US Citizen with Canadian PR boyfriend- Needs advice!

[LAUS2018]

I (US Citizen) met my boyfriend (soulmate) 5 months ago while visiting Vancouver. He's English, receiving PR status any week now.

We have visited each other every 2 weeks over the course of our 5 months together. He's spent a week in Ohio with my family. I spent a week with him in Van. I also met his family during their visit to LA. Endless photographs and and amount of texting and chatting the would equate to 5-10 years of a relationship.

I have a college degree and have been a working professional in Marketing for the last 6 years. I understand work sponsorships are usually given to highly-skilled workers. I do not have managerial or director level title at my company but would be interested I knowing the likelihood of finding work sponsorships as a Marketing associate for a reputable company.

We plan to get engaged, marry and start a family in the next year or so. We've collectively decided the best option is for me to move to Vancouver. We are sure of our future together but would like to be under the same roof in Canada as early as Dec 2018. He'd like to buy a home for us to start our life together and is our dream to make that happen immediately.

Are we currently in any position to apply for outland sponsorship "Common-law" if we've only dated each other for 1/2 year and do not have shared property or leases?

As a US Citizen, I understand I can visit him in Canada for up to 6 months at a time without any visa. It would be great to be with him for up to 6 months (occasional weekends back to the states, trips to England) and begin our life together, spending the majority of my time with him, as a visitor in Canada.

I have family-friends in Bellingham that I would be able to move my belongings to, or move to my parents' home in Ohio for the time period I'm not visiting Canada.

Fortunately, my boyfriend has a steady job to support the both of us during my travels and the time-frame it would take to wait for spousal sponsorship approval. I would LOVE to be able to work, however I understand I would need PR before this happens.

I would like the most detailed feedback on this lifestyle/route and what we should be aware of if I decide to quit my job and be a Canadian traveler, as I may be visiting him/unemployed for a period of months. We just want to be with each other and start a family as soon as possible.

Should we expedite the engagement, get our marriage license and apply for Spousal sponsorship while I'm there visiting Canada (with residence in the US)?

Or are there any better options given our circumstance?

I appreciate the advice!!!

 

[zardoz]

I (US Citizen) met my boyfriend (soulmate) 5 months ago while visiting Vancouver. He's English, receiving PR status any week now.

We have visited each other every 2 weeks over the course of our 5 months together. He's spent a week in Ohio with my family. I spent a week with him in Van. I also met his family during their visit to LA. Endless photographs and and amount of texting and chatting the would equate to 5-10 years of a relationship.

I have a college degree and have been a working professional in Marketing for the last 6 years. I understand work sponsorships are usually given to highly-skilled workers. I do not have managerial or director level title at my company but would be interested I knowing the likelihood of finding work sponsorships as a Marketing associate for a reputable company.

We plan to get engaged, marry and start a family in the next year or so. We've collectively decided the best option is for me to move to Vancouver. We are sure of our future together but would like to be under the same roof in Canada as early as Dec 2018. He'd like to buy a home for us to start our life together and is our dream to make that happen immediately.

Are we currently in any position to apply for outland sponsorship "Common-law" if we've only dated each other for 1/2 year and do not have shared property or leases?

As a US Citizen, I understand I can visit him in Canada for up to 6 months at a time without any visa. It would be great to be with him for up to 6 months (occasional weekends back to the states, trips to England) and begin our life together, spending the majority of my time with him, as a visitor in Canada.

I have family-friends in Bellingham that I would be able to move my belongings to, or move to my parents' home in Ohio for the time period I'm not visiting Canada.

Fortunately, my boyfriend has a steady job to support the both of us during my travels and the time-frame it would take to wait for spousal sponsorship approval. I would LOVE to be able to work, however I understand I would need PR before this happens.

I would like the most detailed feedback on this lifestyle/route and what we should be aware of if I decide to quit my job and be a Canadian traveler, as I may be visiting him/unemployed for a period of months. We just want to be with each other and start a family as soon as possible.

Should we expedite the engagement, get our marriage license and apply for Spousal sponsorship while I'm there visiting Canada (with residence in the US)?

Or are there any better options given our circumstance?

I appreciate the advice!!!

