visa sponsor, no parents on wedding

[nonononono321]

Hi, I was filling forms to apply for my spouse sponsor. My husband is sponsoring me. His mother, brother and friends are in Canada but they don’t know what we got married already and he is sponsoring me, but they know that we are in relationship (dating). I am 19, my husband is 33.

We both are living together but his parents, relatives and friends don’t know that he is married and sponsoring me for pr. We don't want to tell them because of the age difference (14 years) and very fast wedding (6 months before we got married).

My husband connects with his family and friends once every 3 months. I met them once in person.

What should I write: Do your close friends, family and children know about relationship?

Now question is while filing form. It ask if parents were in wedding and if NO then explain WHY.

I said my parent (father), brother and friend attended wedding and wedding reception and wedding party (a lot of activities together).

What should I explain now in form?

Please help if anyone can, Thank you.

 

[Pindimurree]

Get a good lawyer please. You’ll get very different opinions and suggestions. Better that you get good representation and do it right the first time.

 

[canuck78]

Hi, I was filling forms to apply for my spouse sponsor. My husband is sponsoring me. His mother, brother and friends are in Canada but they don’t know what we got married already and he is sponsoring me, but they know that we are in relationship (dating). I am 19, my husband is 33.

We both are living together but his parents, relatives and friends don’t know that he is married and sponsoring me for pr. We don't want to tell them because of the age difference (14 years) and very fast wedding (6 months before we got married).

My husband connects with his family and friends once every 3 months. I met them once in person.

What should I write: Do your close friends, family and children know about relationship?

Now question is while filing form. It ask if parents were in wedding and if NO then explain WHY.

I said my parent (father), brother and friend attended wedding and wedding reception and wedding party (a lot of activities together).

What should I explain now in form?

Please help if anyone can, Thank you.

What is your current status in Canada? Not being open about your marriage and sponsorship is not a good idea especially give the fact that there are already some red flags when it comes to your relationship. Did any of his family attend your wedding? Was the wedding in Canada or abroad? How did you meet?

 

[Kaibigan]

Get a good lawyer please. You’ll get very different opinions and suggestions. Better that you get good representation and do it right the first time.

While I would ordinarily be slow to suggest to anyone NOT to get a good lawyer, it does not take a good lawyer to advise a PR applicant to tell the truth in answer to questions. The OP has set out the unvarnished truth here:

We don't want to tell them because of the age difference (14 years) and very fast wedding (6 months before we got married).

Maybe a lawyer can come up with a way to put a different spin on the truth. Not sure that's what a "good" lawyer would do. Yes, you might find one (although I would hope not), who is adept in the half lie and with long and successful experience in combining skilful exaggeration with partial suppression of the truth, and maybe you can craft answers to the questions on the application form that appear more palatable at first blush. You do so at your peril.

So, that's my different answer and suggestion. Be honest.

 

[nonononono321]

What is your current status in Canada? Not being open about your marriage and sponsorship is not a good idea especially give the fact that there are already some red flags when it comes to your relationship. Did any of his family attend your wedding? Was the wedding in Canada or abroad? How did you meet?

I am an international student in Canada. His family didn't attend the wedding. In my culture it is very common to have wedding very fast. Husband is Canadian...they usually date for 5 years or more. The wedding was in Canada...it was simple ceremony and dinner with my family (brother, dad) and one of my friend. We met in social media 5 months before wedding. Thank you for the reply.

 

[armoured]

I am an international student in Canada. His family didn't attend the wedding. In my culture it is very common to have wedding very fast. Husband is Canadian...they usually date for 5 years or more. The wedding was in Canada...it was simple ceremony and dinner with my family (brother, dad) and one of my friend. We met in social media 5 months before wedding. Thank you for the reply.

Honestly all you can do is tell the truth, explain basically that the spouse is not very close with his parents and you didn't want to invite them for [reasons.]

The issues (what many call red flags) are fairly obvious: relatively large age difference, short courtship, met online (although this is increasingly common) , marriage with not many people there, and one side of the family not present (although as they are in Canada, it would not have been difficult for them to travel etc). Positives are things like you actually living together, etc, and

I will say this though: there is a basic principle in Canadian common law that marriages cannot be secret. Let's not get into that in detail except to say you would be best to counter this perception. I'd say you would (likely) strengthen your case if you held some sort of activity with at least some members of your spouse's family (as many as realistic) where the marriage was celebrated (even if post facto) with pictures and other evidence. Same with other friends and acquaintances in Canada, and having your social media open about your marriage. All of this would speak to you 'holding yourselves out in public as married.' These are things you absolutely can do and strengthen your application before submitting your application. (Yep, it may be a bit awkward, such as admitting all this to his family - deal with it)

I echo the point that this is not really a legal question so much as a perception one, which you counter by being open and providing the other side of the story; hiring a lawyer to assist is not strictly necessary (although you might choose to do so for your own reasons).

As an aside: I would avoid the characterization that Canadians 'usually date for five years or more.' That may be relatively common, but it's not some social rule that must be followed, it's just one version of 'normal relationship scenarios.' It weakens your case to state as such, because what is more common - and closer to a social (and in some very specific contexts legal) rule - are open relationships and not hiding things from family and friends.