A few funny — but absolutely true and legal — facts about marriage in Canada. Get ready for some surprises!

1.   Online marriage: Love on Wi-Fi!
Until June 2015, you could legally say “I do” in Canada through a screen, wearing slippers and sipping tea. Legal, official, romantic! But the Immigration of Canada no longer recognizes such marriages! Apparently, they want real-life happy tears. In the digital era where we order Uber with one click, this seems absurd. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if online marriages make a comeback. Let’s wait for a little bit!

2.   Marrying Cousins is totally fine. Adopted siblings – absolutely not!
Want to marry your cousin? No problem, it’s totally legal in Canada. No one will even question you. But what about the marriage between adopted siblings? Oh it’s a big no-no since it's considered a first-degree family relationship, even though there’s no blood connection. The law is serious, though somewhere behind the scenes, people must be chuckling at such logic. Just don’t mix up who’s related to whom!

3.   Polygamy: not banned, but not for Canada!
Technically, polygamy isn’t outlawed in Canada: you can live with three wives if everybody’s ok with that.  But the immigration draws the line. A cultural twist: in countries where polygamy is legal, Canadian immigration will only recognize the first wife. And what about the rest? Sorry, no visa for you. I am sure that the first wife is probably celebrating her exclusive status in secret!

4.   Age: 18+ or don’t bother!
To sponsor or be sponsored for the immigration to Canada, you must be at least 18 years old. You can get married at 16, but forget about sponsorship. And here’s a legal puzzle: if a person marries under 18 in a country where such a marriage isn't legally recognized, they still can’t remarry in Canada without officially annulling that earlier one first. Love makes life complicated, but the law complicates it even more!

All true, all legal even if it sounds like the plot of a romantic comedy. Canada knows how to keep a serious face with a sly smile.

Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada.
Copyright 2025 “SKI Immigration Inc.” All rights reserved.