Spousal sponsorship

[Lululena]

HI! I am from Ukraine and I am married to canadian. We just have sent my inland application (kind of scary:)). I have a visitor multiple entry visa till the end of 2011. So I have some questions:
1. Can I leave Canada or not now?
2. And what should I do to apply for an open work permit? I just got my Master degree in Economics in Ukraine and my desire to work is huge. Staying at home and waiting is so frustrating!

Thanks everybody who can help with these questions!

[Leon]

It is not advisable to leave Canada while you have an inland application is process because if you are denied entry, you lose your application.  You can get an OWP once you reach first stage approval which could be in 8 or 9 months according to the current processing times.  You could have sent that application along with your sponsorship but since you did not, you might as well wait until you have a file number to send in the application so it doesn't get lost.  You could also wait until you have first stage approval to apply.  In any case, write on the work permit application and that you are seeing an open work permit to be given to you upon your first stage approval.  If you don't write that, they may think that you are wanting to get it right away and will refuse.

[adzees]

yes you can leave Canada, and come back because you have multiple entry visa. Chances are very minimal that they won't allow you to re-enter. In normal circumstances, you can go in-and-out of Canada infinite number of times as long as you carry multiple entry visa stamped on your passport.

CIC only advised not to leave Canada , because number of applicants have lost their statuses.

[Lululena]

thanks so much for the information!!! all these immigration stuff is quite confusing sometimes:)

[Black-Berry]

yes you can leave Canada, and come back because you have multiple entry visa. Chances are very minimal that they won't allow you to re-enter. In normal circumstances, you can go in-and-out of Canada infinite number of times as long as you carry multiple entry visa stamped on your passport.

CIC only advised not to leave Canada , because number of applicants have lost their statuses.

Adzees.. Well said. At first i thought even with a multiple entry visa you can not be re-admitted. But i have proven this by re-entering the country with an Inland Application in process several times without raising an eyebrow. I put in my application in January and since then have been overseas,the states multiple times. in total i have left the country about seven to ten times.
The cic website your chances are slim of re entry if you try coming back without a visa or are using your "inloand Application" as an excuse and have no visa in your passport to get into Canada. Then it is not advised to try and leave.

HI! I am from Ukraine and I am married to canadian. We just have sent my inland application (kind of scary:)). I have a visitor multiple entry visa till the end of 2011. So I have some questions:
1. Can I leave Canada or not now?
2. And what should I do to apply for an open work permit? I just got my Master degree in Economics in Ukraine and my desire to work is huge. Staying at home and waiting is so frustrating!

Thanks everybody who can help with these questions!

Lululena, welcome to this board!.
To answer your questions (1) yes you can absolutely leave Canada so long as you still have your valid multiple entry visa. Once it expires i wouldnt try and leave
(2) You should have sent your OWP application together with your application but as Adzees has said you may have to wait for first stage approval which now is taking 8-9 months to get Approval In Principle then you can apply.

Also just to advise you that some employers in Canada and some places do not recognise any degrees that are not Canadian. I know too many people who are immigrants here and cannot get jobs or had to start school again as their degree in their home country was nopt recognised.
As an option to staying at hme. maybe you can volunteer?. time goes first if you are busy.
For me im a socialite so i love meeting new people. going out.., hiking, coffee, going to the gym,yoga etc and this has helped time go by.
I also LOVE to travel and since ive been here we have travelled in and ou tof the country. Numerous times (with my family of course!) Just anything to make time pass by faster. Id say give it up to a year (at this rate!) to hear anything.
Vegreville has been superslow this past july/August and i think they are back from (wherever!) and are kicking it!.
Anyway good luck and you will get great advise from here. you are in the right place

[nelly72]

Hello!  Not sure if this is the right area for my questions.

My husband is a Canadian Citizen and I am Bermudian (British) we live together and work in Bermuda (I was born here and have lived here all my life).  We sent his Sponsorship Application and my PR application as one package to CIC Miss.  CIC received it on August 16th.  The CIC online status check shows that a Decision was made and a letter sent to us on Sept. 14th. 
Unfortunately, it would appear they did not include our zip code.  Believe it or not, Bermuda will send the letter back to Canada if it doesn't have the zip code - even though the postman knows where our house is!  It only takes 40 minutes from one end of the island to the other!    I tried calling CIC to make sure they use our zip code but because I am calling from outside Canada the call won't even go through and of course, my husband is with me.

I am assuming that "Decision Made" means my husband was approved as a sponsor - really no reason why he wouldn't be.  So really, there wouldn't be any other correspondence coming from CIC Miss. - right? 

