Every marriage involves a certain amount of risk, but marriages that involve the sponsorship of a non-citizen pose a risk of a different kind - the potential of marriage fraud. That’s the name for an increasingly used scheme in which immigrants marry Canadian citizens simply to gain entry to Canada.

Though many offshore marriages succeed in long and happy unions, I’m aware of far too many unhappily-ever-after situations. Financially and emotionally, these marriages prove extremely costly for sponsoring spouses. Along with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) I urge members of the Yorkton-Melville constituency to exercise extreme caution before choosing an offshore marriage.

Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, estimates that “there are countless cases of marriage fraud across the country.” Consultations with Canadians across the country, and especially with victims of marriage fraud, revealed a desire for the government to take some kind of action to stop this abuse.

Last October 26th, Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced a regulation that changed the rules. Prior to that date, a sponsored spouse, common-law or conjugal partner (in relationships without children) who proved not willing to abide by the sponsorship agreement and remain in the marriage, could leave the relationship without consequence to his residency status or sponsorship arrangements. Sponsoring spouses had no recourse but to continue to fulfill his/her financial obligations of sponsorship for the required three-year period.

Those Canadian spouses are still required to fulfill their three year obligations—including the responsibility to repay any social services costs incurred by their spouse. But immigrant spouses or partners whose applications for permanent residency (PR) were received by CIC on or after October 25th, 2012 must now live in a legitimate relationship with their sponsor for two years from the day they receive their PR status. If they choose to leave prior to two years, their status may be revoked.  Exceptions to the law are made in cases involving children born to the marriage, abuse or neglect of the person being sponsored, or death of the sponsoring spouse.

Palwinder Singh Gill, founder of the Canadian Marriage Fraud Victims Society of Canada (www.immigrationmarriagefraud.ca) praised the change. “I think it is a very good measure. Canada’s generous family sponsorship program was being abused because many people were marrying only to get a permanent resident card, and then leave their partners. With this rule, those abusing the system will think twice.”

Along with the CIC, I strongly caution members of my constituency to take prudent thought before entering a marriage involving sponsorship of a non-citizen. Unfortunately, the duplicity of some has ruined it for many legitimate potential relationships.

More information on how to immigrate to Canada the honest way can be found at  www.immigration.gc.ca/antifraud

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The audio version of Garry's April 29, 2013 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here