Experiences of South Asian Brides Entering Canada After Recent Changes to Family Sponsorship Policies

• NCJ Number: 226704
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2009 Pages: 321-339
• Author(s): Noorfarah Merali
• Date Published: March 2009
• Length: 19 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Canadian study examined the sponsorship and marital/resettlement experiences of both English-proficient and non-English-proficient South-Asian immigrant brides who entered Canada after recent immigration policy changes intended to reduce such sponsored bride’s vulnerability to maltreatment under the tradition of male sponsorship of family-chosen brides from their home countries.

Abstract

English-proficient women were able to access both online and hard-copy documents that explained the conditions of the sponsorship relationship. They were aware that their husbands, as their immigration sponsors, had more responsibilities to them than rights over them under Canadian immigration law. They were also aware of their permanent resident status. This knowledge of sponsorship under Canadian immigration law led to their expectation of support during the resettlement process in Canada. Their husbands appeared to be complying with their sponsorship commitment by assisting them with economic, social, and societal integration. Should their husbands withdraw support or abuse them, the women knew of options they could pursue and resources they could access. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, however, the current study found that recent changes in Canadian family sponsorship immigration policies and procedures have not improved the plight of non-English-proficient South-Asian immigrant brides. Due to language barriers these women were totally reliant on third-party interpretations of their sponsorship rights. This made them vulnerable to various types of human rights violations without any knowledge of how to address them. These findings indicate the importance of providing government-sponsored orientations to all brides who enter Canada under sponsorship policies and procedures, using a language in which they are proficient. Ten women participated in the study, with 5 being English proficient. All had been married in their home countries, with their husbands having filed sponsorship applications to bring them to Canada during or after 2002, and the women were living with their husbands in Canada. 31 references