Need Help with Common Law/Conjugal Sponsorship

[Tay2711]

Hey everyone, I actually desperately need some help.

Me and my girlfriend have known each other since 2012. We have been together(in a relationship) since 2016. Our biggest problem is... she lives in Canada and I live in the U.S and we're doing long distance. We're actually planning on ending long distance once and for all and me move to Canada. Problem is... its not easy! We have looked into just about everything I do not apply for a student visa or a temporary resident visa. Basically nothing visa wise. I am not a skilled worker either. For a long time we felt like marriage was the only option but we did not want to marry for that reason. It actually made her very depressed which I can understand. So we both feel like our next and only option is a common law relationship where i move and live there for a year but I'd also move with my car full of stuff and my cat... how will I pass the border with that stuff? If I'm technically only visiting. That is a very very far drive for me to just be turned away. Also I have heard that you can only stay for 6 months. How do I extend my stay? And how can I WORK in Canada during my yearly visit until we classify as common law? That is what I am most concerned about is being able to support myself because I can't just expect her to do it for me.

We were also considering conjugal sponsorship but I heard that is hard to get accepted for... we dont own anything together, she doesn't support me, so how can we apply and qualify for that?

What is my best option? We have been really stressed about this stuff. We didn't expect legally moving to be so hard and its caused a strain on our relationship. I have visited her several times, she has visited me, we have history and know each other very well this is not an internet relationship even though thats how it started. Please we need help... We're tired of distance we just want to be together!

 

[canuck78]

You don't qualify for conjugal because there are no immigration reasons preventing you from being together and getting married. If you need to work your only option is to get married and apply for an OWP. You will still have to wait 4 months to get the work permit once you apply. Otherwise you will habe to live together for a year and you won't be able to work.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hey everyone, I actually desperately need some help.

Me and my girlfriend have known each other since 2012. We have been together(in a relationship) since 2016. Our biggest problem is... she lives in Canada and I live in the U.S and we're doing long distance. We're actually planning on ending long distance once and for all and me move to Canada. Problem is... its not easy! We have looked into just about everything I do not apply for a student visa or a temporary resident visa. Basically nothing visa wise. I am not a skilled worker either. For a long time we felt like marriage was the only option but we did not want to marry for that reason. It actually made her very depressed which I can understand. So we both feel like our next and only option is a common law relationship where i move and live there for a year but I'd also move with my car full of stuff and my cat... how will I pass the border with that stuff? If I'm technically only visiting. That is a very very far drive for me to just be turned away. Also I have heard that you can only stay for 6 months. How do I extend my stay? And how can I WORK in Canada during my yearly visit until we classify as common law? That is what I am most concerned about is being able to support myself because I can't just expect her to do it for me.

We were also considering conjugal sponsorship but I heard that is hard to get accepted for... we dont own anything together, she doesn't support me, so how can we apply and qualify for that?

What is my best option? We have been really stressed about this stuff. We didn't expect legally moving to be so hard and its caused a strain on our relationship. I have visited her several times, she has visited me, we have history and know each other very well this is not an internet relationship even though thats how it started. Please we need help... We're tired of distance we just want to be together!

Hi

If you show up at the border with a car full of stuff and a cat, you can expect not only to be refused entry but quite possibly to be issued a one year Exclusion Order.

 

[Tay2711]

You don't qualify for conjugal because there are no immigration reasons preventing you from being together and getting married. If you need to work your only option is to get married and apply for an OWP. You will still have to wait 4 months to get the work permit once you apply. Otherwise you will habe to live together for a year and you won't be able to work.

How can I get an OWP if I have no skilled values? Would I easily get one by being married? Also how long would it take after marriage to be approved for sponsorship?

 

[Tay2711]

Hi

If you show up at the border with a car full of stuff and a cat, you can expect not only to be refused entry but quite possibly to be issued a one year Exclusion Order.

How could I safely and legally get all of my stuff here to live for a year and become common law? Also the cat has to come with me.

 

[Buletruck]

1. Student visa
2. OWP
3. Get married and apply for your PR
4. Enter as a visitor, apply for an extension just before 6 months is up (find a job you can work remotely that has no Canadian clients)
5. Apply to immigrate on your own.

All your stuff won’t be able to come until you have a legal reason to bring it. If you serious, consider getting rid of it and starting fresh. Put it in storage. Give it to charity. You are going to have to make some difficult decisions if you are serious about this.

 

[Tay2711]

1. Student visa
2. OWP
3. Get married and apply for your PR
4. Enter as a visitor, apply for an extension just before 6 months is up (find a job you can work remotely that has no Canadian clients)
5. Apply to immigrate on your own.

All your stuff won’t be able to come until you have a legal reason to bring it. If you serious, consider getting rid of it and starting fresh. Put it in storage. Give it to charity. You are going to have to make some difficult decisions if you are serious about this.

