Reasons for Extending Visitor Status

[couteausnob]

Hi all! I just looking for some advice from people who have gone through the visitor status extension process (I'm from a visa-exempt country, if that matters):

For almost 5 months now, I've been staying in Canada with my boyfriend, who is planning to sponsor me as his common-law partner once we've lived together for a year. At this point, I need to send in my application to extend my stay, so that I can remain with him and not disrupt our common-law status. However, in looking around some immigration forums for assurance, I've seen a lot of conflicting advice about how likely I am to be granted the extension, so I'm hoping for some clarification from people who have actually done it.

The biggest issue I'm having is that I'm NOT in a position to send in my PR application yet, and thus can't use that as my reason for staying, as most people in family class seem to. Is it okay to explain that I want to stay in order to establish common-law with my boyfriend, and if so, would it strengthen our case to go ahead and pay the PR app fees and include a copy of the receipt with the extension request? Or would it be better to use the more vague "wanting to explore the relationship" reason, and say nothing of wanting to eventually move here permanently? We can't actually get married right now because my divorce from my ex is still in process and will be for at least another 6 months (don't ask me, I have no idea why it takes so long), but my boyfriend also had the thought of stating that we are engaged to be married once my divorce is finalized, and use wedding-planning as my reason for staying longer.

In another immigration forum, I've been told that there's absolutely no way my extension will be approved unless my PR application is already in process, but I've also seen posts here from people who were able to stay for other reasons. So I'm just wondering what the difference is, and how people here were able to extend earlier in the process. If it's a matter of proving financial support, then I can easily provide sufficient documentation proving that my boyfriend can support me without my having to work, so that part doesn't worry me, just the reason for staying.

Sorry for the long, rambling post, and thank you in advance to anyone who can help!

 

[user828]

I think honesty works best, want to spent more time with BF and travel around. It's summer time, and were waiting for some sunshine

 

[funkyskunk]

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has any responses to this. As i am in he exact same situation, and intend to apply for an extension in the next couple of months.

 

[couteausnob]

/shameless bump

Okay, not really. I am ashamed. But I'm still very curious about other people's experiences with this.

 

[Creampop]

I don't have any advise as to what reason to use I am replying to the second half of your post... I'm not sure where in Canada you are but in Ontario if you and your boyfriend decide to get married it would prolly be easier to do it outside of Canada since you are or will be divorced you will have to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Government Services in order to get a Canadian marriage license.(not sure how hard that would be to do we decided it was easier to do it in the USA and ended up getting married in Niagara Falls USA) I'm not familiar with other provinces so you should look up your province to make sure. Once you are married you should be able to request a Visitor's record when crossing the border....

 

[couteausnob]

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has any responses to this. As i am in he exact same situation, and intend to apply for an extension in the next couple of months.

Well, I'll let you know in about 40 days how mine went. Just sent the request today, using the reason suggested by user828. They really need a "nauseatingly anxious" smiley on this forum.

 

[larryUK]

I posted simular to this in another thread without any response, but isn't the common law route rather tricky to get accepted for PR? It's not just a case of living together for 12 months. I'm in a simular position to you though am back in the UK after 7 months with my gf in Canada, was granted 9 months and think I would of got the 12 months if I had stayed longer and extended again (I returned as I was offered a few months work back in the UK) and thought about trying the common law route though seems a bit of a minefield. We will be getting married towards the end of the year on my return to Canada, then will go down the spouse sponsorship route.

 

[Dutchcookies]

Hi there,

I extended my visit with 6 months after being here for 5 months.
Reason for extension: to live with my common law partner.
Send in all the financial support and I got approved.
Good luck! Just go for it.

 

[blueangel371115]

Hi there,

I extended my visit with 6 months after being here for 5 months.
Reason for extension: to live with my common law partner.
Send in all the financial support and I got approved.
Good luck! Just go for it.

