Marital Breakdown Among Couples Formed Under Sponsorship Arrangements in Quebec


In the last few years, there has been a trend by Western countries, including Canada, to tighten their immigration laws. For example, in 2012, modifications were made to the spousal sponsorship system: the granting of permanent residence is now conditional on two years of cohabitation between the sponsored person and his/her sponsor. This recent measure can increase the vulnerability of sponsored persons who are dependant on their sponsor for three years. How is the experience of spousal sponsorship being translated into daily life?

My doctoral project aims at better understanding the effects of spousal sponsorship on conjugal dynamics and social integration into the host society, from the viewpoint of the sponsored person; and I want to better understand and describe the experience of marital breakdown in couples formed under sponsorship arrangements.

Estelle Bernier 
Degree: PhD
Status: In Progress
Supervisor: Josiane Le Gall, Michèle Vatz Laaroussi
Department and University: Applied Human Sciences, University of Montreal
Emailestelle.bernier@usherbrooke.ca