Basically, you are not in an eligible relationship yet. Marry, or cohabit (actually live together as if married) for a minimum of 12 continuous months to qualify as common-law. Then discuss sponsorship... Alternatively, investigate Express Entry. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/come-canada-tool.html

 

[LAUS2018]

Basically, you are not in an eligible relationship yet. Marry, or cohabit (actually live together as if married) for a minimum of 12 continuous months to qualify as common-law. Then discuss sponsorship... Alternatively, investigate Express Entry. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/come-canada-tool.html

Thanks for replying!

So is living with him as a Canadian tourist with frequent visits to the states qualify as cohabitation?

Do we need to be married AND cohabit for 1 year before we can apply? Or can we cohabit (with me as a tourist/visitor) for a few months, marry and apply sooner than 1 year?

 

[np08]

If you get married, there's no cohabitation condition. If you decide to go common law, you would first need to live together for 12 months with very short and few periods apart (like if someone needs to leave on a business trip for a week or what have you) and you would need to be able to prove this cohabitation, with stuff such as rental agreements, bills in both your names that go to the same address, etc.

If you get married now, at not even 6 months of relationship, the application will be heavily scrutinized for sure due to the short amount of time you guys spent together before marrying. Not saying it's impossible, but it will for sure be more scrutinized.

You can apply outland (from outside of Canada) or inland (from inside Canada). Outland is usually much faster for Americans (we've seen Americans get a PR in under six months this way). If you apply inland, average processing is about a year and you can also send an application for an open work permit with your PR application. The work permit would be approved within three to four months, allowing you to work (and many other things a valid non-visitor status gives you, depending on the province - in Alberta this gave me a SIN, Alberta health coverage, ability to apply for a driver's licence, open bank accounts, etc) while you wait for the application to be processed.

Look around the forum for more threads with general tips and information on things like relationship proof and the like, and you could also search for other cases of very short relationships like yours to see how other couples dealt with it and how it went.

 

[andybc]

Given your professional work experience and your college degree the express entry program is your best bet.

Even though you are from the US an English language test is required upfront. On the plus side it will be a breeze for you and your score will likely be high enough to be invited to apply for PR.

 

[LAUS2018]

If you get married, there's no cohabitation condition. If you decide to go common law, you would first need to live together for 12 months with very short and few periods apart (like if someone needs to leave on a business trip for a week or what have you) and you would need to be able to prove this cohabitation, with stuff such as rental agreements, bills in both your names that go to the same address, etc.

If you get married now, at not even 6 months of relationship, the application will be heavily scrutinized for sure due to the short amount of time you guys spent together before marrying. Not saying it's impossible, but it will for sure be more scrutinized.

You can apply outland (from outside of Canada) or inland (from inside Canada). Outland is usually much faster for Americans (we've seen Americans get a PR in under six months this way). If you apply inland, average processing is about a year and you can also send an application for an open work permit with your PR application. The work permit would be approved within three to four months, allowing you to work (and many other things a valid non-visitor status gives you, depending on the province - in Alberta this gave me a SIN, Alberta health coverage, ability to apply for a driver's licence, open bank accounts, etc) while you wait for the application to be processed..

Thank you SO much for the detailed response!!

Our immediate goal is to be together, first and foremost. We want to start our forever together as soon as December or shortly thereafter. That would 8 months into our relationship. We know our future, want to start a family and we're not getting any younger.

I'm just trying to navigate what appears to be a "catch 22..." How do I cohabit with my partner and join bank accounts/leases if I don't have my own Canadian visa to live there? Is it legal or even possible to "cohabit" with me as a US tourist?

Let's say the answer to the above is yes, I move in with him in Dec as a tourist, I wouldn't be permitted to work so i'd be dependent on him for everything but with US health and the majority of my belongings at a US home address. Then let's say after cohabiting under these conditions for 4-5 months, we get married (after dating for 12+ mo) and apply for spousal sponsorship, is this considered an "inland" or "outland" application? Is "inland" if we're both independently Canadian residents? or generally speaking, can a US tourist apply "inland?"


Thank you so much!!!

 

[LAUS2018]

Given your professional work experience and your college degree the express entry program is your best bet.

