Common-Law unions and Sponsoring

[Glottis]

First of all, hello everyone ...

I'm Luca, an Italian national who is currently in Canada for a PhD (therefore I am a temporary resident).
My girlfriend, who I have been with for more than one year and living with in Canada (she first came with a 6 months long working permit, now she is here as a tourist), would like to obtain a working permit and I have been told that she is entitle for a open working permit which has the same duration as my study permit, since, having lived together for more than one year, we have a Common-Law couple status.

Friends of our told us that we have to Declare our Status of Common-Law couple by signing a declaration in front of a Canadian officer. Unfortunately, even after contacting CIC, I couldn't get the info on what exactly we have to do and where is the office to do so (we are located in Montreal); they just told me to open the file online without mentioning any visit to any office.

If anyone has been through this and could give me any help, I would really appreciate!
Thanks a lot again everyone!

Buona giornata!!!!
Luca

 

[Ponga]

Welcome Luca!

I may be mistaken (yes...it has happened already here, more than once), but I believe that any Commissioner of Oaths can sign the declaration form, which gives you many options, since that includes most lawyers an notaries.



Since you are considering an Inland Common-Law sponsorship, with a separate application for the Open Work Permit, the wait will likely be 11 months (+/-) before your partner receives the OWP, provided you [sponsor] receive the Approval In Principle (AIP), which would at that point enable her to work in Canada.
No AIP = no OWP.

Stand-by for someone to come along to confirm this, please. :-\

 

[Betina]

Since you are considering an Inland Common-Law sponsorship

Can a Temporary Resident sponsor someone? I thought it was an option only for PRs and citizens.

 

[MilesAway]

Both are foreign nationals, so this is not a family class application.

I'd recommend posting your question in the international students section of the forum. The process for an international student or worker to get a work permit for their spouse is completely different from the spousal sponsorship that most of us in this section are going through.