If You Are Being Sponsored
A woman who has been sponsored to come to Canada as a fiancee is required to marry her sponsor within 90 days of arriving in Canada. If the sponsor is abusive and the woman no longer wants to marry the sponsor, the woman risks being deported. A woman in this situation should obtain legal advice. It may be possible to have the terms and conditions of her stay changed so that she does not lose her status. If she has already been ordered deported, she can appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD). She may pursue her application to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The IAD will consider her circumstances and she might be allowed to remain in Canada. Contacting the police can lead to criminal proceedings against an abuser. If the abuser is not a Canadian citizen, a criminal conviction will lead to removal from Canada. This will affect the sponsored woman's situation. It is always best to seek the advice of a lawyer in these situations.