A few questions.

[Bethylynn]

My boyfriend is planning to come to Canada... and I am a bit confused on pretty much all of it. I know he can stay here up to 6 months, but can he stay longer? and when can he apply for citizinship? Also. if we decided to get married, can I sponsor him and what are the requirments to do so? I don't have a job. I take care of my daughter who is 1. Does this effect anything? And If I were to sponsor him how long does the processing times take and does he have to go back to America while it's being processed?

 

[scylla]

He can stay longer than six months if he applies for an extension to his visit and is approved.

As for citizenship, he cannot apply for citizenship unless he becomes a permanent resident first. To become a permanent resident, he either needs to be sponsored - or he needs to qualify on his own as a skilled worker or investor.

If you would like to sponsor him, you should either be married or common law (common law means that you have been living together for at least a year). From a financial standpoint, you don't have to have a job to sponsor him - however you cannot be on welfare or bankrupt.

I would suggest you do some reading here to familiarize yourself with the immigration process. It's not short - and it's complex.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

Also, read the first post in this thread. It has a great deal of useful info:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html

 

[Bethylynn]

So I am on welfare that means I cannot sponsor him, Can a family member of mine sponsor him?

 

[scylla]

No - unfortunately your family members cannot sponsor him. And as long as you are on welfare, you won't be able to sponsor him either.

Since he doesn't qualify under family class, he should start looking at how he can qualify for immigration independently.

Information about the federal skilled worker immigration class is here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp

He may also want to look at provincial nomination (as a skilled worker):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/index.asp

 

[Bethylynn]

He does not have a profession in anything. He just has a full time job right now saving up money to come here.

I'm still incredibly confused as I know people who come here and get to live here and just work anywhere they can find work.

They come here and flip burgers, I don't understand this skilled worker stuff.

 

[scylla]

It's difficult to say how these people came here without more details.

They could have immigrated as skilled workers - but are now working unskilled jobs (e.g. flipping burgers).

They could have immigrated through family class (e.g. sponsored by their spouse).

They may be here working temporarily (i.e. the obtained a work permit through a job offer from an employer in Canada who successfully completed the Labour Market Opinion process).

Or they may be working illegally.

In general, it's quite difficult to immigrate as an unskilled worker unless you're being sponsored through family class (e.g. by your spouse).

 

[Bethylynn]

I was hoping for good news throughout this but it looks as if he cannot come here now.

Thank you for your help on the information.

 

[scylla]

Can he find someone here who is willing to hire him? This may open up a few options.

 

[Bethylynn]

I know people personally who can hire him at a job. Does this count?

 

[Bethylynn]

Or did you mean in America?

 

[scylla]

No - in Canada.

If someone is willing to offer him a job here in Canada - that's step one.

Step two is that the employer has to successfully complete the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) process. This is easier said that done and LMOs are sometimes turned down. More information about the LMO process is here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers/lmo-basics.asp#tphp idtphp

Finally, if the LMO is successful, your boyfriend can then apply for a work permit. The work permit won't allow him to immigrate permanently. However at least it will give him temporary status in Canada and allow him to figure out next steps for becoming a permanent resident.

 

[Bethylynn]

Okay that's what I wanted to know and I fully understand now. You were really helpful to us and I thank you for that. We're going to start getting things figured out

 

[Leon]

If he is a burger flipper and comes on a work permit as one, it would limit his immigration options but if he were able to become a shift manager and get a new work permit to reflect that, he would already be a skilled person and would have more options to immigrate, be sponsored by the employer for example. What is his line of work?