Thanks a lot. As for the SOWP plan that we have, do you have any suggestions based on your knowledge? It seems like this could still be a long process.
This is a long process for your partner. If newly married, her funds will carry more weight and she needs to show she can afford to visit Canada including airfare/health insurance. She needs to show ties to Thailand so job offer with approved leave, business, properties, investments etc. You are not a PR or citizen so her reasons for travel must be valid. A TRV is not guaranteed.
Can I use my funds to support her and as evidence in her TRV submission? The plan is to fly together to Canada, me on my IEC and her on her visitor visa. Then after 1 month of me working (?), apply for the SOWP. If we do this all validly, is could take 5 months to get after we arrive in Canada.. I will only move over when I have secured a job in advance.
Pay is normally bi-weekly so it would be a six week wait before you can apply. To the best of my knowledge 3 paystubs is mandatory in the document checklist. You need to make sure you provide everything in the checklist.
Thanks a lot for all the information.
She needs to show strong ties to her home country and proof of return, funds and travel history. An uncle, who is not her relative (does she even know him?), doesn't add to her profile especially saying you are visiting together. IRCC will know you have an IEC permit.
She has family in Thailand, but no job. Her family has a local business which she can work in/say she will inherit. She has just spent 1 year in the USA as an au pair and is returning to Thailand in Jan.
It is a positive thing that she has a valid US visa, as the US and Canada share immigration information. That works in her favour. The issue if you say that you are on a work permit, then IRCC will believe she is not coming to “visit” for a couple of weeks but to live and then try to work in Canada.
75% of applicants from Thailand get TRVs. I would be surprised if that was the case. In general it is difficult for spouses to get TRVs if their spouse is in Canada as a citizen, PR or under some sort of temporary permit because they aren’t usually true visitors. In your case your future soouse should be applying for an OWP not TRV if she wants to remain in Canada with you even if she has no plans on working. Given that she hasn’t been living and working in Thailand for an extended amount of times her ties to Thailand aren’t very strong so it will be tough to prove that she is only going to Canada to visit you not to live with you. Unfortunately you should be thinking of what your plan will be if she does get her TRV denied. The fact that she traveled to the US is helpful but not sure if it will overcome the other concerns. All you can really do is wait and see if she gets the TRV. The fact that you will be spending 5 months together in Thailand helps a lot when it comes to proof that you are in a real relationship.
Thanks a lot and to Naturgrl too for all this information.
I watched this video (which talks about applying for a spouse visitor visa):
How long is your IEC? Is it one or two years? If one year, then you need to be working from day one of your IEC. Getting a job offer before entering Canada can be difficult without actually being in Canada and having your work permit. Some employers will want proof you are in Canada with SIN number. You can’t work without a SIN. If one year IEC, you are under time constraints because IRCC will not process SOWP if your permit is expiring within 6 months. Expect 4-5 months processing of SOWP.
It's for 2 years. Can I obtain a SIN from outside Canada? I have my letter of introduction for the work permit.
You can only get SIN once you are in Canada and apply with your work permit. LOE is not your work permit. You get your work permit when you land. You then get your SIN at a Service Canada office.
