Can I extend my visitor record while awaiting to submit my inland sponsorship application?

[Agirlikemeandyou]

Okay so long story short, my fiancée and I went to the same university and started dating in 2018/2019. I moved back home to Nigeria after school and we tried to make long distance relationship work. I tried to make a couple trips every 6 months, for my birthday, for his graduation and many more.

He wasn’t able to visit me as much because he wanted to get his PR first and wanted to make sure that he achieved that first.

COVID hit and it got harder to maintain a relationship in which we couldn’t really see each other. I tried to make a trip in the summer of 2021 from the States but the border was closed still and I had no choice but to go back home. We ended up breaking up in between because it was getting hard

Once the border opened up, I made a visit in November 2021 and also another visit in December 2021. I’ve been in Canada since December 2021 (I have had to renew my visitor record twice). We decided that we’ve been through a lot together and didn’t want to be without each other and actually get married. So we got engaged.



We are planning to get married in March. He wants to sponsor me.

All we have rn as proof will include
- our marriage certificate
- pictures from occasions of us being together (graduation, birthdays, dates, friend gatherings, upcoming wedding and rece)
- letters from our relatives and friends
- social media posts
- text messages (some, not a lot because we are usually on the phone a lot - phone calls)

p.S - we didn’t live together in Canada becuase he has a roommate and I currently also live with my sister. So we don’t qualify as common law partners even though we have been physically seeing each other for a Little over a year now.

I have two questions
1. My visitor record expires in June, we plan on getting married in March. I heard that marriage certificate takes about 8 to 12 weeks to be received. Can. I extend my visitor record and the reason being that I’m married now and trying to apply for my PR work as a reason?

2. Do we have enough documents as listed above to be able to submit and get an approval?
if there are more things we need to add, can you kindly let us know?

 

[Ponga]

Okay so long story short, my fiancée and I went to the same university and started dating in 2018/2019. I moved back home to Nigeria after school and we tried to make long distance relationship work. I tried to make a couple trips every 6 months, for my birthday, for his graduation and many more.

He wasn’t able to visit me as much because he wanted to get his PR first and wanted to make sure that he achieved that first.

COVID hit and it got harder to maintain a relationship in which we couldn’t really see each other. I tried to make a trip in the summer of 2021 from the States but the border was closed still and I had no choice but to go back home. We ended up breaking up in between because it was getting hard

Once the border opened up, I made a visit in November 2021 and also another visit in December 2021. I’ve been in Canada since December 2021 (I have had to renew my visitor record twice). We decided that we’ve been through a lot together and didn’t want to be without each other and actually get married. So we got engaged.



We are planning to get married in March. He wants to sponsor me.

All we have rn as proof will include
- our marriage certificate
- pictures from occasions of us being together (graduation, birthdays, dates, friend gatherings, upcoming wedding and rece)
- letters from our relatives and friends
- social media posts
- text messages (some, not a lot because we are usually on the phone a lot - phone calls)

p.S - we didn’t live together in Canada becuase he has a roommate and I currently also live with my sister. So we don’t qualify as common law partners even though we have been physically seeing each other for a Little over a year now.

I have two questions
1. My visitor record expires in June, we plan on getting married in March. I heard that marriage certificate takes about 8 to 12 weeks to be received. Can. I extend my visitor record and the reason being that I’m married now and trying to apply for my PR work as a reason?

2. Do we have enough documents as listed above to be able to submit and get an approval?
if there are more things we need to add, can you kindly let us know?

Firstly, congratulations on the engagement!

Secondly, familiarize yourself with `Dual Intent' and how IRCC and CBSA are well aware that people do this all the time.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...esidents/visitors/dual-intent-applicants.html



1. You can certainly apply to extend your visitor record, citing the reasons for doing so, but it's all but impossible to say if it will be approved. One thing you need to be mindful of (and perhaps be prepared for) is that IRCC wants to see that you still have strong ties back `home', because you ARE a visitor in Canada.

What do you have to appease IRCC that, in the event that your extension is refused, you will leave Canada at the end of your stay? I'm not saying that you should at all be worried about this, just that you should be prepared.

If you wait until the last minute to apply to extend, you will be covered under Maintained Status while awaiting a reply from IRCC, meaning you would still have legal status in Canada while awaiting a decision.

