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April 12, 2007

MARRIAGE ABROAD

There are many Canadians who are currently engaged in a serious, long-distance relationship with a citizen of a foreign country. Of course, like in all relationships, these couples hope to be married one day and live together in Canada. However, for a Canadian citizen marrying abroad to a non-Canadian citizen, the process is not as simple as it may seem. Moreover, if the couple wants to live in Canada, there is another lengthy and confusing process they must follow. You cannot simply arrive in another country and ask to be married to a citizen of that country and move back to Canada with your new spouse. Unfortunately, marriage abroad can become a stressful and bureaucratic process.

Each country imposes its own requirements to marry one of its citizens. But there are some procedures that are common to most, if not all, countries. For example, you must show proof that you are single. This would mean presenting documents proving that you are legally single. Secondly, all documents will have to be presented to a ministry in the country where you will be married. Therefore, you must have all documents translated into that country’s official language. These procedures can be lengthy and expensive, depending on the country where you plan to be wed.

Once you are married to a foreign citizen and you wish to have them immigrate to Canada, there are various avenues you may want to consider. The most recommendable one is to file a sponsorship application. Filing a sponsorship application for your spouse is perhaps the easiest route to take for anyone who was married abroad and wishes for their spouse to live in Canada. However, this is not the only option. Filing a skilled worker application is a possibility that could allow the spouse to immigrate to Canada.

The process for applying to be married to a foreigner outside of Canada can be stressful because of the stringent requirements. Any document that is missing or was submitted incorrectly could lead to a serious delay if not rejection of your application. Immigroup Immigration Services offers you a service to help you prepare and obtain all the necessary documents to be married abroad. They can also help you file a sponsorship application or guide you to the best course of action in your specific circumstance. You can visit their marriage abroad section at http://www.immigroup.com/international_marriage.php.