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An illustrative story

Carlos’s story

A Canadian working in Spain who wants to sponsor his new wife and move home.

  • 35
  • Canadian working abroad
  • Barcelona
  • Spouse sponsorship
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Carlos, a Canadian in Spain sponsoring his wife, waving hello
The challenge

Bring his wife home to Canada

Carlos and Lucía married in Spain and want to settle in Canada. He had heard that sponsors must live in Canada, and didn’t know whether being abroad would stop them.

The story

Carlos’s journey with Global Compass

Carlos, a Canadian in Spain sponsoring his wife, waving hello
Moment 1 of 8:

Meet Carlos

“I’m Canadian, working in Spain. I just married Lucía.”
Read the whole story
  1. Meet Carlos. “I’m Canadian, working in Spain. I just married Lucía.”
  2. The challenge. “Can I sponsor my wife while we still live abroad?”
  3. Finding Global Compass. “Global Compass had questions for exactly our situation.”
  4. Telling the story. “It asked about our marriage, where we live and our plans to move.”
  5. Lawyer-backed answers. “A lawyer explained I must show I’ll live in Canada once Lucía is a permanent resident.”
  6. Help that keeps going. “Our check-ins kept us on track while we gathered our documents.”
  7. The way forward. “Our sponsorship application is complete, with proof of our move home.”
  8. What comes next. “Lucía and I are planning our new life in Halifax.”
What Global Compass checked

The rules behind Carlos’s story

Real requirements, from official sources.

  • A Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor a spouse if they’ll live in Canada when the spouse becomes a permanent resident.
    Official source
  • A marriage outside Canada must be valid where it took place and under Canadian law.
    Official source
The way forward

A clear next step

With the requirement clear from the start, Carlos gathered proof of their plans to move back, and they applied with confidence.

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Carlos is an illustrative character, not a real client, and this outcome is an example, not a promise. Every case is different, and only the government decides.