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Being abused or neglected by your sponsor or their family?
You do not have to stay in the relationship to keep your status in Canada if you are being abused or neglected.

If you are affected by the conditional permanent residence measure, you can request an exception.

If you are not affected by the conditional permanent residence measure, you should remember that in Canada, abuse is not tolerated. You do not have to remain in an abusive situation. This brochure provides information you can use to get help.

You or your spouse or common-law partner must be:

-a Canadian citizen;
-a permanent resident (as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act);
-a protected person (as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act); or
-a temporary resident (as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) who has lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months, and who has a valid permit in the 19th month other than one that states "does not confer status" or "does not confer temporary resident status." If this is your situation, do not apply before the 19th month.

According to Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) [PDF], your foreign divorce will generally be recognized by the Canadian government, if you or your spouse lived in the country where you got a divorce for at least 1 year before the start of the divorce proceedings.

If neither of you lived in the country for a year, your divorce may still be legal if the person who applied for the divorce can prove they have a “real and substantial connection” with the country. For example, if it is your country of origin and you returned there after the divorce, or you own property or spend a lot of time there.

If you got a divorce outside of Canada, you must get authorization from the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services before you can get a marriage licence in Ontario.

Canadian citizens residing outside Canada

- may sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent children without dependent children of their own

- must satisfy immigration officials that they will reside in Canada once their spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and dependent children become permanent residents in Canada

- must forward their applications directly to CPC-M, where their plan to return to Canada will be assessed based on documentary evidence and/or interview assistance from the visa office where necessary

13.3. Sponsorship by Canadian citizens living abroad

The following applies to Canadian citizens living abroad:

- Canadian citizens who reside abroad may sponsor only their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or a dependent child who does not have dependent children of their own;

- they must submit their sponsorship application package and fees to the CPC-M in Canada and not to the visa office;

- Canadian citizens who are tourists in a foreign country, even for extended periods,are still residents of Canada;

- Canadian citizens who are long-term workers or students in another country are generally considered residents of that country;

- Canadians who have spent little or no time in Canada may also seek to sponsor. If they have never worked in Canada and do not have the educational or language skills to find employment in Canada, refusal under A39 may be appropriate if arrangements for the care and support of the sponsored person are not satisfactory;

- sponsors must provide evidence that they will reside in Canada after the sponsored persons and their family members become permanent residents.

Evidence that sponsors will reside in Canada may include one or more of the following:

- letter from an employer;
- letter of acceptance to a Canadian educational institution;
- proof of having rented/bought a dwelling in Canada;
- reasonable plans for re-establishing in Canada or severing ties to the other country.

Sponsor must provide financial support for 10 years from the date that person became a permanent resident or until the child turns 25 years of age, whichever comes first.

Receiving payments outside Canada

We can send your Old Age Security (OAS) pension payment outside the country if you:

-resided in Canada for at least 20 years after turning 18; or
-lived and worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada and you meet the 20-year residence requirement under the provisions of that agreement.

If you do not meet either of the above requirements, we can only send your OAS pension payments outside Canada for the month you left and for six months after that. If you decide to return to Canada after an absence of more than six months, every additional year in Canada will be counted in order for you to reach your 20 years of residence needed to receive your OAS pension outside the country.

Example: If you left Canada in January, we would send your payments until the end of July. After July, the payments would stop until you return to Canada.

If you plan to be absent from Canada for more than six months, you must call us. You should also let us know when you return to Canada so that we can restart your OAS pension payments, beginning the month you return.

OAS pension payments are made anywhere in the world in the local currency where possible and, if not, in Canadian dollars. If you live in the United States and have your payment deposited directly to a US financial institution, the funds are automatically converted into US dollars. For more information, see receiving payment outside Canada.