I personally know some couples where one spouse sponsored the other to immigrate to Canada: #1 – young, educated Iranian woman married equally young, unemployed but wealthy Iranian-Canadian man, left him within 2 years of marriage and sued unsuccessfully for half of his parents’ West Vancouver home; #2 – Canadian blue-collar worker in his ‘60s, originally from South America, married 35-year old woman from his home country and, after both she and her daughter from a prior relationship moved to Canada, she left him and is now living in subsidized housing though he does have to pay her monthly, so he now can only afford to rent a bedroom in a house, with shared kitchen and bathroom (this elderly gentleman was warned of the risks, but said he wants to “take a chance on love”); #3 Canadian blue-collar worker in his ‘60s, also from S.A., married a woman in her ‘50s from S.A. who does not work or speak English so they are low-income and obtained a subsidized BC Housing one-bedroom suite