Moving to Canada with Family

[crypticalz]

Hello everyone,

I am writing because I am a Canadian Citizen currently living in El Salvador. I really want to move to Canada ASAP, because of the opportunities, the crime in El Salvador is getting really bad as well as the political stability.

I have a wife of 1 yr 2 months, and a 9 month daughter. I would prefer to sponsor my wife while living in Canada rather than in El Salvador. Is there a possibility of traveling with my wife and daughter to Canada and ask for the sponsorship from there or do I have to do the process from El Salvador. I also would need a work permit for my wife so we can both have income!

Also, can she get a visiting visa, come with me and then sponsor her once living in Canada? Or do I have to follow the process from El Salvador?

 

[Ponga]

You have a couple of options:

1. Apply right away from El Salvador by submitting an Outland application. This will at least get the proverbial `ball' rolling.
You can then look into ways to bring your family with you to Canada to `visit' while she awaits the processing of the application.
It's confusing, but a person can be in Canada while an Outland application is being processed (or even submitted).
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp?country=El%20Salvador

2. Look into them coming to Canada with you and then immediately apply for Inland sponsorship with an Open Work Permit (OWP). This would allow her to work in ~ 4 months (supposedly), but the processing time for the PR application is about 2 years now. The Inland application would allow her to work, while the Outland application would not, so for many the additional processing time for Inland is the better option.

Good luck!

 

[Ponga]

To answer the questions in your PM to me:

Your child will have been born with Canadian citizenship, unless you are a Naturalized Canadian Citizen (and even then, she may still be Canadian as well) so she may not need to be sponsored. If she is, you will need to get her citizenship papers before she travels to Canada.

Your wife will need a visitor visa to come to Canada. Use the link that I provided to determine how to do that.

Good luck!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Your child will have been born with Canadian citizenship, unless you are a Naturalized Canadian Citizen (and even then, she may still be Canadian as well)

First-generation children of naturalized Canadians are Canadian too

 

[Ponga]

First-generation children of naturalized Canadians are Canadian too

I thought there was more to it than that?

Doesn't it depend on how he obtained citizenship, compounded by the fact that the child was born outside of Canada?

No? ? ?

Yep...you're right!

 

[OhCanadiana]

I thought there was more to it than that?

Doesn't it depend on how he obtained citizenship, compounded by the fact that the child was born outside of Canada?

No? ? ?

Yep...you're right!

LOL! I wish the 'Am I a citizen?' tool was up again. It was a helpful resource to refer folks to.

FWIW, I remember it by thinking that the parent has to have become a Canadian themselves directly (by birth or naturalization) but not by descent.

 

[crypticalz]

When you say to do option "2. Look into them coming to Canada with you and then immediately apply for Inland sponsorship with an Open Work Permit (OWP). "

How should my wife and daughter legally enter Canada? With what visa? Also, if they enter as tourists can I still apply for Inland sponsorship with the OWP? Or being there as a tourist can cause problems when applying?

 

[Ponga]

When you say to do option "2. Look into them coming to Canada with you and then immediately apply for Inland sponsorship with an Open Work Permit (OWP). "

How should my wife and daughter legally enter Canada? With what visa? Also, if they enter as tourists can I still apply for Inland sponsorship with the OWP? Or being there as a tourist can cause problems when applying?

I will try this again.

Your wife will need to apply for a visitor visa to enter Canada. Use the link that I provided to find out how she can do this.

Since your daughter is already a Canadian citizen at birth, you need to get her citizenship papers for her before she travels to Canada. You can find out how to do this by checking the CIC website.