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Contractor wanting to live in Canada to be with their partner.

Z

Zachery

Newbie
Nov 8, 2010
8
0
Hello,

I've been a contractor for a company for 7~ years now. I am more or less self employed. I current am telecommuting to work via the Internet as my job has never required an on site presence and shouldn't for the foreseeable future.

I am currently confused on what action I can take to live in Canada. I've been in a relationship with a Canadian citizen for over a year now. We still each reside in our own country and visit each other every other month or so.

I am not sure how I would go about applying for a work permit. The main site seems to be confusing. I am not currently interested in entering their work market, I will not be taking anything away from their work market. I just wish to be able to legally work and live in the country. When the time comes we have intentions of filling together so I can get a more permanent residence.

I guess I am stuck on how do I get into and reside on a more long term basis.
 
If you're seeing each other for over a year and for some reason (visa for example) you can't come to live in canada, your partner can sponsor you as a conjugal partner. (this kind of implies that you're getting married shortly). Search online for conjugal partner type of application. I would recommend a lawyer tho.
 
We've been working on that, though from what we've been told its a hard case to prove.

We're working to get a laywer, but neither of us are directly intrested in marrige in the short term.

It'd be a lot easier to be able to live in the country for a year then to try filling as common law instead.
 
in this case you'll need a work permit and a job offer.

I'm really not sure how to go about it right now. I know some things have changed for IT quite recently.. and all I know is that I need LMO for IT now.. but I'm really clueless about other areas...

But, basically, you'll end up searching for company which is willing to hire you as a temporary worker so you can get a work permit.. from there your best shot would either stay for a year and apply as a common law partner (providing you're LIVING together for 12 months or more) or stay for 2 years on a full time position .. then apply as an canadian experience class.. which takes about 10 months to get done.. and it's independent of your partner..

Also, check if your government has any agreement with Canada.. likely there will be a program which you could fit in and stay here for a year... some countries like Sweden have agreements .. Swedish citizens can come here for a year with and also get an 'open' work permit (meaning they can work for any company).. I know that this is very remote, but if you have this option, take a look into that..

since you're already looking for a lawyer, the best thing would be ask these questions directly, but make sure the lawyer is a real immigration lawyer and that he/she isn't a scam.. unfortunately they exist here too..
 
We have two recomendations from a friend for laywers who are the real deal and do work with this sort of stuff.
Since I didn't say anything earlier from from the US, and traveling across the boarder is simple. I get more hassel coming back than I do going to canada.
I know I can go for extended visits, but then the issue of working while im up there comes up. Nothing is physcially stoping me from going to canada, working there, and living there. I would just prefer to do it legally and make sure everything does not go fubar.
 
Note that as a visitor you maximum stay is six months.
You can apply for an extension, to allow you to stay longer - some are granted, some not.


You are a citizen of what country, USA?
 
If you truly can work remotely over the web, then you should not have a problem with "working" in Canada.

Typically a visitor must not work - what that means is, you must derive your income from outside of Canada, nobody in Canada can employ you.
You cannot perform a role that a Canadian may be paid for - oddly enough, this can prevent you from volunteering.

Yoy need to show that you are a visitor, so you have to intend to leave - and you may be asked to prove that you will leave (ties to your home, reasons to return).

The CIC site has a load of information about being a visitor.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp
 
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