A reality check on the sponsorship/permanent resident process

[rjessome]

This is a good thread as the process does present challenges. My fiancee and I have been in contact for about a year and a half,with the usual trips,communication history and pictures etc. We do have a couple of red flags with us, one being we both have had previous marriages and an age gap between us. The age gap is only two years,which I feel is not really a major red flag. Our previous marriages I feel are going to be the biggest red flags to deal with,myself once and she twice. The reasons of the breakdowns of our marriages are a reality that happens everywhere.I can only hope that a VO understands that when we apply and explain our pasts. I know that an interview will be required,and certainly have worries. I am going to retain a lawyer when our application gets started just for help with the forms,and in the event of a negative result knows everything about our file from the start, so an appeal can be requested. It is nice to have this forum for some support,advice, opinons and for people to share their own experiences.

An age difference of two years is nothing and won't be seen as a red flag. Previous marriages are not necessarily a red flag either. It depends on several factors, one of which is whether you've sponsored your previous spouse to become a PR of Canada and are now divorced and are sponsoring a new spouse. That's a big red flag. But if it's not the case then ensure that whomever you hire to be your representative tells the real "story" of your relationship and you should be fine. Proceeding with caution is definitely not a bad thing in this process nor is being prepared for any outcome. But CIC is not the moral police, although it can feel that way. If everything is prepared properly and explained fully showing that this relationship is genuine, they will understand that sometimes you gotta kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince or princess.

 

[Baloo]

you've sponsored your previous spouse to become a PR of Canada and are now divorced and are sponsoring a new spouse. That's a big red flag.

But not always a huge one, the issue is always what are the facts in your specific case.

One sponsor may be a serial spouse with a marriage every three or four years.
Another sponsor could have been abused, separated, divorced and finally after four or five years found a "soul mate".

Clearly the cases, or the perception of the cases differ. I think CIC are smart enough to see the difference.

 

[MandiF]

We do have a couple of red flags with us, one being we both have had previous marriages and an age gap between us. The age gap is only two years,which I feel is not really a major red flag.

I really wouldn't worry about a 2 year age difference, there is 12 years between me and my husband.