Questions regarding immigration.

[Zampavorian]

A bit of background information. I'm 24, and I'm from Venezuela -that one place with the dictatorship-. I went to culinary school, but around the time I graduated the current mess my country's in was hitting critical mass, and other than a couple internships cut short I don't have laboral experience in that area. Most of my experience is as a delivery boy actually, which is what I'm doing to present day.

I know this girl, that happens to be a canadian citizen. We've been in a relationship for circa seven months -- we haven't met though, it's full on platonic. However as things keep deteriorating she's offered to help me move out and with her, and we've been researching and exploring options.

I should also point out that currently, minimal wage here is worth about 8 to 9USD. Not the hour, the entire month. That seems unimportant now but it kicks in later.

From what I gather:

--I can't opt for asylum/refuge. While the situation here is pretty bad, I can't prove that I've been persecuted myself, or that my life has been threatened any more than anybody else's on a daily basis.

--I can't opt for express entry. I'm aware Chefs and Cooks are part of the NOC classification, but my laboral experience doesn't add up to anything meaningful, let alone the two year quota.

--I can't opt for a work visa. I've also been on a hispanic forum for emigrants; what I've read makes it so to access this option, the employer offering the job must be unable to fill the spot with someone in the Canadian job market. And while I'm a pretty suave delivery boy, I think they ain't about that noise, yanno'?

The option we've been working on so far is me getting there, us marrying and working from there onwards. She can't possibly come here with all the stuff going on, it just would be downright dangerous.

So on,

--Can I opt for a visitor's visa? From what I've read here it seems a plausible option, but I have questions regarding it.

Do I really need to vouch for about 1kUSD per week of stay? It's just an impossible amount with how acquisitve power here is right now. And it's bound to keep devaluating.

If so, can an invitation letter from her help drop that amount? And if so, how much roughly?

I read in a different site that while being interviewed for the visa, it was just better for everyone that I tell the truth, that I'm going to meet my partner, marry them and settle. Is this true? It just seems counter intuitive.

How exactly does the gap between the visitor's visa ending and the granting of the sponsorship visa work? I read the general processing time for a sponsorship visa would be about 17 months. But, if I leave this place I'm not going back. I'm getting gunned down literally anywhere else before coming back.

Can I just stay while it's processed?

Is there any legal way to start working during that period, if so?

--If no to everything, can I opt for a student visa? Again with the acquisitive power issue, I MIGHT be able to come up with the money for a semester of tuition for a short course, but really nothing else. Would the government be willing to accept her supporting me as a substitute for the money I'd use on living expenses?

And in the scenario of a student visa, is it still a good idea to tell the immigration agent that I plan to go get married to my partner? It just feels kind of off in that situation.

I think that'd be it for now.

 

[Decoy24601]

You can apply for a visitor visa. There is no way you can work or study on a visitors visa. If you apply for a study permit and attend a college/university, I believe you can work up to 20 hours during the semester. You also have to show $10,000 CAD of savings to be approved for a student visa.

Just a reminder, you need to be in a serious relationship in order to be sponsored by her. You either need to live together one full year as common-law before applying or be married. If you are only in a relationship that isn't serious and you want to leave where you live because the circumstances are worse, this shows red flags that might make them view your relationship is a "marriage of convenience". You also need to meet prior to applying and if you get married on the same visit that you first meet in person, this is also a huge red flag for a marriage of convenience.

You could apply for a visitor visa and if approved you can visit her (you can't study or work) and extend your visitor status after 6 months to be able to stay with her a full year. Even if you had a study permit, you would need to be with her more than just a semester to be able to apply for sponsorship. You also have to prove at the border that you intend to leave at the end of your stay.

If you get married in Canada or establish common-law, you can apply through inland which would let you apply for an Open Work Permit, which you get after roughly 4 months. Until then, without a study permit (or work permit) you cannot legally work.

Although, it really seems like your reasons for coming to Canada are less to be with your girlfriend and more to improve your circumstances... which would be seen as a huge red flag for family class spousal sponsorship. Especially if you haven't met yet and aren't on serious terms. At least from what you posted.

If you are in a serious relationship, just make sure that you make that clear in your application and you have visited at least a few times and have spent a fair amount of time together in person and provide sufficient evidence for your relationship, then it wouldn't be as much of an issue.

The overall timeline for the CIC to process 80% of applications from all visa offices is 17 months. Most applications from most visa offices don't take more than a year.

 

[scylla]

You also have to show $10,000 CAD of savings to be approved for a student visa.

You have to show a lot more than that. You actually have to show a bank balance covering first year tuition + $10K in living expenses + $2-3K in travel expenses. Typically this means you need to show a bank balance of $25K or more.

 

[Decoy24601]

You have to show a lot more than that. You actually have to show a bank balance covering first year tuition + $10K in living expenses + $2-3K in travel expenses. Typically this means you need to show a bank balance of $25K or more.

Yeah, I agree. I meant more that $10k is what it specifically asks for in savings, on top of the tuition and travel expenses. Thanks for making that a little more clear for the OP.

 

[scylla]

Yeah, I agree. I meant more that $10k is what it specifically asks for in savings, on top of the tuition and travel expenses. Thanks for making that a little more clear for the OP.

Yeah - sounds like we're saying the same thing.

Also agree with your statement that the OP sounds like he's looking for a way of getting to Canada and isn't in a genuine relationship.

 

[mikeymyke]

I don't mean to judge your circumstances and what you're possibly going through, but it would appear that you're more interested in immigrating to Canada rather than being with her. This will obviously show itself once you try to apply for PR through spousal sponsorship, leading to many delays and quite possibly a refusal.

Also it would appear that you guys have never even met in person before, but yet already discussing marriage, this is a huge red flag.

Although I agree you're not eligible for applying as a refugee, I think you're at least capable of applying under express entry. If you cannot apply as a chef or cook, you should find another employer who will hire you as such, or work under a different skilled classification that Canada needs.

I understand that the quality of life in Venezuela isn't as great as you hope, but that doesn't mean you should be using this Canadian as the main way to enter here. As I said, you seem young and have a good grasp on the English language, with the right amount of work experience, you definitely have a good chance of immigrating here. There are lots of immigrants here, coming from way poorer countries than Venezuela, yet they're able to make it here through skilled work experience, you can do the same.

 

[canadianwoman]

To get a visitor visa, her offer to support you will not help at all. Likewise, telling the visa officer at the interview that you hope to go to Canada and get married to your girlfriend will lead to a refusal.

If you got a work visa or a study visa, you would be able to develop your relationship with her. Do not get married shortly after meeting her in person - that is a huge red flag. But if after meeting her and developing your relationship, you two do decide to get married, she could sponsor you. If she sponsored you inland, you can apply for a work permit at the same time.