Even though you are from the US an English language test is required upfront. On the plus side it will be a breeze for you and your score will likely be high enough to be invited to apply for PR.

Thank you for your response!!

I love this advice, and would be thrilled to be invited to apply for PR. I work for a globally recognized company and feel optimistic that Canada would love to have me independently from being partners with a Canadian PR.

But I have concerns: would this route delay our mutual goals of living together by December or soon after? Can I apply for the express entry invitation to apply - then quit my job and move in with him and start our life together (as a tourist) while I wait for this PR express entry process and hope for the best?

Thanks again, this has a been a world of help!

 

[np08]

Thank you SO much for the detailed response!!

Our immediate goal is to be together, first and foremost. We want to start our forever together as soon as December or shortly thereafter. That would 8 months into our relationship. We know our future, want to start a family and we're not getting any younger.

I'm just trying to navigate what appears to be a "catch 22..." How do I cohabit with my partner and join bank accounts/leases if I don't have my own Canadian visa to live there? Is it legal or even possible to "cohabit" with me as a US tourist?

Let's say the answer to the above is yes, I move in with him in Dec as a tourist, I wouldn't be permitted to work so i'd be dependent on him for everything but with US health and the majority of my belongings at a US home address. Then let's say after cohabiting under these conditions for 4-5 months, we get married (after dating for 12+ mo) and apply for spousal sponsorship, is this considered an "inland" or "outland" application? Is "inland" if we're both independently Canadian residents? or generally speaking, can a US tourist apply "inland?"


Thank you so much!!!

You can cohabit as a tourist, people do it all the time. People who want to go down the common law route usually extend their visitor status to another six months so they can have a continuous 12 months together for example. The rest comes down to what is possible in any given province, what the policies of different banks, renters, etc are.

My wife and I got married while I was a visitor and then we applied inland. I didn't need to prove cohabitation, but for other relationship proof and proof of address and the like, these were the things I was able to do as a visitor in Alberta: for the first six months, I had Alberta health coverage by way of being a spouse of a permanent resident (here you can add your spouse, but for no longer than six months - after that you need a different valid status which I got with my work permit), I was added to our house title (when she was still renting her apartment, we asked if I could be added too so that we're renting jointly, but they said they can't do that with visitors), I wasn't able to open bank accounts, but I was added as a supplementary user to her accounts and got my own supplementary credit card, I was able to have my name added to some utilities so that they were addressed to us both at our house address, my wife added me as a beneficiary of her insurance, I was on our family phone plan, and some other minor things.

So there are definitely things visitors can have and make happen.

If you get married, you don't need to cohabit for any amount of time. Once again, there's no cohabitation condition for that so you don't need to live together for 5 months, though in a short relationship like yours it would surely help. But, even without living together, you could just maintain your long distance relationship for another however many months before getting married, if you wanted to make the application stronger.

Inland means you're applying from within Canada, it means you will remain in Canada for the duration of the process (it's not advised for applicants to travel out of Canada while an inland application is processing), it means you can also apply for a work permit which you will get in 3-4 months so you can work while waiting for the application to be processed (and like listed in my previous post, get other stuff a work permit grants you), etc. You don't need any special status for it - you can apply inland as a tourist from within Canada. That's what I did and thousands of others (check out Inland threads on this forum, the 2018 and 2017 threads are the most active ones, usually on the front page of the forum.) The application would be processed in Mississauga, Ontario.

Outland means you're applying from outside of Canada. This means that, once the sponsor evaluation part is done, the application will be transferred to the local visa office of the applicant. For example, people applying from Ireland belong to the London VO, people applying from Croatia belong to the Vienna VO, people from the Philippines to the Manila VO, etc. If there is an interview required, the principal applicant will have to attend said interview at that VO where their case is being processed. Outland application means you can't apply for a work permit, however many people do visit their sponsors while the process is ongoing (easier for visa exempt people as those who need visas usually get refused for fear of overstaying). Outland American applications tend to be faster - like I said, we've seen many cases that went under 6 months.

Your relationship has the red flag of the short duration - it's possible that you may need an interview or they may ask for additional documents which could delay the process. It also may not happen. This all depends on how you prepare the application and how much proof you include, etc.

