American who wants to move in with Canadian boyfriend in Canada

[saraao]

Please help!
My boyfriend & I have been together about a year and a half...he's in the RCAF in Ontario and I live in Las Vegas. Between the 2 of us, we've been to visit each other 8 times, once I was there for 2 months straight.

From the beginning we've thought it would be better for me to move there rather than him moving here because he's more established in his career than I am. Our only problem is we don't know how to go about it. I've read a ton of things online and it all seems so impossible...and for the majority of the time it seems like the information I read is conflicting. But I know people move to other countries all the time, we just need the exact steps to be laid out.

From my understanding, we have 2 main options which are for me to get a work visa to be able to stay up there or for us to get married. We do eventually want to get married and start a family but we'd ideally like to live with each other first for longer than a couple months at a time. The thing is I have a sizable about of school loans to pay off each month, lol so I NEED to work. (Also, this is the reason why I wouldn't apply for a student visa. My $80,000 education is already enough lol)

I've looked into getting a work visa, even applied for a job and got a written job offer. The employer applied for an LMIA in November and they haven't heard anything back since then (now May).

From my understanding if we get married I can apply for an open work visa, get it before I have a job offer and skip the LMIA process.

Has anyone been in this situation or a similar one?

Are there any other options available to us than the ones above? If so, what are the steps to get it done??

If those are our only options, what exactly do we need to do?


We appreciate any advice you have to give, thank you!!!

 

[Rob_TO]

From my understanding if we get married I can apply for an open work visa, get it before I have a job offer and skip the LMIA process.

Unfortunately this is completely false. Getting married gives you no special status to get a work visa.

In order to work in Canada you can try the following:
- Continue with LMIA process as you've already done
- Apply for a job that falls under NAFTA, then you don't need an LMIA http://www.canadavisa.com/nafta-work-permits.html
- get a SWAP Open Work Permit http://www.swap.ca/in_eng/us_index.aspx

After you get married if you then apply for PR using INLAND method, you get an OWP after approx 4 months of submitting the app, but then end up waiting 2+ years to get PR approved. In general after marriage a US citizen should apply for PR using OUTLAND method since entire process takes only approx 8 months or so, but of course during that time if you don't get a work permit some other way you can only stay here as a VISITOR so are unable to work until you get PR.

 

[ZingyDNA]

I guess the OP meant they get married, she gets sponsored, then she can apply for an open work permit after getting AOR of the sponsorship PR application?

Unfortunately this is completely false. Getting married gives you no special status to get a work visa.

In order to work in Canada you can try the following:
- Continue with LMIA process as you've already done
- Apply for a job that falls under NAFTA, then you don't need an LMIA http://www.canadavisa.com/nafta-work-permits.html
- get a SWAP Open Work Permit http://www.swap.ca/in_eng/us_index.aspx

After you get married if you then apply for PR using INLAND method, you get an OWP after approx 4 months of submitting the app, but then end up waiting 2+ years to get PR approved. In general after marriage a US citizen should apply for PR using OUTLAND method since entire process takes only approx 8 months or so, but of course during that time if you don't get a work permit some other way you can only stay here as a VISITOR so are unable to work until you get PR.