Here are some common mistakes you should avoid in your spousal sponsorship application to have your partner immigrate to Canada. As Canadian immigration lawyers, we often get hired to fix applications that have been rejected or denied. Below are five common mistakes that we see applicants make in their Canadian Spousal Sponsorship application:
5 Mistakes to Avoid in your spousal sponsorship application:
Missing Country Specific Requirements for Spousal Sponsorship.
Before you submit your application, make sure you have checked the applicant’s country-specific requirements. The checklist you use should be the one corresponding to the applicant’s country of citizenship. If the applicant is a citizen of more than one country, be sure to check each country checklist and provide all required documents. This means using a friend’s checklist is not recommended.
Social media posts that do not support your relationship for the person you are trying to sponsor.
Social media posts that do not support your relationship. As part of a background check, IRCC may check your social media. Applicants sometimes forget to update it. If your social media says you are married to someone else or if you have relevant information that you omitted from you your application, this may raise red flags.
Inconsistencies in the spousal sponsorship application.
Common inconsistencies we see are related to the relationship, previous relationships, personal history, travel history, and employment history. There is a lot of information required when submitting a spousal sponsorship application.
Most of the time, we see that the inconsistencies have been innocent. This is why having a second pair of eyes, especially one that knows what to look for, is beneficial.
Assuming the “bona fides” of your relationship are obvious.
It is common for people to assume that because their relationship is legitimate, this will be obvious to anyone reviewing the spousal sponsorship application. However, this is not always the case.
Our lawyers always use an affidavit as a tool to tell the officer about the relationship and to also explain anything from the application that may raise some questions about eligibility. The affidavit usually includes a relationship timeline, what the couple has in common, and future plans.
Immigrant Intent at the border, before or after you submit your spousal sponsorship application.
Applicants sometimes get in trouble when they show up at the border with clear intentions to stay in Canada permanently while entering in visitor status. While Canada permits “dual intent”, you still need to be able to prove that you will adhere to only doing what is allowed on admission as a visitor. Applicants should be able to show strong ties to home country, that they will abide by the visitor status allotments of time in Canada, and that they are unlikely to stay in Canada indefinitely.
Our lawyers help spousal sponsorship applicants on border crossings by helping them with a checklist of documents to have when crossing the border to prove that they will abide by all immigration laws. Our clients can also call our office, anytime, including during border crossings, if difficulty arises.
How can a lawyer help with my spousal sponsorship application?
A lawyer can help you from the planning stages all the way up to your landing and becoming a permanent resident. Some couples hire our firm before they are married, so we can assist with any immigration considerations related to the wedding. Other couples hire us after they have tried to do it themselves and realize they would prefer a professional to handle it for them. To get started, please schedule a strategy session here.
