AJAG Europe -
Marriage in Europe
Quimperléstr. 100 Selfkant-Kaserne, 52511 Geilenkirchen, Germany
Some CF members decide to get married during their posting overseas. Whether the marriage occurs between two Canadians, or a Canadian and someone of a different nationality, the marriage must be valid both under the law of the country where it takes place and under Canadian law. If not, the union may not be recognized by Canadian authorities once the CF member is posted back to Canada. Also, a marriage performed in an Embassy or Consulate must comply with the law of the country where it took place, not the country of nationality of the Embassy or Consulate.
A CF member getting married with someone of a different nationality must keep in mind that the marriage does not provide a guarantee that the new spouse will be entitled to immigrate to Canada. The first step is for the member to apply as a sponsor for the foreign spouse. Both the member, as the sponsor, and his/her relative must meet certain requirements. Applicants for permanent residence must go through medical, criminal and background screening. Members concerned with this situation should visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Web site 
which provides all the relevant details and steps to take to sponsor a spouse to immigrate to Canada.