Lawyer fees for these tend to be in the thousands of dollars and they're not worth it in 99% of the cases. Most people here apply on their own, you just need to do your research and take your time. Read the guides, read the forum so you can get a good grasp of the basics. Lawyers are required when cases are really complicated, when there's a lack of English or French proficiency from the sponsor and applicant and the like.

 

[kcward7]

You can cohabit as a tourist, people do it all the time. People who want to go down the common law route usually extend their visitor status to another six months so they can have a continuous 12 months together for example. The rest comes down to what is possible in any given province, what the policies of different banks, renters, etc are.

My wife and I got married while I was a visitor and then we applied inland. I didn't need to prove cohabitation, but for other relationship proof and proof of address and the like, these were the things I was able to do as a visitor in Alberta: for the first six months, I had Alberta health coverage by way of being a spouse of a permanent resident (here you can add your spouse, but for no longer than six months - after that you need a different valid status which I got with my work permit), I was added to our house title (when she was still renting her apartment, we asked if I could be added too so that we're renting jointly, but they said they can't do that with visitors), I wasn't able to open bank accounts, but I was added as a supplementary user to her accounts and got my own supplementary credit card, I was able to have my name added to some utilities so that they were addressed to us both at our house address, my wife added me as a beneficiary of her insurance, I was on our family phone plan, and some other minor things.

So there are definitely things visitors can have and make happen.

If you get married, you don't need to cohabit for any amount of time. Once again, there's no cohabitation condition for that so you don't need to live together for 5 months, though in a short relationship like yours it would surely help. But, even without living together, you could just maintain your long distance relationship for another however many months before getting married, if you wanted to make the application stronger.

Inland means you're applying from within Canada, it means you will remain in Canada for the duration of the process (it's not advised for applicants to travel out of Canada while an inland application is processing), it means you can also apply for a work permit which you will get in 3-4 months so you can work while waiting for the application to be processed (and like listed in my previous post, get other stuff a work permit grants you), etc. You don't need any special status for it - you can apply inland as a tourist from within Canada. That's what I did and thousands of others (check out Inland threads on this forum, the 2018 and 2017 threads are the most active ones, usually on the front page of the forum.) The application would be processed in Mississauga, Ontario.

Outland means you're applying from outside of Canada. This means that, once the sponsor evaluation part is done, the application will be transferred to the local visa office of the applicant. For example, people applying from Ireland belong to the London VO, people applying from Croatia belong to the Vienna VO, people from the Philippines to the Manila VO, etc. If there is an interview required, the principal applicant will have to attend said interview at that VO where their case is being processed. Outland application means you can't apply for a work permit, however many people do visit their sponsors while the process is ongoing (easier for visa exempt people as those who need visas usually get refused for fear of overstaying). Outland American applications tend to be faster - like I said, we've seen many cases that went under 6 months.

Your relationship has the red flag of the short duration - it's possible that you may need an interview or they may ask for additional documents which could delay the process. It also may not happen. This all depends on how you prepare the application and how much proof you include, etc.

Lawyer fees for these tend to be in the thousands of dollars and they're not worth it in 99% of the cases. Most people here apply on their own, you just need to do your research and take your time. Read the guides, read the forum so you can get a good grasp of the basics. Lawyers are required when cases are really complicated, when there's a lack of English or French proficiency from the sponsor and applicant and the like.

Minor correction that you do not need to be outside Canada to apply outland.

 

[1887CAN]

You’ve received great advice so far, and as has been suggested, the quickest way to immigratie would probably be express entry. You’d be free to work for any company that will employ you, if you were approved. You’d also have PR status.

I doubt you’d be able to sponsored for a marketing position, as there’s plenty of marketing grads looking for work in Canada who are already PRs or citizens. Any company looking to sponsor you would have to prove they couldn’t find a qualified candidate already in Canada, and they’d likely struggle to do that.

For spousal/common law sponsorship, you’ve already been given comprehensive advice on that. A marriage this soon could be interpreted as a marriage of convenience, so be prepared for an interview. It’s not guaranteed of course, but IRCC may want to interview you both separately to check the relationship’s validity. If it’s genuine, you’ve nothing to fear.

