Looking for advice - Long Distance Relationship

[FTW206]

My boyfriend and I have been going out for over 2 1/2 years. He's from Vancouver, BC and I'm from Seattle, Washington. We met when I was visiting Vancouver in 2010. 4 months later we started dating. In 2012 he got a student visa and went to MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) in Arizona to become a certified Harley Tech. I followed him there, and we lived together until he graduated this past April. While living together we adopted a dog. Now he is living back in Vancouver, and I am back in Seattle. I really miss living together, and it's hard going back to being long distance again. Even though we see each other at least twice a month (and I have a NEXUS pass), it isn't the same. I was completely spoiled living with him and being able to wake up next to him each day.

Since May he has begun working as a mechanic back in Vancouver and I got my old job back in Seattle. He has the dog and my heart. We are in our mid twenties and neither of us make enough money to support one another. He has a skilled trade, whereas I have a two year college degree in general studies. I'm thankful my current job has benefits and the health care is paid for by my employer.

I'm completely at a loss as to what we are doing with our relationship. Friends are always asking us when we're getting married, and we do want to get married. But, would this mean one of us would have to sponsor the other for three years? If I moved to Canada and lived with him, would that basically mean I couldn't work and would have to wait for those three years to be up to do anything? That seems ridiculous. Would I have any health care? I have so many questions and don't know where to start. This going back and forth thing to visit each other cannot go on forever!

 

[marsiangal]

Hi there,
It might be better for you to read up how he can sponsor you.
Will give you a better idea. That is if you want to move in Canada.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/spouse.asp

I'm a sucker for love so I'll try to help as much as I can. lol

I'm considering the fact that you guys are gonna get married.

First things first,
You may want to consider finding a job in Vancouver and get a work permit. You get Health care, Employment insurance with that. ( dental and some other stuff is extra.but going to see a doctor is part of the health care and is free.)
You will need an LMO and Need to get a medical. If you get a skilled job you can get yourself a the permanent residence later on.
If it is low skilled then atleast you can live together be common law after 12 months or get married then and he can sponsor you.

Now There are 2 types of application,
Inland and Outland.

If you are in Canada as a worker or student, it will be an inland application it takes longer because the government is not in a hurry because you are already together. Currently 12-16 months wait.For the whole thing. However you will be eligible to get an open work permit once you get the approval of the first stage about 6-8 months wait.

If you apply outland (stay as a visitor) after getting married. Apparently it takes shorter. But you don't have the option of the open work permit.

So your choice.

Anyways, the 3 years just mean that he will need to make sure to provide your basic needs, food, shelter, clothing etc. For 3 years.
If you ever had to get on welfare, he needs to pay the government back.

It is your responsibility as a PR, to make sure you provide for yourself. You will basically have all the perks of being a citizen of Canada, except, having a Canadian passport, being able to vote etc. (sorry that was the best I can think of describing it.) So you will have Health Care, employment insurance ETC.

BTW if you are thinking that after married you instantly become a permanent resident or citizen, NO it is not like that you have to go through the process.

Goodluck!

I'm so sleepy.lol. hope what I said makes sense. Goodluck!

 

[Leon]

If you had lived together for more than 1 year and can prove it, you could apply as common law partners right now. Otherwise get married first.

He does not have to make a bunch of money to sponsor you but if he can't support you, you can start the sponsorship outland and you continue to work in Seattle and visit him when you want. After several months, you would get your PR and could move to Canada with the right to work and right to health care although as a newcomer to BC, you would have to wait for 2-3 months before you get health coverage.

Another option is as marsiangal suggested that you try to find a job in Vancouver. If your job falls under NAFTA, you would just need a written job offer and you could get a 3 year work permit at the border. Otherwise, the employer needs to apply for an LMO (labour market opinion) to prove that the job was advertised and no qualified people applied and once they get the LMO, they send it to you and you can drive to the border and apply for your work permit as you enter.

As for applying inland in order to get an open work permit after 6 months, I am not sure I'd recommend that if you are going to be going back and forth. It could always happen on the way back to Canada after a visit to the US that they pull you out and ask you if you are living in Canada and they can deny you entry if they want to so if that were to happen, you would lose your inland application as you are no longer in Canada.

As for the 3 year period, that is like marsiangal said, just the amount of time that your sponsor will be financially responsible for you. If you go on welfare during this time, he will be asked to pay it back.

 

[FTW206]

First of all, thank you marsiangal and Leon for the quick replies!

I'm sorry I'm such a newbie, there is a lot about this that I do not fully comprehend.

We only lived together in Arizona for 11 months, so not quite a year. He started his school in January of 2012, and I moved down in May of 2012.

So, I'm interested in hearing more about inland vs outland application. As Leon mentioned I could start my sponsorship and continue to work in Seattle. That sounds like a good process to get the ball moving, if we could go down that route. If I applied for an inland sponsorship, would that mean I couldn't visit my family and friends back in Seattle? Is there somewhere I can read more about outland applications in layman's terms?

 

[scylla]

Read the first post here by Leon. It will provide you with the overview you're looking for of outland vs. inland.

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html

To answer your specific question about the inland process, the inland process assumes you are going to remain in Canada until the application process is finished and not leave the country. If you leave the country while your inland application is being processed, there is no guarantee you will be allowed back in. If you're not allowed back in, this effectively cancels your application. If you want to be able to travel, outland is your only real choice.