Prevention of Marriage Fraud in Canada

Foreign marriage in Canada has led to many cases of fraud earlier and the government is taking strict measures to keep a check on this now. As the Canadian government has taken strong measures to validate a number of foreign nationals for work and thereby grant them permanent residency, people are taking the easier step of getting married to Canadian residents. However, this is exactly where the fraudulent cases are accruing. There are two main kinds of fraud marriages – one where only one party is aware of the fraudulence and the other where both parents are aware of it.

There are men and women who get married to Canadian nationals with the only purpose of getting an entry in to the country. The Canadian is left in mystery about the fraudulence being conducted and is left regretting the marriage since his or her spouse exploited them. The other case is a marriage of convenience where both the man and woman are aware that they are conducting a fake marriage and the marriage is broken right after they get permanent residence certification. The Canadian government is taking stern measures to prevent the occurrence of both types of marriages. The Canadian immigration office rejects applications for permanent residence if the applicant has only a spouse in the country.

The authenticity of a marriage is tested by Canadian officials on the basis of the answers received to a set of questions pre-determined by them. A round of questions and answers determine the nature of the marriage. Marriage and relationship details about the person such as how many times, if at all, he or she has been married earlier, are checked. Other aspects of the marriage are also checked such as the guests at the wedding, etc. Apart from this, some basic study is done about the individuals such as their social and educational backgrounds, etc. Engaging in a marriage purely for the purpose of getting citizenship of Canada is considered a criminal offence.

The Canadian government has also taken steps to increase awareness regarding marriage fraudulence. The refreshed rules have made it essential for the couple to spend a time of at least 2 years in the marriage from the time of the grant of permanent residence to the foreigner. The reason behind this is the fact that those who have entered into fake marriages will want to walk out immediately after receiving their residence certificate. Canadian governmental authorities thus do not rely solely on foreign authorisation systems but enforce their own checks for ensuring the validity of a marriage.

To know more about foreign marriage in Canada, contact Victor Opara at 416-782-5926.