You can move to Canada to accumulate time living together for common law status, but that’s entirely at the mercy of the CBSA officer at the PoE. A lot of people reference dual intent, Canada is one of the few countries that allows this. However, dual intent was designed to allow current common law, and already married spouses, to be together whilst an inland application is in progress or about to be submitted. It wasn’t there as a mechanism for people to become common law, and the CBSA have refused admission to people on these grounds. They’ve also allowed entry to people too, so swings and roundabouts... Either way, if you do decide to dual intent to gain common law, don’t lie. Never lie to the CBSA. They’re too good at this smelling ‘BS’ lark. You won’t win in a battle with them. Plenty of people have tried and failed to deceive them. My experience with the CBSA has always been great, I’ve always been honest, and they’ve been more than fair with me. A lot of people will attest to that. They’re decent people who want couples to be together, provided you’re honest!

As for your boyfriend, you mentioned that he’s about to become PR. As far as I’m aware, he would need to be a fully landed PR with a CoPR at the minimum, and a PR card in hand ideally, to be able to sponsor you. Someone else may be able to clarify for sure, but if he’s on a work permit or other temporary residence status currently, he wouldn’t be able to sponsor you. If you do get married that may be different, but he’d likely be a PR by that point anyway.

This place is a great source of help for people looking for advice. Ask away when you need it. Good luck, and I hope it all works out for you.

 

[LAUS2018]

You can cohabit as a tourist, people do it all the time. People who want to go down the common law route usually extend their visitor status to another six months so they can have a continuous 12 months together for example. The rest comes down to what is possible in any given province, what the policies of different banks, renters, etc are.

My wife and I got married while I was a visitor and then we applied inland. I didn't need to prove cohabitation, but for other relationship proof and proof of address and the like, these were the things I was able to do as a visitor in Alberta: for the first six months, I had Alberta health coverage by way of being a spouse of a permanent resident (here you can add your spouse, but for no longer than six months - after that you need a different valid status which I got with my work permit), I was added to our house title (when she was still renting her apartment, we asked if I could be added too so that we're renting jointly, but they said they can't do that with visitors), I wasn't able to open bank accounts, but I was added as a supplementary user to her accounts and got my own supplementary credit card, I was able to have my name added to some utilities so that they were addressed to us both at our house address, my wife added me as a beneficiary of her insurance, I was on our family phone plan, and some other minor things.

So there are definitely things visitors can have and make happen.

If you get married, you don't need to cohabit for any amount of time. Once again, there's no cohabitation condition for that so you don't need to live together for 5 months, though in a short relationship like yours it would surely help. But, even without living together, you could just maintain your long distance relationship for another however many months before getting married, if you wanted to make the application stronger.

Inland means you're applying from within Canada, it means you will remain in Canada for the duration of the process (it's not advised for applicants to travel out of Canada while an inland application is processing), it means you can also apply for a work permit which you will get in 3-4 months so you can work while waiting for the application to be processed (and like listed in my previous post, get other stuff a work permit grants you), etc. You don't need any special status for it - you can apply inland as a tourist from within Canada. That's what I did and thousands of others (check out Inland threads on this forum, the 2018 and 2017 threads are the most active ones, usually on the front page of the forum.) The application would be processed in Mississauga, Ontario.

Outland means you're applying from outside of Canada. This means that, once the sponsor evaluation part is done, the application will be transferred to the local visa office of the applicant. For example, people applying from Ireland belong to the London VO, people applying from Croatia belong to the Vienna VO, people from the Philippines to the Manila VO, etc. If there is an interview required, the principal applicant will have to attend said interview at that VO where their case is being processed. Outland application means you can't apply for a work permit, however many people do visit their sponsors while the process is ongoing (easier for visa exempt people as those who need visas usually get refused for fear of overstaying). Outland American applications tend to be faster - like I said, we've seen many cases that went under 6 months.

Your relationship has the red flag of the short duration - it's possible that you may need an interview or they may ask for additional documents which could delay the process. It also may not happen. This all depends on how you prepare the application and how much proof you include, etc.

