Visa extension and open work permit

[Chinook1]

Hello everyone,

I have some questions concerning my common-law's permanent resident application and thought I would use this forum to get some help.

Here is our background information:
My girlfriend is from Argentina and on August 15, 2013, while in Canada on a Tourist visa, we applier for her permanent residency (i.e. inland application). So far, the only news I have received is that I was accepted as the sponsor.

My question is how to apply for both a visa extension and open work permit. Do I need to complete both applications and pay for both and then send all documents together? Do I need to clarify what I am doing (and if so how) or will they understand what I am doing. Also, I am not sure what I need to fill out for the "Details of Visit to Canada" (i.e. Purpose of Visit and how long I intend to stay).

Thanks for your help!

 

[QuebecOkie]

I'm a little bit confused. Did you apply outland or inland? You said you applied inland. If you applied outland, having received sponsor approval makes sense. If you applied inland, I'm pretty sure there's no way you could have received sponsor approval yet (maybe AOR, acknowledgement of receipt, but AIP/stage one approval is taking around 11 months right now).

To extend her visitor status, you can do that online through the CIC website. Start here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp. On ours, we stated that we had an inland spousal sponsorship PR application in progress, and I wished to remain with my husband while that was being processed. (Asked for and received a one-year extension.) I notice that Argentina is not visa exempt, but it appears from the website that the extension process is the same for visa exempt and non-visa exempt countries. Hopefully others will stop in and correct me if I'm wrong.

You'll need to submit the OWP application by paper/mail. I believe you need to write along the top of it, "HOLD FOR PR AIP," or something to that effect. Again, hopefully others will contribute more detail.

 

[Chinook1]

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes my Argentinian girlfriend applied here in Canada, while on a tourist visa. I received and email that I was accepted as a sponsor a month after the application was sent. It does say 11 month initial assessment time on the website but I did get a confirmation email. So for the application what exact dates and purpose did you put in for the visa extension. It does not let you continue if you do not fill the space and it does not give you room for explaining your situation just a list of options for purpose of stay and dates to choose from.

 

[Tomorisu]

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes my Argentinian girlfriend applied here in Canada, while on a tourist visa. I received and email that I was accepted as a sponsor a month after the application was sent. It does say 11 month initial assessment time on the website but I did get a confirmation email. So for the application what exact dates and purpose did you put in for the visa extension. It does not let you continue if you do not fill the space and it does not give you room for explaining your situation just a list of options for purpose of stay and dates to choose from.

May I ask you? Did you send your application to Vegreville or Mississauga?

The e-mail you received is like this? If yes, it's AOR. Not AIP(Approval In Principal)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UCI: XXXXXXXX (<- 8 numbers)
Application No.: FXXXXXXXXX (<- alphabet + 9 numbers)
Quote these numbers when corresponding with our office.
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
Dear YOUR NAME,
This confirms that your application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class has been received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on 2013/MM/DD on behalf of the following member(s):
YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S NAME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did she also receive e-mail from CIC?

 

[Chinook1]

yes you are right. It is a confirmation that they received the application only. Sorry for that.

 

[QuebecOkie]

I believe there is an "other" option, that lets you fill in a small amount of detail? (Trying to remember, don't have any copies of that since we did it online.) I know we were able to add the information that we wished to extend my visitor status so I could stay while my inland PR application was processed.

I asked for a year. My visitor status was going to expire January 19, 2013. We did the request in early December 2012. I requested an extension through December 31, 2013.

(No worries on the AOR/AIP thing. I was just trying to clarify, as already having sponsorship approval would have made it seem you filed outland. A lot of people get confused about details, and there are different answers to questions based on inland or outland applications.)