Sponsoring Spouse from Israel

It’s not uncommon for a Canadian to meet an Israeli citizen and fall in love. The Canadian citizen may choose to eventually bring their Israeli spouse to live in their home country. The immigration process involving a foreigner involves many steps. You will need to file for spousal sponsorship Canada so that your Israeli spouse can become a permanent resident. The Israeli might also acquire a visitor visa which will permit him/her to stay in Canada while the sponsorship application is still being processed.

What You Need to Marry an Israeli

The Israeli government imposes strict guidelines on marriage to foreigners. Before you get married, the couple must visit their local religious council, and open a marriage file. If any of the couples had a previously opened marriage file, it needs to be canceled before a new file is opened. Both the bride and groom will need to go for family purity classes at two separate instructors. There Are a Number of Documents that Couples are Required to Produce in Order to Get Married in Israel. They Include:

3 identical passport photos (both bride and groom)
Valid passport (Canadian citizen)
Birth certificate
Divorce certificate, death certificate where applicable
Two witnesses
Proof of Judaism (the Canadian citizen will need to provide a letter from a recognized rabbi that you are Jewish and born to a Jewish mother. Other aspects must be stated in the letter such as the fact that you are single. If you were converted into Jewish, you must bring official conversion papers).

If you fail to present all the required documents, your file can still be opened so long as you will be able to supply the remaining documents before the wedding. You may also be granted a discount of 40% of the registration fee if either the bride or groom is a university student, studying in yeshiva, serving in the army/national service, has special needs or is an Oleh Chadash getting married within the first two years of Aliyah. Once the registration process is complete, you need to be given your marriage file number, ketubah and a rabbi will be assigned to perform the wedding ceremony if you desire. You can still have your own rabbi but ensure that he/she is certified by the local religious council to perform a wedding ceremony. After the wedding, you will receive the marriage certificate approximately two weeks later. The certificate can be picked from the local religious council. Your marriage certificate should contain the name of groom and bride, date of the wedding, name of both parents, place of marriage and signatures of the witnesses.

Seek Professional Help

The entire process of getting married to an Israeli citizen can be lengthy and complex should you choose to do it without consulting a professional. You need help gathering all the documents required to open a file at the local religious council. An immigration lawyer can help to facilitate the process and ensure you not only receive your marriage certificate but also apply for sponsoring your Israeli spouse to Canada with ease.