Lawyer fees for these tend to be in the thousands of dollars and they're not worth it in 99% of the cases. Most people here apply on their own, you just need to do your research and take your time. Read the guides, read the forum so you can get a good grasp of the basics. Lawyers are required when cases are really complicated, when there's a lack of English or French proficiency from the sponsor and applicant and the like.

Thank you so very much!! This is all so incredibly helpful for us.

It appeals to me to live with him as a tourist, as his partner for a few months until we decide on marriage. Gather the proper proof we need for spousal sponsorship and opt for the outland route so that we both can travel in and out as we please. With family and weddings in other parts of the world, also being so close to the border I would not like the idea of not being able to leave Canada for the duration of the the inland application, even if I'm permitted to work.

So let's say I end my California lease in December, move all my belongings to my parents' house or with family-friends in Washington, quit my job and spend the majority of my days living in Canada with my boyfriend as a tourist. We get married months later and collect significant proof to apply for the sponsorship... can I apply and submit the app outland from my home in the States? Even if I'm spending most of my time with him in Canada? Do I need to physically be in the states at any particular time during this process? or some sort of proof, employment or heavy ties to my home in the States?

Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[LAUS2018]

You’ve received great advice so far, and as has been suggested, the quickest way to immigratie would probably be express entry. You’d be free to work for any company that will employ you, if you were approved. You’d also have PR status.

I doubt you’d be able to sponsored for a marketing position, as there’s plenty of marketing grads looking for work in Canada who are already PRs or citizens. Any company looking to sponsor you would have to prove they couldn’t find a qualified candidate already in Canada, and they’d likely struggle to do that.

For spousal/common law sponsorship, you’ve already been given comprehensive advice on that. A marriage this soon could be interpreted as a marriage of convenience, so be prepared for an interview. It’s not guaranteed of course, but IRCC may want to interview you both separately to check the relationship’s validity. If it’s genuine, you’ve nothing to fear.

You can move to Canada to accumulate time living together for common law status, but that’s entirely at the mercy of the CBSA officer at the PoE. A lot of people reference dual intent, Canada is one of the few countries that allows this. However, dual intent was designed to allow current common law, and already married spouses, to be together whilst an inland application is in progress or about to be submitted. It wasn’t there as a mechanism for people to become common law, and the CBSA have refused admission to people on these grounds. They’ve also allowed entry to people too, so swings and roundabouts... Either way, if you do decide to dual intent to gain common law, don’t lie. Never lie to the CBSA. They’re too good at this smelling ‘BS’ lark. You won’t win in a battle with them. Plenty of people have tried and failed to deceive them. My experience with the CBSA has always been great, I’ve always been honest, and they’ve been more than fair with me. A lot of people will attest to that. They’re decent people who want couples to be together, provided you’re honest!

As for your boyfriend, you mentioned that he’s about to become PR. As far as I’m aware, he would need to be a fully landed PR with a CoPR at the minimum, and a PR card in hand ideally, to be able to sponsor you. Someone else may be able to clarify for sure, but if he’s on a work permit or other temporary residence status currently, he wouldn’t be able to sponsor you. If you do get married that may be different, but he’d likely be a PR by that point anyway.

This place is a great source of help for people looking for advice. Ask away when you need it. Good luck, and I hope it all works out for you.

Thank you so much!!

 

[1887CAN]

Thank you so very much!! This is all so incredibly helpful for us.

It appeals to me to live with him as a tourist, as his partner for a few months until we decide on marriage. Gather the proper proof we need for spousal sponsorship and opt for the outland route so that we both can travel in and out as we please. With family and weddings in other parts of the world, also being so close to the border I would not like the idea of not being able to leave Canada for the duration of the the inland application, even if I'm permitted to work.

So let's say I end my California lease in December, move all my belongings to my parents' house or with family-friends in Washington, quit my job and spend the majority of my days living in Canada with my boyfriend as a tourist. We get married months later and collect significant proof to apply for the sponsorship... can I apply and submit the app outland from my home in the States? Even if I'm spending most of my time with him in Canada? Do I need to physically be in the states at any particular time during this process? or some sort of proof, employment or heavy ties to my home in the States?

Thank you thank you thank you!

