Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and am trying to get every bit of information scraped together so I know exactly how to go about immigration. I do, however, have a predicament.

I have been with my Girlfriend now for almost a year, and am currently serving in Iraq with the British Forces. Some websites state that I may be able to apply for a conjugal relationship visa, although others say that I cannot.

I was wondering if anyone here has taken this route for citizenship and might have any pointers or advice as it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Chris

Read the wiki. Top of the page, blue bar. You'll need to establish a common law relationship lasting for the last 12 months at least. If you're in Iraq and the girlfriend (who I assume is Canadian) is not (and I certainly hope that's the case), then that's going to take a while after you leave Iraq. Not a very long time though. Good luck.

Stay safe Chris and keep your head down! Good luck to ya!

And thanks for the service you provide for your country and others.

Well said Triumphguy

I hope you get sorted out OP, you deserve it

Hi Chris,

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra...o.asp#conjugal

This website is a good starting point. And like Novo said the Wiki is also very good.
If you are applying for a Conjugal visa, you do not have to have lived with your girlfriend (that's only for the common law vias.) You have had to have been in a relationship for a year, but you have to have evidence to show that you were prevented from living together. This can be due to immigration problems, marital status......there are more but I can't remember them off the top of my head!!

Also, I don't think you can apply for a conjugal visa if your reson for not being together was due to a job.

At the moment I am here in Canada on a 2 year TWP. In a years time I will be applying for a common-law partnreship visa. I am assuming your girlfriend is Canadian.......is there any way you can come over to canada for a year or two and then apply for common-law??

Wishing you all the best

Steph x

Hi Chris and welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately, as Steph has said, I don't think you'd be eligible for a conjugal visa because your not being together is due to a job and it does clearly state on the CIC section about conjugal sponsorship that you won't be eligible if:

"You could have lived together but chose not to. This shows that you did not have the level of commitment required for a conjugal relationship. (For example, one of you may not have wanted to give up a job or a course of study, or your relationship was not yet at the point where you were ready to live together.)"

So I would assume you'd not pass the selection process but it might be worth checking with an immigration lawyer just in case there are any exceptions for Army personnel?

Best of luck.

Its an area that is never clear-cut because the legislation does not define exactly what is a conjugal partner. I think there is a possibility you could make a case for it despite the quote from Christmasoompa above but I wouldnt want to bet money on it. The rules are obviously trying to weed out people where (for example) on partner lives in Manchester and the other in Birmingham and therefore they do not live together. The assumption would be that if they were genuine conjugal partners one would move closer to the other. Your situation is slightly different since you are working away rather than just living somewhere else. For instance when you go back to the UK periodically (assuming you doi) where do you stay? Do you and your girlfriend live together during your breaks from duty? Is all your stuff at the same house where she lives? Even though you are away do you have utilities etc in joint names? If all the answers to these are yes it would count in your favour.

Also, are you prevented from simply quitting your job and moving back to live with her? For instance are you tied into so many years of service? If yes that would obviously help too to demonstate that you are prevented from living together (and it would be reasonable to assume she is not able to move to Iraq to live with you).

Did you have a period of living together prior to you heading over to Iraq? From what you say above it doesnt sound like you did but if you had that would definitiely help too.

The conjugal relationship category is not recommended because of the reasons provided by other posters. I suggest you apply on the basis of a common-law relationship (one-year minimum of co habitation with short absences) or get married. You may also have other options, including applying on your own depending on your professional qualifications, or coming to Canada as a student and applying from within Canada.

Be careful to explore ALL of your options carefully.

You are right in saying that I do have a minimum service contract, which is four years from my 18th birthday.I will have fulfilled that contract within the next four years. So the arguement that states that you cannot apply for Conjugal visa's if you didn't want to leave a job wouldn't apply as I will be leaving the service within the next year, which, in turn, shows my commitment to the relationship.

Also, when not in Iraq, I'm currently stationed in Germany, but always go over to Canada during my Stand down periods. We have a joint bank account too, which we are both currently funding so transition into Canada would be easier.