How to marry visiting girlfriend in Canada?

[Romeo]

Hi all:

Here's the story.  I invited a russian girl to come visit me in Canada in July.  Her visa expires in early Dec.  In the last few months living together, things have gone well and we have decided we would like to get married here in Canada and apply for permanent residency from here so that she can be here with me while the paperwork processes (I hear it may take longer this way, but that isn't a concern).

My question is, how do I exactly proceed with this?  Has a Canadian here gone through this here who can give me a step by step guide?  Is there even enough time for all of this given that her visa expires in a little over a month.  I don't want to have a big ceremony or anything, just a quick and easy signing of papers at city hall or something.  I was also thinking of getting a pre-nuptual agreement, is this ok?  Also, once we get married and apply for her status, does she immediately get Canadian health insurance or does that come after the residency has been granted?

Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

R

 

[CanadaMan]

My question is, how do I exactly proceed with this? 

First you get married.
Then you fill out the permanent residence forms or hire a lawyer to do the paperwork.

  Is there even enough time for all of this given that her visa expires in a little over a month. 

 Yes there is enough time.

I was also thinking of getting a pre-nuptual agreement, is this ok?

 Yes, but just make sure that all documents are translated into Russian and
you hire a Russian speaking lawyer who will be present to translate and explain everything in Russian to your fiancee.

Also, once we get married and apply for her status, does she immediately get Canadian health insurance or does that come after the residency has been granted?

It will come after the residency has been granted.

[ML]

Just for my own clarification:

I read on here several times that there is no Fiancee visa program for Canada.  Those who had done it said (as I recall) you get married outside of Canada, then apply for the spouse to be admitted to Canada.

In this current case, the woman is in Canada on tourist visa; so if it can work for the OP as CanadaMan says . . . then this would be an 'end run' around the Canada system.

This  would be similar to case where spouse-to-be for US citizen got a tourist visa, came to USA, and married.  This  would be an  'end run' around the K-1 process which USA rules tries to prevent.

So my question . . . does this really work in Canada?

What is the catch . . . that it is hard to get tourist visa to Canada, so not much of this happens anyway?

[onlyFSU4me]

 Misha got married to his wife here in Canada, as well as NS1, a guy who posts over at RUA. It's not an end run around the Cdn system, it's just been historcally difficult for fsu women to get visitor visas to Canada. Although it sounds like that has loosened up in the last little while, we are hearing about more of them getting the visitor visas

[Romeo]

First you get married.
Then you fill out the permanent residence forms or hire a lawyer to do the paperwork.

 Yes there is enough time.

 Yes, but just make sure that all documents are translated into Russian and
you hire a Russian speaking lawyer who will be present to translate and explain everything in Russian to your fiancee.

It will come after the residency has been granted.

Hi, thanks for the straightforward response.  About the marriage, does it need to be a big party to show that the marriage is genuine or is a simple signing of papers at City Hall adequate?  I heard somewhere that it's important to have at least the man's family present. 

Also a second question about the health insurance.  The residency is granted AFTER the marriage has been there for 2 years right?  So then how does she get healthcare in the interim?  Separate insurance purchased?  What if she happened to get pregnant?

[CanadaMan]

Hi, thanks for the straightforward response. 

You are welcome!

About the marriage, does it need to be a big party to show that the marriage is genuine or is a simple signing of papers at City Hall adequate?  I heard somewhere that it's important to have at least the man's family present. 

It can be as big or small as you like. Just remember that after you marry and are applying for permanent residence, you will need to provide as much information as possible to prove that your relationship/marriage is genuine.

So lots of photos of the two of you over an extended period, e-mails, Skype sessions, phone bills etc. etc. as proof.

Also a second question about the health insurance.  The residency is granted AFTER the marriage has been there for 2 years right?

No. For inland applications (your case), it usually takes a year or less.