There’s bound to be a US citizen on here who’s actually done what you plan, so that’ll be the best advice you can get. In the meantime, I’d say that your biggest challenge is your first entry to Canada after you’ve quiet your job, as you’ll be asked to prove your ties to the US. If you can’t demonstrate sufficient ties, no job and no home, etc, you could be refused admission, as the CBSA could be concerned about over staying and the fact that visitor status is supposed to be for visiting, not living with our partner. None of this is guaranteed, and plenty of people have been honest and been allowed entry without any issues. But be prepared for questioning in secondary inspection. Once you’re in Canada, extending your status is fairly straightforward and applying for PR is too. If you’re refused admission, it’d be an ouland application as your only option.

And as for an outland application whilst living in Canada, you're absolutely able to do so. As a US citizen it’d be way quicker for you too. If you were requested to attend an interview, you’d need to do so in the US.

 

[np08]

There’s bound to be a US citizen on here who’s actually done what you plan, so that’ll be the best advice you can get. In the meantime, I’d say that your biggest challenge is your first entry to Canada after you’ve quiet your job, as you’ll be asked to prove your ties to the US. If you can’t demonstrate sufficient ties, no job and no home, etc, you could be refused admission, as the CBSA could be concerned about over staying and the fact that visitor status is supposed to be for visiting, not living with our partner. None of this is guaranteed, and plenty of people have been honest and been allowed entry without any issues. But be prepared for questioning in secondary inspection. Once you’re in Canada, extending your status is fairly straightforward and applying for PR is too. If you’re refused admission, it’d be an ouland application as your only option.

And as for an outland application whilst living in Canada, you're absolutely able to do so. As a US citizen it’d be way quicker for you too. If you were requested to attend an interview, you’d need to do so in the US.

I also believe that they would mail things to her American address? Like the PR card and whatnot?

I'm not sure though, but yeah, there's a lot of Americans who have done it that way here so definitely look into it. Or even post a separate thread with it in the title.

 

[Jazzercise]

There’s bound to be a US citizen on here who’s actually done what you plan, so that’ll be the best advice you can get. In the meantime, I’d say that your biggest challenge is your first entry to Canada after you’ve quiet your job, as you’ll be asked to prove your ties to the US. If you can’t demonstrate sufficient ties, no job and no home, etc, you could be refused admission, as the CBSA could be concerned about over staying and the fact that visitor status is supposed to be for visiting, not living with our partner. None of this is guaranteed, and plenty of people have been honest and been allowed entry without any issues. But be prepared for questioning in secondary inspection. Once you’re in Canada, extending your status is fairly straightforward and applying for PR is too. If you’re refused admission, it’d be an ouland application as your only option.

And as for an outland application whilst living in Canada, you're absolutely able to do so. As a US citizen it’d be way quicker for you too. If you were requested to attend an interview, you’d need to do so in the US.

The advice given regarding your best route is pretty much spot on. In the end, it's whatever it is that works best for meeting you and your partner's wishes and needs. After assessing those requirements, you can build your "case" from there.

As far as getting through CBSA, of course don't assume you'll be allowed into the country, but also don't worry too much about it even if you aren't working anymore. They might not even ask. Having crossed many times as a US citizen -- both via air and land -- pretty much all of my experiences crossing have been uneventful. One time when my spouse and I were crossing by car, we were both given the runaround, but that was because we got the wrong officer (our line was very slow, and it was because the officer was hassling pretty much everyone... all other lines were going much quicker). Despite the runaround, we didn't even have to go to second inspection. The first time I came to visit my wife (then girlfriend), the officer at the airport asked what I did for a living and for proof of a return flight (which I had). I didn't have my itinerary printed out, so I had to fumble through my phone and email. The officer took my phone and clearly started thumbing through my email, which proved I had a return flight and was a grad student (school messages galore). Then she let me through and resumed berating Asian tourists. Those were my worst experiences with CBSA. For Americans they usually ask very basic questions and don't bother for proof. Hell, there were two times where I was basically waived through without a word once they saw my US passport. So, basically, it all depends on the CBSA person you get, but know that as a US citizen, you're probably not going to get the runaround. Answer their questions succinctly and try to not give them anything to latch on to and question.