Hi there,
Thanks for reading! I have a very complicated question that I hope some of you with more experience could enlighten me on.
My common-law partner and I have been working on our application (inland) for what seems like forever. We live in BC, and have lived together here for almost two years. He came here from Germany on a visitor's visa in August 2008, and he then received a Work and Travel "Youth Mobility" visa in February 2009 which expires February 28, 2010. We just mailed out an application for the Young Professionals work permit (with a job offer, valid one year, processed in Berlin). When he applied for his last permit through Berlin it went through extremely quickly, so we are hoping this one will, too.
The complication is that we had a road trip planned through the western states and to Mexico city for a long time, and due to a complication with my scholarships and University, I had to pull out at the last minute and remain in school full time this semester. We decided that he should go anyways, without me, and he left on Sunday with our mutual friend for 3 weeks of backpacking. He will be back on Feb.12th (flying back from Mexico City).
We looked for any information (unfortunately we didn't know about this site) before he left about mobility during the PR application process, and couldn't find anything about leaving the country for vacations during the application process on the CIC website. Of course, now, the day after he leaves, I find that it is inadvisable to leave the country during the application period. Makes a lot of sense, I don't know why we couldn't have found that earlier.
*We haven't sent the PR application yet! But we finished it before he left and I was supposed to mail it today!** So, my question is, he will be coming back to Canada on Feb 12th, 2 weeks before his current work permit expires. We have sufficient savings to prove he can support himself in Canada after this period ($6500 in bank). Do you think it is better for me to hold off on mailing the PR application, even though it is complete and ready to go, and wait until he gets back and we both stay put in Canada?? Should he tell immigration officials when he comes back that we are going to apply for PR immediately one he reenters? Or should he just show them his savings and ask for a visitor's permit?
I am worried that the fact he is travelling without me for 3 weeks will seem curious to the immigration officials. We are young, and I had to strongly encourage him to go on this trip without me, because I know that he won't get the time off of work again, and he has wanted to go for so long! But it might seem to the officers as a little bit too unconventional that he is backpacking without me?
What do you think we should do? He could just turn around and come back now, with 5 weeks left on his permit, or he could go and come back when planned, and we'll mail the PR when he gets back. Or should I just mail the PR application to Vegreville and he can just be extremely honest to them when he comes back?? We have had very good luck with immigration at the airports and land borders since he moved here. We have always been 100% honest and received friendly and reasonable treatment.
Sorry this was so long and rambling. I'm just stressed out now that he won't be allowed back into the country. Would it be better for him to just turn around now and come back??
Any thoughts are helpful! Thanks everyone, you are all so great. I feel extremely irresponsible for not researching this travel restriction further, and wish he hadn't left!
J
Thanks for reading! I have a very complicated question that I hope some of you with more experience could enlighten me on.
My common-law partner and I have been working on our application (inland) for what seems like forever. We live in BC, and have lived together here for almost two years. He came here from Germany on a visitor's visa in August 2008, and he then received a Work and Travel "Youth Mobility" visa in February 2009 which expires February 28, 2010. We just mailed out an application for the Young Professionals work permit (with a job offer, valid one year, processed in Berlin). When he applied for his last permit through Berlin it went through extremely quickly, so we are hoping this one will, too.
The complication is that we had a road trip planned through the western states and to Mexico city for a long time, and due to a complication with my scholarships and University, I had to pull out at the last minute and remain in school full time this semester. We decided that he should go anyways, without me, and he left on Sunday with our mutual friend for 3 weeks of backpacking. He will be back on Feb.12th (flying back from Mexico City).
We looked for any information (unfortunately we didn't know about this site) before he left about mobility during the PR application process, and couldn't find anything about leaving the country for vacations during the application process on the CIC website. Of course, now, the day after he leaves, I find that it is inadvisable to leave the country during the application period. Makes a lot of sense, I don't know why we couldn't have found that earlier.
*We haven't sent the PR application yet! But we finished it before he left and I was supposed to mail it today!** So, my question is, he will be coming back to Canada on Feb 12th, 2 weeks before his current work permit expires. We have sufficient savings to prove he can support himself in Canada after this period ($6500 in bank). Do you think it is better for me to hold off on mailing the PR application, even though it is complete and ready to go, and wait until he gets back and we both stay put in Canada?? Should he tell immigration officials when he comes back that we are going to apply for PR immediately one he reenters? Or should he just show them his savings and ask for a visitor's permit?
I am worried that the fact he is travelling without me for 3 weeks will seem curious to the immigration officials. We are young, and I had to strongly encourage him to go on this trip without me, because I know that he won't get the time off of work again, and he has wanted to go for so long! But it might seem to the officers as a little bit too unconventional that he is backpacking without me?
What do you think we should do? He could just turn around and come back now, with 5 weeks left on his permit, or he could go and come back when planned, and we'll mail the PR when he gets back. Or should I just mail the PR application to Vegreville and he can just be extremely honest to them when he comes back?? We have had very good luck with immigration at the airports and land borders since he moved here. We have always been 100% honest and received friendly and reasonable treatment.
Sorry this was so long and rambling. I'm just stressed out now that he won't be allowed back into the country. Would it be better for him to just turn around now and come back??
Any thoughts are helpful! Thanks everyone, you are all so great. I feel extremely irresponsible for not researching this travel restriction further, and wish he hadn't left!
J