Advice for extending my girlfriend's visa - or other options.

[yanoz]

Hello folks, I just found this site and have started to read and learn everything I can about my situation and have to say that this is an excellent resource full of good info and helpful people!

Some background. I met my girlfriend on her previous visit to Canada. She returned to China and has since come back to Canada on a visitors visa which has just over 4 months remaining. I am a Canadian citizen, born and raised here in Ontario. Our relationship is getting more serious and I hope to live together sometime in the next month or two. Marriage has been casually discussed but we are not quite at that point in our relationship, we both feel that we need to spend more time together and live together before we take that next step.

My question is, what options do we have for extending her stay? I do not think that common law situation would apply if we were only to live together for a few months prior to her visa expiring but it seems to be the most appropriate way to describe our situation once it comes to be. She is not a skilled worker and English is minimal, we are slowly teaching each other our respective languages and there is genuine effort on both parties to make this work. She wants to stay here with me and I want the same but we are kind of overwhelmed at the moment with all the information out there. I will continue to learn all I can but thought it would be a good idea to get some advice here as early on in the process as possible and hopefully get steered towards the most appropriate course of action.

Any advice that you guys could offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

[yanoz]

Thought I would have got some responses by now. Would this be a better question for the family sponsorship section?

Does anybody have even the slightest bit of advice? Anyone here gone through something similar?

 

[steaky]

I didn't notice this post until now.

how about a study permit or your family hires her as a caregiver? or you travel with her to China and live with her there.

 

[job_seeker]

Apply for extension of stay. Place exploring relationship as reason or try short term English courses but don't enroll yet until you have the approved extension, and place study English as reason. Send application before the expiry of current status (30 days before). Buys you about two months because she'd be on implied status until she receives response from CPC.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/visitor.asp

All the best.

 

[yanoz]

Thank you kindly for the suggestions folks.

I had not considered applying for an extension for English study, this might be a good idea. I will read further, but are study visas also typically 6 months? Exploring relationship would be the most accurate reason but would that not give them concern that she may not want to return?

Much appreciated.

 

[job_seeker]

Thank you kindly for the suggestions folks.

I had not considered applying for an extension for English study, this might be a good idea. I will read further, but are study visas also typically 6 months? Exploring relationship would be the most accurate reason but would that not give them concern that she may not want to return?

Much appreciated.

She does not need study permit for 6 month or less study programs but she needs to be in the country legally meaning, she can be here as a visitor and still take short term courses (I think short term ESL is one of them). If she's going to apply for a student permit, it would be an entirely different process altogether. She needs to apply and be accepted to a program of study with a college or university, must show proof of financial capability to pay for tuition and cost of living...

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp

 

[yanoz]

I see. So you're suggesting that she use the short term English study as a reason for extension, meaning she is only partially through a course and needs an extension to complete it. A full on student permit sounds a little more involved, but is still something we will consider and look into.

If either of these do not play out, is the 'exploring relationship' a valid reason to request an extension? I would be concerned how they might view that from the perspective of her returning upon the expiry of the visa. Has anyone here gone this route?

I know this is not the appropriate forum section to ask, but I'm wondering what our chances of a successful PR application would be (after marriage) considering I am a Canadian citizen that has lived here my whole life. Reading some threads in the family sponsorship section gives me the impression that most problems arise when the sponsor is either living abroad or was not born here. I just want to get an idea if our situation tends to have greater success than some of the more complex situations I've read about. Maybe I'll repost this question in the other section in a few days once this post has had some time out in the wild.

Thanks again!

 

[job_seeker]

I see. So you're suggesting that she use the short term English study as a reason for extension, meaning she is only partially through a course and needs an extension to complete it. A full on student permit sounds a little more involved, but is still something we will consider and look into.

If either of these do not play out, is the 'exploring relationship' a valid reason to request an extension? I would be concerned how they might view that from the perspective of her returning upon the expiry of the visa. Has anyone here gone this route?

I know this is not the appropriate forum section to ask, but I'm wondering what our chances of a successful PR application would be (after marriage) considering I am a Canadian citizen that has lived here my whole life. Reading some threads in the family sponsorship section gives me the impression that most problems arise when the sponsor is either living abroad or was not born here. I just want to get an idea if our situation tends to have greater success than some of the more complex situations I've read about. Maybe I'll repost this question in the other section in a few days once this post has had some time out in the wild.

Thanks again!

There was a post few months back about exploring relationship working out for requesting for the extension.