Program delivery update: Assessing child marriages

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

January 10, 2020

The instructions have been updated to assist officers in assessing the legal validity of a child marriage that took place in Canada.

These guidelines must be followed when a spousal sponsorship application is submitted by a sponsor or a foreign national who is 18 years old or older at the time of submitting the application but was under 18 at the time of marriage.

Updated instructions

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