Multiple Immigration Options: Need Advice

[cdavis0614]

Good morning everyone,

Long story short, met my girlfriend online, fell in love, and have been visiting each other for the past year numerous times and now ready to live together. We decided that it would make more sense for me to come to her, as she is more established (she has a home that is paid off). If it matters, she lives in Duncan, BC.

I've been exploring my immigration options and it's a bit overwhelming because no option seems to be better than another, at least on the surface.

Info on me: I'm an employed baccalaureate with desire to seek my masters in Social Work. I've applied for this at University of Victoria, but have yet to get a response from them (application still processing). Getting into school would allow me to get a Student Visa, and from there I could get an Inland Spousal Sponsorship which would also allow me to get an Open Work permit. Do I have this right?

We want to marry, and she would like to have our relationship official and on the books (we can get a ceremony done at another time). She's offering to come down next month and marry me (I proposed to her last year). This would get the ball rolling on an Outland Spousal Sponsorship. Do I have that right? Am I able to get an Open Work Permit on an Outland Spousal Sponsorship?

Express Entry requires I have 10k in my account at the time of applying/immigrating (one of those). I don't think I can get that much anytime soon. I just have some financial concerns to take care of over here before that becomes a reality.

At the end of the day, we just want to be together as soon as possible. I don't want to get there and not be able to work, or work towards a degree. So I just want to know what the best course of action I should take to get there quickly, and responsibly.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Good morning everyone,

Long story short, met my girlfriend online, fell in love, and have been visiting each other for the past year numerous times and now ready to live together. We decided that it would make more sense for me to come to her, as she is more established (she has a home that is paid off). If it matters, she lives in Duncan, BC.

I've been exploring my immigration options and it's a bit overwhelming because no option seems to be better than another, at least on the surface.

Info on me: I'm an employed baccalaureate with desire to seek my masters in Social Work. I've applied for this at University of Victoria, but have yet to get a response from them (application still processing). Getting into school would allow me to get a Student Visa, and from there I could get an Inland Spousal Sponsorship which would also allow me to get an Open Work permit. Do I have this right?

We want to marry, and she would like to have our relationship official and on the books (we can get a ceremony done at another time). She's offering to come down next month and marry me (I proposed to her last year). This would get the ball rolling on an Outland Spousal Sponsorship. Do I have that right? Am I able to get an Open Work Permit on an Outland Spousal Sponsorship?

Express Entry requires I have 10k in my account at the time of applying/immigrating (one of those). I don't think I can get that much anytime soon. I just have some financial concerns to take care of over here before that becomes a reality.

At the end of the day, we just want to be together as soon as possible. I don't want to get there and not be able to work, or work towards a degree. So I just want to know what the best course of action I should take to get there quickly, and responsibly.

Thank you all in advance.

A study permit requires you show around $25,000, so that is not an option.

There is no OWP with an outland app. If you come to Canada as a visitor and apply inland with an OWP, it will be 3-4 months before you get the OWP.

If you want to continue working, your best option would be to marry and apply outland from your country.

 

[cdavis0614]

I see. I didn't realize the Study Permit had the requirement of needing money set aside. I'll have to look into that a bit more closely.

Thank you for the response.

I'm from the USA if that matters at all.

 

[bellaluna]

I'm from the USA if that matters at all.

Just makes the inland option a bit easier since you don’t have to apply for a TRV or eTA to enter Canada.

 

[cdavis0614]

If she comes down and marries me next month, and while here she and I open a joint account and we both start pouring savings into it, would that be valid enough for presenting either Express Entry or other route into Canada? Does the account need to be in my name when it comes to proving you have the funds to survive? Also do they take into account the fact that I'll have a place to stay?

 

[bellaluna]

If she comes down and marries me next month, and while here she and I open a joint account and we both start pouring savings into it, would that be valid enough for presenting either Express Entry or other route into Canada? Does the account need to be in my name when it comes to proving you have the funds to survive? Also do they take into account the fact that I'll have a place to stay?

For Express Entry, I believe it would be valid as a joint account. Since she is Canadian (non-accompanying), you would only need to show funds for one person.

The amount of funds is a hard requirement in FSW though. You won’t have an eligible Express Entry profile if you don’t meet that amount. Only way to be exempt from the funds requirement in FSW is to have a valid job offer.

 

[cdavis0614]

For Express Entry, I believe it would be valid as a joint account. Since she is Canadian (non-accompanying), you would only need to show funds for one person.

The amount of funds is a hard requirement in FSW though. You won’t have an eligible Express Entry profile if you don’t meet that amount. Only way to be exempt from the funds requirement in FSW is to have a valid job offer.

I make a decent amount of money currently as does she. Between the two of us we could probably have around 25k in a joint account by the end of the year. She's even stated that if she has to support me for a while, while inland and OWP processes she will. Obviously I don't want to rely on her for that kind of support if I don't have to.

It seems to me like it would be prohibitive for companies to offer jobs to folks going through express entry given the application times vary, it would be very hard to pin down a start date, would it not?

 

[bellaluna]

I make a decent amount of money currently as does she. Between the two of us we could probably have around 25k in a joint account by the end of the year. She's even stated that if she has to support me for a while, while inland and OWP processes she will. Obviously I don't want to rely on her for that kind of support if I don't have to.

It seems to me like it would be prohibitive for companies to offer jobs to folks going through express entry given the application times vary, it would be very hard to pin down a start date, would it not?

You’re likely not going to get an LMIA-supported job offer for EE, which is what would exempt you from the funds requirement.

But it’s not unheard of on this forum to get a job offer in Canada while a PR app in Express Entry is in process. I even have a friend who got an offer and was told to go through EE. But none of those offers were LMIA-supported. So some companies are willing to wait for EE to complete.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

If she comes down and marries me next month, and while here she and I open a joint account and we both start pouring savings into it, would that be valid enough for presenting either Express Entry or other route into Canada? Does the account need to be in my name when it comes to proving you have the funds to survive? Also do they take into account the fact that I'll have a place to stay?

I suggest you just get married and apply for sponsorship outland. American outland apps are processed quite quickly, generally within 6 months.

 

[cdavis0614]

I suggest you just get married and apply for sponsorship outland. American outland apps are processed quite quickly, generally within 6 months.

Awesome, we're getting married next month!