What's my pathway to PR

[LakesAndMountains]

Hey all, first off I appreciate any reply to this with guidance or support, I find this stuff pretty confusing regarding my circumstances.

My girlfriend is a PR in Canada, we have been together for 3years and I'd like to move here and become a PR. I'm a self employed "contractor" I work remotely for a programming development team based in the states. I've currently been in Canada for 4months now on a tourist visa, and before that my girlfriend visited my in the UK for 2months, so we've been living together since May (couple months in uk, rest back in canada).. I'm aware you can apply for PR, if you live with your partner for 1year? .. Can I extend my tourist visa to fulfil that and if so, can I continue to work remotely if I do so?

Alternatively, what's the best way for me to gain PR status here? I do not want to look for a canadian job and get a working visa because my current position works very well for me. What are my options here? what to you recommend?

In short:
Im from the UK, I work remotely as a software guy for an American company. How can I become a PR in Canada to live with my girlfriend of 3+ (almost 4) years.

Thanks all.

 

[scylla]

Hey all, first off I appreciate any reply to this with guidance or support, I find this stuff pretty confusing regarding my circumstances.

My girlfriend is a PR in Canada, we have been together for 3years and I'd like to move here and become a PR. I'm a self employed "contractor" I work remotely for a programming development team based in the states. I've currently been in Canada for 4months now on a tourist visa, and before that my girlfriend visited my in the UK for 2months, so we've been living together since May (couple months in uk, rest back in canada).. I'm aware you can apply for PR, if you live with your partner for 1year? .. Can I extend my tourist visa to fulfil that and if so, can I continue to work remotely if I do so?

Alternatively, what's the best way for me to gain PR status here? I do not want to look for a canadian job and get a working visa because my current position works very well for me. What are my options here? what to you recommend?

In short:
Im from the UK, I work remotely as a software guy for an American company. How can I become a PR in Canada to live with my girlfriend of 3+ (almost 4) years.

Thanks all.

One way is to extend your status in Canada so that you can meet the requirement of living together for a full year continuously and then have her sponsor you for PR through spousal sponsorship as her common law partner. Make sure the 1 year of living together is continuous (i.e. without breaks) and that you have strong evidence to prove the full year of cohabitation (you will need to include this evidence in your application).

The faster way would be to get married now and have her sponsor you right afterwards as her spouse.

Otherwise you would need to qualify and apply for PR independently through an economic immigration program like Express Entry. This is a points based program where those with the most points are selected for PR. You want to score 470+ to have a decent chance of being selected. More info here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/works.html

 

[canuck78]

Hey all, first off I appreciate any reply to this with guidance or support, I find this stuff pretty confusing regarding my circumstances.

My girlfriend is a PR in Canada, we have been together for 3years and I'd like to move here and become a PR. I'm a self employed "contractor" I work remotely for a programming development team based in the states. I've currently been in Canada for 4months now on a tourist visa, and before that my girlfriend visited my in the UK for 2months, so we've been living together since May (couple months in uk, rest back in canada).. I'm aware you can apply for PR, if you live with your partner for 1year? .. Can I extend my tourist visa to fulfil that and if so, can I continue to work remotely if I do so?

Alternatively, what's the best way for me to gain PR status here? I do not want to look for a canadian job and get a working visa because my current position works very well for me. What are my options here? what to you recommend?

In short:
Im from the UK, I work remotely as a software guy for an American company. How can I become a PR in Canada to live with my girlfriend of 3+ (almost 4) years.

Thanks all.

Just checking that your US employer has no offices or clients/customers in Canada.

 

[LakesAndMountains]

One way is to extend your status in Canada so that you can meet the requirement of living together for a full year continuously and then have her sponsor you for PR through spousal sponsorship as her common law partner. Make sure the 1 year of living together is continuous (i.e. without breaks) and that you have strong evidence to prove the full year of cohabitation (you will need to include this evidence in your application).

The faster way would be to get married now and have her sponsor you right afterwards as her spouse.

Otherwise you would need to qualify and apply for PR independently through an economic immigration program like Express Entry. This is a points based program where those with the most points are selected for PR. You want to score 470+ to have a decent chance of being selected. More info here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/works.html

Okay so I should extend my visitor visa for another 6months, which would then qualify me to apply for PR, and thus start the process of that application, is that correct?

Just checking that your US employer has no offices or clients/customers in Canada.

They are strictly US-bound, which makes my remote working status legal, correct?

