dominico said:
do we apply for her visitor visa once we get to the border and then apply for citizenship after?
There is no "visitor visa" for Americans visiting Canada because they are visa-exempt. Normally Americans are allowed a visit of 6 months as long as they can convince the officer that they won't work illegally and that they will return at the end the the authorization period (plus are not criminals, etc.).
If the visa officer has doubts about the vistor's intentions to stay permanently, they will be issued a "visitor record" that must be surrendered by the leave by date. It's possible to apply for an extension to a vistor record and any other entry into Canada.
This is all to get a Permanent Resident (PR) card. You need to live in Canada for 2 or 3(?) years as a PR before you can actually apply for citizenship.
(outland im assuming, so she can still cross back and forth between us/canada)
You can cross back and forth, but until she becomes a permanent resident, she will have to prove each time that her stay is temporary, that someone (herself or you) will support her without her working, etc. As long as the PR has not been granted, she can only stay as a visitor. They will want to know that she has sufficient ties to the U.S. that she is willing and able to return there immediately if the PR were to be denied, and that she would do that and not prefer to stay in Canada illegally with you. Obviously, it can be difficult to prove that your new wife has stronger ties to the U.S. and a home/job/property there than to you in Canada. Nevertheless, Canada allows "dual intent". It is perfectly legal to intend to move to Canada permanently and to at the same time apply to enter Canada temporarily. Normally, they will allow a person to remain in Canada while a PR application is in progress, providing the applicant won't work, will return at the end of the visit, etc. Every time the applicant leaves Canada during the process, there is some chance that she won't be allowed to return.
what about her belongings (clothing, furniture ect...) can we bring that into canada?
No, you absolutely can't do this as a visitor. The border officer will definitely think she is coming permanently if she does this and will more than likely refuse her entry. In addition, it is possible that she could be barred from entering Canada for 1 or 2 years if they suspect any intentions to illegally immigrate.
The best thing is to leave furniture, etc. in storage at a relative's or in a storage locker in the U.S. until PR is granted. The entire process usually takes 6 to 12 months once you submit the paperwork (though it can be much shorter or much longer in individual cases). Some people spend months getting the paperwork prepared, though it takes a bit more effort if you have a common law relationship than with a marriage. Still, they want to be assured that your marriage was not entered into solely for immigration purposes. You usually have to submit documents showing how your relationship developed before the marriage and you will at least require pictures of the wedding and the wedding guests and well as pictures of the honeymoon or an explanation if you're not having a honeymoon. You might also include a copy of the wedding invitation, copies of receipts for the catering of a reception, and that sort of thing.
do her medicals and criminal checks have to be done before in the us, or once we get to canada?
She needs a criminal check from the FBI for sure, and may or may not need state clearances. The FBI is very slow (8 to 12 weeks) so you might consider applying for that early. Some people have been told that their fingerprints are not clear enough and needed to wait another 8 weeks for a second request. When you do get the clearance from the FBI you have only 3 months to get it to Citizenship and Imigration Canada (CIC). They probably won't accept it if it is too old (over 3 months old).
The medicals can be done either in Canada or in the U.S., but the prices in Canada can be as little as half what they are in the U.S., and there are often more conveniently located facilities in Canada.
Be sure to read everything that was linked in the previous message. This is also very helpful:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html I'm sure I just typed what is probably in an FAQ somewhere. Ask if you have more questions.
