Hi All,
I got my PPR and I am currently awaiting my CoPR. I did not include my wife as the CRS was decreasing and thought to apply for Spousal visa after mine. We are trying to move together while avoiding a gap of 1 year in her career:
1. Do I have to go to Canada, complete my initial formalities and get my PR card to apply Spousal Visa for my wife? or Can it be done before going there itself?
2. If I am applying for Open Work Permit for my wife, is CoPR enough or do I need the PR card to sponsor my wife for Open work permit?
3. If the above two options are not feasible, can I apply a visitor visa for and move there first, then apply for open work permit, then spousal visa?
1. Your CoPR is enough, as per the IMM 5533 checklist.
2. The OWP can only be delivered once you have the AOR for your wife's PR application. So you need to get your CoPR, then fill out the entire application including sponsorship, pay the fees, then wait for the AOR.
3. Your best course of action is indeed for her to apply for visitor first, then once she is with you, do a PR Inland application. Mind you that you'll need to provide several pieces of proof that the two of you live together for an Inland Application, so you'll most likely have to wait some time after she arrives for you to be able to produce those documents.
Refer to the IMM 5533 and check the various documents required for a PR application. Also, keep in mind that the OWP wait times are currently about 4 and a half months for Inland, and you need to add to that the wait time to get the AOR for the PR application. So, even if you made sure to have your wife's name on every document before she arrives, you are looking at roughly 6 months of her not being able to work in Canada.
Another way is for her to do a Outland application, and keep working outside of Canada if having a gap in her career is a real issue. You'll be looking at a year of wait, but this does eliminate the need for a lot of paperwork.