American staying in Canada during PR process

[Line]

HI, I am sponsoring my U.S. common-law husband from outland. We got sponsorship approval on November 8, 2012. As a US resident, I believe he is allowed to stay for a period of 6 months. I would like him to stay with me and we are hoping that the process will be over by then. How can we go about doing this? Do we need special permission? thank you.

 

[amikety]

I've been in Canada with my husband for 17 months without leaving.

Since you're in sponsorship and have Stage 1 approval, it's best if you can cross the border with him, but not necessary. Make sure he has a copy of your Stage 1 approval. I'd bring a copy of the fees receipt too. Since he is American, he will most likely be granted entry to Canada without a problem. If you are with him, ask for a Visitor's Record. If he's alone, he can ask for one as well. If he's lucky, he will get one for a year and not have to worry about extending his status in Canada.

Just make sure he knows he can't work or study except in very strict circumstances. The agents may question how he plans to support himself, so have a plan in place and copies of savings accounts or your paystubs would be helpful - but it seems they don't ask this much.

Usually this process is easy for Americans. Follow general rules you'd abide by with any government office - be polite, answer questions truthfully, and be prepared - and you should be okay. Oh and he's "visiting" not "moving!"

 

[Line]

Wow.... 17 months.... that's great. OK. So all we need to do is go to the border together and ask the officer for a visitor's record? I will bring with me a copy of the Stage 1 approval as well as a copy of my paystub and hopefully that should do it. Also, what if we want to go back and forth sometimes to the US to visit his family? Will that be a problem once he gets his visitor record? Even if he has to go by himself? tks again.

 

[amikety]

He'll have to get a new VR each time. They're single entry only. Since you have AIP there's a good chance he can get one alone. It's usually not a problem just make sure he says he's visiting not moving.

 

[sariss]

Once he enters they will stamp his passport and usually put a date under the stamp - this is when he has to leave. If there is no date, it defaults to 6 months later.
Once he is here you can apply online to extend his stay here as a visitor. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/visitor.asp) you just have to apply 30 days before he is supposed to leave. It takes longer than 30 days to process it, but he is under "implied status" until a decision is made.

That's what my husband did, at least. Of course we got his new visitor record in the mail the week before his COPR, haha.

 

[Line]

thanks everyone for the information. Is there a cost to the visitor record? I just want to know what to expect at the border. Also, we just applied for a passport for my husband. We have been informed that it is in the mail but have not received it yet. Every time he comes to Canada, he has been showing his enhanced driver's licence. Hopefully we get the passport soon. Does he absolutely need his passport to get this visitor record? I am planning on going to visit him and his family at Christmas in the US and he was going to come back with me. We would then ask the Border officer for a visitor record so that he could stay with me in Canada. tks.

 

[sariss]

I believe it's $75.
As far as the passport goes, I'm unsure. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along.

 

[Line]

Ok. Thanks. Another quick question. Once he receives his visitor record, would it be to our advantage to notify CIC that he is now here for 6 months or even a year depending on what we get?

tks again.

 

[amikety]

Ok. Thanks. Another quick question. Once he receives his visitor record, would it be to our advantage to notify CIC that he is now here for 6 months or even a year depending on what we get?

tks again.

You get the VR from CIC, so no need to tell them. They will probably give you funny looks