Hi.
I met my girlfriend in early 2015 while she was traveling in my country. We decided to give the long distance thing a try but we weren't very sure how to proceed with things. I wasn't sure we were in a super serious relationship, but I decided to give it a try and visit her in Canada in early 2016. We'd been in contact daily, chatting over Skype whenever possible, etc.
I applied for a TRV and did not mention her in my application for fear of getting rejected, and I got my multiple entry visa in my passport. I went to visit for a few weeks in 2016 and had a great time, this time a lot more sure about our relationship, and things started to get more serious. This year she came here for a visit, and things went beyond great. We're very excited to give our life together a try, but we're a bit overwhelmed by the whole ordeal before us.
As far as I'm aware, there are two options before me, if I want to start living with her as soon as possible (her moving here is not a possibility due to her job):
1) Common-law inland PR application:
My visa currently allows me to stay for up to six months. I have done some research and I can't find anywhere to apply for an extension as a visitor, though it seems implied that that's a possibility from all the accounts I've read. I have no idea how likely it is to be accepted if you just randomly want 12 more months without a lot of justification. I do have enough money to stay for that long, so that should not be a concern, but if I get refused then it's almost back to square zero for me.
2) Marriage in Canada, inland PR application:
In case I don't want to risk getting rejected, marriage is a strong possibility and we've been talking about it. It makes a lot of sense for us to get married, it's almost a strong a commitment as we're willing to undertake, but my worry there starts becoming more about being unable to prove it's not a "marriage of convenience", whatever that means in the eyes of the CIC. This would theoretically allow me to get an open work visa faster.
All this, however, leads me to my main doubt: The fact that I never mentioned my girlfriend in my TRV application. How much of a red flag is that to the CIC if I am straightforward and honest with them in that I was afraid I'd be rejected in the application? If that is too much of a red flag, I can declare that we met while I was traveling in Canada, but that would weaken our case for this being a genuine marriage.
Some advice would be welcomed. For the record, I am from a country which is not usually put under too much scrutiny when it comes to immigration procedures, but I'm not from the US. My English, however, is pretty much pristine.
I met my girlfriend in early 2015 while she was traveling in my country. We decided to give the long distance thing a try but we weren't very sure how to proceed with things. I wasn't sure we were in a super serious relationship, but I decided to give it a try and visit her in Canada in early 2016. We'd been in contact daily, chatting over Skype whenever possible, etc.
I applied for a TRV and did not mention her in my application for fear of getting rejected, and I got my multiple entry visa in my passport. I went to visit for a few weeks in 2016 and had a great time, this time a lot more sure about our relationship, and things started to get more serious. This year she came here for a visit, and things went beyond great. We're very excited to give our life together a try, but we're a bit overwhelmed by the whole ordeal before us.
As far as I'm aware, there are two options before me, if I want to start living with her as soon as possible (her moving here is not a possibility due to her job):
1) Common-law inland PR application:
My visa currently allows me to stay for up to six months. I have done some research and I can't find anywhere to apply for an extension as a visitor, though it seems implied that that's a possibility from all the accounts I've read. I have no idea how likely it is to be accepted if you just randomly want 12 more months without a lot of justification. I do have enough money to stay for that long, so that should not be a concern, but if I get refused then it's almost back to square zero for me.
2) Marriage in Canada, inland PR application:
In case I don't want to risk getting rejected, marriage is a strong possibility and we've been talking about it. It makes a lot of sense for us to get married, it's almost a strong a commitment as we're willing to undertake, but my worry there starts becoming more about being unable to prove it's not a "marriage of convenience", whatever that means in the eyes of the CIC. This would theoretically allow me to get an open work visa faster.
All this, however, leads me to my main doubt: The fact that I never mentioned my girlfriend in my TRV application. How much of a red flag is that to the CIC if I am straightforward and honest with them in that I was afraid I'd be rejected in the application? If that is too much of a red flag, I can declare that we met while I was traveling in Canada, but that would weaken our case for this being a genuine marriage.
Some advice would be welcomed. For the record, I am from a country which is not usually put under too much scrutiny when it comes to immigration procedures, but I'm not from the US. My English, however, is pretty much pristine.
