Big difference in educational level.

[Saruscha]

So here's the story. I'm an American woman (the applicant for PR) and I'm currently in my last year of graduate school getting my Ph.D. in Physics. My fiance (the sponsor) is Canadian, and he dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. He recently started taking college classes though, and has completed one year of college, but plans to just get a job at this point. We met online, and he is very intelligent, well-spoken, and I can really talk to him, so when I found out about the fact that he dropped out of high school, it was not really an issue to me at all. Basically, I acknowledge that I will be making far more money than he does, and we are both totally ok with this... he might end up being a part time stay-at-home dad someday even!

I'm just wondering if this is something I should specifically address in my application, because I realize to most people this would be a huge red flag, and might seem particularly odd to people since the woman being the breadwinner is somewhat less of a social norm. If this is something I should comment on in my application? And where would be the appropriate place to do so?

Also, on the Sponsor Questionnaire (form IMM 5540), for question 5, where it asks what is the highest level of education (the sponsor) has completed... is it misleading in our situation to just check the college/university box and write 1? Even though that is technically the truth?

 

[CharlieD10]

He has not "completed" university, which is the operative word. So you can't check that box in this case.

It may be something of a red flag, so yes, you should address it. Obviously it is something you've already had to deal with and consider in your relationship, go ahead and say how you did so. Use the relationship essay requested to do so. You know "On an additional piece of paper, tell us about your relationship", that question.

It is always good to be proactive about possible "red flags".

 

[Saruscha]

He has not "completed" university, which is the operative word. So you can't check that box in this case.

It is always good to be proactive about possible "red flags".

But does this mean he can't check the secondary/high school box either? Since he didn't complete high school and only did one year? And is there any way to inform them of the fact that he did a year of college if it is the case that he has to check the elementary/primary school box?

 

[scylla]

That's right. You can't check a box unless that level of education has actually been completed.

I would mention the year of college in the relationship write up when you discuss the differences in your educational backgrounds and explain why this is not an issue in your relationship (i.e. mention the fact that he's well read, etc.).

 

[kourts]

is the sponsor being a high school drop out an issue do you think?

 

[rjessome]

So here's the story. I'm an American woman (the applicant for PR) and I'm currently in my last year of graduate school getting my Ph.D. in Physics. My fiance (the sponsor) is Canadian, and he dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. He recently started taking college classes though, and has completed one year of college, but plans to just get a job at this point. We met online, and he is very intelligent, well-spoken, and I can really talk to him, so when I found out about the fact that he dropped out of high school, it was not really an issue to me at all. Basically, I acknowledge that I will be making far more money than he does, and we are both totally ok with this... he might end up being a part time stay-at-home dad someday even!

I'm just wondering if this is something I should specifically address in my application, because I realize to most people this would be a huge red flag, and might seem particularly odd to people since the woman being the breadwinner is somewhat less of a social norm. If this is something I should comment on in my application? And where would be the appropriate place to do so?

Also, on the Sponsor Questionnaire (form IMM 5540), for question 5, where it asks what is the highest level of education (the sponsor) has completed... is it misleading in our situation to just check the college/university box and write 1? Even though that is technically the truth?

This is not a big red flag in this case. For one, you (the applicant) are the person with the better education in this relationship and you are applying to come here, not the other way around. Secondly, you are American. What benefit does immigrating to Canada bring to you other than being with your partner? Our two countries have parallel standards of living and since we are smaller (population wise) there may in fact be fewer job opportunities for you in Canada than in the USA. So immigrating here is not going to give you a "better life" from an economic standpoint. In fact, they will be happy if you come to Canada and make a lot of money because then you're going to pay a lot of taxes! And we like bright, well educated people moving here to contribute to our society.

When considering what could be a red flag, think about "benefit" because that's what the VO is going to think about. How does immigrating to Canada benefit you? Also, one difference is not necessarily going to result in greater scrutiny. It's the combined differences that make a VO start to suspect something is fishy.

 

[toby]

CIC looks at any difference -- age, education, income, culture -- and wants to know how the relationship survives (and will survive) these disparities. So, address the educational difference in a cover letter, or in the relationship essay.

It's odd to me that CIC questions cultural differences, when every PR application involves people from different cultures. But that's the world they live in.

At our interview, the VO asked my wife, and then me, about our differences. I repled that it was more significant to discuss how we mesh each day, feel about each other, resolve daily problems, etc. I replied that lists (of similarities as well as differences) are not useful in assessing whether a relationship is valid or not. After all, more than half the supposedly "similar" marriages in Canada fail, so evidently similarity is not the crucial issue.

