Federal government guidelines from 2007 on how to spot a genuine marriage are racist and discriminatory.
A list of potential red flags for immigration officers includes 'Chinese nationals ... marrying non-Chinese' and if the 'sponsor is uneducated, with a low-paying job or on welfare'.
The three-page document has since become defunct as the spousal sponsorship process was changed, but it offers an insight into the thinking of immigration officials.
Read the document here.
As part of the spousal sponsorship process, couples are asked to send pictures of their wedding and of how their relationship has developed.
Immigration officers are told to look out for ceremonies with no family present, a lack of intimacy ('if the couple does not kiss on the lips') and no diamond rings.
Red Flags for Non-Genuine Relationships
- University students of Chinese nationality marrying non-Chinese
- Wedding pictures without family members or small groups of friends
- Private marriage ceremony
- Informal reception
- Uneducated sponsor with low-paying job, or on welfare
- Couple do not kiss in picturesli>
- No honeymoon
- No diamond rings
- Professional wedding pictures that are limited in scope
- Staged pictures in pyjamas or cooking to show 'living together'
- Pictures wearing the same clothes in different locations
- Couples avoiding contact in pictures
- Pictures of activities in Niagara and Toronto
Private marriage ceremonies performed in restaurants with no honeymoon are also key red flags.
Other issues include pictures where couples appear to be avoiding contact, or where ordinary every-day situations have obviously been staged.
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