Ok I definitely feel a little better about my plans. I wanted to do the same thing as I want to obtain my PR eventually (and my boyfriend definitely wants me to ). We intend on becoming engaged in a year or so but are in the process of building a house so we don't want get married right off but we want to start building a life together as best we can. So we want to go by common-law. I will have around $ 6,000 USD banked and he has $12,000 CAD. I'll have to say boyfriend which will make it more tricky, but I'm hoping.

 

[couteausnob]

Ok I definitely feel a little better about my plans. I wanted to do the same thing as I want to obtain my PR eventually (and my boyfriend definitely wants me to ). We intend on becoming engaged in a year or so but are in the process of building a house so we don't want get married right off but we want to start building a life together as best we can. So we want to go by common-law. I will have around $ 6,000 USD banked and he has $12,000 CAD. I'll have to say boyfriend which will make it more tricky, but I'm hoping.

You should be okay, I think. On my request, I explained that we were preparing to apply for PR, and included my US bank statement as well as my boyfriend's most recent tax doc and a letter from his employer as proof of financial support. We didn't mention anything about planning to get married later, just that we would be applying as common-law. It was approved about a week earlier than the CIC website estimated, too, which was a huge load off.

One more thing that may or may not have made the slightest difference, but it made me feel better: You mentioned having to refer to him as your boyfriend. I used the word partner rather than boyfriend, because it felt more accurate (i.e. we're in this life together, not just "going steady" or dating). I hope it got the point across that despite the lack of a ring, it's a genuine partnership. Maybe it made a difference, maybe it didn't, but if the terminology is something you're concerned about, you might consider it.

 

[blueangel371115]

Thanks so much Couteau. I'd rather say partner too as we are best friends, lovers and partners. We consider our selves married at least spiritually, we are just waiting to make it official. I can't wait to start our life truly and completely. Is exciting and terrrifying all at once.

 

[GoldenLine]

Congrats to all of you guys who made it to Canada in the first place and have had successful extension too

I'm struggling to get to Canada for several months now after head-on visa refusals to USA. I met this wonderful man professionally and we do work together on several projects. I'm a small business woman in Mumbai, India with Training industry experience.

I now plan to get to Canada somehow as USA has closed doors on me. And then find a way to support myself there while I put forward PR application. Upon approval I plan to be in USA once in a way. Meanwhile being in Canada is the only way I can think of that is closest to my partner :'(

I'm still clueless and don't know what and how to go about with my application for TRV strong enough that I don't get refused my Canadian embassy.

Any suggestion is welcome.

Thanks guys. (so wanna be with my partner soon)

 

[couteausnob]

Do you know the reason(s) your visas to visit the US were refused? I honestly don't know anything about temporary resident visas in either country, but I would imagine that the US's concerns would be a good place to start before trying to get into Canada.

 

[GoldenLine]

Do you know the reason(s) your visas to visit the US were refused? I honestly don't know anything about temporary resident visas in either country, but I would imagine that the US's concerns would be a good place to start before trying to get into Canada.

Hi Couteausnob
I was refused visa to USA on grounds of being unable to show strong family ties despite the fact that I was going to leave my 13 year old daughter behind with my mom!
So far, I figure that some laws differ from USA than that of Canada. Whereas in Canada, having a minor daughter in one's home country is strong enough home ties, USA immigration is far more tough.

 

[Creampop]

Leaving a 13 yr old child in the home country isn't a good enough tie to the home country, leaving them and then having them come at a later time can always happen... just depends on the IO I have 2 children with my Canadian husband and I have been denied when bringing them for visitations and picking them back up even though they can see that in the last 13 years I have crossed 3 to 4 times a month on average. and me being American doesn't mean anything I was once asked when returning to the US why I was in Canada I said I took my children up for a week visit with their dad and I will be picking them up next weekend and the IO said to me and I quote"yea right" I wanted to go off on him cus seriously what is my personal business with my kids and their father have to do with him eh? so I took his name and badge number and filed a formal complaint even tho I am sure nothing happened to him was just the point...