My situation may have changed and looking for guidance:
I am American, been in Canada 5 months as a tourist, getting married to a Canadian next month. We were originally planning to apply for PR via spousal sponsorship right after that. I am now wondering if I need to do this, the reason being that we are planning to move to the US sometime late next year.
I read a lot on another thread about apps getting rejected if you don't seem to really have intent to stay here permanently. We really wanted to live in both- a couple years here, couple years or so in the US, and maybe back again. But I'd think that'd be hard to show.
We'd rather put the time & money towards my partner's US paperwork if we don't actually need PR for me (we assumed we did in order for me to stay), but this is dependent on visa extensions (questions below).
My questions:
I am applying for a one year visa extension right now since mine runs out days before our wedding next month. I assumed that this extension PLUS proof of having submitted a PR app would be enough to get me in and out of the border over the next year (leaving for honeymoon, travel, etc). This is because I know I lose Implied Status for my PR app once I leave the country, so the visa is necessary.
1) Does anyone have experience with not only staying here on such a long visa extension but coming & going with ONLY a visa extension and no proof of a submitted PR app? I could always say we are working on it, but is that enough? Is that even necessary?
2) I understand that a first extension is very common and easy for Americans to get, even for a year. Does anyone have experience with a second extension for at least a few months? The only way this plan of not applying for PR would work is if I could get a second extension to carry me through our time til moving late next year.
I reallllly appreciate the help. We've been working on all of this for weeks, but if we can skip PR for me and start instead on PR for her (the other way) it would save so much time & money!
[I edited this after finding out from another member that time w/ my Canadian spouse spent outside Canada DOES count towards my RO, which was another issue, now solved.]