'I sponsored my common law filipina partner as a conjugal partner to immigrate to Canada rather than marrying her in the Philippines precisely because we do not want the legal status of conventional marriage that would be recognised legally in the Philippines. This could jeapordise her widows pension from the Philippine Armed Forces. In Canada we are registered with the Manitoba govt. as common law partners and this gives her the same rights in Canada as if we were married conventionally but under Philippine law she remains a single widow. Common law marriages or unions are an alternative to civil unions or conventional marriage and at least in Canada can be same sex or opposite sex."
Is this marital arbitrage?
I am a gay US citizen w/o a passport (not to mention that I don't live in NYC or New England... This cannot stand.
Cliff 1618.cliff at gmail.com