PR application question

[gkarayiannis]

Hello,

this is my first post so forgive me if i ask many questions at once.

My wife is canadian and i am from Cyprus. She is here with me in Cyprus currently working but she has given her notice and she is going to canada end of July. I will stay behind waiting for my PR card to come. my questions are as follows:

1) Do i wait for her to go back to Canada, get a job and then send my application in, does that increases my chances?
2) I have asked the FBI and NY state police for certificates, how long does it take to get a reply?
3) Can I go visit while my application is in progress? and if yes what do i tell the people at the borders, that i am here to see my wife?
4) I am applying through the Damascus office? what is the average time from start to finish, from the time i send the application in to the time i can actually go to canada?

well that is for now, i am sorry if some people asked this questions again but i haven't found anything that is from Cyprus so i am worried.

Thanks for your time in advance.

G

[Leon]

1. If you apply while you are both living in Cyprus, you have the added burden of proving that you will move to Canada when you get PR.  You can do this by showing that you arranged housing, that you have job offers or whatever.  If she's already in Canada when you apply, you don't have to prove that you will be moving there.  Having a job does not matter for her since she will not be denied because of income to sponsor a spouse.

2. It took me a month to get the FBI clearance when I did it.

3. You can go visit with an outland application.  You can tell the people at the border that you are there to visit your wife and that you have an outland application going and if they call you for interview, you will have to leave Canada to go to it so there is not much chance of you trying to overstay.

4. At http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp#c it says that the visa office responsible for Cyprus is Ankara or Damascus.  If you click on each one, it says Damascus is responsible for Cyprus and Ankara for Turkey so I don't know why they say both.  You will send your file to Mississauga and right now, approving your wife as a sponsor will take 38 days, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/canada/process-in.asp#sponsorship  Then the file gets send to Damascus (I assume rather than Ankara) and will take there 4-7 months, average 5, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/international/05-fc-spouses.asp#africa or if it goes to Ankara, same time, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/international/05-fc-spouses.asp#europe

[gkarayiannis]

Dear Leon,

Thank you for the quick response.

My follow up question is..... My wife will move back end of July but she does not have a job offer. we are both in the process of looking for job there but since i do not have pr papers yet i am contacted by people. we are hoping for her to get something soon after her return to Canada. Will that effect the time of her getting approved as a sponsor?

Also what about the state certificate? I understand that it depends on the state you live in but i think they all must be around the same.

Thanks again

[Leon]

Not having a job will not matter but like I said, if you file your application before she moves, you will have the added proof of proving you will move when you get your PR.  I don't know how long a NY state police certificate takes.  Probably no longer than the one from FBI.

[gkarayiannis]

Dear Leon,

Thanks for all the info.

Ok from what i understand from your postings i should send in my application after she has left for Canada? i guess i can wait 3 more weeks :d

Also i have another question.... if i send my application in can i also apply for temporary worker visa? or that would effect the time for the pr card? also what if i want to start my own company when i get to canada, does that apply for the temporary work visa or not really?

thanks

[Leon]

To apply for a temporary work permit, you need a job offer and it needs to be approved by Canada that no Canadian was found to do this job.  You also need to prove that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires which may not work if you are already applying for PR.  In any case, I don't think you will gain any time by trying for a work permit.  The spousal sponsorship is pretty fast.

If you want to start your own company, you can do that once you get your PR.  If you were not being sponsored by your spouse, you could apply for a self-employed or entrepreneur visa but it takes way longer than the sponsorship.