Pregnant Can. Wanting AM. Father to stay!

[probablyjake]

I'll try to keep this brief.

I'm a 33 Yr old, born and raised Canadian woman.
Home owner, self employed. No children, previously married. Never been on assistance but I don't show for making a lot of money at all.

Over a year ago I began an online relationship with a wonderful 30 year old, American citizen. No criminal record, fully employed but with no 'completed' degree. Good credit. Not formerly married, no children, good family. He was born in Mexico but holds only a US passport now.

I went to visit him for a month, then he came here 6 months later to visit me.

I got pregnant almost immediately upon his arrival here. Happily I may add. I didn't think I was able to get pregnant with polysystic ovaries and having had tried for 6 years with my previous husband. Regardless of the situation and circumstances, this little one is a blessing!

Well my BF was here as a visitor only. We needed to see where we wanted to make a home together.

So:
BF got here March 30th 2013
I became pregnant April 14th 2013
My Dad moved in with us May 1st
My Dad tried to kill himself May 10th
August 12th his family came for a visit for a couple weeks
August 23rd, my BF applied for visitor extension, which was within the 30 days to do so.
Dad is still in hospital.

I need my BF to be here to help me. I'm getting bigger and my responsibilities feel overwhelming.. Trying to be pregnant, look after business, care for my father and care for the house.

I love my BF like none-other, I can't bare the thought of him leaving. We've decided to make Canada our home.

Questions:
How long before we hear back on his extension?
If he's denied extension, how could we ever prove commonlaw?
He's not working (aside from doing everything for me), but I can't show that I can afford him..
How can I obtain proof we are living together? I've put our cable bill into both our names and he opened a Canadian bank account, but what else can we do?
Obviously our online relationship has much more of a paper trail then our relationship now.. Will pictures on my facebook timeline count as proof of us being together?
If he gets called in for interview for his visitor extension, should we mention we are extending so we can get common law status?
Does joining volunteer organizations help for the future? he' just looked into joining our local Lions Club to do some volunteering.
Could he come as a student to finish his degree?

Just any advice/help, would be wonderful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

[scylla]

I'll help with a few questions...

Unfortunately you're not common law at this time. You won't be common law in the eyes of immigration until you have lived together for a minimum of one full year. So you still have a number of months to wait. If you want to sponsor him for PR now, you would need to get married so that he qualifies as your spouse.

A student visa is definitely an option - however it's an expensive one. Foreign students pay substanially more per year in tuition fees than Canadians. To be approved for a student visa, he would first have to be accepted by a school into a program with a greater than six month duration. Note that it's too late to apply for the September term so he would be looking at January 2014 at the earliest. He would then have to show that he has sufficient funds to pay for his studies by proving he has a bank account balance for somewhere between $20K to $30K (enough to cover first year tuition + $10K living expenses + travel expenses). Last but not least, he will have to demonstrate that he is a genuine student and that his chosen course of study makes sense in light of his previous education and experience. If you decide to go the way of the student visa, join the discussions in the International Students section of this forum.

Volunteering really won't make a difference one way or the other.

 

[screech339]

You don't have much options. You can't apply as common law as you are suppose to live together for 12 continous months together something you cant do since joint accounts/ leases/ bills are in both your name and his. Again can't do with him as a visitor in canada. I think if you want to sponsor him to stay with you in Canada, you may have no choice but to get married.

Other option include having him apply for a work visa in Canada. Once he gets a work visa, he can stay with you for a year and then you can sponsor him as common-law.

Screech339

 

[probablyjake]

So 'if' we get the extension and he's allowed to stay for another six months, so he would have lived with me as a visitor, legally, for one year... then we can apply as common-law? I want to marry him but not like this, not a shot-gun wedding.
He's shown doc's of having 20K accessible to him for the extension... But actually spending that money as a student would be an unwise decision.

 

[Sweden]

Yes - if yo have lived together for 12 months and can prove it ( names on the bill, him getting letter at the same address, try to add him to your bank account etc. ), then you can apply for CL. With a US passport, a relationship with a Canadian, his extension will most likely be approved. And you can apply for another one after that one too!

