IRCC state that relationships must be bona fide, intimate, exclusive, interdependent and committed.
Marriages OUTISE Canada must meet Federal Canadian Law and laws in the place where it occured.
Marriages INSIDE Canada must meet Federal (Marriage {Prohibited Degrees} Act) and Provincial/Territorial Laws.
Civil Unions or Registrations are not legally "Marriages" in Canada and must be processed under FCC.
Interdependency rely on Financial, Social, Physical and Emotional Aspects of a relationship.
Case Study
[19 February 2018]
What is genuine marriage as per immigration law in Canada ?
Recent case - 2018-02-15
Ms. Wafa is a Canadian citizen and Mr. Zaheer is an Afghan national. They met online in 2009 and were married by proxy on June 2, 2013. They have never met in person and have, by all appearances, never attempted to meet.
Mr. Zaheer’s application for a permanent resident visa was initially refused on the basis that his marriage to Ms. Wafa was not genuine because it was carried out for immigration purposes.
Ms. Wafa appealed to the Board. Once again, the outcome was unfavourable. The Board was not persuaded that the marriage was genuine, finding instead that Mr. Zaheer’s motives were not bona fide.