Married after 5 months of living together. Even worth applying?

[WillNAS]

Hi,

So I met my current wife 7 months ago. She is from Canada, and I am from the UK. I work as programmer here and I am here on a 2 year working visa.

Basically I am asking whether doing the spouse sponsorship even worth it for me? Our wedding was extremely low key, and done on more of an impulsive basis, although we are very happy together and we lease an apartment together .

If I wanted to stay in Canada, I could do so as a skilled worker. However, my current visa would be up and I would have to go back to the UK in order to support myself.

I just feel like getting my wife to sponsor me now would look a little suspicious to immigration? We didn't take a honeymoon, or have family at our wedding (it was quite impulsive). I also really don't relish having to prove our marriage to immigration, when frankly it is none of their business. We are in love, and that is all that matters in my mind, without having to provide private details ect.

Do you think it would be better for me to just wait and apply via the skilled sponsorship class? I know it can take over a year, but I guess I can take my wife back to the UK with me for a while.

Thanks

 

[scylla]

Have you calculated the number of points you have under the Express Entry system yet? Do you know how many you have?

This is key in determining if applying as a skilled worker is a realistic option - or if spousal sponsorship would be better. Right now, you want to have 470 (or preferably more) points under Express Entry to ensure you're selected.

 

[WillNAS]

Yeah I have more than enough points when I finally reach 12 months on skilled employment. I'm in the level A category for NOC.

However when I reach the 12 months, I shall have 1 more month until my visa expires.

That leads me to spousal sponsorship, however I'm not sure our marriage will look "real" enough to pass? That is what I want to know.

Taking my wife back to the UK is also 10 times harder than me getting residency here.

 

[scylla]

Being in the A level category for NOCs doesn't give you more point than the same experience in a NOC B or NOC 0. Are you certainly you've gone through the process of calculating your Express Entry points - not just your FSW points? The FSW points is what it takes to qualify to create a profile. However the Express Entry points is what determines if you will actually be selected out of the pool. Have you taken the IELTS test? Have you submitted your education certificates to WES or another one of the recognized agencies to have your education officially assessed? Do you have all of the required work experience letters from past employers? Applying as a skilled worker is quite the undertaking.

I personally think you'd be better off going the spousal sponsorship route. You will have to provide the details of your relationship whether you like it or not (unfortunately that's part of the process). All of us here have had to do that and doing a good job of explaining your relationship and proving it's genuine is critical to being approved. Sure - maybe you got married quickly - but you can probably off set that by showing strong evidence your relatioship is real.

 

[WillNAS]

I personally think you'd be better off going the spousal sponsorship route. You will have to provide the details of your relationship whether you like it or not (unfortunately that's part of the process). All of us here have had to do that and doing a good job of explaining your relationship and proving it's genuine is critical to being approved. Sure - maybe you got married quickly - but you can probably off set that by showing strong evidence your relatioship is real.

But how would I do that? What kind of evidence to these people want? We met, we moved in, and then we got married as quickly and cheaply as possible. We have photo's, and facebook/text messages. No honeymoon, trips to see family ect. We just did it to cement things.

It's really starting to stress me out, being from different countries.

 

[Aquakitty]

But how would I do that? What kind of evidence to these people want? We met, we moved in, and then we got married as quickly and cheaply as possible. We have photo's, and facebook/text messages. No honeymoon, trips to see family ect. We just did it to cement things.

It's really starting to stress me out, being from different countries.

Everyone here goes through the same thing, remember. It's stressful but just one of the hoops you have to jump through to immigrate.

Anyways, I don't think you will have a massive red flag because you are from the UK (visa-exempt) but they might give it a harder look. It's certainly not as bad as you think it is.

I suggest starting off by reading the application forms/guides so you get an idea of what you have to provide. The forms changed recently, and now the proof that is required is a lot more specific. There is no "time" requirement on the proof though, so you can start on it now if you don't have some of the items.

I assume you live together, so essentially you need 3 main items of proof from the following: A lease/rental agreement/property title in both your names, utility type bills in both your names, and/or your licenses or other "important" documents with the same addresses on them, letters from friends family, and/or documents of financial support between you.


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp#country

 

[WillNAS]

OK, then I shall look into the spousal sponsorship. It does look like a lot of work though.

I just worry they will think it is fake.

It's 100 percent real, but it was also very impulsive and low key.

I just don't relish having to PROVE to some faceless bureaucrats that my marriage is "real". I also understand I get a conditional PR status? So if we do break up, I loose my PR automatically, so no harm done I guess.

