Please, please, please help me sponsor my Russian GF (totally lost)

[youngandinlove]

Hi everyone, please excuse me if this question has been asked; I don't even know where to begin to look for answers. I see from the previous threads here, that a lot of the situations do not apply to me as we are both in Canada, and she is from Russia (a country that I didn't see on the front page). This is our situation, and if anyone has any answers, we would both really, really appreciate it.

We are both in BC and I have just finished university, so I am only working part time at the moment. She came here about 2.5 years ago on a working Visa from Russia. Her working Visa is expiring in July, and she can't get an LMO from her job to continue her stay. We met about 14 months ago, and have been together ever since. Unlike a lot of the cases on this website, we have been in a steady relationship here in Canada for the entire time. We met through mutual friends, fell in love and have dated steadily ever since. We have TONs of pictures, texts, emails, and we have taken a vacation together in Mexico in January. All of our friends know about our relationship as do our parents. She also lives at my house 6 days of the week (though she has a different address), and we have recently opened a joint account together.

That said, I want to sponsor her through marriage before her Visa expires. Time is short and we have to make a decision soon. Has anyone sponsored a Russian person (or any other foreigner) from INSIDE Canada, after dating them for 1 year or more while IN Canada? And if so, how smooth was the process? What kind of documentation will we need to provide? I have also been told that it would actually be easier to sponsor her from outside Canada, that is, after she has to leave, I visit her in Russia, get married there and bring her back here. I have also been told that if I sponsor from inside Canada, there is a longer application period and zero chance at appeals.

We have exhausted all other options such as PNP, skilled-labour, work sponsorship or common-law (we do not share the same address) and we cannot go the conjugal route. Furthermore, although I am working part time , I am trying to find a full time job currently. Will I need to show that I am financially capable of supporting her?

If anyone has any information, or experience in the matter, we would greatly appreciate it. Or if anyone knows a place where we can get more information pertaining to our situation, we would be very grateful. Thank you.

 

[Sweden]

Hey,

If you don't qualify as common-law, then you should get married first, then apply for sponsorship.

You can choose: either you apply inland, and as long as apply before her current visa expires, and you include a open work permit application, then she is allowed to stay in Canada, even if her visa expires. She has implied status. It only works if you apply inland, AND before her visa expires, and include a OWP. She can not keep on working after her visa expires, but she can stay in Canada. The first stage is 6 months, so in 6 months, she could have a work permit. The second stage is 8 months now, so she would have her PR in a total of 14 months. In that case, she can not leave Canada for the duration of the application.

Other option is to apply outland. In that case, she can go back and forth between Canada and Russia, as long as she gets a visitor visa. She could apply for a "change of visa" - from her work visa to a visit visa, and explain that she has applied for PR. It's not always granted, but if she has been living in Canada for a while, you apply for PR, and you have the means to support her, there is a good chance that it will be approved - but no guarantee.

If she applies outland: there is no work permit until her PR is approved.

Inland doesn't have an appeal process, but in your case, if you have been dating for a long time and practically living together, the risk of denial is quite low.

You don't need to have a full time income to apply to sponsor her, but you need to prove to CIC that you have a plan on how you will support yourself, and her, while she waits for PR, and once she becomes a PR. Showing proofs of your job is a good one, and also explaining her Canadian experience might help ( as she has worked in Canada already, once she gets her PR she will most likely find a job quickly).

The list of documents is pretty much the same in Canada and outside of Canada, and the list is on CIC website. The forms are a bit overwhelming at first, but you'll get through it! see here, under sponsorship, and choose either "spouse in Canada" or "spouse outside of Canada" - the process is different but the forms are fairly similar. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/spouse.asp

You can get married in Canada, or anywhere else, as long as it's a legal marriage in the country, then CIC will recognize it. If you've been in a relationship for a while, and have lots of proofs, then it seems like a fairly straightforward application.

Moscow is currently listed at 17 months http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp but it's the time it takes to complete 80% of the applications, so you might get a faster process.

However, given the fact that Inland is 14 months, and RUssia/outland 17 months, I think you're probably better off applying Inland - but that's only my opinion. The main issue with Inland is not being able to travel for the total period of the application - 14 months. In your case, it would mean that she would get a work permit after 6 months, and she would be legally allowed to stay in Canada, so you wouldn't have to be separated.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[papirico]

Read CIC's guides, everything is clearly written there!.. At the very least start with Leon's thread at the top of this page...

 

[parker24]

Read CIC's guides, everything is clearly written there!.. At the very least start with Leon's thread at the top of this page...

I'm kind of tired of constantly seeing you telling people to read the guides and that it's "clear" .. It's NOT clear. At all.

-1 for sure.

The thing I do agree on, is reading Leon's post.

 

[CdnandTrini]

I'm kind of tired of constantly seeing you telling people to read the guides and that it's "clear" .. It's NOT clear. At all.

-1 for sure.

The thing I do agree on, is reading Leon's post.

lol....Agree on both points! Thankfully Parker +1 and Sweden +1 are there for the nervous newbies

 

[youngandinlove]

Wow thank you so much for the information, Sweden and everyone else that replied. We really appreciate the help and this clarifies SOOOO many things at once. If only the official websites are half as clear as Sweden's info! Again, thank you very much!