+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Length of time from meeting to marriage - a problem?

mjbezanson

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
22
0
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-08-2011
File Transfer...
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
07-07-2011
Passport Req..
06-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
23-03-2012
LANDED..........
27-05-2012
I met this wonderful woman in early November and we have discussed the possibility of getting married in mid to late March. Will short length of time cause a problem when we start the immigration process?

Thanks
 

HoneyBird

Hero Member
Jul 26, 2010
791
68
Category........
Visa Office......
POS
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Jun 2010
Doc's Request.
Jun 2010
AOR Received.
Sep 2010
File Transfer...
Aug 2010
Med's Done....
Jun 2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
Dec 2010
VISA ISSUED...
Jan 2011
LANDED..........
Feb 2011
on line or in person?
have you had many encounters with him..or did you met on a holiday and decided to continue?
 

Baloo

VIP Member
Nov 30, 2009
4,879
205
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
It really depends on the view of the immigration officer.


Can I ask for a bit more background info' ?
Where are you from, what visa office you are looking at, that sort of stuff?
How did you meet?
 

mjbezanson

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
22
0
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-08-2011
File Transfer...
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
07-07-2011
Passport Req..
06-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
23-03-2012
LANDED..........
27-05-2012
She is from the Philippines. I did meet her online. I live in Manitoba and she has a brother in Alberta whom I am in contact with regularly as well - if that makes any difference.
 

Jurjen

Hero Member
Nov 1, 2010
466
26
Québec
Category........
Visa Office......
Vegreville (inland)
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
18-10-2010
Med's Done....
01-06-2011
Interview........
Waived
LANDED..........
19-10-2011 @ Montreal
If you marry so quickly after meeting each other, especially if your girl friend is from a country like the Philippines, it could seem like marriage fraud for economical reasons. You will need to present a lot of proof that your relationship is genuine.

Like Baloo said: it also depends on the immigration officer you get.
 

Baloo

VIP Member
Nov 30, 2009
4,879
205
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
BTW there is nothing wrong with meeting online, I did the same with my wife, many others here have met the same way.

The Brother, I have no idea if it makes a difference to an IO. It may be seen as better for her integration into Canada or, as a reason why she would want to move here.
Have you met her face to face yet? If not, then I would guess that immigration may have concerns.
 

mjbezanson

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
22
0
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-08-2011
File Transfer...
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
07-07-2011
Passport Req..
06-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
23-03-2012
LANDED..........
27-05-2012
Other than chatting, I have not seen her in person. I have my tickets and I arrive there on the 27th of February. The plan is get married after the 10 day waiting period. I am not sure if age makes a difference - she is 46 and I am 52.
 

Jurjen

Hero Member
Nov 1, 2010
466
26
Québec
Category........
Visa Office......
Vegreville (inland)
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
18-10-2010
Med's Done....
01-06-2011
Interview........
Waived
LANDED..........
19-10-2011 @ Montreal
Such an age difference is not a problem. If she would've been 26, it was a whole different story. Still: 10 days is incredibly short for marriage, but that could just be my opinion. We got married after 3 years of Skype and visiting each other and we still think that's short!
 

mjbezanson

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
22
0
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-08-2011
File Transfer...
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
07-07-2011
Passport Req..
06-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
23-03-2012
LANDED..........
27-05-2012
I would appreciate any words of advice that will make the process over the next year a bit easier.
 

Baloo

VIP Member
Nov 30, 2009
4,879
205
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
mjbezanson said:
Other than chatting, I have not seen her in person. I have my tickets and I arrive there on the 27th of February. The plan is get married after the 10 day waiting period. I am not sure if age makes a difference - she is 46 and I am 52.
My opinion, as you have not met and will be married within ten days - you will need to provide the IO with a lot of proof that this is a real relationship.
Jurjen alluded that the Philippines has its fair share of fraudulent applications (it is not the only place). Immigration do look in detail at certain cases, given the things that they see, it is to be expected.

You are unlikely to be able to bring your new wife to Canada until she gets a PR approval. A temporary visit visa in these cases seems to be refused quite often.

Have you decided how you are going to approach the PR application?

My considered opinion - from the limited information that I see.
As you have not met and the brother is here, I think your strategy might need a rethink. I would encourage a slower approach. If it is love then she should understand the reason why.
Please be aware that when a Canadian sponsors a spouse for PR, the sponsor is financially liable for three years, no matter what.
There are documented cases of foreign spouses getting of the plane and not even meeting their Canadian partner.
The immigrant can claim welfare and the sponsor is on the hook for the whole amount.

All I would add is, be careful.
 

mjbezanson

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
22
0
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-08-2011
File Transfer...
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
07-07-2011
Passport Req..
06-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
23-03-2012
LANDED..........
27-05-2012
Thanks for your advice. I will be careful and think things through again.
 

HoneyBird

Hero Member
Jul 26, 2010
791
68
Category........
Visa Office......
POS
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Jun 2010
Doc's Request.
Jun 2010
AOR Received.
Sep 2010
File Transfer...
Aug 2010
Med's Done....
Jun 2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
Dec 2010
VISA ISSUED...
Jan 2011
LANDED..........
Feb 2011
Alternately, she could apply for a visitor visa if her brother can give her a letter of invite. have they tried to get her a visitor visa before? If she tries with the letter of invite from her brother she may get a visitor visa and she can then travel to canada, stay with him for a bit and you can get to know her better. then you can fly down and get to know the her and her family better.