As an aside, a person submitting an Inland application (SCPLC) does not need to have legal status, because of a public policy that allows the applicant to not be disqualified solely on their lack of status. I would not suggest letting your status expire, obviously.

Also, even though you will [hopefully] be in Canada, you can certainly submit an Outland application from within Canada, but unlike an Inland applicant, would not qualify for an Open Work Permit once reaching the AOR (Acknowledgement of Receipt) stage.

2. Can you open a bank account as a visitor? Some banks allows this, but even if you cannot, see about being added to your sponsor's account. Other ideas would be joint life insurance, being added to a utility bill, etc.

In the event that IRCC needs more evidence, they will ask for it before simply refusing the PR application.


Good luck!

 

[Agirlikemeandyou]

Firstly, congratulations on the engagement!

Secondly, familiarize yourself with `Dual Intent' and how IRCC and CBSA are well aware that people do this all the time.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...esidents/visitors/dual-intent-applicants.html



1. You can certainly apply to extend your visitor record, citing the reasons for doing so, but it's all but impossible to say if it will be approved. One thing you need to be mindful of (and perhaps be prepared for) is that IRCC wants to see that you still have strong ties back `home', because you ARE a visitor in Canada.

What do you have to appease IRCC that, in the event that your extension is refused, you will leave Canada at the end of your stay? I'm not saying that you should at all be worried about this, just that you should be prepared.

If you wait until the last minute to apply to extend, you will be covered under Maintained Status while awaiting a reply from IRCC, meaning you would still have legal status in Canada while awaiting a decision.

As an aside, a person submitting an Inland application (SCPLC) does not need to have legal status, because of a public policy that allows the applicant to not be disqualified solely on their lack of status. I would not suggest letting your status expire, obviously.

Also, even though you will [hopefully] be in Canada, you can certainly submit an Outland application from within Canada, but unlike an Inland applicant, would not qualify for an Open Work Permit once reaching the AOR (Acknowledgement of Receipt) stage.

2. Can you open a bank account as a visitor? Some banks allows this, but even if you cannot, see about being added to your sponsor's account. Other ideas would be joint life insurance, being added to a utility bill, etc.

In the event that IRCC needs more evidence, they will ask for it before simply refusing the PR application.


Good luck!

Thank you very much for your reply. I was just a bit worried about the visit record because I applied in January 2022 and it got approved in August 2022 and I applied again in September 2022 and it got approved December 2022.

would it look suspicious that I keep extending the visitor record?

and also we can definitely look into opening a joint bank account. I was also thinking would it be a good idea to be added to his employment insurance benefits as well?

 

[Ponga]

Thank you very much for your reply. I was just a bit worried about the visit record because I applied in January 2022 and it got approved in August 2022 and I applied again in September 2022 and it got approved December 2022.

would it look suspicious that I keep extending the visitor record?

and also we can definitely look into opening a joint bank account. I was also thinking would it be a good idea to be added to his employment insurance benefits as well?

You're welcome!

If you have been in Canada since December of 2021...and have been staying/living with your fiance, you can actually apply NOW as a Common Law partner; no need to wait until you're married! When you get married, just notify IRCC and they will change your application to a spousal sponsorship (I think).

If you are common law, you can be added to his employer benefits.

When does your current visitor status expire?

 

[armoured]

If you have been in Canada since December of 2021...and have been staying/living with your fiance, you can actually apply NOW as a Common Law partner; no need to wait until you're married! When you get married, just notify IRCC and they will change your application to a spousal sponsorship (I think).

I believe they specified they haven't been living together, and can't qualify as common law.

 

[Ponga]

I believe they specified they haven't been living together, and can't qualify as common law.

Ooopsie! LOL!
Post has been edited.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you very much for your reply. I was just a bit worried about the visit record because I applied in January 2022 and it got approved in August 2022 and I applied again in September 2022 and it got approved December 2022.

would it look suspicious that I keep extending the visitor record?

and also we can definitely look into opening a joint bank account. I was also thinking would it be a good idea to be added to his employment insurance benefits as well?

When does your visitor status expire? Were you given another 6 months? What was the reason stated fir needing to extend your stay on your applications? Partners visiting for long periods of time usually are living together not dating. Are you also planning on moving in together in March? That would be needed to apply for inland sponsorship and there is a good chance it will be needed to get the next visitor extension.