Outland and inland process

[Mapl3cat]

Hello! Hope everyone's having a great day! I am finally ready to sponsor my spouse but there are a few confusing things that I cannot wrap my head around. Thanks ahead of time for answering my stupid questions.

1. I am Canadian and I work, my wife has US citizenship. She is currently in the US and unemployed. Is an Outland sponsor the easiest way for her to be able to come and go? Does she also need to apply for a visitor visa to visit?

2. This is also what is confusing me, this is from the main spousal thread. "Now you need to decide if to apply outland or inland. If your spouse is not in Canada and can not get a visa to go to Canada, you must apply outland". So inland application = she needs to apply for visitor visa to come in then we apply for a sponsorship? Does that mean if we do the Outland sponsor then she does not require a visa to visit?

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hello! Hope everyone's having a great day! I am finally ready to sponsor my spouse but there are a few confusing things that I cannot wrap my head around. Thanks ahead of time for answering my stupid questions.

1. I am Canadian and I work, my wife has US citizenship. She is currently in the US and unemployed. Is an Outland sponsor the easiest way for her to be able to come and go? Does she also need to apply for a visitor visa to visit?

2. This is also what is confusing me, this is from the main spousal thread. "Now you need to decide if to apply outland or inland. If your spouse is not in Canada and can not get a visa to go to Canada, you must apply outland". So inland application = she needs to apply for visitor visa to come in then we apply for a sponsorship? Does that mean if we do the Outland sponsor then she does not require a visa to visit?

Some unofficial reading on inland vs outland here:

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spousal_Sponsorship-Canada#Inland_vs_Outland_Applications

As an American, she does NOT need a specific visitors visa, this is in effect granted at the border when they stamp her passport and unless stated otherwise is valid for 6 months.

If she is in the US, then you can ONLY apply outland. If she is in Canada, then you can apply EITHER as inland OR outland. If you apply Inland, then it would be best for her NOT to travel back and forward to the US, since if for any reason she is refused entry to Canada, they can consider that she has abandoned her sponsorship and cancel her application.

IF you apply inland, you can also apply for a Open Work Permit at the same time. If applying outland, then you cannot apply for an OWP.

For US / Canadian combinations, processing time for both Inland and Outland is about 6 - 7 months start to finish.

 

[Mapl3cat]

Thank you very much, that helps clear things up. There were some contradicting information I read. Is the interview process only if they suspect fraudulent marriage? Is it recommended to send anything to help curb any doubts?

 

[Hurlabrick]

Thank you very much, that helps clear things up. There were some contradicting information I read. Is the interview process only if they suspect fraudulent marriage? Is it recommended to send anything to help curb any doubts?

Ermmm… depends on which 'interview' you are talking about.

For inland sponsorship only, there is a 'landing interview' which the PA and sponsor must attend at a local CIC office together where they will process your 'landing' in Canada at the end of the process. ALL inland applicants must do this.

The other 'interview' is yes, where they suspect it may not be a true marriage. They are rare, and even rarer for couple that are of a similar culture, religion, age difference, etc.

Bottom line is you will struggle to raise concerns about a Canadian / American married couple!!!

 

[Mapl3cat]

LOL you do have a good point, just wanted all basis covered. We'll probably tackle the Outland process. Thank you again for your help.

 

[Mapl3cat]

So we're pretty much almost ready to submit our application, there is one section we hit a snag on. On the checklist, it asks if we're living together or not and if no, we're asked to provide documents and photos of our relationship which is fine. But the second check box is where we have some problems with, it asks for proof of visit like airline tickets or used boarding passes. Passport showing entry/exit stamp which doesn't really happen on our passports. So what do we in that case since we didn't really keep any of those records. I tried checking email but there's not really a receipt really. It asks us for shared expenses or any proof of financial support which neither of us required. Why would we be sharing any expenses if we lived in different countries. The only thing my name is on is her car insurance as out of country. Which doesn't really do much. If anyone can shed some more light on how lenient are they on these sort of things or can provide some insight/solution it would be greatly appreciated!