boomboom,
The following information may seem imprecise, but if you will let me
know the details of the situation, I will customise the information to
your situation.
Are you already IN Armenia? If so, what kind of visa are you on now?
What type of work do you and your future spouse do? Do you plan on
staying in Armenia, or returning to Canada? What part of Canada? Do
you and your intended spouse already have passports? Did you meet
her/him IN Armenia? Both of your ages? City in Armenia AND/OR Canada
where you wish to reside. Any children involved? (Yours, hers/his).
Time and/or money an issue? Any chance of refugee (Hardship or
political) status being involved? I included some information on
entering Canada as well, as you did not state whether your plan to
stay in Armenia, or return to Canada.
On the Armenian Aspect:
Visit this site:
http://www.arminco.com/embusa/consul.htm
This is a quote from that site:
"MARRIAGE: American citizens wishing to marry an Armenian citizen
should first visit the Consulate to execute an affidavit stating one’s
legal freedom to marry. OVIR will request this document before
registering a marriage in Armenia involving a foreigner. Any marriage
must be registered by OVIR is order to be regarded as legal. OVIR will
not register a marriage between two non-Armenian citizens. American
citizens may also file and immigrant visa petition for an immediate
relative visa at the Embassy subsequent to marriage."
I realize this mentions US citizens, but actually refers to
"foreigners" and Armenians.
http://www.csarmenia.com/laws/foreign_citizens.doc
This site states:
"A foreign citizen may marry or divorce in the Republic of Armenia in
accordance with the provisions of legislation of the Republic of
Armenia, and in marital relations, he shall have the rights and duties
equal to those of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. "
THe Canadian consulate in Armenia is:
Consulate of Canada
Mr. Rodney Irwin
Ambassador
25 Demirjian St., No. 21, Yerevan, Armenia
Phone: 374 (1) 56 79 03
FAX: 374 (1) 56 79 03
http://www.sources.com/Subscribers/Ce9.htm
Information on entering Armenia:
http://www.visaru.com/cis/armenia.shtml
THe site provides info on obtaining a visa to visit Armenia,such as
needing a passport good for 3 months beyond time of stay,
tickets,visa, certificate of Yellow Fever vaccination if you have
traveled in infected areas. (Not USA OR CANADA).The site has an
application that can be downloaded, or filled out online. Fees were
not stated till one fills out the application.
The following site DOES state fees and also has a downloable
application.
http://www.redstarintl.com/visa_arm.htm
Just in case, the Armenian person is a software or IT specialist,
there exists a Canadian fast track visa process for these
professionals.
http://www.ilw.com/lawyers/colum_article/articles/2001,0403-Kerr.shtm
This site, again, seems more applicable to US immigration laws, but
has plenty of information for Canadians, and some useful tips and
valuable information on the probability of getting a fiance/spousal
visa. You may even need to prove you met your future spouse in person,
and while IN Armenia. THe wait time could be 16 weeks. Take proof from
Canada that you are eligible to marry (ie., SINGLE).
http://www22.brinkster.com/wwwencounters/visa.html
On the Canadian Aspect:
To enter Canada as a non-citizen, you need to have a passport, a
temporary resident visa(necessary from Armenia), be non-threatening to
Canada, and be healthy!
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/
Paperwork neeeded to enter Canada
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/
The Moscow location of Canadian Embassy is responsible for visas (TRV
also)from Armenia to Canada.
To sponsor family/spouse from another country
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/sponsor/index.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/sponsor/out.html Info on
spondoring family
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/fc.html Application
and guide can be downloaded here.
To apply for a Social Insurance number, check here. IT states your
will need a marriage registration....I am guessing in Canada you must
register your marriage. At least in New Brunswick---
http://www.gnb.ca/0379/certificates-e.asp
http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/sin-nas/100_e.shtml
Very good Canadian immigration FAQ sheet.
http://canadavisa.com/documents/faq/family.htm
http://canadavisa.com/documents/newsback/march00.htm#12
States you must be married prior to applying for Spousal sponsorship.
Must be 19 years old and must be able to financially support the
foreign spouse.
These documents are required:
statutory documents (such as local police good conduct certificates,
birth certificates, household register forms, valid passport and ID
cards, etc.); and
documents proving the relationship to the sponsor (such as marriage
certificates, household register forms, valid passport and ID cards,
etc.).
FOr a temorary visa
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/visa.html
to download a TRV and guide
this guide states that if the entire family (or married couple)
applies together can fill out just one application.
You will need a birth certificate and marriage certificate. People
with a TRV may not work.
If the information I have supplied is not exactly what you are
searching for, please advise me of the details I asked for, and I
will, as stated above, tailor the information more to your situation.
Thank you-crabcakes-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
crabcakes-ga
on
06 Jul 2002 20:52 PDT
boomboom-ga-
Please accept my apology for the day delay in clarifying my
answer.(My ISP was up and down)
I have contacted several places, including the Armenian embassies,
both in Washington, DC and Beverly Hills, CA for the most current
requirements. I requested a list of all documents needed for an
Armenian marriage to a Canadian citizen. Some of this information is
available online, but from all I have read, it appears that
requirements can be somewhat dynamic. I will append any and all
responses here in the clarification, as soon as I get them.
