Common-Law/ Conjugal Sponsorship help and info please :)

[Mellyhead123]

I am looking into doing the common-law/conjugal sponsorship if my EE does not go to plan. This is my situation and I would love some advice.

I have been on an IEC visa since May 2015, which expires 31 May 2017. I have been with my boyfriend since May 2016, and living with him since August 2016 and we rent a room in his parents basement and pay her rent which includes bills. We do not share a bank account, we do not share bills such as phone contracts, electricity etc. My bank account has been registered to this address since moving in August, and other things like my phone bill etc were registered a few months later.

If I do not get accepted for EE, the reasons for this will most likely be because my education from the UK isn't high enough to get me the required points.

Can anybody recommend the best/easiest/fastest way for me to apply for this, baring in mind I can only work in the country until 31 May 2017 and I will only have been living with my boyfriend for 9/10 months by the time it expires. I will most probably apply for the visitors visa so I can stay a bit longer, but I cannot afford to be a Visitor for 12-18 months living in the country not making any money.

I would also like to add that I don't particularly want to be away from my boyfriend for more than 3 months, but also don't want to make him come to the UK if it makes it more complicated. We also would like to travel at some point, and reading the above states they don't allow you to leave the country once in the process. I see that once the first stage is processed, If I am an inland applicant, I could potentially get an open work permit so I can get a job. What are the turn around times from the first part of the process, to where you can apply for the work permit? And if I am an outland applicant, how long would it take for this to be approved?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated Smiley

Emily

 

[Rob_TO]

First off forget about a conjugal application, there is zero chance you would qualify as there are no legal or immigration barriers to you becoming married or common-law.

So you must wait until you've lived together the full 12 consecutive months, before he can sponsor you for PR. Or get married.

Your approach is generally right. Just before your IEC is set to expire, apply to turn it into visitor status. Then once you reach 12 months to become common-law (Aug 2017), submit an INLAND family class application along with OWP app. The OWP will be processed and sent to you in approx 4 months.

So assuming it takes around 1 month to prepare and send off the inland application after becoming common-law (so around Sept 2017), you should have OWP and can continue working around Jan 2018. This means you'll be here as a visitor only and unable to work, for around 9 months from June 2017 to Jan 2018.

OUTLAND PR applicants do not have any access at all to an OWP, so with outland app you'd need to wait until you become PR before you could work again.

 

[Mellyhead123]

Thank you for the info!

I read somewhere earlier on this forum, that it is faster to apply out of the country? I just don't know if I can afford to stay in the country for 6 months without working, or hope that my boyfriend will come with me to the UK and apply outside of the country. Do you know how long it takes out of country?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thank you for the info!

I read somewhere earlier on this forum, that it is faster to apply out of the country? I just don't know if I can afford to stay in the country for 6 months without working, or hope that my boyfriend will come with me to the UK and apply outside of the country. Do you know how long it takes out of country?

If you're from the UK, then you should check the London thread on this forum to see how fast outland apps are typically taking these days. They may be quicker than inland apps but since the whole inland/outland application package was completely redone just a few months ago, nobody really knows how fast each method will be going forward.

If you do apply outland you can continue to stay in Canada while the PR app is processing as long as you have valid visitor or other status. You can also decide to go back to the UK to wait, either way is fine.