Moving/Living/Working in Canada (with my girlfriend)

[Protz]

I am a 19 Year old U.S Citizen looking to move to my girlfriend who is in Canada. I'm not sure the best possible way to achieve this as I plan to move there and live there my entire life. I plan on doing all this within six months if I can. I have no idea where to start, what to do, who I can talk to outside of Canada. I have been there already and I've already planned a place to move and work. The only thing I would be needing is a visa and/or residency right? If anyone can help me, that'd be appreciated, I have very little help here and I need insight on the best way to move and live in Canada to end the distance.

A little info.

Girlfriend is recently 17, I'm 19.
The Province that I'm interested in is Alberta.
I have three years of work experience.
I'm a high-school graduate with no college experience.
I have no family ties to anyone in Canada at all.
I am looking to study and/or work and live in Canada, permanently.
I have no criminal record of any kind.
I've visited the place I want to live on a US Passport as of December 2014 for nine days.
I'm also self-employed currently, not sure if that opens up any options.

By the way, I'm constantly watching this thread because I want to get started on this within the week if I can.

 

[rhcohen2014]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

since you are a us citizen, you do not need a visa to enter canada. you can simply enter as a visitor with your passport. you can not "move" to canada until you are given the proper authorization to do so from immigration. i suggest starting on the CIC website, and researching immigration options.

if you want to work in canada you must have a work permit (or become a permanent resident), otherwise you are working illegally. getting a work permit requires a job offer from a canadian company. this is very tough to do, and requires a lot of effort and $$$ on behalf the employer. You can check the immigraiton website to see if you qualify for NAFTA which is a way for US citizens to work in canada. considering your age, you may not qualify.

otherwise, if you want to be wth your GF, you would need to marry her or become commonlaw in order for her to sponsor you as a spouse. to be commonlaw, you must prove you have cohabitated and comingled your finances for no less than 365 consecutive days. you can accomplish this by entering canada as a visitor, then applying to extend your stay to meet the requirement. Remember, as a visitor, you are not allowed to work - it is illegal for visitors to work in canada.

word of caution... if you show up at the border telling them you want to spend the rest of your life in canada, they will turn you away very quickly, possibly even banning you for an amount of time. you do not have the right to do that right now. they will for sure ask to see proof of ties to the us. To CBSA, the only ties that matter is employment and housing. They dont care about belongings, cars or bank accounts. bottom line, you will need to find a way to immigrate and get permission to live there first.

 

[Protz]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

since you are a us citizen, you do not need a visa to enter canada. you can simply enter as a visitor with your passport. you can not "move" to canada until you are given the proper authorization to do so from immigration. i suggest starting on the CIC website, and researching immigration options.

if you want to work in canada you must have a work permit (or become a permanent resident), otherwise you are working illegally. getting a work permit requires a job offer from a canadian company. this is very tough to do, and requires a lot of effort and $$$ on behalf the employer. You can check the immigraiton website to see if you qualify for NAFTA which is a way for US citizens to work in canada. considering your age, you may not qualify.

otherwise, if you want to be wth your GF, you would need to marry her or become commonlaw in order for her to sponsor you as a spouse. to be commonlaw, you must prove you have cohabitated and comingled your finances for no less than 365 consecutive days. you can accomplish this by entering canada as a visitor, then applying to extend your stay to meet the requirement. Remember, as a visitor, you are not allowed to work - it is illegal for visitors to work in canada.

word of caution... if you show up at the border telling them you want to spend the rest of your life in canada, they will turn you away very quickly, possibly even banning you for an amount of time. you do not have the right to do that right now. they will for sure ask to see proof of ties to the us. To CBSA, the only ties that matter is employment and housing. They dont care about belongings, cars or bank accounts. bottom line, you will need to find a way to immigrate and get permission to live there first.

Marrying her would be out of the question considering she's unable to marry at her current age. I just returned from a trip to see her and I've chosen where to live and such. Is the easiest option to apply for schools in the area and hope for acceptance there? If so, I'd only be there temporary as well and I'm still stuck with the problem of trying to live there permanently. I've been browsing through the CIC website for around four months now, trying to figure out the best way to do this. Was going to talk to the Canadian embassy and see if they could help me somehow, but as far as figuring out my best route, it seems unclear.

