New Canadian Immigration Law Makes “proper married life” Obligatory for Two Years

In an ongoing effort to deter people from using fraud marriages to cheat their way into Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced a new regulation that requires sponsored spouses live in a legitimate sexual relationship with their sponsor for two years or they risk losing their permanent resident status.

“In Canada, we believe in the sanctity of marriage,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “I have consulted widely with Canadians, and especially with victims of marriage fraud, who have told me clearly that we must take action to make sure that the marriages are consummated”.

“Sometimes it’s a commercial transaction and simply implementing a two-year conditional permanent residence period will only result in fraudsters living together under one roof pretending as true married couples. Unless we make sure that there is a strong husband-wife relationship happening in their bed rooms, we will not be able to tackle this problem,” the minister said.

The new regulations apply to spouses or partners in a relationship of two years or less and who have no children in common with their sponsor at the time they submit their sponsorship application. The spouse or partner must live in a legitimate sexual relationship with their sponsor for two years from the day on which they receive their permanent resident status in Canada.

Officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) joined Minister Kenney at today’s announcement. Pippin Thomas, Inspector General of RCMP’s new Voyeuristic Wing stated: “Mounties are going to have a “hard” time working night shifts to make sure that these couples are doing it right.”

However, experts say the new immigration law will not reduce fraud marriages. Toronto based immigration lawyer Michael Chan says it won’t stop people from abusing the system. 

”It is a known scam in this part of the world, one family pays another a large sum of money to get married so one party can obtain immigration to Canada”.

They host a bogus marriage party, get legally married, invite friends and family and then after obtaining their citizenship, the marriage dissolves. 

“I think people who would do that sort of thing are also be willing to sleep together for two years, till they get their valid immigration status,” says Michael.

“Just sleeping together is not enough as per the new law,” said Edward Neil, a Manitoba based lawyer. The law has special clause to make sure the married life is proper. “During the two-year probationary period, even faking an orgasm would put you in a flight back to your country,” he added.

In addition to the need to satisfy the two-year requirement, conditional permanent residents are not allowed to sleep in separate bedrooms, change sexual orientation or to play video games. They are also prohibited from divorcing their current spouse and sponsoring a new spouse for the next fifty years following the date they become a permanent resident.