skilled worker-marriage

[marcusb]

Hello I am currently on a sabbatical in SE Asia after selling my business in Canada 2 years ago. I have a fiance in Thailand and we were trying to find the best way for us both to return to Canada. We are also planning to get married but do not know the best time in regards to immigration. Visitor visas and marriage visas seem to be hard to obtain in Thailand. We stumbled across the skilled workers idea and my fiance has enough points when I am added into the equation. I have 28 years trade experience, Canadian citizen. She is a chef at a Thai restaurant and has worked there about 4 years. We see Chefs are on the demand list and we are okay living wherever she gets a job, with my trade and experience I can get a job just about anywhere.
Opinions would be nice, when is the best time to get married, prior to applying and leaving Thailand, or after we arrive?
If she gets a job offer from a restaurant on the govt list how long does it usually take to actually get govt approval to immigrate?
I would like to add this forum has been great and I have been reading it for many hours after I found it.
marcus

 

[Leon]

She could apply as a skilled worker but you could also get married and sponsor her. If you sponsored her, the time it would take would be 7 weeks to approve you as a sponsor and then average another 6 months of processing in Singapore, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/international/05-fc-spouses.asp#asia

If she applies as a skilled worker, she would not need a job offer because chefs are on the most wanted list. Having a job offer could make it faster though. Looking at http://www.trackitt.com/canada-immigration-trackers/federal-skilled-workers if you only look at the people applying through Singapore, you see that nobody who applied under the new rules since Feb 2008 has been approved yet.

 

[rupeshhari]

Also if you have been living together for a year then you could claim common law marriage and get married later in Canada. That is my understanding anyway.

 

[Leon]

Yes, this is true, if they have lived together for a year or more and can prove it, that is as good as marriage for immigration.

 

[marcusb]

..>>Looking at trackitt.com/canada-immigration-trackers/federal-skilled-workers if you only look at the people applying through Singapore, you see that nobody who applied under the new rules since Feb 2008 has been approved yet.<<<
Okay that kind of burst that bubble. I thought this may be a way to fast track the immigration. I have no idea how you get a job offer and tell the future employer you'll be there in four years to start work!
Thanks for the quick reply,
marcus

 

[rupeshhari]

trackitt shows a minuscule amount of applicants out there. It is so small that it is not an indication.
It is the same for South Africa. Very few applicants but South Africa is known for brain drain and I bet Canada is probably 3rd on their list of places to emigrate to.

 

[Leon]

It's not supposed to be taking 4 years anymore. Those were cases under the old rules. The rules changed in February 2008. AEO's were always processed slightly faster but an AEO is not binding. If you manage to get an AEO, the employer is not really bound to hire you when you arrive maybe a year or more later. A faster way to get in and start working is getting an LMO and temporary work permit but for a common law or a spouse of Canadian, it's very hard to get a temporary visa because they believe they will overstay which brings you back to sponsorship as an option.