Irish guy with questions on appropriate visa if marrying Canadian girlfriend.

[The-Mongoose]

Hi all,

Long story short I'm living in Ireland and my girlfriend of 4+ years is Canadian and has lived there her whole life. We're looking to close the distance in the next year with the idea that within a year or 2 we would be married. Obviously visa's play a certain role in that and so I'm wondering what my best options are to not make things abnormally difficult for us.

The way most Irish people go to Canada is on a 2 year IEC visa which i guess they then use to apply for Permanent Residency once they are in the country.

Another option is to apply for Permanent Residencey straight away. General advice on this side is to go for IEC first as its easier to get PR once I'm in Canada and working already. I also don't know if my application for PR, should i go down that route, would affect any subsequent application for an IEC if I got refused?

The main confusion with a potential marriage on the cards is how that would affect my current (assuming i was in Canada at that point) visa situation. If i had PR then no issues i guess? If I was on IEC with a view towards applying for PR, would a marriage affect that at all? Would we have to go down the Spousal Sponsorship route and what impact would that have on my ability to work? The main goal would be to avoid any scenario that means I'm not able to work while living over there.

Basically its a timing issue and I'm confused about the transition from IEC to PR with a potential marriage on the cards. Any help would be great and am happy to answer any questions. My aim is to be looking to move over to Vancouver summer 2020.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi all,

Long story short I'm living in Ireland and my girlfriend of 4+ years is Canadian and has lived there her whole life. We're looking to close the distance in the next year with the idea that within a year or 2 we would be married. Obviously visa's play a certain role in that and so I'm wondering what my best options are to not make things abnormally difficult for us.

The way most Irish people go to Canada is on a 2 year IEC visa which i guess they then use to apply for Permanent Residency once they are in the country.

Another option is to apply for Permanent Residencey straight away. General advice on this side is to go for IEC first as its easier to get PR once I'm in Canada and working already. I also don't know if my application for PR, should i go down that route, would affect any subsequent application for an IEC if I got refused?

The main confusion with a potential marriage on the cards is how that would affect my current (assuming i was in Canada at that point) visa situation. If i had PR then no issues i guess? If I was on IEC with a view towards applying for PR, would a marriage affect that at all? Would we have to go down the Spousal Sponsorship route and what impact would that have on my ability to work? The main goal would be to avoid any scenario that means I'm not able to work while living over there.

Basically its a timing issue and I'm confused about the transition from IEC to PR with a potential marriage on the cards. Any help would be great and am happy to answer any questions. My aim is to be looking to move over to Vancouver summer 2020.

An IEC and a PR app have nothing to do with each other. It's fine to apply for one, the other or both.

You can apply for sponsorship as soon as you are married or common-law. If you don't plan on being either for awhile, then IEC will be the easiest way for you to come to Canada an be able to work.

If you are already common-law or get married now, you can apply for PR now.

 

[Hurlabrick]

As said above.

Unofficial but very good reading on outland spousal sponsorship here

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spousal_Sponsorship-Canada/FAQ_-_New_Application_Forms

 

[The-Mongoose]

Thanks so much for your reply.

You can apply for sponsorship as soon as you are married or common-law. If you don't plan on being either for awhile, then IEC will be the easiest way for you to come to Canada an be able to work.

I think this will be my situation. I definitely wont be married before arriving in Canada so I plan to be on the IEC visa. My main question arises once i am in Canada on my IEC and then i get married. What is the best route forward for PR. Is it through Spousal or through the other normal means people would apply if they werent married such as Canadian Experience Class. ?

 

[The-Mongoose]

Unofficial but very good reading on outland spousal sponsorship here

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spousal_Sponsorship-Canada/FAQ_-_New_Application_Forms

This is a phenomenal resource thank you so much.

 

[Jets13]

Thanks so much for your reply.



I think this will be my situation. I definitely wont be married before arriving in Canada so I plan to be on the IEC visa. My main question arises once i am in Canada on my IEC and then i get married. What is the best route forward for PR. Is it through Spousal or through the other normal means people would apply if they werent married such as Canadian Experience Class. ?

If you are married then spousal sponsorship is the way to go, assuming your relationship is genuine should have no concerns.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks so much for your reply.



I think this will be my situation. I definitely wont be married before arriving in Canada so I plan to be on the IEC visa. My main question arises once i am in Canada on my IEC and then i get married. What is the best route forward for PR. Is it through Spousal or through the other normal means people would apply if they werent married such as Canadian Experience Class. ?

It is entirely your choice under which stream to apply. If you qualify for an economic stream, you can apply that way.

 

[The-Mongoose]

It is entirely your choice under which stream to apply. If you qualify for an economic stream, you can apply that way.

Well yea I get that but that wasn't really the question. Thank you for your earlier response though. Knowing that I could apply for both visas at the same time is something i didnt know and may be an option. PR on the off chance it comes through first time and IEC as a back up. Cheers.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Well yea I get that but that wasn't really the question. Thank you for your earlier response though. Knowing that I could apply for both visas at the same time is something i didnt know and may be an option. PR on the off chance it comes through first time and IEC as a back up. Cheers.

You asked for the best route. If you qualify for multiple immigration streams, the best route depends entirely on your own personal situation, which none of us fully know.