years of age, you will provide a letter of consent from your parents or legal guardians.
• The registry will post or display the Letter of Marriage Intention for 21 days on a public notice board.
• If no objections to the proposed marriage are raised during the 21-day period, you may then register your marriage.
• Birth certificates proving the age of both of you, as well as the results of HIV and genetic tests, are necessary.
• A divorcee must show a divorce certificate, whereas a widow or widower must present the late spouse’s death certificate.
• The exchange of oaths between you and your spouse may be witnessed by a marriage registrar.

The marriage requirement and process may differ from country to country. So, ensure that it is legally done in your country of residence.

However, marrying a Canadian citizen or permanent resident may not automatically make you a Canadian citizen. You will need to go through the same processes other applicants go through to immigrate to Canada. See below for the steps to apply for a spousal sponsorship.

What are the steps to apply for a spousal sponsorship visa?

If you are a Nigerian, Ghanaian, Indian, Pakistani, or from any other country, here is the steps on how your spouse in Canada can sponsor you for immigration to Canada.

Basically, the IRCC will request that you and your spouse must submit both the sponsorship application and the Permanent residence application.

Here are the steps below;

• Step 1: Find out if your spouse is eligible to sponsor you.
• Step 2: He/She will obtain IRCC’s application package on the government website.
• Step 3: Pay all the required fees on IRCC’s website. Fees normally include processing fees, biometrics fees, and the right of permanent residence fees.
• Step 4: Mail the two applications together to the IRCC mailing address in Canada.

Please Note: The Spousal sponsorship applications must be submitted by mail or through IRCC’s permanent residency application online.

And once IRCC approves the application, you and your spouse must fulfill other responsibilities:

• Your sponsor (Canadian spouse) is financially responsible for you and your dependent, if any.
• You that is being sponsored are not permitted to sponsor another person for five years after being sponsored.

What documents are proof of marriage in Canada?

As part of the application process for spousal sponsorship, you need to be able to prove beyond doubt that both of you are legally married.

Usually, you will be required to provide a marriage certificate and proof of the marriage, such as photographs.

But, based on past experiences, these are not often enough to prove that your marriage is real. The only way to demonstrate to the IRCC is by maintaining the relationship over a long period of time.

Providing some documents or pieces of evidence to the immigration officer that proves your relationship existed even before the marriage can make the process a little bit easier.

the following tips might help to prove to the officer that your relationship and marriage are genuine;

• Photos and tickets showing the trips that you have taken together before or after the marriage at different locations.
• Show proof of attending a marriage ceremony or participating in other social functions together.
• A detailed account of your relationship can help the officer determine the depth of your relationship easily.
• Demonstrate knowledge of minor details about your spouse. Show to the officer that you know every aspect of your spouse’s life.