How long for work permit after marriage?

[acer925]

Im American and engaged to my canadian fiance, we are currently living in Canada and I would like to be able to work here after we get married. If we get married in the United States, do I have to apply for PR in order to get a work permit? I wish to keep my u.s. citizenship but be allowed to work in Canada, possibly forever, to start our life here. If I must apply for PR to get a work permit, will they grant me a work permit while my PR is processing? How long untill I would recieve the work permit after marriage? Or can I just apply for a work permit after marriage instead of PR? Im confused on how it works, all I know is we would get married in the states and send everything from there since it's faster and I do not want to lose my u.s. citizenship. Please help.

[job_seeker]

Im American and engaged to my canadian fiance, we are currently living in Canada and I would like to be able to work here after we get married. If we get married in the United States, do I have to apply for PR in order to get a work permit? I wish to keep my u.s. citizenship but be allowed to work in Canada, possibly forever, to start our life here. If I must apply for PR to get a work permit, will they grant me a work permit while my PR is processing? How long untill I would recieve the work permit after marriage? Or can I just apply for a work permit after marriage instead of PR? Im confused on how it works, all I know is we would get married in the states and send everything from there since it's faster and I do not want to lose my u.s. citizenship. Please help.

Apply for PR after marriage in that way it would be easier for you and also your employer (no need to apply for LMO for employer, no need for you to apply for work permit). If you did an inland processing, you can submit a WP app together with the sponsorship application and can get an OWP after first stage approval, but processing might be longer; do an outland processing, you can work as soon as you land, obtained SIN and found an employer; processing probably 6 months on the average. 

[Leon]

It's very simple.  You have the choice between 1. and 2.

1. Outland application: Your wife applies to sponsor you using the forms saying that you live outside Canada.  During processing, you can either be in Canada or in the US or you can travel between them.  Likely processing time 6-8 months to get PR.  There is no work permit in this package.  Either you have to wait for your PR or you have the option of looking for an employer to sponsor you for a work permit.  If you would get a work permit through an employer, it would be completely regardless of your marriage, sponsorship and PR application.

2. Inland application: Your wife applies to sponsor you using the forms saying that you live in Canada with her.  You must be in Canada for the duration of the processing.  If you leave and are stopped from entering again, you lose your application.  PR could take from 10 to 18 months if nothing is wrong. If you had applied for an open work permit with this application, you might get it in 6 months but if they have any problems with your application, for example, you are out of status in Canada, they have questions about your wifes ability to sponsor, they question your relationship etc., they will not give you an open work permit and your PR could then take as much as 3-4 years.

You will never lose your US citizenship no matter what you do in Canada.  You can get Canadian PR, live in Canada for years, apply for Canadian citizenship, get it and you will still be a US citizen.

[acer925]

It's very simple.  You have the choice between 1. and 2.

1. Outland application: Your wife applies to sponsor you using the forms saying that you live outside Canada.  During processing, you can either be in Canada or in the US or you can travel between them.  Likely processing time 6-8 months to get PR.  There is no work permit in this package.  Either you have to wait for your PR or you have the option of looking for an employer to sponsor you for a work permit.  If you would get a work permit through an employer, it would be completely regardless of your marriage, sponsorship and PR application.

2. Inland application: Your wife applies to sponsor you using the forms saying that you live in Canada with her.  You must be in Canada for the duration of the processing.  If you leave and are stopped from entering again, you lose your application.  PR could take from 10 to 18 months if nothing is wrong. If you had applied for an open work permit with this application, you might get it in 6 months but if they have any problems with your application, for example, you are out of status in Canada, they have questions about your wifes ability to sponsor, they question your relationship etc., they will not give you an open work permit and your PR could then take as much as 3-4 years.

You will never lose your US citizenship no matter what you do in Canada.  You can get Canadian PR, live in Canada for years, apply for Canadian citizenship, get it and you will still be a US citizen.

Thanks Leon..that really sucks I thought that if we were married and wanted to live in Canada that I could get a work permit to work..but waiting for PR is really the only way I would be able to work here after marriage? (excluding an employer helping me).

[Leon]

Like I said, you have the option of applying outland and waiting for PR or applying inland and getting an open work permit which takes roughly the same time.

[acer925]

Apply for PR after marriage in that way it would be easier for you and also your employer (no need to apply for LMO for employer, no need for you to apply for work permit). If you did an inland processing, you can submit a WP app together with the sponsorship application and can get an OWP after first stage approval, but processing might be longer; do an outland processing, you can work as soon as you land, obtained SIN and found an employer; processing probably 6 months on the average. 

Just a bit confused by this answer when you say I can work as soon as I land, but then you say processing probably 6 months on average?

[job_seeker]

Just a bit confused by this answer when you say I can work as soon as I land, but then you say processing probably 6 months on average?

Sorry Land as a permanent resident.

Leon probably summed up what I wanted to point out: After marriage, you have two options, do an inland application, you get OWP after 1st stage approval but processing is longer; or do an outland application, no OWP after 1st stage approval but you can start working as soon as you get your PR and land, application time is shorter, average processing time is 6 months.