A man who married his wife weeks before coming to Canada on a refugee claim has to prove to the government that he and his wife are in a loving relationship in order to be able to sponsor her.
Man with refugee claim didn’t know what a common-law relationship is
According to this Winnipeg Free Press Article, the man and his wife lived together for two years – making them common-law in Canada – but only legally married her a few weeks before moving to Canada. According to the man, his wife’s father originally made it very difficult for him to marry his daughter, because in Cameroon it is customary to pay a dowry. The man set his daughter’s dowry at an exorbitantly high price that was unaffordable.
CIC requires proof for refugee claim sponsorship
Citizenship and Immigration Canada demanded a package of proof from the man in order to show he had lived with his wife, so he send phone bills, photos and letters to show their relationship’s timeline. But in order for his wife to come over, he must apply for a refugee claim on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, which could take another year or two.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
