Work or get married first???

[scottinus]

Hello all!

I am hoping someone can give me just for basic answers to a couple of questions.  I have just become engaged to a Canadian Citizen living in Toronto.  I live and work in the US and she in Toronto obviously.  We are going to live in Canada and would like to do everything as fast a possible.

My questions are:

1) Would it be better for me to try and get a job in Toronto first then get married and change my status?

2) If I wait to look for work until after we are married and then move to Toronto how long would it take until I was eligible to work?

3)  Can I travel to and from the US if we get married in Toronto and I am living there waiting for permanent residence status?

Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

Good luck to all

[Leon]

1. You can try to get a job in Toronto but you would have to arrange a work permit and all that.

2. I have heard it can take 6 to 9 months for you to get a temporary work permit when you apply inland.

3. If you get married, move to Canada on a tourist visa basically and then put in your (inland) application, your status in Canada is kind of unclear so if you were to go to the US, you might not be let back in.

4. Better way, get married, you stay in the US and work, your wife stays in Toronto and works, you apply outland.  You can still visit each other and in 3-9 months or something, you would have your PR card and could move to Toronto permanently, even look for jobs there before you quit your job in the US.

[scottinus]

thanks for your input.  that all makes a lot of sense to me.  i am actually starting to think we should have a legal civil ceremony asap so we can start the paperwork while we wait for the actual cermony we are planning for the spring.

what does anyone think of that idea???

[Leon]

Sounds like a good idea.