 

So then how does she get healthcare in the interim?  Separate insurance purchased?  What if she happened to get pregnant?

You will have to pay for any healthcare in the interim.
If she became pregnant, it usually takes 9 months until the child is born.
By that time she may or may not be a permanent resident.
If you are really concerned about her having health coverage for a baby delivery,
try not to get her pregnant until about a year after you marry.

[CanadaMan]

Just for my own clarification:

I read on here several times that there is no Fiancee visa program for Canada.

That is correct.

In this current case, the woman is in Canada on tourist visa; so if it can work for the OP as CanadaMan says . . . then this would be an 'end run' around the Canada system.

Yes, if you choose to look at it that way.

Some people marry spontaneously when a partner is visiting on a tourist visa.
Some people meet in Canada by chance, when one person is visiting, and they decide to get married.
Others plan in advance to get married in Canada if their tourist visa application is accepted.
There are many possibilities.

So my question . . . does this really work in Canada?

Yes, it really works. Cross my heart, honest to G_d.

What is the catch . . . that it is hard to get tourist visa to Canada, so not much of this happens anyway?

 Yes, you could say that is the catch.

It's also important to know that if you have known each other for less than two years, then permanent residence will come with a condition.
That condition means that  after two years Canada Immigration may require reporting to confirm you are together.  If you are not together, action could be taken against the immigrant to remove him or her from Canada.

[ML]

If you are really concerned about her having health coverage for a baby delivery, try not to get her pregnant until about a year after you marry.

If in doubt how to 'try not', look up the definition of abstinence.
Let us know how that works out.

[onlyFSU4me]

 If by chance she does get pregnant you would probably want her to go back to Ukraine to have the baby if she doesn't have her permanent residence yet and a hospitalization card. My wife had to go to the hospital last year while she was here on a visitor visa and they charged us 810.00 to check her out. That is the MINIMUM they charge. She had insurance coverage from Ukraine but we had to pay it out of pocket and are still arguing with the insurance company to refund us. I'll be amazed if they actually come through.
 You could also check with private insurance like Blue Cross to see if they will cover her while she is here too. It would be a lot safer than using a Ukrainian insurance company!   

[Romeo]

Hi:

To get married in Canada, the russian girl must prove that she hasn't been married before.  In Canada you can get this from the Director of Civil status.  How to do it for the russian girl, if she is with me in Canada now?  Is there a website or phone number to call?

Thanks.

[CanadaMan]

Hi:

To get married in Canada, the russian girl must prove that she hasn't been married before.  In Canada you can get this from the Director of Civil status.  How to do it for the russian girl, if she is with me in Canada now?  Is there a website or phone number to call?

Thanks.

It's something that is very difficult to do.

Prove that you were married? Sure.
Prove that you got a divorce? Sure.

But prove that you haven't been married before?

Let's say she got married in 2005 in Zambia.
Who's going to know if she doesn't talk about it?

Sure, she can try to get the Russian government to send a document for
Russia, if they do it.
But what about all the other countries in the world?
That would take a long, long time. And what if some countries don't provide the document?

[Daveman]

But prove that you haven't been married before?

I wonder if this is similar to our Affidavit of Non Impediment.  Which is basically a document upon which one affirms that he or she is free to marry. We have two versions, one for those formerly married, and one for those never having been married. Sign with notary and that is accepted as proof.  Just ruminating here.. I have no earthly idea how the Canadian Bureau of Molasses would differ from the USA BoM with regard to this process.

[Boethius]

The form is likely provincial, not federal, as marriages are within provincial jurisdiction.  So, it would be best to enquire at that level on what they require. 

[Romeo]

It's something that is very difficult to do.

Prove that you were married? Sure.
Prove that you got a divorce? Sure.

But prove that you haven't been married before?

Let's say she got married in 2005 in Zambia.
Who's going to know if she doesn't talk about it?

