Being Apart During Application Process

[dawndarkharp]

My spouse and I will be apart after we submit our application outland. We'll be in New Zealand together until we send the application, then I will return to Canada alone to photograph some weddings I have had booked.

Will this effect our application?

And if not, if my spouse decides to join me in Canada for a while, will they frown upon that? Or will it effect our application process at all? What if he gets the PR while we're in Canada, does he have to leave and re-enter or can he "land" while in Canada?


Thank you!

 

[Sweden]

Hello dawndarkharp,

Being apart from your spouse will not affect your application as it is very common for a lot of couples, as long as you have completed the 12 months living together if you are common-law. If you are married, then it doesn't matter.

Your spouse can decide to join you in canada, but if he is not from a visa-exempt country, it will be difficult ( not impossible, but difficult!) to get him a visa. If he is from a visa-exempt country, then it should be fine. a lot of couple from visa-exempt countries wait the outcome of the PR process together in Canada ( but your spouse won't be allow to work, as he will have a visitor visa). If he gets the PR, yes, you will have to leave and re-enter, but any border will do, so no need to go back to NZ - depending on where you are in Canada, see what is the easiest/closest for you.

Good luck!
Sweden

 

[Isometry]

Being apart won't affect your application if you're married, just make sure all of your contact information is kept up to date!

If your spouse is in Canada when the visa is issued, he doesn't have to leave and re-enter to land. You can book landing appointments at places like airports that have immigration facilities internally (the Edmonton airport is a 7 hour drive from the nearest border, but of course they have customs there etc). However, I've heard that it can take a few weeks to get an appointment, so flagpolling to the US is pretty common too.

 

[dawndarkharp]

Hello dawndarkharp,

Being apart from your spouse will not affect your application as it is very common for a lot of couples, as long as you have completed the 12 months living together if you are common-law. If you are married, then it doesn't matter.

Your spouse can decide to join you in canada, but if he is not from a visa-exempt country, it will be difficult ( not impossible, but difficult!) to get him a visa. If he is from a visa-exempt country, then it should be fine. a lot of couple from visa-exempt countries wait the outcome of the PR process together in Canada ( but your spouse won't be allow to work, as he will have a visitor visa). If he gets the PR, yes, you will have to leave and re-enter, but any border will do, so no need to go back to NZ - depending on where you are in Canada, see what is the easiest/closest for you.

Good luck!
Sweden

Thank you so much for your prompt reply! That's great to hear. We were afraid to be apart if it meant jeopardizing our application, but I'm glad to know he can join me in Canada when he likes. We will be sending our application tomorrow. We are applying via outland. Does anyone know the current realistic processing times? Our office would be Sydney.

If he does come to join me in Canada, would he only be allowed to wait with me for 90 days before returning to New Zealand (since he is visa-exempt, but the maximum visitor stay without a visa is 90 days) or will he be able to stay until we receive the PR and then get a landing date appointment? If we leave Canada to go to the USA and then return - will they frown on him overstaying his welcome and refuse him entry and his PR? I'm not sure what the best way to go about this is. We'd like to stay together.

 

[dawndarkharp]

Being apart won't affect your application if you're married, just make sure all of your contact information is kept up to date!

If your spouse is in Canada when the visa is issued, he doesn't have to leave and re-enter to land. You can book landing appointments at places like airports that have immigration facilities internally (the Edmonton airport is a 7 hour drive from the nearest border, but of course they have customs there etc). However, I've heard that it can take a few weeks to get an appointment, so flagpolling to the US is pretty common too.

Thank you so much for your reply! We are only common-law spouses, so would it have an effect on our application? If I send the application with our current New Zealand address on it, when I return to Canada will I have to inform CIC that my address has changed? How much does that delay the application processing time?

Thank you!

 

[CharlieD10]

Thank you so much for your reply! We are only common-law spouses, so would it have an effect on our application? If I send the application with our current New Zealand address on it, when I return to Canada will I have to inform CIC that my address has changed? How much does that delay the application processing time?

Thank you!

It should always be apparent that any break in cohabitation by a common-law couple is purely temporary and you mean to resume living together in the shortest time possible.

You may advise CIC that your address has changed using a case-specific enquiry email. If you intend to remain in Canada after that, and your spouse is coming to join you and remain as a visitor, then you should definitely advise them that you are no longer at the address they have for you both. There will be no effect on the processing time.

The maximum stay for visa-exempt persons is 6 months. If he intends to extend that period, he needs to apply for an extension at least 30 days prior to the expiration of that 6 months.

 

[simb]

thats good to hear to can stay in canada even when you are issued your pr
but my question is
do we have send our passport to the visa office back to our country to get pr visa stamped or can contact cic in canada to issue the visa and the can complete landing formalities
and if we have to send our passport then will they send the passport to the canada address or to the address we wrote on the form ?

 

[CharlieD10]

thats good to hear to can stay in canada even when you are issued your pr
but my question is
do we have send our passport to the visa office back to our country to get pr visa stamped or can contact cic in canada to issue the visa and the can complete landing formalities
and if we have to send our passport then will they send the passport to the canada address or to the address we wrote on the form ?

If the applicant is visa-exempt, he no longer needs to send his passport to the visa office to be stamped with the visa counterfoil. The procedure now is for visa-exempt persons to submit copies of their passport pages and they receive the COPR documents. These will be sent to whatever address was listed on the return post envelope (which the applicant must pay for).

If the applicant is not visa-exempt and must get a visa counterfoil stamped in his passport, it is his/her responsibility to send his passport by whatever legal means to the visa office for this to be done. Please check with the issuing country, it is illegal to send some passports via international mail or courier.

 

[simb]

If the applicant is visa-exempt, he no longer needs to send his passport to the visa office to be stamped with the visa counterfoil. The procedure now is for visa-exempt persons to submit copies of their passport pages and they receive the COPR documents. These will be sent to whatever address was listed on the return post envelope (which the applicant must pay for).

If the applicant is not visa-exempt and must get a visa counterfoil stamped in his passport, it is his/her responsibility to send his passport by whatever legal means to the visa office for this to be done. Please check with the issuing country, it is illegal to send some passports via international mail or courier.

thank you for this information.
its really gonna help me ahead. as I am from visa exempt country
few more questions.
canada gives 6months entry. and before the expiration of those 6months we can apply for re entry. how long will that re entry visa will be ?
and about sending the passport pages..will that be to visa office or cic office in canada?
and can we work there ? i know my status will be just as visitor but is there any way to apply for work permit ?

 

[dawndarkharp]

It should always be apparent that any break in cohabitation by a common-law couple is purely temporary and you mean to resume living together in the shortest time possible.

You may advise CIC that your address has changed using a case-specific enquiry email. If you intend to remain in Canada after that, and your spouse is coming to join you and remain as a visitor, then you should definitely advise them that you are no longer at the address they have for you both. There will be no effect on the processing time.

The maximum stay for visa-exempt persons is 6 months. If he intends to extend that period, he needs to apply for an extension at least 30 days prior to the expiration of that 6 months.

Thank you for that! I will keep that in mind. I think he'll be happy knowing he can be with me in Canada for up to 6 months. We had originally thought it was only 90 days!

 

[simb]

can anybody tell me how to get nz police clearance certificate and does it delay your case?
i know there is a consent form which is to be given to cic but is that only way to get pcc from nz..? and does that form delays your case as well ?