 

[scylla]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

You can certainly go the student route (note that May 2015 is the earliest possible date for this since this is when schools will be starting their next semesters). First you'll need to be accepted into a program. Applying for a student visa will be the next step. You'll need to show you have sufficient funds to pay for your studies and living expenses in Canada (note that you'll be paying the more expensive foreign student tuition fees). This means that to be approved for a student visa, you'll need to show a bank balance that covers first year tuition + $10K in living expenses - the total will likely be around $30K that you will need to show (or higher if your program is expensive). Attending school in Canada will qualify you for a post graudate work permit after you finish your studies - and this may allow you to eventually apply for PR.

There is no easy / fast route for what you are trying to do. Unfortunately everything is going to take time.

 

[scylla]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

One more suggestion... If you are about to graduate from college or are a recent college graduate - check out the SWAP working holiday visa program.

 

[Mbgirlfriend]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

If you can afford to go to school in Canada then coming on a student visa could be an option but you will need lots of money to be approved.

In order to be approved for a student visa you must be accepted into a Canadian School and have the funds to cover your tuition and living expenses for that year.

One year tuition for a non Canadian Resident at most Canadian Universities or Colleges will be at least $10.000 CND you would have to look at the international tuition fees for the school you would be applying at to see the exact cost.

You would also have to have another $10.000 CND to support yourself while going to school for a year. So you will need to have proof of at least $20.000 CND and acceptance at a Canadian School for a one year student visa.

If you are able to get a student visa then I believe you can apply for a work permit for part time work. The work permit would be very limited but would still help you out financially.

You could also look at the Provincial Nominee Program. Requirements can vary from province to province.

A little more information about yourself could help people here give you ideas.

What is your age?
What Province to you plan to move to?
What education level do you currently have?
What kind of job experience do you have?
Do you have any family that is a resident of Canada?

 

[jahmase]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

hello.. just seaking some info..

so i met my boyfriend online june of 2014, we av been talking online eversince until he came to canada we met an things got even better being closer to each other.. however because he's on visitor visa he had to go back home to his country. before he left i told him i'm pregnant an he was really excited about it but he still had to leave because he had to report to work.. however because i'm pregnant he is willing to leave his job an move to canada to be with me an to be there for his baby.. i am now roughly 9wks pregnant. his visitor visa expires this coming april an it may be hard for him to renew it based on family situations.. so what i want to know is if i can sponsor him to renew his visa so he can come back to canada to stay with me? or would we av to get marry in order for him to stay here? what info can you give me on that? or your best options really.. anyone would be great.. thanks

 

[Protz]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

You can certainly go the student route (note that May 2015 is the earliest possible date for this since this is when schools will be starting their next semesters). First you'll need to be accepted into a program. Applying for a student visa will be the next step. You'll need to show you have sufficient funds to pay for your studies and living expenses in Canada (note that you'll be paying the more expensive foreign student tuition fees). This means that to be approved for a student visa, you'll need to show a bank balance that covers first year tuition + $10K in living expenses - the total will likely be around $30K that you will need to show (or higher if your program is expensive). Attending school in Canada will qualify you for a post graudate work permit after you finish your studies - and this may allow you to eventually apply for PR.

There is no easy / fast route for what you are trying to do. Unfortunately everything is going to take time.

One more suggestion... If you are about to graduate from college or are a recent college graduate - check out the SWAP working holiday visa program.

Yeah, I would like to just close the distance as much as possible because after I left the first time, I never want to leave again. I'd just like to stay there and start my life in Canada. I honestly thank you for the clarification of student visas, wasn't sure of the estimated price point. Also, just a high-school graduate, held off on college specifically for this.

If you can afford to go to school in Canada then coming on a student visa could be an option but you will need lots of money to be approved.

In order to be approved for a student visa you must be accepted into a Canadian School and have the funds to cover your tuition and living expenses for that year.

One year tuition for a non Canadian Resident at most Canadian Universities or Colleges will be at least $10.000 CND you would have to look at the international tuition fees for the school you would be applying at to see the exact cost.

You would also have to have another $10.000 CND to support yourself while going to school for a year. So you will need to have proof of at least $20.000 CND and acceptance at a Canadian School for a one year student visa.

If you are able to get a student visa then I believe you can apply for a work permit for part time work. The work permit would be very limited but would still help you out financially.

You could also look at the Provincial Nominee Program. Requirements can vary from province to province.

A little more information about yourself could help people here give you ideas.

What is your age?
What Province to you plan to move to?
What education level do you currently have?
What kind of job experience do you have?
Do you have any family that is a resident of Canada?

