Many people that I have spoken with over the years are under the misapprehension that as soon as someone marries a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, that confers special status on the foreign spouse. Marriage to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada confers no immediate status on anyone. Once married, it is necessary for the Canadian to apply to sponsor his/her spouse to become a Canadian citizen in order to obtain permanent resident status for the spouse. A permanent resident of Canada must be residing inside in Canada in order to commence the spousal application for Canadian immigration. The Canadian citizen may be residing abroad when the application to sponsor is filed as long as evidence of his/her intention to return to Canada is included with the application once the spouse’s visa has been issued.

Immigrating to Canada? Visit www.akcanada.com for more information or a free assessment.