Go Thru Marriage or Employment?

I met my same *censored word* partner for over a year now. I am planning to come to Canada in 2 years later to join my companion. I have a couple of questions to ask here as far as for me staying in Canada and work there:

1) I am a US citizen and my same *censored word* partner is Canadian citizen. We do not want to get married in order for me to stay in Canada. So can we file conjugal partner? If so, how to prove that? Since US does not allow same *censored word* marriage, is it enough evidence?

2) If we file common law partner, we have to prove that we are living together for at least 1 year continuously. I am more than happy to do that. However, I am worried about sitting home for 1 year, then get married, and wait for another 8-9 months for sponsorship. If we go through this route, I will be jobless for almost 2 years? Most companies do not want to see anybody stay jobless for 2 years. What can I do in this situation?

3) I am an IT skilled worker. I have the score of 77 for my skill self-assessment. Will the immigration grant me to work in Canada without any offer letter? How long will the process take?

I really do not want to be jobless for a long period of time because I would like to support my partner financially and give a comfortable life to both of us.

Thanks a lot.