American citizen moving to Canada

[LongDistanceLove]

Hi guys! I am looking for some help with moving my girlfriend to Toronto. We are a same-sex couple that has been in a long-distance relationship since August 2012. We are looking to have her move up here as she lives in a small town in West Virginia, where I have no desire to move to, however if I have to move there to be with her I will. She only has her high school diploma and may want to study here in Canada, however we are not sure right now because it is way too expensive for an international student, so I am assuming she would just have to get a full time trades or retail job. Anyways, down to the advice part... I don't know where to actually begin when it comes to getting her up here. We have talked about getting engaged, and if it comes down to having to get married sooner than we anticipated for her to move here, we are okay with that.. I am just not sure where to go for all of my information. I have tried looking online and I am having a hard time finding the information that pertains to our situation. She did a test online to see if she was eligible for a work visa and because she has post-secondary education she was unable to get one....Please let us know what we can do to get the ball rolling, I appreciate all of your feedback in advance.

 

[QuebecOkie]

If she can't get a work visa, then there's not really any way for her to work while she stays with you in Canada. She will only have visitor status, and it's a good idea to stop using words like "move." She will be "visiting" you in Canada, unless and until she has some status other than visitor.

After you two have lived together for at least 365 days (and can prove it with documentation, things like joint lease, joint bank accounts/insurance policies/phone plans/utilities/etc., mail sent to both of you at that address), OR after you two have married, she can apply for permanent residency as your common-law partner or spouse. Right now, outland applications for US citizens are FLYING through the Ottawa visa office, taking 3 or 4 months a lot of the time, but there are NO guarantees, and the processing times change over time. All you can do is do a lot of reading, take your time putting the application together, and build the strongest application you can to try to avoid any delays.

 

[screech339]

If you have documented proof of living together under same roof for 12 months straight, you can apply for common law PR sponsorship. If you haven't been living together to declare common law, your only choice is to get married.

Even if she was sponsored for PR, she would still have to pay for international tuition fees for studies in Canada while waiting to land as PR.

Otherwise, your gf would have to immigrate to Canada on her own merits through study visa or work visa.

She can still come and stay with you 6 months at a time as a visitor and apply for an extension of another 6 months to qualify for common-law status.

Not sure what other advice you are looking for. Hope I answered your question.

Screech339