What is your age? I'm 19.
What Province to you plan to move to? Alberta, for for PR till Citizenship.
What education level do you currently have? I've graduated high-school.
What kind of job experience do you have? Part time work experience and work at the family business.
Do you have any family that is a resident of Canada? No family there, have spoken about eloping though.

I'll add this info to the first post as well to clarify with any new readers who have anymore insight on my situation.

 

[scylla]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

hello.. just seaking some info..

so i met my boyfriend online june of 2014, we av been talking online eversince until he came to canada we met an things got even better being closer to each other.. however because he's on visitor visa he had to go back home to his country. before he left i told him i'm pregnant an he was really excited about it but he still had to leave because he had to report to work.. however because i'm pregnant he is willing to leave his job an move to canada to be with me an to be there for his baby.. i am now roughly 9wks pregnant. his visitor visa expires this coming april an it may be hard for him to renew it based on family situations.. so what i want to know is if i can sponsor him to renew his visa so he can come back to canada to stay with me? or would we av to get marry in order for him to stay here? what info can you give me on that? or your best options really.. anyone would be great.. thanks

You have to either be married or common law (have lived with him for a minimum of one straight year) in order to sponsor him for PR.

 

[Protz]

I went ahead and updated the first post to clarify my options.

 

[scylla]

Your options are:

1) Study permit: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study.asp First step is to apply and be accepted by a school in Canada. Earliest start would be May 2015.
2) Apply to immigrate independently if you qualify as a skilled worker or skilled tradesperson: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/apply.asp I think this option is an extreme long shot given that you have only completed high school and don't appear to have any certifications (e.g. master electrician). But you can certainly read through the various programs to see if you qualify.
3) Temporary work permit: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/permit.asp You'll need to start by finding an employer in Canada who is willing to offer you a full time job and also obtain an approved LMIA. The LMIA process requires your employer to advertise the job to prove no Canadian could be found for the role, requires your employer to pay a $1K fee, and also requires your employer to wait several months for the LMIA to be processed.

No - self employed doesn't open up any options unless you have at least several hundred thousand dollars available that you are ready to invest in a business in Canada.

 

[Mbgirlfriend]

Re: Moving/Living/Working in Canada

hello.. just seaking some info..

so i met my boyfriend online june of 2014, we av been talking online eversince until he came to canada we met an things got even better being closer to each other.. however because he's on visitor visa he had to go back home to his country. before he left i told him i'm pregnant an he was really excited about it but he still had to leave because he had to report to work.. however because i'm pregnant he is willing to leave his job an move to canada to be with me an to be there for his baby.. i am now roughly 9wks pregnant. his visitor visa expires this coming april an it may be hard for him to renew it based on family situations.. so what i want to know is if i can sponsor him to renew his visa so he can come back to canada to stay with me? or would we av to get marry in order for him to stay here? what info can you give me on that? or your best options really.. anyone would be great.. thanks

More information about your bf would help people to give you ideas on how to proceed. There are many different ways to get PR for Canada some involve many steps in order to get what is needed to qualify for PR.

How old is your BF?
What country is his passport from?
What education does he have?
How much job experience does he have and in what field?
Would he be able to afford to come as a student for a year (He would need to have at least $20.000 CND) so that you guys could live together for that year and then be able to claim common law or get married?

Sometimes people have to plan years in advance in order to get what they need just get to the point where they are ready to apply for PR.

For example me and my bf started talking on line in 2010 and met that same year. We visited each other a few times while he finished his degree and then he applied for a IEC visa (that gave him a one year work permit) so he could come and work in Canada. He moved here in early 2013. It took him about 6 months to find a job in his field. He was able to apply for a second EIC visa (he is allowed 2 of these one year visas in his life) after he was approved for his second IEC he applied for a PNP nomination. Because at that point he had 6 months work experience he qualified for MPNP (different provinces have different criteria). He got his nomination in November and will be sending off his PR application today or tomorrow. He will also be able to get another work permit because he has a PNP nomination and a full time permanent job. He will apply for that work permit soon. We expect that he will have to wait at least a year before getting his PR.

So basically how a person goes about getting PR depends on a lot of different factors and can have many steps to it.

 

[jahmase]

hello again.. thank you so much..

so my boyfriend is 28yrs of age. he holds a jamaican passport.. not certain about his education background but i know he studied electrical installation an he's always thinking about furthering on that.. he has been a member of his country's armed forces (military) for 8yrs..