Canadian Experience into Common Law partner residency

[Kuz]

Hello,

I asked this question in the Family/Spouse forum, so i thought I'd ask it here too as it pertains to Canadian Experience visa.

I plan to move to Canada shortly on an Experience Canada Visa to live with my girlfriend. I will be there for 1 year, which is the length of time required to qualify as a common law partner.

However, I need to apply for an extension of my visa to change it to Common Law within 30 days BEFORE the Visa runs out (up to just a few days before). This means we'll have been living together for 11 months (and few days) before i apply, and therefore will not qualify. I have several questions:

1) On the dates for the Common Law partner application, can i put that we've been living together full 12 months, as in post-date the "until" date a month, assuming that we will have completed the 1 year by the time my Experience Canada visa runs out

or

2) Can i enter Canada as a "visitor" for 90 days, living with my girlfriend, then leave for a day (she lives on the Canada/US border) and then re-enter with my Canadian Experience Visa (i.e hand my letter to them this time). This way, we will have been living together continously for 1 year three months before my 1 year visa runs out, and it'll be easy to prove...

or

3) Will it be easier to do the other way round. Live for a year with her, then change my visa to a visitor visa, so then we'll have completed one year 30 days before I apply for a Common Law visa. (or i could apply for a self-employed visa or ANY other type of visa before the 1 year visa runs out, then use THAT extended period to apply for Common Law visa?

Are any of these options feasible?

Thanks

[Kuz]

Any help here?

I guess my main question is: Coming from a visa waiver country. Can I arrive in Canada as visitor (having already received my Letter of Introduction) several months BEFORE I cross the border again (she lives in a town RIGHT on the border) and hand in my letter to customs to receive my work permit?

Is this feasible?

This would establish my relationship with her well before the one year runs out and then I can apply for Common Law.

If CIC ask me why i'm entering as a visitor when i have a Letter of Introduction, I'll say i wanted to get a head start and scout around for jobs and appartments before my official year started.

Do people do that? Is that a workable solution?

The only troubling thing is that i found this on the CIC website:

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/germany-allemagne/visas/faq.aspx?lang=eng&view=d#b4

4. Can I enter Canada as a visitor before my work permit has been issued?

If you are a visa-exempt national, we cannot hinder you to travel to Canada before obtaining your work/study permit. However, we strongly advise against it. You may be refused entry into Canada. A work permit can only be issued upon entering Canada from outside. Even if we issue you with a permit letter, you will, nonetheless, have to leave Canada and re-enter to have your work permit validated.

[scylla]

Any help here?

I guess my main question is: Coming from a visa waiver country. Can I arrive in Canada as visitor (having already received my Letter of Introduction) several months BEFORE I cross the border again (she lives in a town RIGHT on the border) and hand in my letter to customs to receive my work permit?

Is this feasible?

This would establish my relationship with her well before the one year runs out and then I can apply for Common Law.

If CIC ask me why i'm entering as a visitor when i have a Letter of Introduction, I'll say i wanted to get a head start and scout around for jobs and appartments before my official year started.

Do people do that? Is that a workable solution?

The only troubling thing is that i found this on the CIC website:

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/germany-allemagne/visas/faq.aspx?lang=eng&view=d#b4

4. Can I enter Canada as a visitor before my work permit has been issued?

If you are a visa-exempt national, we cannot hinder you to travel to Canada before obtaining your work/study permit. However, we strongly advise against it. You may be refused entry into Canada. A work permit can only be issued upon entering Canada from outside. Even if we issue you with a permit letter, you will, nonetheless, have to leave Canada and re-enter to have your work permit validated.

This section of the forum is for people who have applied to immigrate to Canada via Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

You are coming to Canada on a holiday work visa you obtained through IEC (the International Experience Class program).

These are two completely separate programs (CEC is an immigration stream, IEC is a temporary work program) and this is likely the reason why no one here is able to assist you with your questin.

[Kuz]

whoops

[scylla]

whoops

No worries. Didn't want you to think people were ignoring you on purpose.