Information on Marrying US citizen

[ohmyshine]

I was born and raised here in Toronto. I have a boyfriend that was born and raised in Seattle, WA.
We have been dating for 5 years now and our families have been talking about us getting married.

I have a few questions:
- How could we get married here in Canada? Or how will it work in it was in the states? (Requirements?
- what would be a better choice on where to live? (Preferably I'd like to live here in Canada because of all the benefits but in the future move to Seattle as well)
- what would happen if I got pregnant first before marriage?

If anyone even has general information on marrying a US citizen I would love to know. We are in our early 20s and very much in love. Please help!

 

[margobear96]

So, you've been dating long distance for 5 years or are you living in the same city now?

- How could we get married here in Canada? Or how will it work in it was in the states? (Requirements?
Requirements vary by province/state. Look it up on their websites (e.g., in BC it's the Vital Statistics Agency which has jurisdiction). I don't off hand know of any place that has a residency requirement anymore...some states may require a blood test ahead of time. Generally, find an officiant (someone with the authority to marry people) and get a license. Using the license, the officiant will register the marriage after the ceremony.

- what would be a better choice on where to live? (Preferably I'd like to live here in Canada because of all the benefits but in the future move to Seattle as well)
That would entirely depend on your specific circumstances (e.g., job availability, proximity to friends and family, etc.). Once you're married, you can sponsor him for permanent residency in Canada or he can sponsor you for a greencard. In either case, you can still live together for 6 months at a time as a visitor. (There's some additional details, but that's the general gist.)

- what would happen if I got pregnant first before marriage?
Not sure what you're asking.... I don't think it affects anything marriage-wise, other than making the dress fittings difficult. Before getting preggers, you should definitely consider how it will be paid for though (e.g., insurance in the US or if you're in the 3 month wait period after moving back to Canada).

 

[computergeek]

- How could we get married here in Canada? Or how will it work in it was in the states? (Requirements?

This is state/province specific, with greater uniformity in Canada. If you want, you can fly to Las Vegas and do it an hour after you land. Some jurisdictions have waiting periods or blood tests. I'd suggest using your favourite search engine and looking for information about potential venues.

- what would be a better choice on where to live? (Preferably I'd like to live here in Canada because of all the benefits but in the future move to Seattle as well)

Do either of you have professional skills that would make you eligible for a NAFTA-qualifying position? If so, the easiest thing to do is to find a job that qualifies and get a work permit (US it is a "TN visa" and Canada it is a "work permit" but in neither place do you need any special letters to authorize it.) Then you can let the immigration process take its time. You can also repeat this process at a later time if you decide to go the other direction.

- what would happen if I got pregnant first before marriage?

You would likely suffer from morning sickness, mood swings and weight gain.

The point about insurance coverage is an important one, but you'd likely be in decent shape either way, since the US is now requiring coverage of pre-existing conditions and the worst case is you'd need to wait three months for coverage in Ontario (though prenatal care through midwifery services are covered by the Province even if you don't have OHIP.)