Questions about sponsoring boyfriend

[draco coppin]

hi everybody!

so i am currently looking to sponsor my US boyfriend to Canada! were extremely excited to get started but we aren't sure exactly which route to take, and would love to get some advice/opinions!

1. we were intially planning on doing a conjugal sponsorship because we have never lived together because of various reasons, the most being school and family situations. I've heard that it is a difficult process to prove that we have been unable to live together legitimately and that he would be unable to come up and and stay during the approval process. but i was wondering if we got married and instead applied for a spousal sponsorship, if it would make it any easier? he didnt really want to have a ceremony and wanted it to just be a legal wedding because he is not really into religious ceremonies (neither am i.) would it be difficult to prove that it was a legitimate marriage? would the lack of ceremony cause an issue? would it be a better/faster choice than conjugal sponsorship?

2. Because he is an american, he can enter canada without needing a visa, and should be able to stay with me for 6 months. is it advisable to have him come up and stay for the later period of the application processing? i've heard it can take a year for the processing but plane tickets are expensive and i would prefer to be able to move him up here and not have to fly him up to visit 3 or 4 more times than necessary! as well, i would like to know if he needs to leave the country and go back before his application has been accepted, or does he need to enter the country a specific way upon receiving PR? some additional information on this would be wonderful!

thanks a ton -draco

 

[Canucks and Hawks]

It doesn’t sound like you are eligible for conjugal. Conjugal is for when you cannot get married/live together for really specific reasons (ex. Some countries if you are homosexual, it’s not legal to get married).

You can apply for common law if you have lived together for 12 months consecutively.

Otherwise only option is marriage. But better to have a wedding with lots of photos as you will need lots of proof that your relationship is genuine.

 

[scylla]

There is zero chance you will be approved under conjugal. You don't face any real immigration barriers to getting married or becoming common law. You need to either get married or live together for a year continuously to become common law before you apply.

 

[Hurlabrick]

What Scylla said. ZERO chance of conjugal.

If you don't want to (or it would be inconvenient) live together for at least 12 months, then as you said, get married.

Makes no real difference if it is a legal wedding or big religious one given that your are Canadian / US couple (and such marriages are very common culturally). Just make sure you write enough about your 'love story' with photos etc. Best to get some relatives along for the legal wedding or at least have a party afterwards etc. and get photos.

 

[draco coppin]

What Scylla said. ZERO chance of conjugal.

If you don't want to (or it would be inconvenient) live together for at least 12 months, then as you said, get married.

Makes no real difference if it is a legal wedding or big religious one given that your are Canadian / US couple (and such marriages are very common culturally). Just make sure you write enough about your 'love story' with photos etc. Best to get some relatives along for the legal wedding or at least have a party afterwards etc. and get photos.

thanks for the info! what we were initially going with for conjugal was the fact that i had just turned 18 and finished school a couple of months ago and wouldnt have been able to get married before that but i can see how that might not really fit the criteria for the sponsorship haha, thanks!