July 2, 2019

【Got married internationally. Can I easily apply for a Canadian Permanent Residency? 】

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident is eligible to sponsor a family member who is either their spouse, parent, grandparent or child to get their PR status. By applying this way, the applicant does not need to satisfy the conditions of having to provide documents on their academic record, job, or language tests to complete the application.

While a married couple is eligible to apply, it’s important to remember that it won’t be guaranteed that the application will be successful. The biggest factor taken into consideration is the authenticity of the relationship and documents provided to support it. 

These documents are a must to increase your chances of success

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Canadian Permanent Residency visa under marriage or a common-law partner – these tips will increase your chance of success

How long must I have known my partner?

How much time you have previously spent in your relationship prior to your marriage will not affect the outcome of your application. Most importantly, your application will be evaluated based on the documents you provide to prove the credibility of your relationship, especially in terms of intent (whether the marriage was solely for the purpose of immigration).

For example, if you met the person online, haven’t yet met your partner in person and make the decision to marry suddenly, it would be harder to prove that your relationship is authentic.

Mutual exchanges done through E-mail or SNS, photos of vacations you went on together, photos of having met each other’s family, or files relating to a joint bank account created under both you and your partner’s names, are all documents which you can include in the application to show the authenticity of your relationship.

Which country should I get married in?

While any country is fine, your marriage needs to have taken place in a country where it’s legally permitted to do so. No country is better for your application than another.

If you got married in Canada, please provide a copy (not the original copy) of your Marriage Certificate to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Depending on the province, and any additional fees that may be charged for rush service, you may get your marriage certificate in about one week.

If you have gotten married in Japan, be sure to include a Kosekitohon (Family Registry) copy, along with the English translation of your proof of marriage by a certified translator.

You may also include reservation proof, invitation cards from your marriage ceremony, a copy of your engagement ring insurance policy and/or your boarding pass for your honeymoon trip.

For a successful application 

It is recommended to include as many supporting documents as possible, and not to only submit the required listed documents in the document checklist. This is so as to not give the impression of a marriage for immigration purpose.

It is also recommended to wait to submit your application, and to have all relevant documents to be submitted in order first.

If there are any discrepancies on your application forms or documents you’ve submitted, your application may take longer to be processed and you may be requested to submit additional documents.

Remember to include all relevant documents while being mindful of the officer’s perspective when evaluating your application so that both you and your spouse may spend a wonderful time together in Canada!

If you have questions related to the PR visa by a marriage program, contact us.

Related article:


Outside vs Inside Canada – Sponsorship application

Client review “ Obtained PR visa through Family Sponsorship”

Marriage in Canada, Immigration through Common Law and Family (Japanese)