Should We Hire An Immigration Worker?

[LadyMai]

Not being able to leave Canada for 27 months. Depending on your province of residence, not having health care coverage until 17 months.

I'm from the US, remember? I haven't had health coverage since I was 8. I'm 25.

I don't have family in the US. Our little immediate family was estranged from the rest of the pack. The ones we were on terms with have all passed now. I was taking care of my sick mother until she, too, passed. I wasn't really on speaking terms with my father so...the only reason i would miss coming back to the US is for Trader Joe's.

 

[LadyMai]

You need to actually read the page where they show what office would process your app:
Office designated for US citizen PR apps, is CPC-Ottawa. The average time there is under 1 year, less then half the time of an inland app.

And yes you need to wait until you're common-law or married. Conjugal in general does not apply to Canada/US couples.

So let me make sure this is correct and 100% legal.

The plan now is to visit for the holidays. I'll tell the border officer that I plan on leaving after Valentine's because between New Year's and Valentine's there are a couple birthdays, so I may as well stay. I've never been stamped before, but I assume if I don't get stamped I'll just have implied 6 month status. There are a few times where I overstayed a week or two longer than I originally planned and I never got flagged or anything, and that was because I have implied 6 month status because I'm from the US, right?

So what I was going to do was file for an extension before the 6 months is up, and extend it for 12 months explaining that we will soon be common law and we are going to file for PR via Outland.

Is this correct, or is there a better way to do this?

 

[Rob_TO]

So let me make sure this is correct and 100% legal.

The plan now is to visit for the holidays. I'll tell the border officer that I plan on leaving after Valentine's because between New Year's and Valentine's there are a couple birthdays, so I may as well stay. I've never been stamped before, but I assume if I don't get stamped I'll just have implied 6 month status. There are a few times where I overstayed a week or two longer than I originally planned and I never got flagged or anything, and that was because I have implied 6 month status because I'm from the US, right?

So what I was going to do was file for an extension before the 6 months is up, and extend it for 12 months explaining that we will soon be common law and we are going to file for PR via Outland.

Is this correct, or is there a better way to do this?

Yes if when crossing into Canada you don't get a specific exit date given to you (usually this would only be if CBSA gives you something called a visitor record), then you have an automatic 6-months visitor status no matter what you told the officer.
And yes when the 6 months is almost up, you can simply apply to extend your status. Most US citizens can get another 6 or even 12 months status extension.

 

[Aquakitty]

Just make sure you tell them you are visiting, not living, with your b/f.