Applied in family class (spouse), now work permit stress!

[Jurjen]

Hello all!

I'm applying for permanent resident, of which the paperwork was sent late September 2010. Since I'm already living with my sponsor (spouse), we've applied inland. For First Stage Approval there is a waiting list of 8-9 months.

Earlier in September I called with the CIC Call Centre with some questions, amongst them a question about my work permit. At the moment I'm working with a Working Holiday Program, which will end in January 2011 and can't be extended under normal circumstances. Explaining my situation to the agent, he told me I can get a new work permit with my 'special conditions'. Since I'm already in the possession of an open work permit and I want to continue to work, I can get a new work permit (so no renewal) with the same conditions as the previous one (so: again an open work permit) before first stage approval to make sure there'll be no gap in between the work permits through the regular way in which I can't work. I just had to make sure my application was in the same envelope as the PR demand.

Since I was worried that they didn't open my envelope yet, I called CIC Hotline yesterday again. The woman explained that it takes them 4-5 months to actually open an envelope!! So I asked how that would work out with my work permit. I described my situation again (well, I tried to be as clear as possible, but she appeared in a hurry and she interrupted me for answers constantly before I could finish). She said there was no way possible there was something with special conditions and receiving an open work permit before First Stage Approval. I would need to get an extra work permit the regular way (LMO, QCA, etc...) and pay another 150$ or otherwise be in Implied Status for 6 months!! So that means I can't visit my friends and family, I can't graduate (only have to finish my thesis and defend it back in NL), my employer can't send me on projects in the USA and I can't even visit a funeral in my mother country without being forced to loose my ability to work!?

I just started my new job and promised my employer that I would have a new work permit after my current one runs out, which was based on a lie. So even though I know that I should inform the people at work, I have a twisted feeling, because my promise was based on a 'lie', which could make me look bad.
Also my wife would like to move to a different city within the province next summer for her PhD, so if I quit my job and move with her, I can't start a new job.

As a last resort I could go for the Young Professionals Permit next year. But I feel so cheated by CIC, that I don't feel like sponsoring another 110 euros / 150 CAD for another work permit, since I already kind of paid for it! Besides that, the YPP is still bound to one employer and ends when you leave your job.

Even if I would continue under "Implied Status", since I just started at my new job, I'm in training. Every now and then I'll be having promotion (if everything goes well) to continue to my desired position in the company. Unfortunately Implied Status also states that I have to keep doing the work as during my work permit, which means I can't have promotions or changes of job at the same employer.

What makes the situation even more fragile is that I'm earning most of the money, since my sponsor is just starting as a practitioner working alone and having by far not enough patients to pay the bills. If I can't work anymore, she has to abandon a project we have been working hard on to get off the ground for her. If she needs to find another job, because of this work permit mess, we'll need to go all through this again in 1,5 year.

Does anyone have experience with this and, what I'm mostly hoping for, a solution to this problem?

Thanks a lot!

 

[yulye]

Hi There,

We were in a similar situation, wherein my partner was in Canada first on a visitor permit, then on a Working Holiday permit which expired a few weeks after we sent our inland application for PR in Feb 2010. We didn't know that he could extend his Working Holiday permit, so he just automatically applied for the Young Professional permit. It was approved in about 4 weeks.

There was a gap of a few weeks in between when his Working Holiday permit expired and his Young Professional visa came through. Right before his Working Holiday visa expired, we went to the border to see if he could get a visitor permit in the in-between time, and they just told him that he could keep working on "implied status" until the other visa came through.

Also wanted to share that we have moved cities and so he is no longer at the job that the Young Professional visa is specific to. Right now, he's not working and we are just waiting for the open work permit application that we sent with our inland application to come through (hopefully soon!) Anyways, we went to the US a few weeks ago and the border gave us no hassle when we crossed back into Canada about the fact that he is long longer working at that job.

So... I'd say, you might as well apply for the Young Professional visa. It's good for a year and, although it's not an open work permit, it will allow you to keep working for the time being! It works especially well for you, because you already have a job and I'm sure your employer would be willing to write you a formal "offer." On the letter we sent, we had my partner's employer state that he had already been working there for 1 year already under the Working Holiday program, and that they wished to employ him for 12 months further with the Young Professional visa.

The processing time is fast and that will at least give you somewhere to work for the time being! I think you have to apply for it no later than 1 month before your current status expires. Good luck!

 

[Jurjen]

The thing with the Young Professionals permit is that I want to keep that option open for when I want to change jobs.

So I'm really hoping for a third option or somebody telling me that that open work permit under the first stated conditions is still possible.

 

[Latvian]

Hi there,

I am in the same situation, except I'm already on Young Professionals programm and my work permit expires in June 2011. I applied for PR end of September, and at that point in time CIC web site gave 8-9 months for processing, so I did not attach application for OWP (stupid me!!!). So now they extended processing times and with my permit expiring in June, I'm wondering how can I extend my work permit being in Canada. I'm working and cannot afford to lose my job as both of us are making just enough to support ourselves and our 3 years old son.

What's the ussual procedure for extending work permit and how long does it ususally takes?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[nazam80]

Hi there,

I am in the same situation, except I'm already on Young Professionals programm and my work permit expires in June 2011. I applied for PR end of September, and at that point in time CIC web site gave 8-9 months for processing, so I did not attach application for OWP (stupid me!!!). So now they extended processing times and with my permit expiring in June, I'm wondering how can I extend my work permit being in Canada. I'm working and cannot afford to lose my job as both of us are making just enough to support ourselves and our 3 years old son.

What's the ussual procedure for extending work permit and how long does it ususally takes?

Thanks for sharing!

Hi there,

can you please tell me the procedure for Young Professionals programm? i want to apply for this workpermit, i am registered teacher here in canada.

Naz

 

[Latvian]

Hi!

It all depends on the country you're applying from... I have applied through Canadian Ambassy in Latvia (but still being in Canada) so I would suggest you to check either your country's government and Canadian government have such programs. Normally this information should be available on embassy's website.

Good luck!