Women as Wives: Immigration Law and Domestic Violence

This article focuses on the spousal sponsorship system in Canadian immigration law. The author argues that the current system creates significant obstacles to sponsored immigrant women with abusive spouses. The article examines the specific provisions of the sponsorship system through a human rights lens, with a focus on both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and international human rights law. In conclusion, the author argues that the current spousal sponsorship regime needs immediate reform as it results in violations of Charter rights and international human rights law. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Canada]