Does anyone know how quickly it takes for the application to be sent to Buffalo for PR processing once a decision is made on sponsorship?

As I don't have the letter from CIC Miss. can I call Buffalo and will they have a record of me?  I need to tell someone about this zip code craziness but I don't even know my case number as I assume it is in the letter.

My medicals have already been done and received by CIC and I have just received my FBI letter (just in case they wanted one) so there is nothing outstanding at all about my application.  Pretty straight forward actually.  Any advice?

Thanks and all the best,
Nell

[Black-Berry]

Hello!  Not sure if this is the right area for my questions.

My husband is a Canadian Citizen and I am Bermudian (British) we live together and work in Bermuda (I was born here and have lived here all my life).  We sent his Sponsorship Application and my PR application as one package to CIC Miss.  CIC received it on August 16th.  The CIC online status check shows that a Decision was made and a letter sent to us on Sept. 14th. 
Unfortunately, it would appear they did not include our zip code.  Believe it or not, Bermuda will send the letter back to Canada if it doesn't have the zip code - even though the postman knows where our house is!  It only takes 40 minutes from one end of the island to the other!    I tried calling CIC to make sure they use our zip code but because I am calling from outside Canada the call won't even go through and of course, my husband is with me.

I am assuming that "Decision Made" means my husband was approved as a sponsor - really no reason why he wouldn't be.  So really, there wouldn't be any other correspondence coming from CIC Miss. - right? 

Does anyone know how quickly it takes for the application to be sent to Buffalo for PR processing once a decision is made on sponsorship?

As I don't have the letter from CIC Miss. can I call Buffalo and will they have a record of me?  I need to tell someone about this zip code craziness but I don't even know my case number as I assume it is in the letter.

My medicals have already been done and received by CIC and I have just received my FBI letter (just in case they wanted one) so there is nothing outstanding at all about my application.  Pretty straight forward actually.  Any advice?

Thanks and all the best,
Nell

Hey Nell, Im also from Bermuda and we moved here last year. My husband (who is Canadian/Bermudian)sponsored me but Inland though. but i know the pain about the Zip Codes in Bermuda!. Still cannot believe thats not been sorted out. And yes i STRONGLY BELIEVE that Bermuda would send the letter back ! (We lived in paget and our mail never arrived for two weeks just because they got our postal code wrong!)
Anyway just wanted to wish you best of luck and all the best in your sponsorship.

[Lululena]

Adzees.. Well said. At first i thought even with a multiple entry visa you can not be re-admitted. But i have proven this by re-entering the country with an Inland Application in process several times without raising an eyebrow. I put in my application in January and since then have been overseas,the states multiple times. in total i have left the country about seven to ten times.
The cic website your chances are slim of re entry if you try coming back without a visa or are using your "inloand Application" as an excuse and have no visa in your passport to get into Canada. Then it is not advised to try and leave.

Lululena, welcome to this board!.
To answer your questions (1) yes you can absolutely leave Canada so long as you still have your valid multiple entry visa. Once it expires i wouldnt try and leave
(2) You should have sent your OWP application together with your application but as Adzees has said you may have to wait for first stage approval which now is taking 8-9 months to get Approval In Principle then you can apply.

Also just to advise you that some employers in Canada and some places do not recognise any degrees that are not Canadian. I know too many people who are immigrants here and cannot get jobs or had to start school again as their degree in their home country was nopt recognised.
As an option to staying at hme. maybe you can volunteer?. time goes first if you are busy.
For me im a socialite so i love meeting new people. going out.., hiking, coffee, going to the gym,yoga etc and this has helped time go by.
I also LOVE to travel and since ive been here we have travelled in and ou tof the country. Numerous times (with my family of course!) Just anything to make time pass by faster. Id say give it up to a year (at this rate!) to hear anything.
Vegreville has been superslow this past july/August and i think they are back from (wherever!) and are kicking it!.
Anyway good luck and you will get great advise from here. you are in the right place

thanks a lot! I guess now I am going to visit my family in Ukraine Ye, and I will try to enjoy being a housewife even though I am kind of not this type At least my cooking (hopefully) will be impoved Ye, it is a great place for getting advise! I wish I knew it before!

And one more question: what did you say in the border when u returned from your travelling and they asked how long  u were going to stay in Canada for? thanks again

[Black-Berry]

thanks a lot! I guess now I am going to visit my family in Ukraine Ye, and I will try to enjoy being a housewife even though I am kind of not this type At least my cooking (hopefully) will be impoved Ye, it is a great place for getting advise! I wish I knew it before!

