Before get started

[MrsMidori]

I just started thinking moving to Canada.
My husband and I got married in Japan in 2000 and have 3 kids. We want to give our kids Canadian education so I am planning to take them to Canada while my husband still works in Japan.
Our kids have Canadian passport so they are coved but I don’t have any status.
What kind of visa shall I start applying?
We may eventually move to Canada but my husband need to work in Japan another a year or two. Can I still apply spouse visa without my husband living in Canada?

 

[21Goose]

Is your husband a Canadian citizen? If he is, he can start the process of sponsoring you while the two of you are in Japan. It takes about a year, so it matches with your timeline.

If he is unable to sponsor you, you will have to look at Express Entry - you cannot really live here on a tourist visa while your kids go to school.

 

[canuck78]

In order for your spouse to sponsor you for PR he needs to prove that he will move to Canada when you get PR. CIC is pretty demanding when it comes to proof that your husband has made concrete plans to move. If you don’t have PR you would only be a visitor in Canada and could be denied an extension every 6 months. You should really be planning to move with your husband in one year.

 

[MrsMidori]

Thank you for quick response!
We thought he can come later whenever he wishes. Wow! it’s more strict than I expected.

Then should I get skilled worker PR instead of spouse visa?
I have been working as a pharmacist (Japanese ) for about 20 years.

It seems more difficult to get skilled worker PR as I don’t have any sponsor who hires me in Canada.

 

[21Goose]

Thank you for quick response!
We thought he can come later whenever he wishes. Wow! it’s more strict than I expected.

Then should I get skilled worker PR instead of spouse visa?
I have been working as a pharmacist (Japanese ) for about 20 years.

It seems more difficult to get skilled worker PR as I don’t have any sponsor who hires me in Canada.

If your spouse is a Canadian citizen, the easiest way is for him to sponsor you.

I'm guessing Express Entry will be hard for you because of your age. Assuming you're in your late-30s or 40s.

 

[MrsMidori]

Thank you for your advice.
I think it’s easier to have my husband sponsoring me too.
I guess my husband need to see when he can tidy up his work in Japan.

My husband is a Canadian ( with valid passport) but he hasn’t lived in Canada for last 20 years.
Dose it make him Canadian citizen?

Holding Canadian passport means Canadian citizen? I’m confused.

 

[21Goose]

Thank you for your advice.
I think it’s easier to have my husband sponsoring me too.
I guess my husband need to see when he can tidy up his work in Japan.

My husband is a Canadian ( with valid passport) but he hasn’t lived in Canada for last 20 years.
Dose it make him Canadian citizen?

Holding Canadian passport means Canadian citizen? I’m confused.

Yes. He's a citizen. He can sponsor you while you both live in Japan.

However, as part of the sponsorship application, he will have to submit a plan that shows how the two of you plan to move to Canada. This isn't very difficult to do - if you are both talking about moving to Canada, you must be making this plan already, right?

You should talk to an immigration consultant/lawyer to get some help.

 

[MrsMidori]

Thank you for your reply.
It cleared my mind of worry.
I don’t know how difficult it is but I decided to get spouse visa!
This site gave me courage to get started.
Thank you all!

 

[21Goose]

Thank you for your reply.
It cleared my mind of worry.
I don’t know how difficult it is but I decided to get spouse visa!
This site gave me courage to get started.
Thank you all!

Just a quick note - there's no such thing as a "spouse visa". You're referring to spousal sponsorship for permanent resident.