From what I have read I have concluded the following:
OF course, take ALL your documents to Armenia with you. These include
passport, visa, other picture ID (Driver's license), birth
certificate, and certified divorce papers (If applicable).In Armenia
visit the Canadian consulate to obtain the necessary document stating
you are free to marry.The consulate is located here:
Consulate of Canada,
25 Demirjian Street, No. 21,
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel./Fax: 374 (1) 56-79-03
Next, visit OVIR (Administration Department for Passports and Visas,
called OVIR in Armenia.)The marriage must be registered by OVIR to be
legal. I am hoping to hear from the Armenian embassy as to exactly
what you need before the wedding however. More on this here;
http://www.arminco.com/embusa/consular.htm
OVIR is located on Mashtots Avenue,in Yerevan, behind the European
Union Building in building #15 (go around to the yard.) It is open
from Monday to Friday 11:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00. Apparently there
are translators available to help you at a "reasonable charge". The
application should be submitted there, but the payment is done at the
other end of the town, 130 Nalbandian Street, next to the Ministry of
Internal Affairs.Enter from the river side. It is inside of the
Culture Palace at the security booth. It is open only from 14:00 till
17:00. "After payment the receipt should be brought back to OVIR and
submitted along with application form and the passport. It will stay
there for three business days. Make sure to arrange all your
passport-related affairs (especially hotel registration) beforehand,
since you will not have your passport for three days." Quoted from
above named site.
This site has some tips on obtaining visas....stating getting it at
the consulate in Canada is easiest, but cheaper in Armenia. As you
have previously traveled to Armenia, you are already familiar with
obtaining visas. Good reading nonetheless.
http://www.infotensor.com/visa.html
Upon return to Canada, after the wedding:
To sponsor your Armenian family, you will have to sign a contract,
called an Undertaking,with the Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration. You must also sign a Sponsorship Agreement with your wife
that outlines your mutual commitments to each other.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/sponsor/out.html
Asides:
IF you were returning to the United States after marriage, a
certification called an "apostille" can be affixed to the document by
the authorities. This apostille is a form prescribed by the Hague
Convention, which indicates that legal documents of participating
countries are recognised by other participating countries. Canada is
not on the list.
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/acs/scs/hagueleg.htm
This site contains the Armenian Civil Code.
http://lex.gtz.de/lexinfosys/LexInfoSys/arm/02/CivilCode/CivilCode_eng.htm
Visit here to read about the four types of Armenian passports.
http://travel.state.gov/reciprocity/Country%20Folder/A/Armenia.htm
"(1) Diplomatic (Diplomaticheskiy), (2) Official (Sluzhebny), (3)
Special (Obshche-Grazhdanskiy), and (4) Regular (Vid na Zhitel'stov).
The first three types are always issued by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Armenia. The fourth may also be issued by the Ministry, the
Office of Visas and Registration (OVIR), or by Armenian missions and
consular offices abroad.
An Armenian exit visa is an integral part of each passport. The first
three types permit the bearer to re-enter Armenia without a specific
entry visa. The fourth type is not sufficient by itself for re-entry
and must bear a specific entry visa before the bearer will be allowed
to return to Armenia.
Persons emigrating from Armenia who retain their Armenian citizenship
bear regular passports.
Old-style Soviet regular passports ceased to be valid on December 31,
1998. Armenia issues 'Republic of Armenia' passports for diplomatic
and official travel, therefore, old-style Soviet passports are not
valid for diplomatic or official travel." Quoted from the above site.
Hoping this helps more. As I stated, as soon as I get the requested
information for up to date paperwork, I will post it here.
|
Clarification of Answer by
crabcakes-ga
on
08 Jul 2002 22:22 PDT
boomboom- I recieved a short response from the Armenian Embassy in
Canada. Here is the response, which I cut and pasted below:(Quotation
marks are mine, "<non-married>" is quoted verbatim from the e-mail)
"For marriage with Armenian citizen in Armenia, Canadian citizen needs
<non married> certificate from Canadian authorities, which must be
stamped by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
of Canada and after it by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia."
So, my first clarified answer was correct. Get the certified document
from tne Canadian authorities stating you are free to marry, then get
the OVIR office to certify that document. Then after the marriage, get
OVIR to certify the marriage certificate. While I have seen no
evidence that it is needed, it would be prudent to check with the
Canadian authorites, while getting the marriage eligibility document,
if Canada needs to certify the Armenian OVIR certified marriage
certificate after the ceremony. Sounds like a good idea to me.
After getting this response from the Armenian Embassy, it seems it is
not so difficult after all, apart from the beauricratic run-around. I
feel comfortable now with the information I have previously supplied
you.
I wish you and your wife-to-be all the best, crabcakes
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