American who wants to move to Canada to be with boyfriend!

[saraao]

FAFSA/Financial Aid Student Loans have an income based repayment plan. I switched over to that on the phone and my minimum payments have been $7 a month for years ;D They also have a forbearance you can ask to defer payments for a temporary amount of time, at least last I checked.

If you took out private loans, it might be a different story.

As for your other question, there isn't a way to immigrate to Canada except through marriage or common law, unless you qualify for Conjugal which is only for people who cannot get married or live together as common law due to external reasons (same gender, visitor visas denied, government interference - not just choosing not to get married or be together).

You can go up to Canada as a visitor, you are granted 6 months when you cross over if they don't stamp your passport, but you need to show strong ties to the US and only say you are "visiting". You can apply for an extension, these are regularly granted if you have an application in process or if you are going to apply. You could establish common law this way, but you wouldn't be able to work unless you qualified for Express Entry or a work visa on your own.

Or, as you said, you could get married and then apply, and either wait it out while working in the states or come up to Canada and wait it out on a visitor visa until PR is granted and you can begin looking for work.

You can also work online/remotely, if you have clients in the States!

I have 3 monthly loan payments : 1 income-based, 1 private, & 1 payment that's already low so I've never bothered changing it lol. I've had them deferred after I got back from visiting my bf for two months because I was pretty much out of work/money but when I was applying, I had to prove I was searching for full time employment, specifically in the US, that's why I ask if they knew he'd be in Canada.

Thanks for your help...we just want to make sure were not missing out on any options. Sometimes it seems like there are so many options and sometimes it seems like there are none and it's actually impossible lol.

 

[saraao]

See this thread Inland 2015...applicant RenW

Ok thank you!

 

[saraao]

8 months I have been waiting earlier in the year people were being approved in 4-6. Some in 2.

After about 4-5 months I got sick of being away from my husband and came up to Canada with my dog I can't work, but we're getting by. It's just so worth being together!


I think most people who apply Inland do it because they thought it was their only option to be together. Some apply Inland because they are out of status (expired visitor visa etc). It's tough to say, because some Visa offices have really long wait times. Most people don't seem to know that you can apply Outland from within Canada until they have already applied. A lot withdraw and re-apply Outland. Different Visa Offices have different wait times, but Ottawa processes US apps and varies from 4-6 to 6-9 throughout the year. The longest I've seen is 10 months, unless they request missing documents or things, that can add a few months, this is what happened with BeShoo's common law application so theirs took closer to 13 or 14 I think. The average from Ottawa is 4-10 months.

There are tons of great senior posters on the forums, they are better than lawyers, and the more you know about the process, the better you can make decisions as what will be best for you and your partner and your lives! Welcome and I wish you all the best.


Also AHAHAAAA yes! by the time I left the States I was ready to slap the next person who said "But you're married! can't you just move there?"

Oh man that's a long time lol I would be so impatient. So right now you're waiting for Permanent Residency? Or for a work visa? That's where I get a little confused haha.

We know a couple who are married and their marriage didn't help her immigration status at all. Granted she was coming to Canada from Australia and she had a visa before they got married. She's still not allowed to leave the country, not sure if she applied inland/Outland or if it's just totally different since she's from Australia vs the U.S. So me and my bf see what they're going through and think marriage isn't the way to go, which is why we haven't looked too much into it before, only the work visa. But now it's like we've been together a year and a half and there's no end in sight to this stupid distance so we're trying to look at all of our options.

When you finally went up to Canada, did you have a problem getting in at customs? Did you tell them you were visiting or that you have a pending status?

 

[saraao]

I really have to get to bed, but I'll reply quickly to this point. He was out of work in the States and got a forbearance there. He's been in Canada as a visitor for 5 years now and extended the forbearance several times, telling them he couldn't work because he was out of the country and didn't have a work permit here. It was tricky at one point when they couldn't figure out how to put a Canadian address in their computers.

As for the story behind the 5-year visit, that's a long story.

Haha those crazy Canadian zip codes.

Sounds like an interesting story. I could go for a 5 year vacation right about now lol.

Good night!

 

[Amalthea]

Permanent Residency. OWPs are only granted for Inland applications, you cannot apply for an open work permit if you apply Outland. I can start working when I get PR sometime hopefully this month!

If she's not allowed to leave Canada, then she most likely applied Inland. This is because you have to remain in Canada for an Inland application. If you leave and get denied entry into Canada w/ an Inland app in process, your application will be binned, and Inland apps forfeit the right to an appeal.

She might have had an IEC visa, Australia, UK and these countries are often eligible for IEC visas, or holiday visas. Requirements are usually under 30, young professional, etc.. depending on which one. Sadly US Citizens are not eligible for any IEC/Working Holiday Visas to Canada.

