US Citizen Married in Canada? You may only THINK you're married...

Tawse · 01-12-2012, 10:13 AM

my problems are these:

#1 - don't encourage people to come get married in your country (have them pay the fees etc) and then say "PSYCH!" That's rude.

#2 - What about couples where one is a Canadian citizen and one is not? What now? Am I not married but Gillian is? Are neither of us married?

girl_dee · 01-12-2012, 10:16 AM

I know! It's awful, they were selling wedding packages for folks to come here to get married.

One of the states in the US adopted the rule that one of the parties had to be a citizen residing more than one year.

I have NO idea how Canada is going to handle this or what the rules actually were. And if any rules were broken when these licenses were issued, whose fault is that!?

It's going to be a tax, custody and benefit nightmare if all these marriages are overturned. They cannot possibly realize the ramifications of making this happen.

Tawse · 01-12-2012, 10:20 AM

Really wish it didn't snow up there - I'd move in a heartbeat (yes this is still all the US's fault since they are the idjits with their heads stuck up their asses).

EnderD_503 · 01-12-2012, 10:52 AM

More than likely the reason the "Canadian government" (since Harper has come to power, now known as the "Harper Government" according to official government letterhead) is doing this is because same-sex marriage was made legal in Canada under a Liberal federal government. Since coming to power, Harper has vowed not to challenge human rights laws the Liberals put into place (same-sex marriage and abortion rights among them). However, he and his rightwing, evangelist MPs have gone out of their way to make it extremely difficult for women to find abortion clinics across Canada. Additionally, he and his MPs have rallied in order to make it difficult for women in impoverished countries with very few, if any, women's rights, where the organisation of Planned Parenthood also operates, to get abortions or birth control. These MPs (backed by Harper) claimed they did not want to "push Canadian values on the traditional values of other nations."

And this appears to be the same approach this conservative Harper Government (TM) is taking with same-sex marriage. They won't try to seriously reopen the question in Canada, however, they are going to try to hinder the process as much as they can. They are doing so again with this attempt at reneging marriage certificates of non-Canadians in Canada, when any other marriage would be perfectly legal. This is their way of sticking it to same-sex couples, simply because they can't do it to same-sex Canadian couples.

Honey · 01-12-2012, 10:58 AM

In the state of Maine I can marry my cousin but NOT my gf...talked about backwoods, inbred and fucked up !!

Tawse · 01-12-2012, 11:02 AM

Ditto that Words - that's what Gillian and I were told as well. 1 year residency = can file for divorce.

betenoire · 01-12-2012, 11:08 AM

I think this will go away. It might take going all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada - but it will go away.

Basically what seems to have happened (I've read every article I could find on the situation this morning) is that the couple tried to get a divorce in Ontario. Now, while Canada does not have residency requirements for Marriage it DOES have them for Divorce (yes, it's stupid).

So instead of doing the smart thing and making it so that anybody who got married here can get divorced here regardless of residency.....some douchebag was like "well, since you can't get divorced and your countries don't recognise your marriage anyway....I guess you're not really married."

It doesn't end here. I think we can count on the higher courts to fix this.

Words · 01-12-2012, 10:57 AM

Blue (US) and I (UK) heard when W/we got married in Vancouver in 2004 that should W/we ever decide to divoce, one of U/us would have to live in Canada for a year beforehand. Since neither of U/us would ever be able to do that, it's probably the main reason W/we're still together

Seriously, though, it's taken them this long to come up with this? It's nuts.

Words

foxyshaman · 01-12-2012, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tawse

Really wish it didn't snow up there - I'd move in a heartbeat (yes this is still all the US's fault since they are the idjits with their heads stuck up their asses).

For a second I thought you were blaming the US for our snow. I was willing to get behind you on this....

sorry for the de-rail. My brain can work in its own mysterious ways...

01-12-2012, 11:08 AM	#7
betenoire Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Satan in a Sunday Hat Preferred Pronoun?: Maow Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: The Chemical Valley Posts: 4,086 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,312 Thanked 8,739 Times in 2,565 Posts Rep Power: 21474856	I think this will go away. It might take going all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada - but it will go away. Basically what seems to have happened (I've read every article I could find on the situation this morning) is that the couple tried to get a divorce in Ontario. Now, while Canada does not have residency requirements for Marriage it DOES have them for Divorce (yes, it's stupid). So instead of doing the smart thing and making it so that anybody who got married here can get divorced here regardless of residency.....some douchebag was like "well, since you can't get divorced and your countries don't recognise your marriage anyway....I guess you're not really married." It doesn't end here. I think we can count on the higher courts to fix this. __________________ bête noire \bet-NWAHR\, noun: One that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided.