 

[scylla]

Okay so I should extend my visitor visa for another 6months, which would then qualify me to apply for PR, and thus start the process of that application, is that correct?

- Yes, extend your stay by six months.
- Whether that's sufficient to start the application process will depend on whether you have the evidence required to prove a full year of cohabitation.

 

[canuck78]

Okay so I should extend my visitor visa for another 6months, which would then qualify me to apply for PR, and thus start the process of that application, is that correct?



They are strictly US-bound, which makes my remote working status legal, correct?

Yes as long as there is no connection to Canada it is fine.

 

[Rickster_21]

@scylla @Cannuck1997 looking for some advice/answers on my case. I’m a PR applicant since 2019. I’ve recived my ITA through OINP back in 2019. Then covid struck and everything was delayed. In 2020 I moved in with my boyfriend, we’ve now been living together for more than a year. I want to understand what is the best way for him to move with me. as of now the status of my application is that I received a remedical request and passed my medical on the 9th of oct. I assume I will soon get my COPR and as of right now my bf is not added on my application. So my question is : should I add him now? We have proofs of cohabitation.
or should I wait to get my PR and then sponsor him? Can I still show proof of cohabitation from India once I get my PR? Thanks in advance any help would be appreciated. I don’t want to move to Canada without him now and trying to understand the best way to do so without delaying my PR further.

 

[YVR123]

@scylla @Cannuck1997 looking for some advice/answers on my case. I’m a PR applicant since 2019. I’ve recived my ITA through OINP back in 2019. Then covid struck and everything was delayed. In 2020 I moved in with my boyfriend, we’ve now been living together for more than a year. I want to understand what is the best way for him to move with me. as of now the status of my application is that I received a remedical request and passed my medical on the 9th of oct. I assume I will soon get my COPR and as of right now my bf is not added on my application. So my question is : should I add him now? We have proofs of cohabitation.
or should I wait to get my PR and then sponsor him? Can I still show proof of cohabitation from India once I get my PR? Thanks in advance any help would be appreciated. I don’t want to move to Canada without him now and trying to understand the best way to do so without delaying my PR further.

If you became common law before you land, you NEED to inform IRCC. If you land with your COPR (as single) and not add him, you cannot sponsor him since you did not include him in your PR application. (he is excluded from family sponsorship if he's not declared. even if you get married after. Someone else as asking this question in another section. Check family sponsorship section.)

 

[scylla]

@scylla @Cannuck1997 looking for some advice/answers on my case. I’m a PR applicant since 2019. I’ve recived my ITA through OINP back in 2019. Then covid struck and everything was delayed. In 2020 I moved in with my boyfriend, we’ve now been living together for more than a year. I want to understand what is the best way for him to move with me. as of now the status of my application is that I received a remedical request and passed my medical on the 9th of oct. I assume I will soon get my COPR and as of right now my bf is not added on my application. So my question is : should I add him now? We have proofs of cohabitation.
or should I wait to get my PR and then sponsor him? Can I still show proof of cohabitation from India once I get my PR? Thanks in advance any help would be appreciated. I don’t want to move to Canada without him now and trying to understand the best way to do so without delaying my PR further.

It's mandatory that you add him to your application since you are common law. Do that asap.

No, do not wait until after you have PR. If you do that, you will be committing misrepresentation and will never be able to sponsor him.

You MUST add him to your application now before you become a PR. There is no other option.

 

[Rickster_21]

Thank you very much for your responses @scylla @YVR123
Can you please tell me what’s the way forward? How do I add him to my application now and how much do you think this will delay the process?

should we have certain documents ready for proof?

 

[Rag911]

i hope everyone gets the best luck, good luck all

 

[Rickster_21]

@scylla @canuck78 thank you for your advice. I will be declaring my common law partner, my question is can I declare him as non-accompanying? Will that prevent delays to my application process? As per my understanding, by doing this I will still have him on file which prevents misrepresentation and gives me the option to sponsor him once I have a house, job and better footing in Canada. Is this a good way to approach this? As always, thank you for your advice.

 

[scylla]

@scylla @canuck78 thank you for your advice. I will be declaring my common law partner, my question is can I declare him as non-accompanying? Will that prevent delays to my application process? As per my understanding, by doing this I will still have him on file which prevents misrepresentation and gives me the option to sponsor him once I have a house, job and better footing in Canada. Is this a good way to approach this? As always, thank you for your advice.

There are a number of threads in the Express Entry forum that focus on this discussion. I would recommend you join discussions there and read through the posts there. This is where you'll get the best info.