Your friend might be one of those people who didn't know they could apply Outland from inside Canada and stay together, instead of applying Inland and waiting much, much longer

For us, marriage made things a lot easier.. well, because it meant we could finally be together!! There really wasn't another way for us to be together, unless I came up on a visitor visa, hoped it was extended, became common law and then applied for PR.. which would have added an extra year to this already-too-long process Plus we wanted to get married. We felt like uprooting and moving to another country for someone was a wayy bigger commitment than just signing a piece of paper Getting married was the easy part! Haha.

I always drive over the border. I was pretty nervous, as they have heckled me before. I wiped my phone. My partner was with me and I just said I was visiting, that I was leaving in a few weeks. Lol. They asked if I ever stayed more than 6 months, which i said No of course, where I worked (I lied and said I still had a job, I don't actually suggest this because if you get caught lying you're totally screwed, but I knew because of client confidentiality they couldn't contact my employer, also my other boss was my friend). All my stuff was in my trunk and he couldn't see it. I just brought my clothes and my computer really. The rest is in storage with family. Then they sent me on my way! I was so relieved, I had been stressing about that border crossing for 6 freakin months. Couldn't have done it without all the advice from folks who had crossed over before me. Lots of success stories

 

[Amalthea]

They seem to be a lot more forgiving @ border crossings for those who already have a PR application in process, especially after Sponsorship Approval (~2 mos). It really shows that you intend to settle legally and follow the rules. Nobody would pay $1040 for a PR application and go through all the hassle of FBI checks, medical exams and relationship evidence just to live and work illegally in Canada lol, thankfully I think CBSA realizes that, at least if nothing else

 

[lleahdoll]

Wanted to chime in about your school loans, as everything everyone said about immigration advice was exactly what I would have advised as well.

So I have school loans. I stopped attending school December 2012 as I started visiting my husband then. After a few months of not being enrolled, the loan payments are suppose to kick in. I filled out the Income based Repayment plan. It takes like less than 10 minutes to do. I have never filed tax returns as I never had a need to so when they asked for that, it took me to the IRS website and when the system didn't find me, I went back to the application and you can click the option saying you don't have a tax return to attach.

I got approved for payments of $0 a month. And for this particular plan, they re-assess you every year. I got it again last year and I just reapplied recently again for the next year.
As long as you're unemployed, you shouldn't have a problem getting either a really low payment or $0. And since $0 is considered your payment, it's still considered as paying it off. I get a statement every month telling me my payment for the month aka $0. So I think it's a better option than forbearance or deferring. Just my opinion though.

Also, I just kept my address as a family member's address in the states. I've never had a problem yet. I even asked the first time I applied for IBR plan. I explained I was visiting my husband but his income did not = my income and so it didn't count as my income for repayment reasons.

Hope this helps a little bit!

 

[Celandrius]

As an American myself, who just completed the immigration process the 28th of last month, I can say with a ton of certainty that honestly, applying (after marriage or figuring out Common-law) and staying in the states to work would be a great idea in your case. I, myself, decided to wait it out entirely in Canada. My application was literally done in 9 months.
I wish you well. Just heed the warnings. Don't. Do. An. Inland. Application.
Don't do it.

 

[BeShoo]

... when I was applying, I had to prove I was searching for full time employment, specifically in the US, that's why I ask if they knew he'd be in Canada.

He says they kinda told him that, but he told them that it wasn't possible.

 

[saraao]

Permanent Residency. OWPs are only granted for Inland applications, you cannot apply for an open work permit if you apply Outland. I can start working when I get PR sometime hopefully this month!

If she's not allowed to leave Canada, then she most likely applied Inland. This is because you have to remain in Canada for an Inland application. If you leave and get denied entry into Canada w/ an Inland app in process, your application will be binned, and Inland apps forfeit the right to an appeal.

She might have had an IEC visa, Australia, UK and these countries are often eligible for IEC visas, or holiday visas. Requirements are usually under 30, young professional, etc.. depending on which one. Sadly US Citizens are not eligible for any IEC/Working Holiday Visas to Canada.

Your friend might be one of those people who didn't know they could apply Outland from inside Canada and stay together, instead of applying Inland and waiting much, much longer

For us, marriage made things a lot easier.. well, because it meant we could finally be together!! There really wasn't another way for us to be together, unless I came up on a visitor visa, hoped it was extended, became common law and then applied for PR.. which would have added an extra year to this already-too-long process Plus we wanted to get married. We felt like uprooting and moving to another country for someone was a wayy bigger commitment than just signing a piece of paper Getting married was the easy part! Haha.

I always drive over the border. I was pretty nervous, as they have heckled me before. I wiped my phone. My partner was with me and I just said I was visiting, that I was leaving in a few weeks. Lol. They asked if I ever stayed more than 6 months, which i said No of course, where I worked (I lied and said I still had a job, I don't actually suggest this because if you get caught lying you're totally screwed, but I knew because of client confidentiality they couldn't contact my employer, also my other boss was my friend). All my stuff was in my trunk and he couldn't see it. I just brought my clothes and my computer really. The rest is in storage with family. Then they sent me on my way! I was so relieved, I had been stressing about that border crossing for 6 freakin months. Couldn't have done it without all the advice from folks who had crossed over before me. Lots of success stories

Okay, so once you become a Permanent Resident, you don't have to get a work visa?

