I want to move to Canada from the US. My GF is from BC and I want to go there. We are struggling with options and need some advice. I have my own bills I need to pay so working for me is a must. This rules out Visitor Visa for a year and common law. The Schools around here dont accept US Student Loans so that rules out study visa. Looking at work visas, I am a cook and no place will be able to hire me and prove they cant fill that role with Canadian Citizens and I dont have the funds they require "12.6k" or so CAD to apply for express entry. If i can just get up there and work I can take care of my bills, she owns a house and will cover that and things would go smoothly. What can I do?
Avenues to Canada?
- Thread starter lessien881
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Have you lived together for a year or longer? If yes, she can sponsor you as her common-law partner. You would stay in the US through the sponsorship process, and move when you got your permanent residency.
It usually takes between 6-12 months to get approved.
It usually takes between 6-12 months to get approved.
The honest truth is that work permit path will be extremely difficult / next to impossible. In order to work in Canada, you need a work permit. To qualify to apply for a work permit, you need a job offer from an employer in Canada and that employer must obtain an approved LMIA. The LMIA is a long and expensive process for the employer with no guarantee of approval at the end. They must start by advertising the job for at least one month to prove no Canadian could be found for the role. They then have to submit the application along with a $1K fee and typically wait around 2-4 months for it to be processed. Generally speaking, it's next to impossible to find employers willing to go through this process.
If you are in a serious relationship - best option is to get married now and then have her sponsor you for PR.
Thats the problem, I cant live there for a year and not work to live together. We want to do the common-law partner but I need options to be able to work.
So you aren't currently living together in the US? Then yeah, you cannot apply under this route. You'd either have to be married, or to have lived together for at least one year.
As scylla said, realistically, your option at this point is marriage and sponsorship. You could continue working in the US while the app processes and then move to Canada once PR is approved.