Divorced/Separated, how do I know if they applied for gov't assistance?

[seoulcanada]

I understand that the undertaking is 3 years from the date the sponsored person gets their PR. I understand it covers food, clothing, shelter, dental, medical, etc etc.

From what I've read, the sponsor would just apply for government assistance (is this welfare?) and it will get charged to me later.

Q: How do I know if my ex spouse applied/received government assitance? Do I get notified before, during, later, or way later?

Q2: How easy is it for people to get this? I assume they do pretty through checks to see if they actually need it or not.

Q3: When a sponsored person applies for social assistance, do they have to prove that they asked their sponsor to take care of them first or is that not required?

I was recently on the phone with CIC and asked, they said to contact social services. I will call them later.

 

[BettyPage]

Yes it is welfare or if you are in Ontario, it's called Ontario Works
Q1 - you will receive a letter that you are in default of your sponsorship obligations and that you owe X amount of money. In my case I got a letter a few weeks after my ex applied for assistance.
Q2- It's very easy, they do not do any sort of through checks. They take the persons story as the truth. In my case it was a bold lie and I had proof to back it up and had to pay back a month's worth of assistance but managed to get him kicked off because I was supporting him and he lied to the case workers
Q3 - not to my knowledge, they only have to show proof that they have no funds.

 

[seoulcanada]

Sorry that happened to you.

Is there a way one can protect oneself from this happening?

They say that this "may" affect your eligibility to act as a sponsor again in the future. Does anyone know how strong this "may" is?

 

[mikeymyke]

If you want to protect yourself, make sure you really know your fiance very well, inside and out, before you commit to her.

 

[seoulcanada]

Thanks pastor.

 

[gongdi]

Is there a way one can protect oneself from this happening?

IMHO,

I think that if your file receives certain red flags, one should consider the sometimes very rational reasons behind them and do some honest soul-searching as opposed to just getting angry and hiring a lawyer to show 'em how wrong they are. Some of the threads and detailed stories I've read on this forum sometimes have me scratching my head and wondering "How can this person possibly believe that he/she is not being used for the golden ticket to Canada?" I believe that there is delusional psychology at play where one, deep down, realizes he/she is being cheated but refuses to acknowledge the fact as they so desperately want things to turn in their favour. In those cases, there is no way to protect these people.

In less obvious cases, the sponsored applicant may have put on one heck of an acting performance! Who knows, really. Furthermore, one has to take into account the very real possibility of change when a person moves to a completely different country. The sponsor is no longer in control of the situation and the sponsored is free to roam if it suits his/her fancy.

 

[mikeymyke]

I think the biggest red flag would be, if you ask your spouse, if she's willing to live with you in her home country if the sponsorship fails, and if she's unsure or not willing, then that's a bad sign. Or if she says, "I don't think it will fail, dont talk about it"

 

[seoulcanada]

Thanks again for this preventative advice but it's not really what I meant.

 

[seoulcanada]

The case I'm asking about, there were no red flags about the application. The sponsor initiates the break up. What I mean by how to protect yourself is in this situation where the sponsored partner may lie to get welfare that they wouldn't normally get. I agree to the undertaking, not to aiding fraud. It could even be done as an act of revenge against the sponsor.

 

[mikeymyke]

You will know if they got govt assistance when they notify you by mail, or on your income tax assessment. But I highly doubt she will go on welfare, your ex, because the payout is so low, even if she wanted to "stick it to you", she will realize she's better off working a real job and making 10x as much $.

 

[gongdi]

I think the biggest red flag would be, if you ask your spouse, if she's willing to live with you in her home country if the sponsorship fails, and if she's unsure or not willing, then that's a bad sign. Or if she says, "I don't think it will fail, dont talk about it"

Good point. Couples should consider the possibility of rejection and discuss what is plan B？
In my case, my spouse and I would much prefer to raise our child in Canada but as it stands, living together in Beijing is also not so bad. However in the case of a legitimate relationship being repeatedly rejected, the problem is reversed for the sponsor: How will he or she be able to get continuous visas to stay in the spouses' country? ???