Applying outland, going to Canada with sponsor on visitor visa

[Crillz]

My girlfriend and I have been living together for 11.5 months now, she moved out of Canada on a working visa so we could be together. We are both going to fly back to Canada in the next week, which happens to be a 2 weeks before our 1 year living together is completed. We will then be living together in Canada when we arrive. We plan on finishing off our application, paying for it and sending it after this 2 weeks is completed and have been working hard getting it together in the past month.

I will be entering Canada as a visitor, my country is visa exempt. I have a return flight for 3 weeks after I enter. My girlfriend will be carrying all application materials and I am not bringing all my possessions, just some clothes. I also have plenty of money to support myself.

I am not sure what is the best way to approach immigration when I arrive. I have visited before and didn't overstay and I have been on a 1 year working visa and also didn't overstay. I plan on changing my return flight to a later date and canceling it if all goes well with the application. Since we don't have our application sent or payed for yet, and most of my ties here will have been cut (job and our apartment) when i enter I think the best thing to say is I am just visiting my girlfriends family and some friends. I also will not have received my last paycheck so technically still employed here, and I have an address here that I can provide. None of this is a lie, it just seems like if I mention the application it will get far more complicated and it will be difficult to prove the ties back here that they might require under those circumstances, since they app isn't sent and haven't payed for it yet. Any advice would be really helpful.

Thanks!

 

[fafi]

honestly it's up to you and your judgment what you choose to do, no one here can really offer you advice because it's all up to whatever IO you get. anyone can miss their flight or choose not to leave canada, having a return ticket really doesn't mean anything, and you going in with your girlfriend is going to most likely put up a red flag. if i were you, i would send the application before hand and have proof of the application and everything that goes with it and be honest and say you would like to stay with your girlfriend while your application is being processed. have proof of funds, have proof of her having a job, if you're going to be staying at her family's house have a letter from them, and have contact numbers for all of her family that know about you and can prove your relationship. or you can go the other route and show them your return ticket and everything, and they can give you a visa - just because you are from a visa exempt country doesn't mean that you automatically get a 6 month stay. if they do that, you can apply for extension of a visitor visa.

 

[pinklady]

I have entered canada with my boyfriend (now husband) many times (I'm also from a visa exempt country) and I have never had any problems. Sometimes been asked my job, asked how long i'm staying. I usually stay longer than I say i'm going to aswell.
We filed our application in Dec and I came to canada as a visitor in January.
Its abit scary but like i said, i've never had any trouble.
Good luck!