It does make sense that they wouldn't bother you so much if you had a pending PR status, hadn't thought about it that way! Did you guys do a courthouse wedding or an actual wedding/reception? I have a few friends who did a small courthouse one at first just to be married and then had bigger ones a few years later. Did you bring your car up with you or did that stay with your family as well? I've heard it's super expensive to register an American car up there like you might as well sell it and get a new one lol but that probably has it's own forum haha.

 

[saraao]

As an American myself, who just completed the immigration process the 28th of last month, I can say with a ton of certainty that honestly, applying (after marriage or figuring out Common-law) and staying in the states to work would be a great idea in your case. I, myself, decided to wait it out entirely in Canada. My application was literally done in 9 months.
I wish you well. Just heed the warnings. Don't. Do. An. Inland. Application.
Don't do it.

haha, got it!

congratulations!

 

[Amalthea]

Okay, so once you become a Permanent Resident, you don't have to get a work visa?

It does make sense that they wouldn't bother you so much if you had a pending PR status, hadn't thought about it that way! Did you guys do a courthouse wedding or an actual wedding/reception? I have a few friends who did a small courthouse one at first just to be married and then had bigger ones a few years later. Did you bring your car up with you or did that stay with your family as well? I've heard it's super expensive to register an American car up there like you might as well sell it and get a new one lol but that probably has it's own forum haha.

Yeah, as long as you don't show up with a Uhaul and just say that you're VISITING! Exactly. Your Certificate of Permanent Resident is usually enough to show you can work, and then after you land you will get your SIN# and a Permanent Resident Card in the mail. No work visa! I haven't gotten to this part yet but it's my understanding Permanent Residents are granted all the same rights as citizens except you can't vote and you can't get a Canadian Passport. Later on, you can apply for citizenship after X amount of years to qualify (don't remember off the top of my head).

Canada actually doesn't do courthouse weddings! You have to be married by a marriage commissioner, ours was kind enough to let us to get married in her beautiful home as had thousands of couples before us She was lovely! We then walked to the beach and took pictures, and celebrated later on. We called it a "planned elopement"! We were featured by Offbeat Bride, you can see more here http://offbeatbride.com/2014/08/vancouver-elopement

There is a lot about landing and exporting/importing your car on the Ottawa and US Outland threads. IMO cars are wayyyy more expensive up in Canada, absolutely worth it to bring yours up instead of buying a new one! It's not that difficult to export and then import, and it's free through AESDirect, unless you chose to pay a broker. My car is exempt from some registration thing in Canada because it's older than 15 years. Still looking into it. I think it's just air quality/emissions testing, but we already do that in Oregon.

 

[lleahdoll]

Yeah, as long as you don't show up with a Uhaul and just say that you're VISITING! Exactly. Your Certificate of Permanent Resident is usually enough to show you can work, and then after you land you will get your SIN# and a Permanent Resident Card in the mail. No work visa! I haven't gotten to this part yet but it's my understanding Permanent Residents are granted all the same rights as citizens except you can't vote and you can't get a Canadian Passport. Later on, you can apply for citizenship after X amount of years to qualify (don't remember off the top of my head).

Canada actually doesn't do courthouse weddings! You have to be married by a marriage commissioner, ours was kind enough to let us to get married in her beautiful home as had thousands of couples before us She was lovely! We then walked to the beach and took pictures, and celebrated later on. We called it a "planned elopement"! We were featured by Offbeat Bride, you can see more here http://offbeatbride.com/2014/08/vancouver-elopement

There is a lot about landing and exporting/importing your car on the Ottawa and US Outland threads. IMO cars are wayyyy more expensive up in Canada, absolutely worth it to bring yours up instead of buying a new one! It's not that difficult to export and then import, and it's free through AESDirect, unless you chose to pay a broker. My car is exempt from some registration thing in Canada because it's older than 15 years. Still looking into it. I think it's just air quality/emissions testing, but we already do that in Oregon.

We got married in a courthouse...

 

[sariss]

Now we did this a few years back but my husband and I got married, then almost immediately applied outland. He went back to Arizona for a few months to tie up loose ends, then came back to Canada to 'visit' for 6 months. We applied for a visitor extension, which was approved, so he essentially lived in Canada until he got his residency, 7 months after applying.

 

[Amalthea]

We got married in a courthouse...

Oh, weird!!! You learn something every day, thank you for correcting me! It must be a British Columbia thing. Or maybe Quebec is the only province that does courthouse weddings? I know Alberta doesn't either, you have to pay a marriage comissioner ;o