sponsoring girlfriend and work

[twotongued]

Hello,

I am looking for help with getting my girlfriend legally able to work in Canada. We have been living together here in Toronto for two years now. She works freelance doing illustration work. She has had several full time job offers in Toronto recently and ideally wants to start her own company here.

We are looking at the options for spousal sponsorship and are wondering how quickly she is able to get work here on the books and not have to rely mainly on American clients and working online primarily. I make enough to barley support us ($29,000 a year) if she was to be forced to stop working completely.

I need to know if anyone has gone through this and if its possible to get her working quickly when we apply keeping her here in Canada. She is from the US and has a college level education and is in her mid thirties.

 

[Kess]

If you have lived together for over a year then you should be able to sponser her as a common-law spouse on an inland application, given she hasn't overstayed her visitor visa. The process isn't very fast tho.

Hopefully you can get some recommendations from people who have done an inland app (thought I read something about work permits as part of first stage approval?).

 

[CBIS]

When you do your inland application, include the app for a workers permit.Once it has gone through first stage approval and they send you the letter,(sponsorship approval)they will include her workers permit.