ADVICE PLEASE

[JRPW]

Hello.

I need some advice, and I thought I would ask here. Any and all advice will be appreciated.

I am a Canadian living in Japan. I am married to a Japanese women. We applied in October 2012 for my wife's PR.
We planned on waiting in Japan until my wife receives her PR. However, my wife lost her job and we are barely making it by on my salary.

My question: Could we leave Japan and move to Canada and wait there until my wife receives her PR?
I really do not want to do this, but we are in a tight spot financially. I could make more money in Canada than I could in Japan.

I am stressed out by this situation. Any help or suggestions will help. Thank you.

 

[MadeInCanada]

Hello.

I need some advice, and I thought I would ask here. Any and all advice will be appreciated.

I am a Canadian living in Japan. I am married to a Japanese women. We applied in October 2012 for my wife's PR.
We planned on waiting in Japan until my wife receives her PR. However, my wife lost her job and we are barely making it by on my salary.

My question: Could we leave Japan and move to Canada and wait there until my wife receives her PR?
I really do not want to do this, but we are in a tight spot financially. I could make more money in Canada than I could in Japan.

I am stressed out by this situation. Any help or suggestions will help. Thank you.

I am unsure if your wife is visa exempt, if she is it should be fairly straight forward. I would suggest gathering proof that it is a visit though, not that your wife would be moving. Immigration might be skeptical otherwise.

I am sure others will reply with more information/experience to share.

Take Care
MadeInCanada

 

[keesio]

I am unsure if your wife is visa exempt, if she is it should be fairly straight forward. I would suggest gathering proof that it is a visit though, not that your wife would be moving. Immigration might be skeptical otherwise.

I am sure others will reply with more information/experience to share.

Take Care
MadeInCanada

Japanese are visa-exempt. As MadeInCanada mentioned, the trick is to convince officials that her visit is temporary. Another issue I see is they will ask how she will support herself while visiting. Normally you can say the sponsor will support her but since the OP is also moving back to Canada from Japan, unless he has employment in Canada lined up, that may be tricky. I suppose proof of funds would help too.

 

[JRPW]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, my wife is visa exempt. When we first move back we plan on living with my parents until we get settled. Also, I do have funds in Canada plus the funds I have saved in Japan, roughly $50,000. How would I prove that my wife would be staying as a visit? Would having a return ticket be alright?

 

[mikeymyke]

Haha omg, she's from japan, there's no way she can be denied a visitor visa, Japan is a highly affluent economy.

 

[keesio]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, my wife is visa exempt. When we first move back we plan on living with my parents until we get settled. Also, I do have funds in Canada plus the funds I have saved in Japan, roughly $50,000. How would I prove that my wife would be staying as a visit? Would having a return ticket be alright?

A return ticket would be great. That is all my wife ever needed when she came to visit me.

 

[JRPW]

Haha omg, she's from japan, there's no way she can be denied a visitor visa, Japan is a highly affluent economy.

Yes, I know. However, I have heard of people being denied at the border even though they came from affluent countries.

 

[Sweden]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, my wife is visa exempt. When we first move back we plan on living with my parents until we get settled. Also, I do have funds in Canada plus the funds I have saved in Japan, roughly $50,000. How would I prove that my wife would be staying as a visit? Would having a return ticket be alright?

that should be more than enough.... Just be prepared at the border. I came with my partner, when waiting for my PR. he was returning to Canada, and had no job lined up, we had some savings (but nowhere close to what you have!), I didn't have a return ticket, and it went well. I'm not saying that it will go well for sure - nobody can tell you that - but there is a good chance that she will be let in the country without issue.

If you travel together, it's even easier. Just bring proofs that you have savings, answer questions when asked about it, and she can ahve a return ticket (that she can cancel when she gets to Canada if you don't plan on using it). Travel with the proof that you have applied for PR (sponsor approval for example.). When arriving at the border, you (as Canadian) should do the talking. Explain that you have applied for her PR through family sponsorship, and that she would like to wait out the remaining of the process with you in Canada. Carry the proofs, but you might not even be asked about it. When I crossed the border, I declare that I had applied for PR (my partner was with me), the officer asked me if I had a job (not anymore, as I had resigned), and that was it - was given a 6 months visitor visa. I carried proofs of funds and sponsor approval, but wasn't asked for anything.

You can never be guaranteed entry, but chances of her being denied entry are really slim. Remember: you're not doing anything wrong, as dual intent is allowed: she is coming as a visitor, but with the intention of staying (as she has applied for PR). It's a fairly common case for visa-exempt (I went through London VO where most applicants are visa-exempt, and I think pretty much half the applicants were waiting in Canada...), so the border officers are used to it. THey just want to see that you're prepared and aware of what she can not do (work), and what you need to prepare for.