Sure, she can try to get the Russian government to send a document for
Russia, if they do it.
But what about all the other countries in the world?
That would take a long, long time. And what if some countries don't provide the document?

So what to do then?  The notary (and also the court house) insist on this document in order to get married.

[CanadaMan]

So what to do then?  The notary (and also the court house) insist on this document in order to get married.

I don't have this information Romeo. Maybe someone else here has been in this situation.

[Boethius]

I had to prove I'd never been married when I married in Ukraine.


I swore an Affidavit, which was then translated into Russian, and notarized.


I suggest you ask the notary what proof he requires.  I assume you are in Quebec.  Perhaps you could check what Ontario requires, and it is easier, marry there.

[CanadaMan]

I had to prove I'd never been married when I married in Ukraine.


I swore an Affidavit, which was then translated into Russian, and notarized.

It's interesting that it was translated into Russian and not Ukrainian.
If official documents such as this are not produced in Ukrainian, then what documents are?

[Boethius]

I married during Soviet times.  Everything was in Russian.


ETA - I also had to take the notarized affidavit to the Canadian Embassy, and get a stamp from them.

[CanadaMan]

I married during Soviet times.  Everything was in Russian.


ETA - I also had to take the notarized affidavit to the Canadian Embassy, and get a stamp from them.

Ahhh...OK. Gotcha! 

[ML]

To get married in Canada, the russian girl must prove that she hasn't been married before. 

Let's hope they don't also ask for proof that a murder has not been committed.

[Ooooops]

Let's hope they don't also ask for proof that a murder has not been committed.

That's where the police report comes in.   

[Misha]

Hi:

To get married in Canada, the russian girl must prove that she hasn't been married before.  In Canada you can get this from the Director of Civil status.  How to do it for the russian girl, if she is with me in Canada now?  Is there a website or phone number to call?

Thanks.

As Boethius said, it is up to the provinces, and when I got married in Alberta seven years and a couple of weeks ago, all we needed was to provide ID and just as long as were were not under the age of 18 or close kin (see [size=78%]http://www.servicealberta.ca/781.cfm[/size]) you did not have to do anything else other than fill out the form and pay the fee. If you are divorced you provide the divorce certificate, but if you have never been married, there are no documents that you must provide to prove your single status, but they do state that you must not be married when you apply.

[Romeo]

As Boethius said, it is up to the provinces, and when I got married in Alberta seven years and a couple of weeks ago, all we needed was to provide ID and just as long as were were not under the age of 18 or close kin (see [size=78%]http://www.servicealberta.ca/781.cfm[/size]) you did not have to do anything else other than fill out the form and pay the fee. If you are divorced you provide the divorce certificate, but if you have never been married, there are no documents that you must provide to prove your single status, but they do state that you must not be married when you apply.

Thanks for the info, I think we will get married in Ontario, it's a lot easier and faster there.  As for the sponsorship, did you sponsor your wife through the Quebec system?  Apparently it's different from the rest of Canada.  I am a resident of Quebec, does that mean I have to use the Quebec system?

[Boethius]

Thanks for the info, I think we will get married in Ontario, it's a lot easier and faster there.  As for the sponsorship, did you sponsor your wife through the Quebec system?  Apparently it's different from the rest of Canada.  I am a resident of Quebec, does that mean I have to use the Quebec system?

I believe Quebec controls its own immigration, so without researching the issue, I believe you do have to use the Quebec system.  A local immigration lawyer could provide you with a definitive answer, as could a call to Immigration Canada.

[Misha]

For more information: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/EN/IMMIGRATE-SETTLE/sponsors-sponsored/apply/index.html


The one disadvantage with getting married in Ontario if all your family and friends are in Québec: it might make the marriage look less "authentic" to the person who will be reviewing your future wife's file. Unless they changed the paperwork, they do ask who attended the wedding and it would look odd if you married in Ontario with no (or few) family or friends.


But, best to get some legal advice to avoid any problems.