And one more question: what did you say in the border when u returned from your travelling and they asked how long  u were going to stay in Canada for? thanks again

Lol!. yeah you can work on your cooking.
Will you be travelling with your spouse?. . I travelled with my husband and kids who are all Canadian and i was honest with them!. Ie everytime i came into the country  @  the border. i mentioned that i was waiting for my permanent residence to come through and was staying with my husband who i was present with. They asked him what he did for work and thats that!> But i notice everytime i came into the country. I had all copies of my PR appliucation (Yes i took copies) and had them just incase. Just to mention, I also got my case number from an IO at the border!. They asked me if i wanted it. . It would help if you travelled with him and if you had copies of your PR application

[nelly72]

Hey Nell, Im also from Bermuda and we moved here last year. My husband (who is Canadian/Bermudian)sponsored me but Inland though. but i know the pain about the Zip Codes in Bermuda!. Still cannot believe thats not been sorted out. And yes i STRONGLY BELIEVE that Bermuda would send the letter back ! (We lived in paget and our mail never arrived for two weeks just because they got our postal code wrong!)
Anyway just wanted to wish you best of luck and all the best in your sponsorship.

I called the post office this morning and was told they would return it!  I just can't believe it when the postman knows exactly where I live!  Thank you for the best wishes.  Out of curiousity, I see that your time line is quite long and that you are still waiting.  I assume that is because he sponsored you inland.  I wish we could move to Canada tomorrow but my son just started Kindergarten and we want to save some more.  Of course when we move is dependent on our application. I have lived here all my life and I am ready to start a new chapter in my life.  I love my in-laws and we have a house waiting for us in New Brunswick.  Just want to get on with it.  All the best.

[Black-Berry]

I called the post office this morning and was told they would return it!  I just can't believe it when the postman knows exactly where I live!  Thank you for the best wishes.  Out of curiousity, I see that your time line is quite long and that you are still waiting.  I assume that is because he sponsored you inland.  I wish we could move to Canada tomorrow but my son just started Kindergarten and we want to save some more.  Of course when we move is dependent on our application. I have lived here all my life and I am ready to start a new chapter in my life.  I love my in-laws and we have a house waiting for us in New Brunswick.  Just want to get on with it.  All the best.

nell,
yes we applied Inland . It takes forever but i guess the months of jul/Aug are really slow for Vegreville .. Correction noithing happens during that time.. But its ok i am a patient person and we just got some property and i keep myself busy by hiking and doing activites so its not that bad. Also i had done my research and figured it would take a year for me to hear anything so i was mentally prepared.
Thats Bermuda for you. with the post office issues.
I advise you to save as much as you can so that when you come here you have time to settle without rushing into a job .
We left bermuda last year in Nov and trust me its been so hard but now we love it here and there is so much to do for the kids they dont miss their friends anymore!. with time it gets better.
All the best to you too and gl with that post office!. I still cant believe the issues are the same!.

[nelly72]

My biggest problems when we move is going to be the driving!  25 years driving on the left in Bermuda with no snow!  I have never driven anywhere else either!  Right, right, stay on the right........

[lynw]

My biggest problems when we move is going to be the driving!  25 years driving on the left in Bermuda with no snow!  I have never driven anywhere else either!  Right, right, stay on the right........

It's really not as hard as you expect, especially when there is other traffic around. If you're lucky enough to find some empty roads then you will need to keep reminding yourself.

As for the snow, it is well worth learning how to drive properly in winter weather conditions. Have a little read up or get some instruction, it will be worth its weight in car repairs 

[mynameis]

BUMP this is a great informational post so had to bump it back

anybody knows if the spouse of a level b worker here can get an open work permit? how?

[Leon]

anybody knows if the spouse of a level b worker here can get an open work permit? how?

Ok, this actually does not have anything to do with spousal sponsorship and these work permits are only available to spouses of TFW's and students and not to spouses of PR's or Canadians who are being sponsored.

The way to get it is, if the spouse needs a TRV to go to Canada, then apply for a TRV at the Canadian embassy, join the spouse in Canada and then apply online for an open work permit based on the spouses work permit.  If the spouse is visa exempt, it would be possible to apply for the work permit while entering Canada and get it right away.  The spouse would need a copy of the work permit and $150 to get that.

If the spouse is not visa exempt, it is not guaranteed that the TRV will be granted.  Immigration may refuse a TRV to a spouse based on risk of overstaying.