If you have a church wedding, you should consult with your pastor to make sure your decisions are acceptable. You must both understand the language used during the ceremony, or an interpreter must be present to interpret and clearly explain the meaning of the ceremony to both. If your marriage is illegal where it took place, or if the laws of that place do not allow you to marry (for example, if you are in a same-sex relationship and your home country does not allow same-sex marriage), IRCC will not recognize your relationship as a marriage. If there is any doubt as to whether your marriage is legal in the place where it was contracted, it is your responsibility to prove that it is legal there. A marriage certificate is valid for 3 months from the date of issue, so the wedding ceremony must take place within this period. You must give the marriage certificate to the person who performs your marriage. To have the capacity to marry, you must have the physical, mental, and legal capacity to marry. Physically, you must be able to consummate the marriage. Mentally, you need to understand the nature of the ceremony.
Legally, you must be at least 18 years old and not yet married. There are exceptions to the legal age limit. You can marry with your parents` consent if you are under 18 and over 16. In some circumstances, parental consent may not be required if a judge says so. You can get married before the age of 16 if you receive a letter from a doctor stating that you are the mother of a live child or that you are pregnant. But we can and will eliminate the layers of discrimination we currently face. There is simply no longer any doubt that our families exist and that we need the same protection that marriage offers to our families and children. Everyone can help.
People can join and work with local, state, and national organizations to repeal discriminatory state laws and federal anti-marriage law as unjust and harmful to LGBT families and their children. (Contact us for a list of organizations.) They can draw public attention to how they have been treated – the discrimination and damage that exclusion from marriage inflicts on their families, and proof that the sky does not fall when a community respects same-sex marriages. And people should continue to use available legal tools, such as wills and power of attorney, and consult with lawyers and financial advisors to protect their families during the lengthy process of resolving these issues. Lol Changing a surname at marriage is just a custom and it has never been a legal requirement. When you get married, you have several options. You can keep your own last name, you can take your husband`s name, or you can use a combination of your surnames (for example, Smith-Jones or Jones-Smith). Officials may need to closely examine divorces abroad to determine whether sponsors or applicants were or are legally free to remarry. The fact that a marriage certificate was issued or that a couple remarried does not constitute evidence that a divorce was legal where it took place or that it would be recognized as valid in Canada. Both spouses become permanent residents of Canada and, six months later, they divorce the consulate of their home country in Canada, which is considered legal in their home country.
Although same-sex marriages are legal in Canada, they are not recognized in many countries. Civil partnerships between persons of the same sex are more widely recognized. For country-specific information, read our travel advice, contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the destination country in Canada, or visit lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and bisexual Canadians abroad. Some marriages may not be legal where they took place (e.g. Lack of capacity [who can marry whom], marriage in an embassy is not recognized by the host country, religious prohibitions, unauthorized form of ceremony), but marriage would otherwise be recognized in Canada. Officials must explain to the applicant that they are not considered spouses because their marriage is not legal where they married, but that they may be eligible if they marry in another jurisdiction where their marriage would be legal. Previously married applicants must be legally divorced or their marriage must be legally annulled before they can remarry. In addition to proving that their subsequent marriage is legal, they must first prove that their divorce was legal. If there is any doubt about the legality of a marriage or divorce, contact the visa office responsible for the country where it took place and provide all available documents and information, as well as an explanation of the concerns. With the exception of these federal statutes, the provinces enact marriage laws. In Alberta, this law is called the Marriage Act (see link below).
This law addresses a number of things necessary for legal marriage: Same-sex marriage has been legal nationally in Canada since 2005. Court decisions that began in 2003 had already legalized same-sex marriage in eight out of ten provinces and one in three territories. If you are unsure about the validity of a marriage or divorce abroad, contact the Immigration Program Guidance Branch. When making an application, provide detailed information about the facts of the case, including, if possible, a copy of the court decision. Plaintiffs can ask Canadian courts to rule on the validity of the divorce abroad. American couples traveling to Canada to get married should realize that the decision is not just a political gesture, but rather to take on all the responsibilities, legal obligations, joys and wonders of being married. When couples who marry in Canada return home — even though they may face uncertainty and discrimination — they will marry like everyone else on the planet. This means, for example, that couples are identified as married on applications/forms for employment, housing, loans, mortgages, insurance, medical treatment, and taxes. An exception exists for members of the Canadian Armed Forces who were not present at their wedding due to travel restrictions related to their military service, whether or not the marriage was solemnized and registered in a foreign country where it is legally valid. If applicants are considered common-law or conjugal partners, declare that their marriage will not be recognized as legal in Canada. If they want to be recognized as a married couple, they must marry in Canada. If they are spouses, explain that they must live together in a conjugal relationship for one year before they can exercise the rights or privileges associated with common-law status.
Since 2015, federal law has set the absolute minimum age of marriage at 16. [5] Provinces and territories may set a higher minimum age. [6] In Canada, the age of majority is set at 18 or 19 depending on the province or territory, so minors below this age have additional restrictions (e.g., parental and judicial consent). Article 293(2) of the Penal Code also deals with marriages between persons under the age of 16 and provides that: Anyone who celebrates, supports or participates in an inheritance or marriage, knowing that one of the married persons is under 16 years of age, is guilty of a criminal offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years. [3] Section 2.2 of the Civil Marriage Act also states: No person under the age of 16 may marry. [4] These provisions were adopted in 2015. [7] [8] [9] Prior to 2015, it was possible in some jurisdictions in Canada to marry children under the age of 16 with parental consent or a court order. [6] [10] (The legal age of marriage with parental consent may have been 7 years in some Canadian jurisdictions.[ 11][12]) If you are planning to get married in a foreign country, you should contact the nearest embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where the wedding will take place. They tell you what documents you need and whether they need to be authenticated. Canadian government agencies abroad can also provide information on the laws and regulations of the countries where they are located and a list of local service providers if you need legal advice. Marriages that are legally contracted in a foreign country are generally valid in Canada, and you do not need to register them in Canada.
A law that respects certain aspects of the legal capacity of civil marriage More and more Canadian citizens are involved in crimes or fraud related to marriage abroad. Canadians have been blackmailed by foreign in-laws, involved in cyber-romance scams, or tricked into sponsoring a spouse who rushes in after arriving in Canada. If this is the case for you, you will need to hire a lawyer with experience in matrimonial law. Representatives of the nearest Canadian government office abroad can provide a list of legal representatives in that country. Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund (Lambda Legal) – 212-809-8585 – www.lambdalegal.org 10 Upon coming into force, a divorce under this Act has legal effect throughout Canada. Marriages contracted in embassies or consulates must meet the requirements of the host country where the mission is located. A diplomatic mission or consular office shall be deemed to be situated in the territory and under the jurisdiction of the receiving State. Therefore, a marriage contracted at an embassy or consulate must be legally recognized by the host state to be valid for Canadian immigration purposes.
An applicant who has married in an embassy or consulate must demonstrate to an official that all the host country`s marriage requirements are met, including whether the host country recognizes marriages contracted at diplomatic missions or consular posts under its jurisdiction.