Client story
Client Story
Where they started
A Russian couple had lived together for many years and considered themselves a complete family, but had not officially registered their marriage—as often happens, "everything is fine as is." When they decided to obtain a second citizenship, they expected one passport for both, intending to include the partner as they would a spouse.
Why the standard route did not work
Here we needed to set the record straight immediately, which we did. Under Dominica's program, a family member means a spouse—that is, a person officially registered in marriage with the applicant. A common-law partner, however long-standing and strong the union, does not automatically fall into this category. Promising to "list the partner as a spouse" without marriage would be dishonest, and strict verification would not allow it.
What BRIDGES had to solve
But this is not a dead end at all—simply a need for an honest, lawful path, and there were two. First: officially register the marriage, after which the partner becomes a spouse in the full sense and is included in the application as a family member. Second: the partner submits their own, separate application as an independent primary applicant—then both obtain citizenship, albeit through two applications. We explained both options to the couple without embellishment; they chose the path that suited them, and as a result, each obtained a second passport—through lawful means, not by attempting to pass off a common-law partnership as marriage.
Why a standard answer would not do
At BRIDGES, the couple came seeking an honest solution: to understand how a partner is actually included, and to obtain Dominica citizenship for both—legally, not on false grounds.
We have been together for many years and consider ourselves a family, but there is no stamp in our passport. We thought the partner would be listed as a spouse—and that would be it. Anna immediately said honestly: the program recognizes a spouse in an official marriage; a common-law partner is not automatically recognized, and one cannot be passed off as the other; verification is strict. But there is no dead end: either register the marriage and the partner becomes a spouse, or the partner submits their own separate application. We were shown both paths plainly, without fairy tales; we chose ours, and we both received our passports. It is valuable that they did not promise the impossible, but solved it honestly.
