Hi everyone! Hoping for some advice on my situation.
My boyfriend and I got engaged a week ago--yay! He is Canadian, I am American, and we are currently living together in Canada, and have been here since September. We previously lived together in NYC for 2 years before moving to Calgary last summer. We've been together 4.5 years.
I am currently on an IEC visa, and have organized for the second year as well, starting August 2019, ending August 2020.
So, we want to continue living in Canada and have him sponsor me. The question is when to submit--before or after getting married.
Option A: apply for common law sponsorship next spring, making sure the application is in at least 4 months prior to the expiration of my IEC visa, ensuring that I get the OWP before the end of August so I can continue working legally in CA. The issue/my question with this option--what if we want to get married in July, after the application is processing? What if we get married in September, just after I start on my OWP? How does getting married at any time in the process affect things, and what do I have to do--report the marriage to someone? Update the application somehow?
Option B: Get married next spring, and apply for spousal sponsorship immediately after; again, ensuring I have the OWP by September. This is obviously more straightforward, but it feels like rushing to plan the wedding, and we'd rather have a bit longer of an engagement.
Option C: get married next summer, and apply for spousal sponsorship right after. Does the "implied status" cover my after my IEC visa expires, while waiting for the OWP? Is this risky? I understand the condition being that I can't leave Canada in the time on "implied status" before receiving the OWP, which shouldn't be an issue.
Advise? Opinions?
Thanks in advance!
Stephanie
My boyfriend and I got engaged a week ago--yay! He is Canadian, I am American, and we are currently living together in Canada, and have been here since September. We previously lived together in NYC for 2 years before moving to Calgary last summer. We've been together 4.5 years.
I am currently on an IEC visa, and have organized for the second year as well, starting August 2019, ending August 2020.
So, we want to continue living in Canada and have him sponsor me. The question is when to submit--before or after getting married.
Option A: apply for common law sponsorship next spring, making sure the application is in at least 4 months prior to the expiration of my IEC visa, ensuring that I get the OWP before the end of August so I can continue working legally in CA. The issue/my question with this option--what if we want to get married in July, after the application is processing? What if we get married in September, just after I start on my OWP? How does getting married at any time in the process affect things, and what do I have to do--report the marriage to someone? Update the application somehow?
Option B: Get married next spring, and apply for spousal sponsorship immediately after; again, ensuring I have the OWP by September. This is obviously more straightforward, but it feels like rushing to plan the wedding, and we'd rather have a bit longer of an engagement.
Option C: get married next summer, and apply for spousal sponsorship right after. Does the "implied status" cover my after my IEC visa expires, while waiting for the OWP? Is this risky? I understand the condition being that I can't leave Canada in the time on "implied status" before receiving the OWP, which shouldn't be an issue.
Advise? Opinions?
Thanks in advance!
Stephanie
