Ready to send applications, BUT...

[dancanman]

My wife, who is Canadian born and raised, and I got married on August 11th in Canada, and I will be applying for PR, and open work permit, with my wife as sponsor, from inside Canada.
My big, huge problem is, that when I entered Canada, the immigration officer at the airport, for unknown reasons, decided that I could only stay in Canada for 3 months. despite the fact, that I showed prove, that I could provide for myself, and that I had a valid return ticket.
I'm from a western european country, and don't need visa to visit, plus I have a valid ticket (bought a ticket, that was valid for 6 months, as from what I could see, that was the time I was allowed to stay as a visitor).
They put a note in my passport, that I have to leave Canada by october 23rd, (a little under 3 months) and that I'm not allowed to study or work (The last part did not come as a surprise, and I never had any attention of doing so, before my applications had been processed). I have to say, that the first part completely took me by surprise, that they're even able to do this, for no apparent reason, other than they can.
What I really want to know is, can I be allowed to stay, while my applications are being processed, and how do I go about it...how and where can I apply, to be allowed to extend my visitor status, with this thing in my passport ?
ANY help would be appreciated.

[wilson]

  hi dancanman,

Don't worry, be optimistic.
Read this :

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp

[rjessome]

Your inland application for PR WITH the application for an OWP will extend your status as a visitor as long as it is received in Vegreville before October 23rd.  Be sure to send both together along with the appropriate processing fees.  If you do that, after October 23rd you will be on implied status.

[dancanman]

Thanks a lot guys.

So happy I found this place.
It's a long and lonely road, so a network like this is great to have

[pinklady]

You can apply to extend your stay as a visitor and also apply outland while being inside canada. Outland can often be finished before 1st stage approval Inland. The London office is currently taking an average of 120 days to issue a PPR, compared to 9-10 months for 1st stage approval - when you can work.
Just something to think about.

[dancanman]

 @  Pinklady

You mean I can have my visitor status extended based on my outland PR application, if I choose to do it like that
As I understand it, since my wife will be my sponsor, she has to send everything to Alberta, and they will forward it to London, after she has been approved as sponsor, right ?
So if I wanted to do outland, does she just send the sponsor application, and extension of visitor status application to Albrta, and the rest directly to London ?

[pinklady]

The visitor extension would be separate. You send it to this address and it costs $75
Citizenship and Immigration - Visitor
Case Processing Centre
6212 - 55th Avenue, Unit 303
Vegreville, AB
T9C 1W1
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp#step5
Once the application is received, you are on implied status until you receive a reply. Currently the wait time for processing is 150 days, so there is a chance you would get the PPR from London before you hear back about the visitot extension.

It is recommended that you pay the PR fees ahead of applying for the visitor extension, and including a copy.

You would send the whole PR outland application to Mississauga where they assess the sponsor. Once approved, they forward everything to London where they assess you for Permanent residency.

I applied to London office while being in Canada and I didnt even need to apply for a visitor extension since i was granted 6 months on entry.

Join the london thread if you have more questions.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/thread-for-outland-london-uk-applications-t49436.2475.html

[dancanman]

That definitly sounds like the way to go Pinklady. Thank you
Seems like that would save me the open work permit as well, since the processing time for that could be the same, or even longer than PR.

[pinklady]

Glad I can help.
Outland is definately the way to go though! You're likely to be a landed permanent resident before you would've even got 1st stage approval inland.
If you have more questions further along the line, do join the London thread, they're a friendly bunch and you can message me also and i'll be happy to help if I can.
Good luck to you!