What is the crucial issue? How two people feel together, about each other, how they treat each other during the good moments and the bad. I replied that this dynamic is much more significant than a list of superficial differences. Then I described our typical daily life together.

It did the trick.

 

[toby]

Hi R:

I see that we are posting simultaneously.

T

 

[rjessome]

Hi R:

I see that we are posting simultaneously.

T

Hey, how are you and M doing? Medical request received yet? Hope all is well.

 

[brin]

I totally agree with rjessome..!
It is kind of obvious that if you are leaving everything behind and moving to Canada, it's because u r in love. It's not like you can't move to Canada otherwise if you want to...! How you two are going to deal with the diff in the level of education isn't their problem! All they need to see is that this is not a marriage of convenience...! And I don't believe they are going to put u so much under the micrscope if u r applying from the US! Good lcuk!

 

[Saruscha]

Thanks for all your replies... I really feel a bit better now. I'll make sure I include some sort of an explanation for both of us though, but I really feel a lot less worried about it now <3

 

[toby]

Thanks for all your replies... I really feel a bit better now. I'll make sure I include some sort of an explanation for both of us though, but I really feel a lot less worried about it now <3

Just assure CIC that you and hubby discuss Field Theory over breakfast. There was a movie about an undereduated but intelligent guy (Tim Robbins) and the physicist he loved (Meg Ryan) who was the niece of Einstein (played brilliantly by Walter Matthau). Just watch that before any interview you may be called to. Inspirational.

 

[toby]

Hey, how are you and M doing? Medical request received yet? Hope all is well.

Yep; received and sent in the new medical a few days later. ETA of COPR mid June.

Cheers

 

[tink23]

Sorry to jump in on your thread... I will have a similar situation based on difference in education, but it's the other way around. I will be the sponsor and have an undergraduate B.A Degree and a B.Ed degree from a Canadian university (total combined time of 5 years) and my future spouse who I will be sponsoring from Dominican Republic only went up to grade 11 of highschool before he stopped, but he is a very intelligent individual... Also, the public education system is not very good in DR, and many of the private schools are also not even close to the quality of education we'd receive in Canada, so it's very common for many Dominicans not to finish even highschool. Of course many do and go onto University, but many of the universities there aren't comparable to universities in Canada... My point is it's not uncommon for people not to finish school there. So, I'm the sponsor with the higher education and he is from DR, which, being honest, is not seen as "desirable" of a country for applicants since it is a developing country... This is not a hindrance to our relationship. Also, at the time of sponsorship, we will have been together for almost 4.5 years, and I will have lived in Dominican Republic with him for 3 years...
You're saying at the end of the applicant forms we should include a relationship essay that addresses this? Or should we include an explanation in the sponsorship package as well as the immigrant package when the question of level of education arises?
Thank you.

 

[rjessome]

Sorry to jump in on your thread... I will have a similar situation based on difference in education, but it's the other way around. I will be the sponsor and have an undergraduate B.A Degree and a B.Ed degree from a Canadian university (total combined time of 5 years) and my future spouse who I will be sponsoring from Dominican Republic only went up to grade 11 of highschool before he stopped, but he is a very intelligent individual... Also, the public education system is not very good in DR, and many of the private schools are also not even close to the quality of education we'd receive in Canada, so it's very common for many Dominicans not to finish even highschool. Of course many do and go onto University, but many of the universities there aren't comparable to universities in Canada... My point is it's not uncommon for people not to finish school there. So, I'm the sponsor with the higher education and he is from DR, which, being honest, is not seen as "desirable" of a country for applicants since it is a developing country... This is not a hindrance to our relationship. Also, at the time of sponsorship, we will have been together for almost 4.5 years, and I will have lived in Dominican Republic with him for 3 years...
You're saying at the end of the applicant forms we should include a relationship essay that addresses this? Or should we include an explanation in the sponsorship package as well as the immigrant package when the question of level of education arises?
Thank you.

Again, it's the combination of red flags that give VOs pause. And a red flag can be overcome by more relevant circumstances. The fact that you and your spouse have been living together for 3 years is going to make a VO less concerned about the differences in your education levels. It would be of greater concern had you never lived together. The VO is going to see that whatever differences posed by your education levels have been worked out by the both of you through living together as a couple. However, it's still your responsibility to point out the difference and explain how it is not an issue for you.