Marrying and Sponsoring a Romanian Citizen

Family Sponsorship Canada program allows you to sponsor a relative or spouse. Note same-sex marriage is not legal in Romania. To do this, you must be at least 18 years old, you must be a Canadian citizen, a Canadian Permanent resident, or an Indian as prescribed in the Canadian Indian Act.

Marrying a Romanian Citizen

If you have fallen in love with a Romanian citizen, you will need to marry them before you can sponsor them.

Marriage in Romania follows a civil law system – no other marriage other than a civil one is legally valid. You are free to have a religious ceremony, but only after you have conducted a civil marriage. There are penalties for religious leaders who do not follow this rule.

Marriages are conducted in civil status offices or Casa de Casatorii (marriage houses) which can be found in the about 2.700 administrative units (towns, municipalities, and communes). The marriage is conducted where the Romanian resident has a legal residence. You could, however, change the legal residence easily if you prefer a more picturesque location for the wedding.

Other personal conditions you must fulfill before marrying a Romanian Citizen include:

Both parties must be over 18 years old and of sound mind
Both parties must not have incurable, communicable diseases (a medical certificate from a family doctor, valid 14 days after it is issued must be provided)
Both parties must be single, divorced, or widowed (second marriages are not allowed)

Several documents are needed before the marriage. These are submitted in a marriage file to the civil status office at least 13 days before the marriage. They include:

A declaration of marriage, which has to be filled in person, and which contains the wish to marry
Temporary residence card for Romanians domiciled abroad
Documents of identification such as ID cards, Provincial ID cards, passport, ID cards that have temporary residence stickers, and identity bulletin for Romanian citizens domiciled in Romania
Passports with an entry stamp or visa to Romania for foreigners
Proof of ending previous marriage/marriages such as a marriage plus death certificate of a previous spouse or a divorce certificate
Original and copy of birth certificates of both parties
Medical certificates from Romanian generalist practitioners
A receipt for RON 2 paid at the local tax office (DITL or DGITL)
Certificate of No Impediment

If you do not speak Romanian, you will need a Legal Interpreter who is authorized by the Ministry of Justice.

Sponsoring a Romanian Citizen

You must show Canadian immigration officials that you are able to support him/her financially on arrival, that this financial support does not prevent you from meeting your basic needs and those of your relatives such as shelter, food, and clothing, and that the person you sponsor will not require social assistance.

You will need to file a sponsorship application for permanent resident status. Before this is processed, your Romanian spouse can visit you by obtaining a visitor visa.

Hire an Immigration Lawyer for Sponsorship

You need an immigration lawyer when filing a sponsorship because even the smallest mistake could lead to the rejection of the sponsorship. Hiring a lawyer also offers convenience. At the Law Office of Matthew Jeffery, we specialize in spousal sponsorship immigration with high success rates.

You can call us today at 416-944-3267 for a spousal sponsorship assessment.