Uk resident marrying canadian, steps??

[lealo]

Hey,

Well Im engaged to a canadian and am currently just finishing physiotherapy degree in england (have been resident since birth). I would ideally like to be living and married in canada by december. However I dont know the steps that need to be taken and what the expenses are. I will have to pay a $800 simply to transfer my degree over there and then i could apply for a work skilled visa with that however that will take approx 12months. So any help as regards to the time it takes to sort out citizenship and when I could start working?? even if not a skilled profession. The whole system is just too confusing when there's so many options!

Thanks, Leah

[CharlieD10]

Start by reading Leon's first post in the first thread in this forum, it's an excellent summation of the process.  You will want to choose Outland for your spousal sponsorship application, they are extremely efficient at processing applications, most persons are through and receive permanent residence in 3-4 months after London receives their file.

The fees for a spousal sponsorship are Cdn$1,040, not including the cost of your police certificates (1 for every country you've lived in for 6 months or more) and your medical by a Designated Medical Practitioner from the CIC list.

Start gathering proof of your relationship, going up to your marriage is a great time to be doing this.  Proof of cohabitation, if you've lived together, is a great place to start.  Add proof of support, proof combining your lives financially and you're on your way.  For more information, read here starting at Section 5.1: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

[Victorfoxtrot]

Your Canadian fiance can either sponsor you as his spouse or as his common-law partner.  However he can only sponsor you as his common-law partner if you can prove that you have been living together for 1 year or more.  You don't say if you are currently living together, but if you are and have already got more than a years worth of cohabitation, then I would apply as common-law straight away.  You will of course need to be able to prove this with things like joint tenancy agreements or mortgages, joint bank accounts, bills in both your names etc.  Check out the CIC website and the guides for more ideas on what constitutes as proof.  If you aren't living together already, then you'd need to get married - you can then apply straight away - no need for 1 years living together, - but of course you do need to be able to prove that you are in a genuine relationship. So including the same kind of evidence you would supply for common-law, plus emails, photos, other forms of communication are all helpful.

You should do the outland application via London, UK.  Check out the London, outland thread on this forum.  There's a spreadsheet that will give you an idea of the timings.  I've just got mine through in 5 months, and I applied common-law.  CharlieD10 is right on the cost of $1040.  If I recall rightly a UK police cert is £35.  Either way you should easily have your Permanent Residency (you won't get Citizenship - that is something you apply for after being a PR and having lived in Canada for a specified period of time) by December.  It probably takes about 1-2 months to fill out the forms and coordinate all the things that you need to send off for an obtain.

[bonitanita]

If I were you, I would go to the website... cic.gov.ca

Click on the outland sponsorship link and print off a document checklist.

Once you read that, you have an idea of what you need to start preparing and for me, the path after just seemed to unfold itself. I have been sorting out my documents for a few weeks now and think I will be ready to send off my application in 6-8 weeks!