Canada opens 'Conditional' Permanent Residence status

As part of the amendment of Canada's family sponsorship programme the Canadian government announces the Condition Permanent Residence status (CPR).

The Canadian government announced the introduction of the Conditional Permanent Resident (CPR) status, a residence status meant for spouse or partner being sponsored by a Canadian or permanent resident.

When spouse or partner arrives in Canada he/she will be granted the CPR status for two years, during which he/she is required to live together with the sponsor in a legitimate relationship.

The regulations come as an amendment of Canada's family sponsorship programme, and are aimed at discouraging marriages of convenience and fraud.

"Marriages of convenience happen when the Canadian sponsor and the sponsored foreign national enter into a marriage for the purpose of gaining a favourable outcome under the immigration system, without having an intention to live together as husband and wife, explains Deepak Kohli, President of Transcend Consultants, a Canadian Immigration Consultant.

"A marriage fraud happens when the sponsored spouse is the only party involved. In both cases, the immigration system and a Canadian is adversely affected, thus being counter-productive to the tenet of family reunification."

Under the new regulations certain spouses are exempt from the CPR status and eligible for direct permanent resident status; spouse being in a relationship with their sponsor for 2 years or more at the time of filing the sponsorship application and spouse who have children with their sponsor.

In case there is evidence of abuse or neglect of the spouse by the sponsor or his/her relative, or in case of death of the sponsor the visa applicant will be exempted from meeting the conditions set under the new rule.

Failure to reside with the sponsor could result in one or more of the following measures against the spouse: their permanent status could be revoked, they could be deported from Canada or criminal charges could be laid.

The current immigration regulations for spouse or partner is one of the most generous of the Canadian immigration program, explains Deepak. "It allows a Canadian to bring in their spouse, without considering their income (thus, the ability to support their sponsored spouses), and has the highest priority in processing (thus, allowing the Canadian consulates to focus on completing these applications)."

However, Canadians have repeatedly complained about non-sincere foreigners who abuse the programme by becoming spouse of unsuspecting Canadians and then ditching them after arriving in Canada, explains Deepak.

"In fact, there are cases of the sponsored spouses 'disappearing' right from the airport upon arrival, without bothering to meet their Canadian sponsors. In other cases, they stay for a short period of time, before leaving."

Deepak believes the changes are positive in spirit, as they re-affirm the integrity of the Canadian immigration system, and protect Canadians.

"At the same time, the changes have a potential of introducing bureaucracy into the bedrooms of Canadians. That, and the additional administrative burden may need to be better thought out by the department, when finalising the parameters of the programme," he adds.

(Image courtesy Shutterstock)

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