In your case, you have a place to stay, some savings, and a PR that should come through fairly quickly, so I don't see reasons to worry about returning to Canada.

Depending on where you are moving to, you might want to get a health insurance for yourself and your wife before getting to Canada until the provincial health care kicks in. Apart from that, it should be fairly straightforward.

Good luck!
Sweden

 

[JRPW]

Thanks you Sweden.

You have always provide relevant and helpful information. Thank you.
I do not see a problem, but you never know. We are concerned that getting my wife's PR might take a while, as in waiting until next year.
We can't wait that long. It will be financially difficult even though I have saved a little.

 

[lsj2767]

I came from South Korea.
Koreans can stay up to 6 month as a visitor.
I didn't apply for PR because I and my wife were just boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.

Customs officer asked some questions besides basic questions
because 6 month is quite long time as a visitor
even though I had round trip tickets.

The last question was
"It's too long. It's almost 6 month, right?"
So I answered "I have a return ticket and valid address of my girlfriend to stay.
And I know the regulation that I can't work"

It seemed that they were worried about illegal working.

My advice is bring
1. a return ticket
2. documents that your wife explains her PR application
- it also means she has to leave Canada when she needs PR interview.
3. do not take too much baggage
- it looks she will stay permanently.
She will be able to extend her visitor visa
but technically it's visiting you as a outland applicant.
4. take some cash and credit cards
- I wasn't questioned but just in case
5. When you guys live together, add your wife to your bank account.
- I couldn't make my own because banks require 2 photo IDs.
She will be able to use the bank account for extending her visa
and also it will be one of your proofs of relationship.

Good luck

 

[bartjones]

I agree completely with Sweden. Having done exactly what you are contemplating doing myself back in May, I think you'll be just fine. If you have a return ticket for your wife there is no reason for the agent to suspect she won't return if her PR application isn't resolved before her visitor's visa expires.

The CBSA agent we had at the Vancouver airport when we returned didn't seem too surprised about what we were doing. I suspect that is because, as Sweden says, this is a fairly common occurrence. He just gave us what seemed to be a speech he had given many times before, about how she would have to leave after 6 months or apply to extend her visitor's visa.

In our case, it must have been pretty obvious that we were moving here permanently. We declared a 40 ft. container full of furniture/personal effects to follow later and were traveling with our dog. The guy must have known that we were here to stay.

 

[JRPW]

Thank you for the advice. All the advice has helped us with our future.

One more question. My wife's medical expired on August 17. I contacted my MP to ask if he could do a MP request about our file. His office forwarded the results to us. Our application is "on track", whatever that means, and is queued to look at the proof of my returning to Canada when my wife receives her PR. Even though I sent a lot of proof of my return to Canada when I first sent the application last year, we got a request for more from Manilla in May.

My question:

My MP's assistant mentioned that my wife might have to redo her medical. However, she told us to wait until we hear from Manilla. If my wife does have to redo her medical, can she do it in Canada? Or, should we just go ahead and redo the medical in Japan? I am thinking that we should just do it in Japan as the approved doctor who did the medical before is only a 20 minute walk from our apartment. God only knows what the waiting time for the medical might be in Canada.

Thank again!

J

 

[Sweden]

Thank you for the advice. All the advice has helped us with our future.

One more question. My wife's medical expired on August 17. I contacted my MP to ask if he could do a MP request about our file. His office forwarded the results to us. Our application is "on track", whatever that means, and is queued to look at the proof of my returning to Canada when my wife receives her PR. Even though I sent a lot of proof of my return to Canada when I first sent the application last year, we got a request for more from Manilla in May.

My question:

My MP's assistant mentioned that my wife might have to redo her medical. However, she told us to wait until we hear from Manilla. If my wife does have to redo her medical, can she do it in Canada? Or, should we just go ahead and redo the medical in Japan? I am thinking that we should just do it in Japan as the approved doctor who did the medical before is only a 20 minute walk from our apartment. God only knows what the waiting time for the medical might be in Canada.

Thank again!

J

you should wait until Manila tells you to get a medical. They might extend the medicals ( they can do it if it's the only thing remaining in your file and the medicals have been done in the last 15 months), or might have already extended it. They might also ask for a partial re-med, and it will be easier to locate for them if you wait - as they will give you a reference number to match up with your file.
Your wife can do the medicals anywhere as long as it's with a panel physician on CIC list. In Canada there are plenty, and I don't think you would have any trouble getting an appointment within a week, or even a few days, so definitely not a worry.
Good luck
Sweden