Questions about implied status, open work permits and re-entry

[elvissebastian]

Hello
I've found a lot of information on these forums which has been great help for filling out our application. Now our application is in the mail and I have a few questions.

So our scenario is that my common-law partner (she is a Canadian citizen by birth) is sponsoring me for PR and we are doing an inland application. I have been staying in Canada as a visitor for the past year.

Now my dilemma is that my current visitor visa will expire on June 12th and I wanted to know if I need to apply for an extension for it. From what I gather an inland PR application does not give you implied status the same way a temporary extension application does, so it looks I will need to apply for another extension before May 12th, correct?

My second question is how soon am I able to apply for a work permit? What I understand from this cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/2015-12-11.asp I should be able to apply immediately after sending in the PR application. I just wanted to make sure. Also, how long does it usually take to get "approval in principle" as they call it?

My last question, my partner and I are thinking of taking a trip to my home country this summer. But I am little concerned that leaving Canada will somehow void my PR application, in which case we will wait since we obviously don't want to start over again, processing times are long enough as is and we'd rather spend the ~$1000 on something more enjoyable than re-paying application fees
Although we did take a trip to Cuba last year, which was mostly trouble free apart from the fact that I made the mistake of not bringing my visitor visa with me so we got hung up in customs at every port while they looked up my records, but we eventually got through. But that was a different scenario since we didn't have a PR application in at the time.

Thanks in advance and have a great day.

 

[Rob_TO]

So our scenario is that my common-law partner (she is a Canadian citizen by birth) is sponsoring me for PR and we are doing an inland application. I have been staying in Canada as a visitor for the past year.

Now my dilemma is that my current visitor visa will expire on June 12th and I wanted to know if I need to apply for an extension for it. From what I gather an inland PR application does not give you implied status the same way a temporary extension application does, so it looks I will need to apply for another extension before May 12th, correct?

My second question is how soon am I able to apply for a work permit?

You were supposed to mail in the OWP app in the same package as your Inland PR app. This would have given you implied status from the beginning. You should send in your OWP immediately, though now it will be more difficult for them to link the OWP to the PR app.
Since submitting the OWP gives you implied status, there is no need to extend your visitor status. Though some like to extend visitor status as well just in case they make a mistake on the OWP app and it gets returned.

What I understand from this cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/2015-12-11.asp I should be able to apply immediately after sending in the PR application.

No, it states to apply with the application, not after:
If you are submitting a new application under the SCLPC class, you may submit a work permit application at the same time as your sponsorship application, along with an application for permanent residence, under the SCLPC class. You must include the appropriate fees, and send all completed applications together to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga.

I just wanted to make sure. Also, how long does it usually take to get "approval in principle" as they call it?

Current time is around 16 months.

My last question, my partner and I are thinking of taking a trip to my home country this summer. But I am little concerned that leaving Canada will somehow void my PR application,

Leaving doesn't void the app, however if you're for some reason denied re-entry to CAnada upon returning, then the app is considered abandoned/cancelled and would need to start again from scratch.

What country are you from? If a visa-exempt one, it would have been way better to submit an OUTLAND app, and simply wait in Canada as a visitor until it was approved. Would have taken fraction of the time of an inland app.