CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

  Dear Miss Powell, I read your articles all the time. Thank you for them. I have a personal question. I am interested in sponsoring my girlfriend and our son. I am a permanent resident of Canada and I have been travelling back and forth for the past three years to see them. With this COVID situation, I think it is best to get them here. My girlfriend already has her COVID shot and should be getting the next one soon. How do I start the process to get them here? How much money do I need to show that I have? What is the first step that I should take? PR Dear PR, Family is important and since the pandemic, many individuals are looking to sponsor their loved ones to join them here in Canada. The first step is to ensure that all the parties involved are eligible. Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will evaluate you, the sponsor, and the persons being sponsored to see if you qualify. WHO CAN SPONSOR? Anyone seeking to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner must first be o...

  Dear Ms Powell, I have been in a relationship since last year Easter. We met online, and he visited last summer and spent the whole time with me last year, and we talk every day via Zoom. I applied for a visitor’s visa and didn’t get it, so I couldn’t visit him for Christmas. Due to the virus, he hasn’t been able to visit this summer. He said that he can sponsor me, but we are not sure as he is having difficulties with getting his divorce although he left his wife about five years ago. I am a Christian, and so we haven’t had sex. Does it mean that because we haven’t had sex that we would not qualify as common-law partners? Can he really sponsor me? Would it be easier if he just married me? Can we marry via Zoom? Looking forward to your response. – J.C. Dear J.C., Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply for their spouses to live permanently with them in Canada if they are able to satisfy the requirements. The key issues are qualification based on the definition of a sp...

Immigration Corner | I fled abuse in Canada : Dear Miss Powell, I got married to a Canadian citizen and he filed for me. I got through and went to Canada. I was excited about my new life. However, from the day I landed in Canada I started getting all kinds of abuse. I decided to stick it out as I really love my husband. I found out that I was pregnant and I wasn't sure how he would take the news, so I asked a minister to talk to him about the way he is treating me. The minister called and talked to him and he got mad at me, saying I had no right to bring his business to the public. He hit me on my face and flung me across the room. I was so scared, I called my family in Jamaica and they said that I should leave him and come back to Jamaica before he kills me and the baby. I packed a bag when he went to work and returned to Jamaica to my parents. I've been in Jamaica about three weeks and my husband has called and threatened me almost every day. He said he is going to tel...

Dear Miss Powell, I'm in a same sex relationship with my Canadian boyfriend. He wanted me to visit him so in his invitation letter he stated that I was his cousin by marriage and I also placed that information on the application form. That was done to keep my sexuality private and to protect me. Unfortunately the visa was denied. We plan to get married soon and then he wants to sponsor me as his spouse. I read that I could be banned for misrepresentation. Is this true? What should we do? - LJ  Dear LJ, You should not lie or give misleading information to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as there are serious consequences. A person is deemed inadmissible under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for, "directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the enforcement of the Act." It is not a criminal offence but goes to the heart of the i...

Dear Ms Powell, I am a Canadian citizen and I have been dating a woman in Jamaica for two years. She applied to get a visitor's visa and was denied twice. I visit her every Christmas as I don't get much time off from work. I've heard of marriage by phone or proxy. I want to find out if we can get married that way. Can they send the documents to me and I just sign them and return them to the minister? Would I be able to sponsor her if we get married this way? She said she could get the ceremony arranged in Jamaica and that she heard of cases where people got married using a big-screen TV. Can this work? I really love her, but I can't get the time off work and she can't get a visa. Can I authorise someone to sign the documents on my behalf? - KF  Dear KF, A Canadian citizen can marry and sponsor anyone provided that both you and the person sponsored are able to satisfy all requirements. First, let's look at what would be considered a valid marriage . Bo...

Dear Ms Powell, I am supposed to go into final year at the University of the West Indies (UWI) next September and I'm contemplating not going back. My boyfriend is a Canadian citizen. He takes good care of me and gives me money for my boarding. He is planning to send money for my ticket to come to Canada soon. He, however, wants me to stay in Canada when I visit. He said it doesn't make sense I finish up studies here in Jamaica, as Canada does not recognise Jamaican degrees. He said I could come up and live with him and he will sponsor me. I'm a little confused as my mother died recently and I don't have anyone else to help me. I don't have any money to finish up and any money I get comes from my boyfriend. A friend said I should write you to see if my boyfriend can really sponsor me and if it's true that even if I go Canada I wouldn't be able to use my UWI degree. I look forward to your advice as I'm a little confused. - AT Dear AT, I'm sor...

Dear Miss Powell, I  met a Canadian man about three years ago. We fell in love and got married last year November. I have been faithful to him all these years. After we got married, he told me that he has HIV. He has shown no signs or symptoms and neither have I. However, after he told me that he has HIV, I got tested and realise I, too, have HIV. He is now putting together papers to sponsor me and I'm worried that I will be denied the opportunity to join him in Canada as he says a medical will be necessary. I love my husband and I forgive him for not telling me about this. I just want us to be able to live together. Is it possible for persons who are HIV positive to get a visa to Canada? Will this affect the sponsorship application? If it's possible, what steps would I need to take. I am a professional and I have been in excellent health since I was diagnosed. - Anonymous Dear Anonymous, I am sorry to hear that both you and your husband have contracted HIV. Howeve...