Sponsoring my wife from New Zealand

[bsalim]

Hello All,

I am a Canadian Citizen and I recently got married to my wife of New Zealand citizenship. We are both currently living in the Middle-East and I would like to sponsor my wife for her to become a Canadian citizen whilst living abroad.

I am unclear about my intentions to return back to Canada, but I would like both of us to go through the process to avoid future hassle of travelling from one place to another whilst have different passports.

Here are my questions:
1. Can I apply for her citizenship whilst I am abroad?
2. Do I need to return to Canada with my wife for us to complete the application process.
3. Where do I got apply if it is possible?
4. Any tips or insiders on how to do this smoothly without much travel?

Thanks!

 

[scylla]

1. No - you can't apply for her citizenship. She has to be sponsored for permanent residency first. Once she is a PR, she will need to physically live in Canada for several years before she can apply for citizenship.
2. You can sponsor her for PR from outside of Canada.
3. All applications are mailed to the Mississauga visa office.
4. For your wife to be approved for PR, you must include concrete evidence with her sponsorship application that you plan to relocate back to Canada once her PR visa has been approved. If you have no plans on moving back to Canada soon, you may find it quite difficult for the application to be approved.