Visiting my partner/Sponsorship from Philippines

[Anne16]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice about my situation...
Well, my name is Anne. I'm from Philippines.

Around 10 months ago I met my boyfriend through an online forum. He is from Canada, working in construction. Me, I work as a call center representative here in Manilla.

We have become very close, even though we live far away from each other. He came to visit me last September to meet me.It's really hard for couples to be away from each other...We are very serious about each other.

We decided we want to try living together in Canada. But first, I'd like to go there for a vacation to see it. We both want to be sure about it before committing..

I'm starting to work on my papers, i.e. getting a passport. We don't know what we should do next for me to go there for a vacation. Some people I read online here said that this vacation visa is very hard to get permission for people in my situation..Please if someone could advise or help us, any suggestions?

I want to visit him. And if all goes well, we want to work on how can I stay with him for good. He will sponsor me.
I don't know what are the requirements for this? For him as my sponsor and me as the applicant..

Thanks in advance!

 

[canadianwoman]

For you to get a TRV (a visitor visa) to Canada, you have to prove that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay. You must show proof such as: proof you have a job; a letter from your boss giving you a specific time for vacation, and stating you are expected back; a return ticket with a specific date; proof of bank accounts, investments, etc.; a lease or mortgage or proof of ownership of property; and so on. Anything that shows you will come back to the Philippines will help. If you don't have all of the above, you at least have a job, which will help.

 

[Rob_TO]

If you have never travelled internationally before, there's a very high chance Canada will reject your TRV travel visa request. You will need to show exceptional ties to Philippines to conveince them you'll return afterwards (i.e. full time job or schooling in process, home or car lease/ownership, etc).

In order for him to ever sponsor you for PR, you must be common-law (having lived together 12 continuous months) or married.

 

[djein]

If you don't have any ties to the Philippines like a business or a house or even a child then it is incredibly hard to get a tourist visa to Canada to visit a loved one. My gf, and then wife, was unable to visit me during the last 2 years of our relationship and has even been denied study permits in Canada solely based upon the fact they won't believe she will leave at the end of the stay. I am not saying its impossible but unless you can prove rock hard ties in the Philippines its quite difficult. My wife also was a call center agent for the U.S embassy but did not own a house or land, nor have a child, or own a business. Wish you the best of luck in reuniting with your loved one.

 

[Anne16]

Thanks so much for your replies so far. It's disappointing that things are hard for me to visit my boyfriend and see Canada.
We will apply for a visitor visa, but I'm not hopeful of success based on the info in your replies. Even though I have a good steady job here in Manilla for the last 8 years (with the same employer), I do not own property or any business..
Hopefully my boyfriend can visit me here again in the meantime.

I have done some research on our other options:

We've been in a relationship for almost a year. I'm wondering if we would possibly qualify for sponsorship next year based on us being conjugal partners...

As per the CIC website...
This means :

"conjugal partner means, in relation to a sponsor, a foreign national residing outside Canada who is in a conjugal relationship with the sponsor and has been in that relationship for a period of at least one year. (partenaire conjugal)"

"Conjugal partner:A person outside Canada who has had a binding relationship with a sponsor for at least one year, but could not live with their partner. Includes both opposite- and same-sex relationships. See section 2 of the IRPR for the legal definition.

The requirements are :

PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP TO SPONSOR

If you are being sponsored by your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, you must

submit evidence of the relationship between you and your sponsor such as:

• wedding photos or proof that you are partners

• photos of yourself and your sponsor together (old and new)

• card/letters with postmarked envelopes

• e-mails

• telephone bills reflecting the calls made between yourself and your sponsor (phone cards which do not identify the caller or the number called do not constitute credible evidence of contact and should not be submitted)

• remittance slips

• proof of your visits to each other such as airline ticket coupons, boarding passes, copies of

pages of your passports showing entry/exit stamps."

We can provide these. I'm wondering if this is possible for us?
Any opinions?

Thanks again for the replies

 

[profiler]

You cross-posted this. In the other thread with virtually the same name, scylla and myself also answered:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/visiting-my-partnersponsorship-from-philippines-t465740.0.html

 

[Anne16]

So sorry about the confusion..

To answer your question, no I haven't visited another country not do I have funds to visit somewhere like Europe just to prove I can leave and return.

I think we can maybe qualify as conjugal. We want to be together but can't. Thats my opinion from reading the CIC info

 

[profiler]

So sorry about the confusion..

To answer your question, no I haven't visited another country not do I have funds to visit somewhere like Europe just to prove I can leave and return.

I think we can maybe qualify as conjugal. We want to be together but can't. Thats my opinion from reading the CIC info

Is there some barrier other than a job or physical location that would permit you from living together? If not, then your conjugal application will be refused.

 

[Anne16]

Sorry..maybe I misunderstand but.. yes there is a barrier. The barrier of why we can't live together at the moment is because I can't just go and live in Canada and we can't realisically live here in Manilla

 

[Anne16]

Sorry there is no other barrier

 

[Anne16]

It seems that the only way to enter Canada to live and work with my partner is to get married first..

 

[profiler]

Can you freely marry? Can he?

Conjugal partners in the eyes of CIC are for people who have serious problems (in the Philippenes, divorce is not permitted, for example; or in some states, same-sex couples are forbidden). That's the type of barrier that conjugal class was introduced to over-come. It's nearly impossible to be classified under the conjugal class, as they will point out that you could over-come your "barrier" by visiting Europe, or he could move there. So, I am no expert/lawyer/consultant, but from what I do understand, there is no barrier here. Scylla pointed this out to you in the other thread.

 

[Anne16]

There is nothing to stop us getting married.
We would prefer though to do what most couples do - live with each other for a little while first before taking the huge step of getting married. But that seems impossible in our situation by the sounds of it. Unless he comes to live here..which is financially not possible for him.

 

[profiler]

There is nothing to stop us getting married.
We would prefer though to do what most couples do - live with each other for a little while first before taking the huge step of getting married. But that seems impossible in our situation by the sounds of it. Unless he comes to live here..which is financially not possible for him.

Then you need to prove compliance and "visit" him. Conjugal will be refused and you'll just waste that money, because it won't be returned. Frankly, I bet it would cost less and be more effective for you to go on a short trip to be honest. If you did this, and you "visited" him once you get a visitor visa, then you can extend your stay ( http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp ), then file for a PR after a year.

 

[Anne16]

Thanks. I'd consider that, but according to the info I'm reading from other posters, I won't even be able to visit him without first owning property or a business etc as concrete proof I would return to Philippines..
Maybe you're again suggesting that we take a trip together to Europe or somewhere first and then applying for a visitor visa?