Need advice!

[xlazzeh]

Hello everyone,

I am currently in Canada on a visitor's visa which will expire on November, 14th 2016. I come from the Netherlands and am currently living in with my girlfriend, who is a Canadian citizen.

Now I was wondering if anyone could help me out as I would like to change my current visitor visa into a workers visa. I've done some research online, filled out a form to check if I was eligible to work here through the CIC website, which said I might be eligible for an open workers visa. However, this is where it gets a little more confusing for me and my girlfriend as I'm not sure which forms and what not I have to fill out now and how to continue.

I could use some advice on how to proceed from here on out, maybe a phone number or an office I could call or go to get some more help on this.
If anyone has any advice on this it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

You can apply for an Open Work Permit through the IEC program. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp?country=nl&cat=wh

You do not qualify for an OWP through your Canadian partner.

 

[scylla]

Hi

You can apply for an Open Work Permit through the IEC program. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp?country=nl&cat=wh

You do not qualify for an OWP through your Canadian partner.

The Netherlands has pretty much reached its cap for IECs this year. I don't think this is a realistic option.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

The Netherlands has pretty much reached its cap for IECs this year. I don't think this is a realistic option.

That's too bad. I didn't look beyond the info page.

 

[Leon]

You are not eligible for a work permit based on your Canadian girlfriend. If you have been living in a common law partnership for 12 months or more, she can sponsor you for PR. If not, you can get married and she can sponsor you for PR. If you apply inland, you would be eligible for an open work permit based on that.

Aside from the girlfriend angle, you would be eligible for an IEC work permit but as others have said, it's likely full for this year. In that case, you can wait until it opens again and apply for 2017.

To keep your status legal after November, you should apply to extend your visitor status before it expires or you go home and come back.

 

[Paumil]

Thanks.