Now if the brother has previously given her a letter of invite when she previously applied for a temporary visitor visa, and she was refused, don't expect that because you marry her, she will get one. It would be hardly likely at all and then you need to check the processing times for the phillipines---some embassies take 6-12-24 months to complete sponsorship and you need to read up and find out how long this process will take and make up your mind on whether you want a quick shot wedding or rather you take your time and know the person and then marry because the road ahead for sponsorship is a long one.
 

canadianwoman

VIP Member
Nov 6, 2009
6,200
282
Category........
Visa Office......
Accra, Ghana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
30-01-2008
Interview........
05-05-2009
mjbezanson said:
Other than chatting, I have not seen her in person. I have my tickets and I arrive there on the 27th of February. The plan is get married after the 10 day waiting period. I am not sure if age makes a difference - she is 46 and I am 52.
It is too quick. With an applicant from the Philippines, you will have a hard time convincing the visa officer it is a genuine marriage.
Your ages are actually a plus - you are pretty close in age, the man is the older one, and you are both mature.
The brother is probably a plus - family in Canada can make it look like the applicant just wants to join his or her family, but since it is just one person this makes that motive less likely. Try to have and maintain a good relationship with the brother, with proof, because showing that you have met each other's family is considered good evidence of a bona fide relationship.

I think if you get married 10 days after actually meeting each other, her application will be refused, so you will have to appeal or reapply. My suggestion is to not marry yet - meet her during this trip, get to know her and her friends and family, gather a lot of proof of your time together (plane tickets, boarding passes, receipts for activities done together, and lots of photos). Then go back to Canada and continue your relationship long distance. Continue gathering proof: phone each other a lot and use some method that will provide proof. You can print out Skype records, for example. Use landlines for phone calls, or a cell plan that will show the numbers called, for both you and her, even though this will be more expensive. Phone cards as proof are useless in the Philippines. Send emails, letters, cards, and save copies of everything.
Then go and visit her as often as possible, keeping proof of everything. After 8 months or a year of this, then get married and submit your application. I know you don't want to wait, but doing it this way will end up being faster than marrying and applying right away, getting refused, and having to appeal.
 

wes786

VIP Member
Sep 6, 2010
5,024
409
canadianwoman said:
It is too quick. With an applicant from the Philippines, you will have a hard time convincing the visa officer it is a genuine marriage.
Your ages are actually a plus - you are pretty close in age, the man is the older one, and you are both mature.
The brother is probably a plus - family in Canada can make it look like the applicant just wants to join his or her family, but since it is just one person this makes that motive less likely. Try to have and maintain a good relationship with the brother, with proof, because showing that you have met each other's family is considered good evidence of a bona fide relationship.

I think if you get married 10 days after actually meeting each other, her application will be refused, so you will have to appeal or reapply. My suggestion is to not marry yet - meet her during this trip, get to know her and her friends and family, gather a lot of proof of your time together (plane tickets, boarding passes, receipts for activities done together, and lots of photos). Then go back to Canada and continue your relationship long distance. Continue gathering proof: phone each other a lot and use some method that will provide proof. You can print out Skype records, for example. Use landlines for phone calls, or a cell plan that will show the numbers called, for both you and her, even though this will be more expensive. Phone cards as proof are useless in the Philippines. Send emails, letters, cards, and save copies of everything.
Then go and visit her as often as possible, keeping proof of everything. After 8 months or a year of this, then get married and submit your application. I know you don't want to wait, but doing it this way will end up being faster than marrying and applying right away, getting refused, and having to appeal.


I agree 100% with the above suggestion...
 

nylalisa

Hero Member
Jan 2, 2011
697
21
Category........
Visa Office......
New Delhi
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
02-12-2010
Doc's Request.
31-01-2011 (additional doc request)
AOR Received.
17-01-2011
File Transfer...
06-01-2011
Med's Request
30-03-2011
Med's Done....
21-10-2010
Interview........
30-03-2011 (Passed and approved same day)
Passport Req..
01-25-2011
VISA ISSUED...
04-04-2011 (Received 09-04-2011)
LANDED..........
13-04-2011
Although I agree with everyone, if you are sure about getting married, just make sure you keep all your proof of contact before and after marriage. I met someone online last year in November 2009, we couldn't meet because of me being in law school and such, but we met for the first time in August 2010. We were married in a traditional ceremony in India that September. We have kept all the proof of contact with each other, with our families etc etc. I applied to sponsor him this past December 2010. We know it will not be a straight forward approval like most people get without the interview. But if you are prepared to show your proof and no problems with an interview and such, then go for it. For us, if he is denied and even after an appeal (God forbide) I will go live with him and then re-apply.

However, if you are confident then go for it, you aren't the first to have a quick relationship and you wont be the last. But I definetely do agree with other forum member, it's better to wait and build the relationship with visits and stuff then marry. And then at that time get married. Less hassle...