I am a US citizen planning to marry a Canadian woman. We are hoping for the best in our marriage, but just in case everything goes wrong, for how long would I have to stay married to her in Canada to be allowed to stay in Canada as a permanent resident should we be divorced, and would I be deported if the length of my marriage to her does not meet the required criteria?

Thank you very much for your help,
Michael

One of the primary requirements of success in the Family Class Category, for engaged couples, relates to the sponsor's income in Canada, based upon the Low Income Cut-Off Chart.

On the other hand, if a Canadian Permanent Resident, or Canadian Citizen, sponsors an actual spouse, to which he/she is married, then the financial requirements indicated in the low income cutoff chart are often waived.

Note that it is not recommended that anyone overstay as a visitor in Canada, as that may result in deportation, and could negatively effect applications for permanent residency.

(US Citizens are often granted entry for a maximum of 6 months at a time, when they are visitors. Once they are approved as Permanent Residents, they may then stay for great length in Canada.)

It is also worth noting, that applications in the Family Class Category of immigration can be submitted inland (within Canada), if the applicant is actually married to Canadian Citizen, or married to a Canadian Permanent Resident, who is currently living in Canada.

For such inland applications, the applicant may receive a preliminary acceptance, usually in about 4-6 months on average. This preliminary approval is called an "Approval in Principle". It is not the final approval, of course, but it will usually allow the applicant to begin working in Canada, if the applicant happens to be present in Canada at that time, as a visitor. The Approval in Principle will also often result in the waiving of the requirement that US visitors exit after 6 months. The Approval In Prinicple is often issued within 4-6 months, on average. (The final approval will then arrive at a later date, taking a total of 14 months on average to obtain.)