I was sponsored by my ex-wife (a Canadian national) in 2015, and I received my PR in March 2015. I lived in Canada from March 2015 to September 2016. We separated in September 2016 for various reasons and divorced in October 2016. (divorced granted outside Canada). It's been more than five years, and I've already remarried, and I'm planning to relocate back to Canada and apply for a landing paper; my question is, can I sponsor my second wife to Canada side by side? or do I need to obtain a divorce certificate from the first wife in Canada first?
Sponsoring the second wife to Canada
- Thread starter asyed82
- Start date
As long as your second marriage occured after your first divorce was finalized, then you can certainly sponsor your second wife. You do not need to obtain a divorce certificate from your first wife in Canada.
You'll need to make sure you meet the residency requirement at the time you apply. Also, assuming you are still a PR, you need to make sure you relocate back to Canada before you can submit the application to sponsor your new spouse.
From what you described it sounds like your pr card expired in March 2020 while you were outside Canada and you only lived in Canada for 18 months. It doesn’t sound like you have an easy option of returning unless you can cross the US border or get a PRTD under h&c which doesn’t sound like you have any good reasons for that.
What do you mean you want to apply for a landing paper?
Even the 18 months you lived in Canada would not count towards the time you can count for a PR travel document. Assuming you will apply today you will have to have lived in Canada for two years between Dec 27 2016 and Dec 27 2021. You left Canada in Sept 2016.
Reading through your post again, if you've been outside of Canada since 2016, then you would need to first successfully return to Canada without being reported and then live in Canada for 2 years straight before you'll be able to sponsor your second spouse. Or have you already returned to Canada?
Thanks for the reply, that means I am applying for the landing paper which is PRTD, I know it's difficult but I have some strong points which might help me to get the PRTD
Landing papers and PRTD are two very different things.
I assume you are applying for a PRTD. Do you meet the residency requirement or are you requesting the PRTD under H&C?
@asyed82 Those are important questions to answer to help make sure you have a strong PRTD application.
But to answer your original concern:
You won't be able to sponsor her and apply for a PRTD at the same time. You must return to Canada first and apply for sponsorship while in Canada (outland or inland). You shouldn't leave Canada during the sponsorship period except for short trips (2 weeks or so).
Even then, as a returning PR after extended absence, you might want to wait a bit after returning before applying for sponsorship (or make sure IRCC doesn't have room for second guessing your residency or intent of staying in Canada during the sponsorship - for Sponsor Approval purposes)