Hi forum members, I'm in a bit of a dilemma and if anyone can advise it would be greatly appreciated.
If I apply to EE as married with my spouse accompanying me my score would be 424, once she finishes her studies in May my score would increase to 432. I lose 5 points in June due to my birthday, so after June it will be 427. I know that the CRS score went as low as 413 last year, but nobody knows if the CRS score will drop to that level again. We are outside of Canada now and have maxed out our IELTS scores already.
If I apply as married with my spouse not accompanying me my score would be 445 which would put me very close to direct ITA. Assuming I become a permanent resident, I will eventually need to sponsor my spouse . It is my understanding that in order for me to sponsor my wife I would need to reside in Canada and the process would take about a year.
Living in Canada without my wife for a year is simply out of the question, but at the same time, I'm afraid that if I include her in the application our time for direct ITA will never come.
Having said all of this, I'd like to know what my options are. I understand a spouse of a permanent resident can get a temporary work permit but I don't know how easy it is to get one of these. On the other hand, she could apply for a tourist visa before I become a PR so she can be with me in Canada while her papers are in progress, but again, I'm not sure how feasible this is. I also understand there are some provincial nominations that would give 600 additional points, but I'm not sure my profession (Finance and Accounting) will help me get one of these.
My biggest fear is never getting a direct ITA if I apply with my wife and then later regretting not applying as married with spouse not accompanying me. But at the same time, it is not right asking her to stay outside of Canada for a year while her papers are being processed.
What do you experts suggest in this case?