Advice on Spousal Sponsorship and Visitor Visa

[e_jess]

Hi all,

I hope this message finds you well. I would like to seek advice on my case.

I am from Philippines and currently working in Singapore and my girlfriend is French. My girlfriend is being offered a job in Montreal, Canada under the V.I.E program (France's post-graduate program. V.I.E enables French companies to send a young person between 18 and 28 years of age on a working assignment abroad for a flexible period of 6 to 24 months, which can be renewed once within a 2-year period https://www.civiweb.com/pdf/FichesVIE-FilialesEtrangeres GB1207_BD.pdf.). We are both working in Singapore and we have lived together for almost 1 year and a half.

Both of us are currently researching on the possibility of her sponsoring me, so eventually I can follow her to Montreal (in case she accepts the job offer). However, we are not sure what kind of visa will she be issued (under the V.I.E program). I have read about same-sex sponsorship via the common-law or conjugal partnership.

Also, I have read that the sponsor (if foreigner) must be a permanent resident -- which means we would have to wait for 2 years and wait for her to apply to become a resident before we can actually start proccessing the application?

Also, Would it be recommended to visit her first in Montreal and apply for a visitor visa (or what they call TRV) before anything else?

I would greatly appreciate any information/recommendation you can provide me at this point. Thank you so much in advance!

 

[scylla]

You may be able to go with her on an open work permit if you are either married or common law. Common law means you have lived together continuously for at least one full year.

 

[e_jess]

You may be able to go with her on an open work permit if you are either married or common law. Common law means you have lived together continuously for at least one full year.

Thank you for responding, greatly appreciate! Before she can sponsor me, she has to wait to become a permanent resident (2years) - right?

 

[scylla]

Thank you for responding, greatly appreciate! Before she can sponsor me, she has to wait to become a permanent resident (2years) - right?

No - you're confusing several different concepts.

First of all, if she is on a work permit that is long than six months in duration and is working in a skilled occupation (i.e. NOC A, B, or 0), then you may qualify to come to Canada on an open work permit (provided you are married or common law).

To become a permanent resident, she has to qualify and apply for PR. Simply living and working in Canada for two years does not mean she will become a permanent resident. If she wants to find out what it takes to become a permanent resident, I recommend she spend time researching Canada's immigration programs through the link below:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html

If you are married or common law at the time she applies for PR, she would include you in the application. If not, you can get married or become common law later at which point she would be able to sponsor you for PR.

 

[e_jess]

No - you're confusing several different concepts.

First of all, if she is on a work permit that is long than six months in duration and is working in a skilled occupation (i.e. NOC A, B, or 0), then you may qualify to come to Canada on an open work permit (provided you are married or common law).

To become a permanent resident, she has to qualify and apply for PR. Simply living and working in Canada for two years does not mean she will become a permanent resident. If she wants to find out what it takes to become a permanent resident, I recommend she spend time researching Canada's immigration programs through the link below:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html

If you are married or common law at the time she applies for PR, she would include you in the application. If not, you can get married or become common law later at which point she would be able to sponsor you for PR.

Thank you so much for breaking it down further - this helps a lot in our research and on weighing our options!