Hello everybody,
I've been reading through many of the threads and posts in this forums and have learned so much about the Canadian residency application. Everybody here offers excellent advice and I'm looking for some advice for my situation. Thanks in advance for reading and for your thoughts, and apologies for the long read.
Background:
Me: 27, M, Canadian citizen. Just finished my 9th year of university and 3rd Bachelor's degree. Have not held a full-time job ever. Currently a teacher-on-call while holding 2 other seasonal part-time jobs. Monthly income in September estimated to be $3000.
Her: 32, F, American citizen. Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design. Worked as an interior designer in the US for over 9 years. Decided to pursue teaching as a profession. Holds TESL certification. Just left for South Korea to teach English after not being able to find a job in Canada.
Us: Met in Paris, in July 2008 while traveling. She had been traveling Europe for over a year and had been calling London her home (she rented a place there, and visited other parts of Europe when she felt like it). I was in the early stages of a Euro-adventure with 2 of my friends and my younger brother. Split ways after 5 days in Paris, as she was headed to London, and our group to Amsterdam. Kept in contact, and decided to meet up in London before I was to fly home to Canada in August 2008. Had a wonderful time developing our relationship online during that time, and decided after our day in London to give the LD relationship a go. She moved to New York City as her next adventure in life 5 days later (where she found work in a mid-range clothing retail store), I returned home to Vancouver to finish my teaching degree. We spoke almost everyday using Skype video chat and by email and instant messaging.
She surprised me in Vancouver over a weekend in October. I traveled to New York for over a month in December/January to be with her (lived at her place). Things were going great, so she decided to move to Vancouver to be with me in mid-January. She obtained a Canadian visitor record for 6 months in April, after we had crossed the Canada/US border many times visiting her family and friends 3 hours away in Seattle. We have also taken 2 other extended trips to the US. Her plan was to find a job in Canada, and have the employer help her file the paperwork for a working visa. Because of the economy, finding a job was difficult, so she took a TESL certification course to teach English as a Second Language. She could not find a job teaching ESL in Vancouver, as they all wanted candidates with experience, so she looked overseas. She left Canada last week (one year after our official "dating" relationship started) to teach in South Korea to gain experience teaching so that upon her return in August 2010, she can find a job here. She also needed the income.
We did not know at the time that her visitor record could be renewed. I supported her financially and we lived together from January until August 2009 in my apartment. Her bank statements from the US are mailed here. We do not have any joint bank accounts.
Conundrum:
Knowing that we do not qualify for common-law status as we have not lived together for a continuous 12-month period, we have decided to put an application package for residency under the conjugal partner category in hopes that when she returns, she does not have to ask for another visitor record, but after reading this forum and other websites it seems as though it is unlikely for us to have our application accepted and approved as even though we have been in a relationship for over 12 months, we don't feel as though our circumstances for not being together are extreme enough to warrant a successful application (again, we thought that the immigration barrier with her 6 month visitor visa would be enough, not knowing that it could be renewed, and financially, we were finding it tough with my minimal income at the time and her inability to find a job in Canada).
The application is expensive for us and money is tight so I am wondering what you think. We would prefer to apply once, and have it approved the first time around. She has taken her medical exam, gotten her fingerprints/criminal record check in the US, and our proof of our relationship ready (photos, bills, airline tickets, hotel accommodation receipts, emails).
She does not seem to qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker category either.
I have not asked her to marry me, although we have talked about it and have it somewhat planned out. We plan on going back to Europe to do it in 2012, so we can go to London during the Olympics and in the meantime, save some money to make it memorable, but that's a long time for us to be waiting to sponsor her for residency.
Should we go through with the application? Do you have any advice for us? Thanks again!
I've been reading through many of the threads and posts in this forums and have learned so much about the Canadian residency application. Everybody here offers excellent advice and I'm looking for some advice for my situation. Thanks in advance for reading and for your thoughts, and apologies for the long read.
Background:
Me: 27, M, Canadian citizen. Just finished my 9th year of university and 3rd Bachelor's degree. Have not held a full-time job ever. Currently a teacher-on-call while holding 2 other seasonal part-time jobs. Monthly income in September estimated to be $3000.
Her: 32, F, American citizen. Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design. Worked as an interior designer in the US for over 9 years. Decided to pursue teaching as a profession. Holds TESL certification. Just left for South Korea to teach English after not being able to find a job in Canada.
Us: Met in Paris, in July 2008 while traveling. She had been traveling Europe for over a year and had been calling London her home (she rented a place there, and visited other parts of Europe when she felt like it). I was in the early stages of a Euro-adventure with 2 of my friends and my younger brother. Split ways after 5 days in Paris, as she was headed to London, and our group to Amsterdam. Kept in contact, and decided to meet up in London before I was to fly home to Canada in August 2008. Had a wonderful time developing our relationship online during that time, and decided after our day in London to give the LD relationship a go. She moved to New York City as her next adventure in life 5 days later (where she found work in a mid-range clothing retail store), I returned home to Vancouver to finish my teaching degree. We spoke almost everyday using Skype video chat and by email and instant messaging.
She surprised me in Vancouver over a weekend in October. I traveled to New York for over a month in December/January to be with her (lived at her place). Things were going great, so she decided to move to Vancouver to be with me in mid-January. She obtained a Canadian visitor record for 6 months in April, after we had crossed the Canada/US border many times visiting her family and friends 3 hours away in Seattle. We have also taken 2 other extended trips to the US. Her plan was to find a job in Canada, and have the employer help her file the paperwork for a working visa. Because of the economy, finding a job was difficult, so she took a TESL certification course to teach English as a Second Language. She could not find a job teaching ESL in Vancouver, as they all wanted candidates with experience, so she looked overseas. She left Canada last week (one year after our official "dating" relationship started) to teach in South Korea to gain experience teaching so that upon her return in August 2010, she can find a job here. She also needed the income.
We did not know at the time that her visitor record could be renewed. I supported her financially and we lived together from January until August 2009 in my apartment. Her bank statements from the US are mailed here. We do not have any joint bank accounts.
Conundrum:
Knowing that we do not qualify for common-law status as we have not lived together for a continuous 12-month period, we have decided to put an application package for residency under the conjugal partner category in hopes that when she returns, she does not have to ask for another visitor record, but after reading this forum and other websites it seems as though it is unlikely for us to have our application accepted and approved as even though we have been in a relationship for over 12 months, we don't feel as though our circumstances for not being together are extreme enough to warrant a successful application (again, we thought that the immigration barrier with her 6 month visitor visa would be enough, not knowing that it could be renewed, and financially, we were finding it tough with my minimal income at the time and her inability to find a job in Canada).
The application is expensive for us and money is tight so I am wondering what you think. We would prefer to apply once, and have it approved the first time around. She has taken her medical exam, gotten her fingerprints/criminal record check in the US, and our proof of our relationship ready (photos, bills, airline tickets, hotel accommodation receipts, emails).
She does not seem to qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker category either.
I have not asked her to marry me, although we have talked about it and have it somewhat planned out. We plan on going back to Europe to do it in 2012, so we can go to London during the Olympics and in the meantime, save some money to make it memorable, but that's a long time for us to be waiting to sponsor her for residency.
Should we go through with the application? Do you have any advice for us? Thanks again!