01-12-2012, 10:13 AM	#1
Tawse Member How Do You Identify?: TG Gender Queer Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Atlanta Posts: 730 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,973 Thanked 2,733 Times in 642 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	my problems are these: #1 - don't encourage people to come get married in your country (have them pay the fees etc) and then say "PSYCH!" That's rude. #2 - What about couples where one is a Canadian citizen and one is not? What now? Am I not married but Gillian is? Are neither of us married?

01-12-2012, 10:16 AM	#2
girl_dee Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: dee Relationship Status: Hitched up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Livin’ the Dream Posts: 24,079 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,560 Thanked 54,832 Times in 13,908 Posts Rep Power: 21474873	I know! It's awful, they were selling wedding packages for folks to come here to get married. One of the states in the US adopted the rule that one of the parties had to be a citizen residing more than one year. I have NO idea how Canada is going to handle this or what the rules actually were. And if any rules were broken when these licenses were issued, whose fault is that!? It's going to be a tax, custody and benefit nightmare if all these marriages are overturned. They cannot possibly realize the ramifications of making this happen.

01-12-2012, 10:20 AM	#3
Tawse Member How Do You Identify?: TG Gender Queer Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Atlanta Posts: 730 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,973 Thanked 2,733 Times in 642 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	Really wish it didn't snow up there - I'd move in a heartbeat (yes this is still all the US's fault since they are the idjits with their heads stuck up their asses).

01-12-2012, 10:52 AM	#4
EnderD_503 Member How Do You Identify?: Queer, trans guy, butch Preferred Pronoun?: Male pronouns Relationship Status: Relationship Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 1,329 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,090 Thanked 3,878 Times in 1,022 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	More than likely the reason the "Canadian government" (since Harper has come to power, now known as the "Harper Government" according to official government letterhead) is doing this is because same-sex marriage was made legal in Canada under a Liberal federal government. Since coming to power, Harper has vowed not to challenge human rights laws the Liberals put into place (same-sex marriage and abortion rights among them). However, he and his rightwing, evangelist MPs have gone out of their way to make it extremely difficult for women to find abortion clinics across Canada. Additionally, he and his MPs have rallied in order to make it difficult for women in impoverished countries with very few, if any, women's rights, where the organisation of Planned Parenthood also operates, to get abortions or birth control. These MPs (backed by Harper) claimed they did not want to "push Canadian values on the traditional values of other nations." And this appears to be the same approach this conservative Harper Government (TM) is taking with same-sex marriage. They won't try to seriously reopen the question in Canada, however, they are going to try to hinder the process as much as they can. They are doing so again with this attempt at reneging marriage certificates of non-Canadians in Canada, when any other marriage would be perfectly legal. This is their way of sticking it to same-sex couples, simply because they can't do it to same-sex Canadian couples.

01-12-2012, 10:58 AM	#5
Honey Member How Do You Identify?: big femme heart..... in a tight girlie package Preferred Pronoun?: just call me Honey Relationship Status: Playin' 4 keeps with Tomboi1982 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: New England Posts: 306 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 316 Thanked 613 Times in 184 Posts Rep Power: 10762767	In the state of Maine I can marry my cousin but NOT my gf...talked about backwoods, inbred and fucked up !!

01-12-2012, 11:02 AM	#6
Tawse Member How Do You Identify?: TG Gender Queer Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Atlanta Posts: 730 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,973 Thanked 2,733 Times in 642 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	Ditto that Words - that's what Gillian and I were told as well. 1 year residency = can file for divorce.

01-12-2012, 10:57 AM	#8
Words Member How Do You Identify?: Queer femme submissive Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Posts: 969 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,449 Thanked 4,258 Times in 677 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	Blue (US) and I (UK) heard when W/we got married in Vancouver in 2004 that should W/we ever decide to divoce, one of U/us would have to live in Canada for a year beforehand. Since neither of U/us would ever be able to do that, it's probably the main reason W/we're still together Seriously, though, it's taken them this long to come up with this? It's nuts. Words