OK then...here are some questions. Anyone can answer to help me.

[Eric Parker]

I have an application pending under the FSW class. However, it looks as if I am not under the 38 occupations and will get my application sent back with the mentioned refund.

I have been engaged to a Canadian Woman for 7 years now, first waiting to get enough money to send an FSW class application, then sending in one. Now the questions rise as we have decided to get married in May in her home province of Alberta.

Q1: How long do I have to wait after the marriage ceremony in May to have her sponsor me as a spouse under the Family Class and submit applications pertaining to that end?

Q2: When applying under this, do I have to have new forms on my end (I know she needs forms for sponsorship)?

Q3: Will the immigration officers (who, I may add, seem to be a ittle too uptight in thier dealings with Family Class people if you read the other posts in this area) look at this is a bad light if my FSW application is sent back with it's refund?

Let it be known here that I am not marrying this wonderful lady because she is a Canadian and that will get me into Canada. She has 4 children that need to stay in Alberta and we felt, and decided logically, it was best for me to be there and not have everyone hike down to where I live in the states (Oregon). Over the course of 7 years of our engagement, we have helped each other financially and emotionally. She is a pillar in her community and has never once been arrested nor has she ever had a drink or a smoke in her life.

This is not going to be a sham marriage by any means.

Any thoughts, guidence, wisom, or advice is welcomed here.

Thanks!

Eric Parker

[AMB]

Hi,

I will try to answer:

1) There is no necessary waiting period to apply for sponsorship after the wedding.  You can submit it right away if you want, just need to have everything together.  If you are doing it from Outside Canada (with you staying in the US during the application), you should have most of the needed documents included, but anything you don't have, like the marriage certificate could be sent to the consulate at a later date.

2) Yes, the application process is almost completely different than your skilled worker app, besides the Application for Permanent Residence, and the Background Information.  This application is not at all based on your education, work or financial abilities.  Here is the application:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp

3) Of course, the officer processing will see that you have applied under Skilled Worker Class, and will have to consider this.  But since you've been together for so long, your proof of relationship will overwhelm their *possible* thinking that "oh, this guy didn't qualify any longer under skilled worker, now he's looking for another way into the country and found himself a Canadian".  Just give lots of proof of your relationship development, trips back and forth, money transfers, etc.  I'm sure you have lots.

Also, you mention about how "clean" your fiance is... this doesn't really matter.  It's you who will be thoroughly checked (medical/criminal).  You will see all that in the application forms as well.  In Part C, you can click on the "United States" and that will take you to a PDF that shows you how to get the FBI check etc, but your experience probably makes you know all this already.

Processing times in the US are pretty fast, so depending on when you get married, you could be reunited with your fiance a lot faster than a skilled worker app!

All the best.

[GK]

Our outland application via Buffalo took just over 90 days and we had not been married (or lived together) for very long before we applied.   

[Eric Parker]

Thank you AMB


I am planning to use the Campbell Cohen people to help with the apps, and hope they can keep(and use) for me, at least, some of the forms I have already filled out.

Only problem could be that (when looking over the forms needed for family sponsorship and such) some of the documentation they ask for (proof of plane tickets and such) could not be obtainable due to the fact that 1. We did not realize that plane tickets 7 years ago would matter since we like a life without clutter and 2. some entities such as phone companies and banks do not keep data more than 3 or 4 years. But that is why I am going to use the Campbell Cohen people to help - they always have good answers.