So - if you don't want to get married now, then he should stay here, get an extension (after this one) until you qualify for CL. Prepare the application, get everything ready, get familiar with the proofs, the forms, etc. and as soon as you qualify for common law, send your application. Next time he has to apply for an extension, send the proofs that you have applied for PR, and ask for a 12 months extension ( US residents go through Ottawa which is quoted at 12 months I think).

About the extension - I think it takes a little over 40 days. So you should hear soon. As long as he hasn't heard back from CIC, he is on implied status, so he is legally allowed to be in Canada, so no worries there.

About your personal income: for spousal sponsorship, you don't need to have a set income, but you will need to explain to CIC what is your plan, and how you won't go on welfare. So spend a bit of time putting things together. Explain how you currently make a living, the fact tht you own your house, what skills he has that will be an asset as soon as he has a PR, if your family can support you somehow, then get them to write letters etc. He can also add the proofs about his own money, even if you're the sponsor - the fact that you as a couple are financially interdependent is a plus for spousal sponsorship. My partner got approved despite being a full time student at the time.

Your fb pictures will not help to show that you are CL, but it will help to show that you are in a real relationship. You need to keep a paper trail to be able to show that you have lived together for 12 months, AND on top of that you need to have proofs that your relationship is genuine.

If he gets called for an interview, you can explain that he is staying there because you're pregnant and he wants to be near you, and that you will apply for PR as soon as you qualify. That's not a crime.

Volunteering won't make a difference to CIC, but it might help him develop a network and find his place in the community, so it's easier to find work afterwards - and it's also nice to have something to do while not being allowed to work for quite a while!

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[screech339]

If I'm not mistaken, banks will not make a joint account if the other doesn't have a SIN. I couldn't set up a joint bank account with my wife until she has gotten her own SIN.

Screech339

 

[europe]

If I'm not mistaken, banks will not make a joint account if the other doesn't have a SIN. I couldn't set up a joint bank account with my wife until she has gotten her own SIN.

Screech339

You can joint the account even you dont have the SIN number , TD bank can do the joint account together, i herad from my clients this , i dont know how true it is

 

[uskyoot]

I just opened a joint account with my US husband at TD All he needed were two pieces of ID

 

[scylla]

You can joint the account even you dont have the SIN number , TD bank can do the joint account together, i herad from my clients this , i dont know how true it is

Agreed. It can definitely be done.

Some branches seem to have an issue with doing this. If you run into problems with one branch - just visit another.

 

[screech339]

Agreed. It can definitely be done.

Some branches seem to have an issue with doing this. If you run into problems with one branch - just visit another.

I think this has to do with some branches trying to cover their butt especially with the US clamping down on US residents living in Canada in an effort to clamp down on those avoiding US taxes.

Screech339

 

[keesio]

I think this has to do with some branches trying to cover their butt especially with the US clamping down on US residents living in Canada in an effort to clamp down on those avoiding US taxes.

Screech339

It may be the new FATCA regulations that the US is trying to force down other countries' necks. Makes it a pain for foreign banks to accommodate US citizens.

 

[Pippin]

While your dream wedding might not be like this, surely it would make life easier and from the sound of it anything that eases your load right now would be a good thing. If you are certain this is the life long relationship you both want, you can always have a civil ceremony followed by something closer to your ideal wedding when the time is right. Good luck.

 

[QuebecOkie]

If I'm not mistaken, banks will not make a joint account if the other doesn't have a SIN. I couldn't set up a joint bank account with my wife until she has gotten her own SIN.

Screech339

I can only speak to our experience. My husband has had an account with BMO (Bank of Montreal) for over a decade. Upon arriving in the city in which we now live (me with only a visitor stamp in my U.S. passport), we had absolutely no trouble with him opening a second, joint account with my name on it at BMO. I don't remember for sure what they asked me for, but the only identification I had was my passport and my Oklahoma driver's license. What is actually surprising is that they opened it in my married name (we're in Québec), even though my passport still bears my maiden name.

 

[probablyjake]

My BF opened a Canadian Bank Account at RBC.. My bank ( Coast Capital ) wouldn't let him but they said try one of the bigger branches.. He had no trouble at all! So I guess I will get my name on that account, rather than his on mine...

 

[ACS]

We were able to open a joint account at TD Canada Trust, with my husbands passport and they wouldn't accept his birth cert. since it's in Spanish, but we provided mail with both our names and addresses and they did it then.