And after looking more in depth at the skilled worker class, all I can say is wow, what an undertaking that seems! Would you believe it, the UK is actually much harder though.

 

[scylla]

The Liberals are making conditional PR go away. So not something to be concerned about.

While you may not relish it, as part of the spousal sponsorship process, you do need to convince a stranger that your relationship is genuine. If that's really something you're not willing to do - then perhaps the skilled worker stream would be a better option. But before you go down that route, make sure you have enough points. Qualifying isn't the difficult part. Tons of people qualify. Being actually selected is the tough bit. That's where you're competing with others and need to have enough points to be selected over others.

 

[ra03ra]

OK, then I shall look into the spousal sponsorship. It does look like a lot of work though.

I just worry they will think it is fake.

It's 100 percent real, but it was also very impulsive and low key.

I just don't relish having to PROVE to some faceless bureaucrats that my marriage is "real". I also understand I get a conditional PR status? So if we do break up, I loose my PR automatically, so no harm done I guess.

And after looking more in depth at the skilled worker class, all I can say is wow, what an undertaking that seems! Would you believe it, the UK is actually much harder though.

Not to sound rude in anyway, but if you don't feel like proving ur relationship to CIC than don't apply spousal cause this exactly what they ask. They see genuine of relationship and the onus is on the applicant to prove not for CIC to accept what u believe.

 

[WillNAS]

The Liberals are making conditional PR go away. So not something to be concerned about.

While you may not relish it, as part of the spousal sponsorship process, you do need to convince a stranger that your relationship is genuine. If that's really something you're not willing to do - then perhaps the skilled worker stream would be a better option. But before you go down that route, make sure you have enough points. Qualifying isn't the difficult part. Tons of people qualify. Being actually selected is the tough bit. That's where you're competing with others and need to have enough points to be selected over others.

Thanks for all the info.

So how do I convince the immigration people in regard to the genuineness of our relationship? We live together and have a 1 year joint lease on our place. It is a 100 percent legitimate marriage, but it seems convincing immigration is a whole different kettle of fish.

I guess a little more research on my part is needed.

 

[Bcboundboy]

I just feel like getting my wife to sponsor me now would look a little suspicious to immigration? We didn't take a honeymoon, or have family at our wedding (it was quite impulsive). I also really don't relish having to prove our marriage to immigration, when frankly it is none of their business. We are in love, and that is all that matters in my mind, without having to provide private details ect.

Well there's your choice. If you don't want to move countries based on your relationship, then it's none of their business. If you want to, then you are explicitly making it the government's business - the government of whichever country you're saying should let you in based on the strength of your relationship.

Demonstrating a genuine relationship shouldn't be difficult. Everything that you do in daily life - messages back and forth, impromptu selfies, sworn letters from friends that you all hang out together, financial entanglements like joint leases and utilities, and beneficiaries of pension statements and insurance policies. They're not asking for sex tapes.

 

[WillNAS]

Well there's your choice. If you don't want to move countries based on your relationship, then it's none of their business. If you want to, then you are explicitly making it the government's business - the government of whichever country you're saying should let you in based on the strength of your relationship.

Demonstrating a genuine relationship shouldn't be difficult. Everything that you do in daily life - messages back and forth, impromptu selfies, sworn letters from friends that you all hang out together, financial entanglements like joint leases and utilities, and beneficiaries of pension statements and insurance policies. They're not asking for sex tapes.

We don't have pension statements or insurance policies though?
Joint lease, uttilities, photographs, and messages can be provided in bounties lol. Letters from friends and family too.
Nothing like insurance though. We have not taken any trips abroad either, so no plane tickets ect.

 

[scylla]

We don't have pension statements or insurance policies though?
Joint lease, uttilities, photographs, and messages can be provided in bounties lol. Letters from friends and family too.
Nothing like insurance though. We have not taken any trips abroad either, so no plane tickets ect.

What about joint bank accounts or credit card statements? You'll have to spend time thinking about how you have combined your lives and what evidence you can provide. Again, all of us here have gone through this. It takes time, thinking and planning to put together an application. However it's certainly doable in your case.

 

[Aquakitty]

Please view the checklist after inputting your country on the link in my last post. It clarifies exactly what proof is required. There are some choices, so you don't have to have all the items.

 

[WillNAS]

We are going to leave it for the time being. I'm not in the right place to go through this huge application process.

It does amaze me as to why Canada and the UK make it so hard and drawn out. My home country especially.