Jan 13, 2016 – Article recently updated with this post titled “The Status of Religious Family Law Orders in Canada“.
Aug 16, 2016 – Article recently updated with post titled “Convention on the Rights of the Child” from UNICEF.
November 3, 2017 – I have a few posts that state if your children’s father or mother is an Iranian citizen, then your children are considered Iranian according to Iran’s laws and it doesn’t matter whether they were born in another country and have never travelled to Iran or not. That means an Iranian passport can be issued for your child and they could move or be taken to Iran. Canada has no exit controls so there is nothing to stop it from happening except luck and once your children are in Iran good luck getting them back. Help me get better laws to protect Canadian children.
I don’t know how accurate the information is from this site so please use caution and do your homework before you get stuck and need some help because it might be too late. Click here, here, and here to learn more about some of the serious ramifications of being married to an Iranian citizen.
Marriage to an Iranian Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to an Iranian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The Iranian government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Iranians as an indirect way of discouraging Iranian citizens from moving to other countries.
You must demonstrate to Iranian officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven, and that you have never committed any crimes in Iran. This is done by providing various documents including an Affidavit of Single Status to the Iranian government either in Iran or via an Iranian embassy.
If you want to bring your Iranian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Iranian Marriage Basic Requirements
Iranian husband with foreign wife
The following documents are required for registration of marriage between Iranian man and a foreign wife:
The new birth certificates of couple.
The original passports of couple.
12 photos of wife (with Hejab)
4 photos of husband (without hat and glasses)
The original religious marriage certificate
Conversion certificate of wife to Islam if the husband is Moslem.
The original English marriage certificate.
Wife’s full detailed English birth certificate
The original health certificate from a doctor for couple
The relevant registration form
Iranian wife with foreign husband
The following documents are required for registration of marriage between Iranian wife and a foreign man
The new birth certificates of couple.
The original passport of husband.
The original passport of wife.
Husband’s full detailed English birth certificate.
8 photos of couple (ladies with Hejab).
The original health certificate from a doctor for couple.
The job certificate (a letter from accountant or solicitor).
The original religious marriage certificate.
The original English marriage certificate.
Conversion certificate of husband to Islam if the wife is Moslem.
Father’s consent which must be confirmed by the Vital Records Office of Foreign Ministry of I.R.Iran, if the father was not present. (If the father has passed away, the death certificate of father should be presented)
The relevant registration form.
Certificate of non-criminal record for husband that should be confirmed by local police.
Husband’s commitment to give alimony and a one-off travel expenses to Iran, or the wife’s consent to give up this right.
Certificate of non-martial statute for husband if it is not stated in the marriage certificate.
Payment of 1 pound for marriage certificate.
The time needed to issue a marriage certificate depends upon the number and case of the applicants and there is no official time.
Family Members
If your Iranian spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Iranian Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry an Iranian citizen.
– See more at: http://www.immigroup.com/marrying-and-sponsoring-iranian-citizen#sthash.8lXfi9yU.dpuf
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Things I have learned... 