Want to move to Canada with my Japanese girlfriend.

[Splistic]

I've got a million questions. And it's hard to find answers. The Canadian Immigration folks are not so candid.

So I'll start with a few case specific questions that I hope won't take 28 days or no reply means the information is elsewhere.

I'm a Canadian citizen. I've been living and working in Japan for 5 years now. I'm dating a Japanese girl and want to marry her eventually. I was hoping it would be on our time, but I'm ready to move back to Canada, she's ready to go with me and visa options seem a little limited. She can't get a job in Canada yet. English ability and networking is not there. We could get married here and apply for PR and I could sponsor her. But in the meantime, I want her back in Canada with me.

Where do I go from here?

But wait, she just came back to Japan early from a study visa in Vancouver because we couldn't stand to be apart anymore. We plan to move to Ontario together. The visa is still valid until April 2013 and we plan to move late July 2013. Whether we get married and apply for PR or she applies for a visitor visa, should we be filling out a new visa application or a change of visa application? We plan to send it in before April, since it takes so long.

If anyone has experience on which visa might be better or which I should avoid, your advice is ridiculously welcome.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

If I'm missing any vital info that would grant me better responses, please let me know as I'm a totally noob to this forum.

 

[amikety]

Your girlfriend is visa exempt, so there's a pretty good chance she'll be allowed into Canada as a visitor and she can stay with you. She could take ESL classes IF they are less than six months in duration as a visitor. She doesn't need a visitor's visa (unless her passport isn't Japanese or there's another issue that would effect her admissibility to Canada).

Have you been living together? If so, you can apply as common-law and still get married later, on your own timeline

It would be best if she comes into Canada with you, but not mandatory. If you come together, just tell the IO you want her to come visit your family so they can meet her. You can ask for a Visitor's Record if you like - it's a slight upgrade from the passport stamp. It's an official piece of paper for her - and she may need it to open bank accounts. (I needed mine, but I also applied solely.)

If you've been living together, you could also apply to sponsor her as common-law and move back to Canada. Or you could do the quick civil marriage for now, then a more formal ceremony later (this is quite common). If you haven't been living together, then marriage or live together for a year in Canada to apply for PR.

She won't be able to work, but she can look for a job. A job needs to offer a LMO (Labour Market Opinion) so she can apply for a work permit. Because she speaks Japanese, she could check into different restaurants, but don't get your hopes up here. LMO jobs aren't that common, especially for the number of people in and outside of Canada seeking them. (Been looking 18 months now.)

Anyway, no visitor visa. She shouldn't need one if her passport is Japanese. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/visit/visas.asp). No need to worry about the study permit either. In fact, all it does is show she's not overstayed a previous visa.

Once she's here, she can apply online to extend her VR. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp) She can do this whether she enters on just her passport or gets a VR at entry. She'll need to show she has enough money to visit in Canada (I use my husband's paystubs) and copies of her passport. My newest VR is valid for 13 months.

If you've started the PR process when you return to Canada, you can bring proof, such as receipt of fees paid. That will show immigration you're serious about getting her a PR, so she can work legally and won't overstay. This isn't a requirement as many of us have entered Canada, some dozens of times, before PR was ever considered. (There's a lot of Americans and Brits here, we're all visa exempt too.)

I think my best advice for entering Canada is to try to enter together, then you can do the talking. Since you're the Canadian, it helps.

 

[Splistic]

Thank you for your quick response!

We are not common law. But. We plan to get married soon to make the immigration process easier. We would've gotten married anyway, but in a year or a year and a half. It's hard to know if she'd be able to stay in the county with me that long and then we'd be waiting on permanent residency after that. Best to get the ball rolling.

She will come to Canada at the same time as me. We plan to apply for a sponsored PR visa soon. (By April) can she also apply for her visitor visa even though she's applying for the PR visa? I want as much security that she can stay with me as possible. So rather than being at the discretion of an immigration officer in the airport, thought it would be better to apply beforehand.

Is there a chance she can get a visitor visa longer than six months to start? Or could she only get a longer one (like your 13 month one) on an extension?

Finally, a totally new question. Before she gets PR, she won't have any health insurance in Canada. Do most people in this situation get some sort of travel insurance? Or are there other options within Canada?

Your information and advice was very helpful. Thanks again!

 

[scylla]

can she also apply for her visitor visa even though she's applying for the PR visa? I want as much security that she can stay with me as possible. So rather than being at the discretion of an immigration officer in the airport, thought it would be better to apply beforehand.

Even if she has a visitor visa, whether she is allowed into Canada and for how long will still be at the discretion of the immigration officer. A visitor visa doesn't guarantee entry.

 

[scylla]

Finally, a totally new question. Before she gets PR, she won't have any health insurance in Canada. Do most people in this situation get some sort of travel insurance? Or are there other options within Canada?

She should purchase travel insurance before she comes to Canada so that she has coverage in the case of an emergency.

 

[amikety]

First, it isn't a visitor visa. It's a different document called a Visitor's Record. She's visa exempt, as am I. If she holds a Japanese passport, she does not need a visa to enter Canada.

If you're married (with proof) and bring proof you've begun the PR application process, such as receipt for fees paid, you can ask for a Visitor's Record. There's a pretty good chance you will get one. If you do, I would ask for a reasonable amount of time. Such as average processing time for your VO (I'm not sure which you'd use) plus a few months to complete the application and a month or two buffer. That's how I added mine up and got it approved.

The health insurance depends on where you live in Canada and if you're married. Ontario, I believe, requires the normal 3 month waiting period and Stage 1 approval before it would extend healthcare to a visiting spouse. She'll definitely need travel insurance at first. As long as you treat it like emergency insurance and make sure she would be covered by auto insurance in case of an auto accident, you should be able to get something fairly inexpensive.

 

[Splistic]

I see!

Didn't realize that the visa wouldn't guarantee entrance.

I'll definitely bring evidence we're married. Thank you.

We'll get her some insurance before we go. Great information. Thank you very much!

 

[steerpike]

If there is the possibility of having a baby, make sure the insurance covers that (most insurance will NOT) because if she has a baby before her PR gets to stage 1 she will not be covered.