Canadian Citizen marrying foreign worker

[ttrites]

All the information i have found gives information on a Canadian citizen sponsoring or marrying a person from abroad, however my boyfriend is a foreign worker in Canada but his working visa will expire in about 5 months. I am a Canadian Citizen and we want him to stay here, but as we have not been common law for 12 months, there doesnt seem to be any way for him to stay here. I looked at all the possibilities through employement, but those don't apply to us either.
We have been discussing getting married so that he can stay here...this is somethign we would do anyway, but may now need to do sooner so that he can stay.
Does anyone know if there is any special paperwork that will need to be filled out?
Does the marriage have to happen before his visa expires? and if so, how long before?
Are there any alternatives that i am just not seeing??

 

[NBaker]

You would need to be married before submitting an application to sponsor your spouse. You will want to be certain that this is not a marriage of convenice since the timeline may give that impression. You will need to back up your application with evidence of the genuiness of your relationship by whatever means you believe will do so.

Along with the application can be submitted a request to change the terms and conditions of the stay in Canada. It is possible only visitor status may be extended. If approved in principle to land an application for a work permit may be approved.

Be sure to think very carefully about all of the long term results from your decisions now. There is nothing preventing marriage down the road and an applicaiton made from outside Canada.

There is quite a responsibility upon you as sponsor for some years if things do not work out so this is absolutely not a decision to be taken lightly, but it is the existing option from within Canada in the circumstances.

 

[SenoritaBella]

What about asking his employer to apply for a LMO?