Common Law Sponsorship + Open Work Permit Question

[Wasp21]

Hi Everyone! I'm wondering if anyone here can help me with a few questions. Here's the scenario - I'm a Canadian citizen and my girlfriend of 4+ years is a French citizen. We have been living together for around 2 years now. We met in Canada when she was on a visa and have since moved to Europe for me to study and for her to work when her original visa was running out.

Now, I'm graduating and we are looking to move back to Canada. However, with the Open Work Permit taking 4-5 months to process, we are planning to return to Canada together for 2 weeks to sign a lease on an apartment, submit her Common Law Sponsored PR + OW Permit application, and then have her return to Europe to complete her 60 days notice of work there while the OW Permit processes. Since she is an EU citizen, she should be able to travel freely from Canada and Europe on the eTA visa. My questions are as follows:

1) How do you have to "prove" that you both live in Canada when submitting inland? Would a signed lease with both of our names on it be enough, or do we need other proof? Additionally, would it cause suspicion if we include a lease indicating that we just moved to Canada together days before submitting the application?
2) Will there be fingerprinting, interviews, papers needing signatures, or anything else that would require her to be in Canada for the first two months after submitting?
3) Seeing as her eTA visa allows her to leave and re-enter freely, would this mean that she would be able to leave the country during the processing time? It says on the website that you can but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this.

Thanks in advance!

 

[scylla]

Hi Everyone! I'm wondering if anyone here can help me with a few questions. Here's the scenario - I'm a Canadian citizen and my girlfriend of 4+ years is a French citizen. We have been living together for around 2 years now. We met in Canada when she was on a visa and have since moved to Europe for me to study and for her to work when her original visa was running out.

Now, I'm graduating and we are looking to move back to Canada. However, with the Open Work Permit taking 4-5 months to process, we are planning to return to Canada together for 2 weeks to sign a lease on an apartment, submit her Common Law Sponsored PR + OW Permit application, and then have her return to Europe to complete her 60 days notice of work there while the OW Permit processes. Since she is an EU citizen, she should be able to travel freely from Canada and Europe on the eTA visa. My questions are as follows:

1) How do you have to "prove" that you both live in Canada when submitting inland? Would a signed lease with both of our names on it be enough, or do we need other proof? Additionally, would it cause suspicion if we include a lease indicating that we just moved to Canada together days before submitting the application?
2) Will there be fingerprinting, interviews, papers needing signatures, or anything else that would require her to be in Canada for the first two months after submitting?
3) Seeing as her eTA visa allows her to leave and re-enter freely, would this mean that she would be able to leave the country during the processing time? It says on the website that you can but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this.

Thanks in advance!

The inland process requires both of you to be physically living in Canada. Leaving for two months is problematic and means you don't meet the requirements to apply through this stream. All the lease will demonstrate is that you're trying to circumvent the process and "cheat" on the requirements. You should either wait until you have returned to Canada after the 60 days to apply inland - or apply outland knowing you won't qualify for an OWP.

eTA technically does not allow her to re-enter freely. If and how long she is allowed into Canada is always at the discretion of the CBSA officer.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hi Everyone! I'm wondering if anyone here can help me with a few questions. Here's the scenario - I'm a Canadian citizen and my girlfriend of 4+ years is a French citizen. We have been living together for around 2 years now. We met in Canada when she was on a visa and have since moved to Europe for me to study and for her to work when her original visa was running out.

Now, I'm graduating and we are looking to move back to Canada. However, with the Open Work Permit taking 4-5 months to process, we are planning to return to Canada together for 2 weeks to sign a lease on an apartment, submit her Common Law Sponsored PR + OW Permit application, and then have her return to Europe to complete her 60 days notice of work there while the OW Permit processes. Since she is an EU citizen, she should be able to travel freely from Canada and Europe on the eTA visa. My questions are as follows:

1) How do you have to "prove" that you both live in Canada when submitting inland? Would a signed lease with both of our names on it be enough, or do we need other proof? Additionally, would it cause suspicion if we include a lease indicating that we just moved to Canada together days before submitting the application?
2) Will there be fingerprinting, interviews, papers needing signatures, or anything else that would require her to be in Canada for the first two months after submitting?
3) Seeing as her eTA visa allows her to leave and re-enter freely, would this mean that she would be able to leave the country during the processing time? It says on the website that you can but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this.

Thanks in advance!

As stated by Scylla.

You misunderstand what an ETA is and does. All that an ETA does is allow that person to board the aircraft in France bound for Canada. It does NOT guarantee entry or clearance, that is ALWAYS at the discretion of the CBSA officer at the Canadian border.

 

[Wasp21]

So, if I understand correctly, the ETA allows visitors to stay for up to 6 months in Canada. Once we apply for Permanent Residency, however, she is able to stay beyond those 6 months, providing she does not leave Canada during that time and attempt to reenter. Is this correct?

Also, how can she enter Canada to "live here" in the first place? Is it permittable to enter on an ETA visa with the express purpose of moving to Canada to be sponsored for a PR? Would she state this to a border officer upon arrival, or simply say she is visiting and then we apply while she is here on the 6 month ETA visa?