Migrating to Canada can be done in many different ways ranging from applying as a student, an investor, to visiting as a tourist. One other way, interestingly, is by Marriage. Yes, you can become a Canadian citizen by getting married to someone who already is a Canadian citizen. Male or female, it works both ways but of course the marriage must not violate any of Canadian marriage laws.
There are three steps to follow when considering migration to Canada by Marriage:
- Find a Canadian Spouse
- Complete the Legal Marriage Contract
- Apply for Residency in Canada
Finding a Canadian Spouse
This is the very first thing to do since the goal is to become a citizen of Canada by Legal Marriage. There are many ways to find a Canadian spouse. One could be recommended by a friend or family, you could meet one in the line of business transactions. All those are formal ways of hooking up with a Canadian spouse and you don’t get to have that opportunity always. There are however places, though informal, where this opportunity abounds; Social Media Networking Platforms. And though there’s quite a plethora of them all over, prominent ones include Facebook and Instagram. On these platforms. You can interact with different Canadians and when you find a Canadian spouse with whom you share mutual interests and he/she agrees to enter into a Marriage contract with you, game on!
You can then proceed to legalizing the marriage contract according to the State of Canada Marriage Act.
The Marriage Contract
There are two ways to go about this. One, you obtain a visa to visit Canada where you meet your spouse in person and legalize the marriage, or Two, your Canadian spouse comes over to your country of residence where you both meet to legalize the Marriage after which the Canadian embassy in that country can issue you the Canadian Visa.
Applying for Permanent Residency
When the Canadian Ministry of Immigration is satisfied that your marriage to one of its citizens is not based on exploitation but on true and genuine intentions, you as the foreign citizen can then apply for permanent residency with the consent of your Canadian spouse. Your application will take up to six months during which the Canadian Ministry will verify the standing of the Canadian spouse you’re getting engaged to as well as other formalities.
Once your application is approved, you can stay in Canada assured that the government is your friend and deportation or repatriation is not an option.
