US to Canada Sposual

[alexmaple]

Hello,

quick background,

I live in the US with my partner. I am from Canada, and she is from the US. We are planning to get married soon, and at the same time, now we are considering moving to Canada. (nothing to do with trump, just would be better for us for work and family; her family is not far from border.)

Anyway, if I choose to sponsor her through family sponsorship, and we get approved, how long can till we can move into Canada? Am I allowed to sponsor her when we're both living outside of Canada?
Current wait time according to CIC website says 17 months until she would get PR. But I want to know is when I'm approved for sponsorship, can we then move (how long is that wait?) and she can get an open work permit? or do we have to wait the 17 months until shes approved for PR to move?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time,

-Alex.

 

[MilesAway]

You should definitely apply outland, and that's the only option if you are both outside of Canada. As a Canadian, you can sponsor her while you are residing in the US. You will need to prove your intent to reside in Canada once her PR is approved.

US applicants are going through in about 4-8 months at the moment. The timeline posted of 17 months is useless. There is no open work permit with outland applications. She can come to Canada as a visitor while the application is in process.

For a better idea of timelines, check out the US applicants thread and the CPP Ottawa thread.

 

[alexmaple]

Hello miles away, thanks for your response,

so once the application is in, there is no way for her to get a work permit until its fully approved (4-8 months you say) and she gets permit residency through my sponsorship?
If we file, then I move back to Canada early, she can't get a work permit of any sort till she can move in as a PR?

 

[scylla]

Hello miles away, thanks for your response,

so once the application is in, there is no way for her to get a work permit until its fully approved (4-8 months you say) and she gets permit residency through my sponsorship?
If we file, then I move back to Canada early, she can't get a work permit of any sort till she can move in as a PR?

Agreed you should apply outland. She won't qualify for a work permit through the spousal sponsorship application or through you.

If she wants to work before she has PR, then at a minimum she will need a full time job offer from an employer in Canada in order to qualify for a work permit. If the job falls under NAFTA, then only the job offer is needed to get a work permit. If the job does not qualify under NAFTA, then she will need an approved LMIA from the employer in addition to the job offer.

 

[alexmaple]

Thank you scylla

a problem we are just having is that how can you move to Canada and get a work permit without a job offer?

seems impossible, but there are thousands of immigrants moving to Canada all the time. She has had job interviews, then when they ask when she can work, she says 3 months (how long it takes for a permit) and then they decline because that takes too long.

I think we are just going to apply for outland, and hope it only takes 8 months, then we can move to Canada together and hopefully she'll have an easier time getting hired as a PR.

Just want to move back to my northern homeland.

 

[scylla]

She has had job interviews, then when they ask when she can work, she says 3 months (how long it takes for a permit) and then they decline because that takes too long.

It's only three months if her occupation falls under NAFTA. If her occupation doesn't fall under NAFTA - then you're looking probably looking at 6+ months once you factor in the LMIA processing time.

The short answer is that most employers aren't willing to go through the process of hiring a foreign worker because of the time and paperwork it takes.

I think your plan of sponsoring her outland and returning once the application has been approved is the smartest way to go.

 

[CDNPR2014]

I think we are just going to apply for outland, and hope it only takes 8 months, then we can move to Canada together and hopefully she'll have an easier time getting hired as a PR.

currently us applicants are getting approved in 4-6 months, so unless there are significant red flags in your application, she will for sure be approved before you realize it. i would recommend checking out the ottawa visa office thread (this is where us applicants are processed) and the us applicant thread to see how quickly people are getting approved right now.

 

[Zake424]

Alexmaple - My application took 5 months. I'm a US citizen and my husband is Canadian. Make sure your partner applies for her FBI background check asap. It takes about 3 months to get the report back. Also, have her do the medical exam upfront before filing the application. If you send in the application with everything completed then you shouldn't have any problems with her getting PR within 5-7 months.

 

[alexmaple]

Does it raise a red flag that we apply for spousal-sponsorship right after we get married? Will it look suspicious if its just a court-house wedding?

 

[Aquakitty]

Does it raise a red flag that we apply for spousal-sponsorship right after we get married? Will it look suspicious if its just a court-house wedding?

Not for an American.