**Sponsorship to obtain a PR?** (help!)

[ALLY06]

I am a US citizen, and have been with with a Canadian for 1 1/2 years. I have been in canada on visitors visa for 4 months and want to stay here longer - legally (instead of going back to the states and coming back continuously). My Boyfriend also lived with me for a few months in the states before I came here, and visited eachother constantly.

What is my best, safest option to stay in Canada legally? Is my boyfriend able to sponsor me using common-law in order for me to obtain PR? I assume applying for PR/being sponsored would be my first step?

If this is the way to do it, how long after I apply would I recieve PR status?

 

[Leon]

You need to have lived together for 12 months to qualify to apply under common law and you need to be able to prove it. To be able to stay in Canada longer than 6 months at a time, you can ask for a visitor record next time you enter and once your 6 months are almost up, apply for a visit extension.

Once you qualify to apply as common law, you will apply for your sponsorship/PR. If you apply outland, through the US, it might take 6-9 months or so to get your PR.

 

[ALLY06]

If I were to apply for a visa extension (base it on exploring relationship) would I have something stamped in my passport to prove to the border officials when I cross?

 

[Leon]

That is what happens when you ask for a visitor record when you cross. Then they will make a note of when you entered. You could also keep leaving and coming back but at some point they might not let you in.

 

[HoneyBird]

That is what happens when you ask for a visitor record when you cross. Then they will make a note of when you entered. You could also keep leaving and coming back but at some point they might not let you in.

This is interesting. When i first visited canada, they scribbled a post 6 month date on my passport..and i did not know why. I guess that its the same visitor record? But i did not ask for it. I suppose they entered this on their system?hmmmm..

 

[ALLY06]

I have nothing stamped on my passport from this "visit", my last stamp is from last February. Each time I cross the border (which I have done frequently in the past few months) I have one small carry on, and explain I am visiting. They ask who I know in Canada and why I am here, but have never been too harsh before.

What exactly is a visitor visa, and would it be worth it for me to obtain one? I have no plans of going back to the US anytime soon, but again I want to be safe about the whole process.

 

[matthewc]

This is interesting. When i first visited canada, they scribbled a post 6 month date on my passport..and i did not know why. I guess that its the same visitor record? But i did not ask for it. I suppose they entered this on their system?hmmmm..

No a visitor record is a separate piece of paper, similar to a work permit or study permit, that details the conditions of your stay in Canada. Usually it's issued when someone is visiting for longer than 6 months, but occasionally they'll issue one if they are restricting someone to a short stay for some reason.

It's interesting they wrote a longer-than-6-month date in by hand - I don't think they're supposed to do that. Usually they would issue a visitor record if allowing you to stay longer than 6 months. What did you tell them about your visit when you arrived?

 

[HoneyBird]

No a visitor record is a separate piece of paper, similar to a work permit or study permit, that details the conditions of your stay in Canada. Usually it's issued when someone is visiting for longer than 6 months, but occasionally they'll issue one if they are restricting someone to a short stay for some reason.

It's interesting they wrote a longer-than-6-month date in by hand - I don't think they're supposed to do that. Usually they would issue a visitor record if allowing you to stay longer than 6 months. What did you tell them about your visit when you arrived?

no i have not explained it properly,

i got a visitor visa for 6 months. issued on 10.08.09. Ending on the 09.02.09. But it says on the website that it really expires a month before so thats 09.01.09.

i visited Canada on 19.09.09. They then scribbled V__________18.03.10 under the stamp in the passport. NOte that this date surpasses the original expiry date on the visa 09.02.09 date.

i never noticed it until recently. But when i went the first time, the immigration officer asked all sorts of questions and then i went into the second room where they had a second rounds of questions.

vo. why are you here
me. visit boyfriend
vo. how did you meet
me online blah blah
vo. what is your job
me hr blah blah
vo. how long you stay
me 9 days
vo. whats his birthdate
me blah blah
vo where was he born
me blah blah
vo is he a permanent resident or citizen
me citizen
I think a major problem was that i did not have my photocopy of my return info (the stupid airport person took it and forgot to give it back to me.)
vo where is your return ticket
me airline person has it
vo how do you plan to get on the plane then
me reprint it ?

after that interrogation, my head was spinning i never looked at the passport. all i have are bad memories and a fear every time i go of immigration officers.

So why do you think they scribbled that date? I wonder if it is in some record on a computer?

 

[annabruce]

Honeybird, you are confusing the validity period of your visa with the awarded visit length. Your awarded visit time is established at the border. The validy period of your initial entry is established by the visa office.

The date scribbled is exactly 6 months after your entry date. This is normal. You were awarded the standard six month visit. Often the border guard won't write this date if they are awarding you the standard six months. Usually, they only write another date if you are getting less then six months.

The expiry date on your visa is only relevant for your initial entry to Canada. You must enter before the expiry date. If you travel only to the USA, you can reenter within the time awarded to you. In your case you could reenter at any point within that six months.

 

[HoneyBird]

Honeybird, you are confusing the validity period of your visa with the awarded visit length. Your awarded visit time is established at the border. The validy period of your initial entry is established by the visa office.

The date scribbled is exactly 6 months after your entry date. This is normal. You were awarded the standard six month visit. Often the border guard won't write this date if they are awarding you the standard six months. Usually, they only write another date if you are getting less then six months.

The expiry date on your visa is only relevant for your initial entry to Canada. You must enter before the expiry date. If you travel only to the USA, you can reenter within the time awarded to you. In your case you could reenter at any point within that six months.

Damnit! I applied for my second visa using the initial visa date..meaning that i applied 2 months in advance! I didn't know No one told me this at the entry point.

 

[HoneyBird]

Does this mean they thought i was a nice and geniune person : and gave me the 6 months instead of just letting the existing visa go through (giving me roughly 4 months stay)?
Or is this something they do for everyone? It did not happen the second time around for the second visa but that was a year long visa.

 

[annabruce]

It depends on what you were trying to do and where you were travelling.
You entered Canada on a single entry visa and then exited to a country other than the USA.
You would need a new visa to reenter Canada.
You entered Canada on a single entry visa and then exited to the USA.
You can reenter Canada so long as you do so before the date scribbled under the stamp.
You applied for an extension from within Canada.
You have until the date scribbled under the stamp to apply for the extension. You have a further 90 days after this date to apply for a restoration of status. Your initial entry date is the date stamped. Your permitted visit end is the scribbled date.

6 months is the standard unless they doubt you.

 

[HoneyBird]

o i c.
my visa though was a multiple entry visa from the embassy
i did not go to the states
i just went to canada and back to my home.
but thank you for the information!

 

[annabruce]

Multiple entry visas follow the same rules except you aren't limited to visits to the USA you can exit to any country and reenter Canada within the time stamped and scribbled on your passport.