I don't pass all the qualifications for a student visa. I was going to do financial loans to pay for schooling but one of the requirements is you have a ton of money to show you can survive while being a student where as i planned on working while being in school.

Another thing is I can't immigrate her on my own. I literally don't meet any of the high demand requirements for temporary citizen visa or work visa or student visa.

I'm almost 24 years old. I have no criminal record. Nothing binding me to the U.S. i have a full time job but it's nothing a skilled worker does. I was going to go to school for Computer Sciences but I can't even enter Canada after a degree because that's not even listed as a skilled worker. So really, how can I apply for a visa? Is marriage my only option?

 

[Buletruck]

IMO, if you are both really serious about this, and marriage isn’t the preferred choice, this is what I would do.

1. Sell everything (except the cat). You wouldn’t be able to maintain US insurance and registration for a year on your car in Canada without importing it anyway. And you can’t do that because you don’t live here. And then there is tax and inspections an on and on. Ditch it.
2. Save some money until you have about $20-25K
3. Take a trip to Canada to visit
4. Live very cheap but contribute to living together ($2K/ month)
5. Apply for an extension at 5 1/2 months
6. When you get to 13 months, submit your application inland and apply for an OWP.
7. Do some online course while you wait to become common law.

Or just get married if that’s too much.

 

[Tay2711]

IMO, if you are both really serious about this, and marriage isn’t the preferred choice, this is what I would do.

1. Sell everything (except the cat). You wouldn’t be able to maintain US insurance and registration for a year on your car in Canada without importing it anyway. And you can’t do that because you don’t live here. And then there is tax and inspections an on and on. Ditch it.
2. Save some money until you have about $20-25K
3. Take a trip to Canada to visit
4. Live very cheap but contribute to living together ($2K/ month)
5. Apply for an extension at 5 1/2 months
6. When you get to 13 months, submit your application inland and apply for an OWP.
7. Do some online course while you wait to become common law.

Or just get married if that’s too much.

Okay so alot of that is out of the question. I have been to Canada several times. If we marry and I wait for granted sponsorship can i legally move with my car, my stuff, and my cat?

Also how can i get an open work permit? Or can i only get that either with marriage or after becoming common law?

 

[mikeymyke]

Honestly getting married is by far the easiest and quickest option. No skill or language requirements, just have to get married. US applicants are practically guaranteed to be approved.

If you're so serious with her to the point you want to bring your belongings to Canada and have been together for years, might as well get married anyway.

 

[Tay2711]

Honestly getting married is by far the easiest and quickest option. No skill or language requirements, just have to get married. US applicants are practically guaranteed to be approved.

If you're so serious with her to the point you want to bring your belongings to Canada and have been together for years, might as well get married anyway.

Yeah thats actually how I feel but it makes her depressed to get married for that reason alone. Any help in that department? Lol

But anyways, if we got married how long would it take to be sponsorship approved? How long after marriage could i move legally and live and work in Canada? Would i legally be able to bring my car and my cat and all my stuff?

 

[spousalsponsee]

Yeah thats actually how I feel but it makes her depressed to get married for that reason alone. Any help in that department? Lol

But anyways, if we got married how long would it take to be sponsorship approved? How long after marriage could i move legally and live and work in Canada? Would i legally be able to bring my car and my cat and all my stuff?

She may have philosophical issues around the word "marriage". If so, there's nothing we can do, there's probably nothing anyone short of a therapist can do. Because from IRCC's perspective, the three routes are identical commitments. Whether you're legally married, or have been living together and presenting yourselves as a couple (common law), or have been emotionally and financially entangled but cannot live together or form a legal relationship (conjugal), all three are identical levels of commitment. The paper of a marriage is a way of proving it, the living together for a year as a couple is a way of proving it. But if your common law relationship isn't at a marriage-level of intensity, then you shouldn't be going through CL sponsorship (bear in mind things like she will be financially obligated to the government for years after you arrive if you take their money).

Whether you apply as a married or CL couple, the process should take about the same - the difference is that if you go CL, you'd need to wait the year of living together first.

If/when you become a PR, you can bring your worldly possessions into Canada, free of import duty.

 

[CaroM8]

Okay so alot of that is out of the question. I have been to Canada several times. If we marry and I wait for granted sponsorship can i legally move with my car, my stuff, and my cat?

Also how can i get an open work permit? Or can i only get that either with marriage or after becoming common law?

Why are those steps out of the question? Just curious..

 

[Tay2711]

Why are those steps out of the question? Just curious..

It wouldn't work for us financially. I cannot sell my car and get rid of everything I own. I'm already giving up and leaving behind alot.

 

[canuck78]

You will still have to wait to receive PR before moving your stuff to Canada if you decide to do an inland spousal sponsorship. You can apply for an OWL and that will arrive around 4 months after you apply for sponsorship.