Canadian Immigration for Spouses and common-law partners has become quite lenient as the country abolished the Conditional Permanent Residence provision. That means the sponsored applicants will no longer have to get a period of conditional permanent residency and they will get permanent status as soon as they arrive in Canada. The abolishment was validated by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) on April 28, 2017.
The removal of the conditional period has made the Liberal government able to address the situations where suffering sponsored partners and spouses live in an abusive relationship, just to save their residency status. Even though there were exceptions to those cases, the abolishment has made the provision more beneficial. Abuse could be in any form such as sexual, physical, financial, and/or psychological.
The conservative government of Canada implemented the condition in 2012 because they wanted to discourage immigrants who avail of this option using non-genuine relationships. Though the Liberal government understands this point that such a case might take place, they believe that most relationships are genuine and this immigration option is used in good faith. The government also admits that the removal of the conditional residence status supports their agenda of family reunification, and gender equality and also counters gender brutality.
The talk about the removal of this conditional residence was there for some time. IRCC had mentioned in its 2016’s Forward Regulatory Plan that the sponsored partners’ vulnerability issues will be considered as one of the main objectives and should be addressed.
IRCC also mentioned that the integral benefits of the conditional two-year cohabitation requirement could not and have not been displayed to outweigh the vulnerable sponsored partner’s risk. They also further stated that the repeal has witnessed that the majority of the relationships are real and genuine. Moreover, IRCC firmly believes that the abolishment of this conditional requirement would promote family reunification and eradicate the potential risks to the sponsored spouses of getting abused. Ultimately, it will uphold the government’s commitment to tackling gender-based violence and family reunification.
Attorney, David Cohen said that the government sees immigrants and Canadians as the same, and also, the government trusts them both. He also stated that the legislation is capable enough to handle possible cases of abuse without recourse to a conditional provision. According to David, the safety and well-being of Canadian residents are the main priority to the government, and by abolishing the conditional provision, they have made it evident for the newcomers as well. That will allow new immigrants to come and settle in the country and think of it as a life-long home. All of this will allow the government to structure a stronger society for the well-being of all.
Stuck in an abusive situation?
The Canadian government does not tolerate abuse. If by any means, you will have to live in an abusive situation, you can reach out to the officials without hesitation. Even if the sponsor or their family is neglecting you, you will not have to stay there. The government will stand with you in that case.
