Common law sponsorship - when to submit work permit application?

[Grey grey]

Hi everyone,

We submitted our inland common law sponsorship in late October, and the sponsor just received an email saying "This confirms that your application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class has been received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada" together with the file number. I searched online about when to submit work permit after PR application, and often saw information like "you can apply for work permit once you receive AOR". But when I actually try to go through the work permit application, it required that I "applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval)". I'm not sure whether the email I received qualifies me as having first stage approval.

My questions are:
1. does the email the sponsor received constitute an AOR?
2. can the principal applicant apply for open work permit now?

Thanks!
Grey

 

[YVR123]

Hi everyone,

We submitted our inland common law sponsorship in late October, and the sponsor just received an email saying "This confirms that your application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class has been received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada" together with the file number. I searched online about when to submit work permit after PR application, and often saw information like "you can apply for work permit once you receive AOR". But when I actually try to go through the work permit application, it required that I "applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval)". I'm not sure whether the email I received qualifies me as having first stage approval.

My questions are:
1. does the email the sponsor received constitute an AOR?
2. can the principal applicant apply for open work permit now?

Thanks!
Grey

1. Yes
2. Yes

But I don't know the exact step to do so with the online form. other members hopefully will comment.

 

[Grey grey]

1. Yes
2. Yes

But I don't know the exact step to do so with the online form. other members hopefully will comment.

Thanks for your input! Just a little more clarification about the online form steps, it was a step by step questionnaire to determine my eligibility to apply for a work permit. One of the questions is if I have "applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval)". I have to answer yes in order to proceed, but there is no definition of what constitutes a first stage approval, hence my confusion in my original post.

 

[rcincanada2019]

Thanks for your input! Just a little more clarification about the online form steps, it was a step by step questionnaire to determine my eligibility to apply for a work permit. One of the questions is if I have "applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval)". I have to answer yes in order to proceed, but there is no definition of what constitutes a first stage approval, hence my confusion in my original post.

My personal understanding is that first stage approval means you have submitted a complete application necessary to assess further for PR. But that's just my understanding...

 

[nve]

Hi everyone,

We submitted our inland common law sponsorship in late October, and the sponsor just received an email saying "This confirms that your application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class has been received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada" together with the file number. I searched online about when to submit work permit after PR application, and often saw information like "you can apply for work permit once you receive AOR". But when I actually try to go through the work permit application, it required that I "applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval)". I'm not sure whether the email I received qualifies me as having first stage approval.

My questions are:
1. does the email the sponsor received constitute an AOR?
2. can the principal applicant apply for open work permit now?

Thanks!
Grey

I applied for OWP once my sponsor had received that first email and my work permit just got approved last week

 

[w8ing4visa]

AOR is when you get the file # if you get the file # you can now apply for open work permit if you want and mention that file # or attached AOR (with file #) in your application as a supporting evidence to your case for open work permit, I hope it make sense to you now ?

 

[Grey grey]

AOR is when you get the file # if you get the file # you can now apply for open work permit if you want and mention that file # or attached AOR (with file #) in your application as a supporting evidence to your case for open work permit, I hope it make sense to you now ?

Thanks, that's clear. I've received my AOR, but have not received any medical exam request yet. I know that for OWP I also need to do a medical test. Can I submit my OWP application without upfront medical, and then fulfill the requirement with PR medical in the future? Hopefully I don't need to do two separate medical tests for PR and OWP.

 

[October applicant]

Could someone please let me know what should I answer for the question asking "have you previously been married or in a common law relationship?"

My spouse and I are cohabiting together since Jan 2022 and I applied for my PR in Oct 2022 (Declared as single in my PR application since we didn't satisfy common law partner criteria as 12 months weren't completed cohabiting), we got married recently in October 2023 and now applying for Inland sponsorship as a spouse. Do I answer as 'Yes' to the question asking for previous common law relationship and mention my spouse' name as a common law partner from the date we attained common law partner status(Jan 2023) to the date we got married(Oct 2023)? As we were satisfying the common law partner criteria with the same person before getting married.

 

[armoured]

Could someone please let me know what should I answer for the question asking "have you previously been married or in a common law relationship?"

My spouse and I are cohabiting together since Jan 2022 and I applied for my PR in Oct 2022 (Declared as single in my PR application since we didn't satisfy common law partner criteria as 12 months weren't completed cohabiting), we got married recently in October 2023 and now applying for Inland sponsorship as a spouse.

When did you become a PR?

Presumably after January 2023?

You have a problem. You were REQUIRED to update IRCC of your change in family circumstances. If you became common law between applying and become a PR, that is considered misrepresentation.

Consequences would generally be that you could not ever sponsor your spouse.

See a lawyer. I'm not kidding. This is not remotely trivial, it is a completely serious issue.

 

[October applicant]

When did you become a PR?

Presumably after January 2023?

You have a problem. You were REQUIRED to update IRCC of your change in family circumstances. If you became common law between applying and become a PR, that is considered misrepresentation.

Consequences would generally be that you could not ever sponsor your spouse.

See a lawyer. I'm not kidding. This is not remotely trivial, it is a completely serious issue.

I became PR in Jan 2023, I submitted PR photo, address and declaration in the PR Portal (considered landing for those applied to PR within Canada) in Dec 2022. Everything happened before attaining Common law status. So I would still be single. My concern is when I apply for spousal sponsorship now, after getting married with the same person, will I answer 'Yes' to the question asking whether I have been in a common law relationship previously?

 

[October applicant]

Any inputs Please?

 

[steaky]

Any inputs Please?

Just like the other poster said, I also recommend you to see a lawyer.

 

[armoured]

I became PR in Jan 2023, I submitted PR photo, address and declaration in the PR Portal (considered landing for those applied to PR within Canada) in Dec 2022. Everything happened before attaining Common law status. So I would still be single. My concern is when I apply for spousal sponsorship now, after getting married with the same person, will I answer 'Yes' to the question asking whether I have been in a common law relationship previously?

-I would strongly recommend you check your dates carefully. You are not a PR until the date you get the eCOPR (assuming you did virtual landing) with the email saying you are a PR. (No, the date you submit photo is not when you became a PR.). Your PR card should, I think, have the date 'PR since...'.

If any doubt at all - see a lawyer. If any problems - see a lawyer.

-My opinion on your other question is that no, you were not in a common law relationship previously. That's because I interpret that question to mean 'with someone else,' at least in this context (i.e. the emphasis is on previous relationship of marriage or marriage-like). I could be wrong.

In either case - both on the date question and 'previous common law relationship' - you're responsible. Problems - see a lawyer.