Oh man my brain is boiling trying to sort through all this stuff. I'll give some background on my situation and then see if anyone can answer a few questions
I am 21, currently in Montreal, living with my boyfriend (and intended sponsor) at his parents house. He was a friend I had made online and met in the past, and when he decided to study a year in the US, I invited him to move with me and my other roommate into an apartment while he was in school in my town. He arrived mid august, and within a month we were dating. I visited Montreal over christmas and met his family, checked the place out. I graduated from university in june and we sold all my stuff and drove across Canada. I've been here a little over 3 weeks now.
So now I'm here looking for an employer who might be willing to get me a temporary work permit (I'm a graphic designer), and trying to get my forms together for my application for permanent residence. The way I understand it, we need to fill out our Sponsorship application ALONG WITH my application for permanent residence, which goes to the government of canada (CIC), and once THAT gets accepted, we get a letter that must accompany the Undertaking application which goes to the government of quebec (MICC).
A few questions:
1. On the application for residence, it asks me if my CSQ has been accepted yet, or else, when I applied. What IS that? I thought that's what I apply for AFTER canada approves me?
2.When I tried calling to talk to someone on the phone, they said that if I was already in canada, I should send in my work application at the same time to get an open work visa ASAP. But I thought you needed a job offer for that? Does anyone know about this magical open work visa?
3. I'm applying from within canada, but at one point in the instructions it says that the family class is designed to speed things up, and that it's faster from outside of canada. They say I can "Can apply to a visa office outside Canada to take advantage of the family class processing standard." So I just mail it to a US visa office instead of canadas? And would I still be able to get that open work visa?
4. The medical exam. They say it's a required form when I'm applying for residence, but then they also say that my medical exam forms will be mailed to me after I send in my application, and that I don't need them to apply. It's contradictory! Do I send in my application without the medical exam papers? They send them to ME?
I know I'm asking a lot, and maybe it'll just be helpful to have it all written down. It's just that every time I try to sit down and fill out my forms, they all seem to contradict eachother and I end up going in circles
1. On the application for residence, it asks me if my CSQ has been accepted yet, or else, when I applied. What IS that? I thought that's what I apply for AFTER canada approves me? Because you applied in Quebec, you get an extra step. The jist of it is Quebec also has to approve of you. (To be honest, it's mostly a formality) You dont get this until 6-7 months of your application being in process.
2.When I tried calling to talk to someone on the phone, they said that if I was already in canada, I should send in my work application at the same time to get an open work visa ASAP. But I thought you needed a job offer for that? Does anyone know about this magical open work visa? You get an open work permit when your sponsor and you are approved and you are waiting for 2nd stage approval, roughly 10 months after you sent off your permanent resident visa application. It's pretty much saying "You are approved, but we have to look into your background, health and security, in the meantime, you can work!"
3. I'm applying from within canada, but at one point in the instructions it says that the family class is designed to speed things up, and that it's faster from outside of canada. They say I can "Can apply to a visa office outside Canada to take advantage of the family class processing standard." So I just mail it to a US visa office instead of canadas? And would I still be able to get that open work visa? Their logic for this is because you're inside Canada, there is no huge rush to process your application after someone who is not together. However, you can go and visit your sponsor in Canada whilst your visa is in process. So, yes the outland is processed a lot quicker than inland. However, you cannot work while you're on an outland processing.
4. The medical exam. They say it's a required form when I'm applying for residence, but then they also say that my medical exam forms will be mailed to me after I send in my application, and that I don't need them to apply. It's contradictory! Do I send in my application without the medical exam papers? They send them to ME? To be on the safe side, I would (and did) send the medical off at the same time.
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