Bringing American girlfriend into Canada

[e30m3]

How old is she? My husband (then BF) and I got around this by using the SWAP program which I think gives you a 1 year open work permit now. You have to be in school in the last year and under 30 or 35, can't remember. But, it's pretty easy to register for a community college down there just for SWAP purposes. She could do 3 courses online at a US community college while in Canada if you want to be perfectly legit about it.

She's 26.

 

[Aquakitty]

She's 26.

Check out the application and instructions. You are just in time to prepare for 2016

https://www.froschstudenttravel.com/work-abroad/

She has to be enrolled in an accredited school for at least 3 courses to qualify. All my husband had to show was the official course registration. You need to show 2,500 in funds available, and she needs a certain amount of travel insurance (25,000 minimum I think).

There's also http://www.interexchange.org and http://www.iena.org. They all provide the same program. Not sure what the differences are between them.

 

[scylla]

What if I had a friend who owned a business in the medical field and would offer her a job. Would he still have to wait the 1 month advertising period?

Yes - absolutely. He would have to go through the entire LMIA process (including the advertising component). Without advertising an LMIA is automatically refused.

 

[e30m3]

Have any of you guys heard of the "Conjugal" sponsorship route. I've been doing some reading and just discovered it. It seems like we may qualify for that? I'm not exactly sure.

 

[Gemini020]

Conjugal is extremely difficult and only for people who cannot be together or get married due to eg immigration barriers, which won't be the case for Americans. Maybe I've missed it but why not get married now instead of after graduating? You can apply outland if she wants to be able to go back home or keep working back home and visit Canada (visits can me long and extended). Once she's approved she has all the rights work and study wise.

 

[e30m3]

Yes I did some more reading on that and from what I've read there is a very slim chance that will work because she is American. It's more geared toward people wanting to immigrate from overseas and have a burden as to why they cannot get married.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Have any of you guys heard of the "Conjugal" sponsorship route. I've been doing some reading and just discovered it. It seems like we may qualify for that? I'm not exactly sure.

You definitely don't qualify for conjugal. There are no legal/immigration barriers preventing you from either getting married or becoming common-law.

 

[e30m3]

What if she came for 6 months as a visitor then before the 6 months is up she can re apply for a visitor extension while staying with me. She won't be able to work but if she can get the visitor status extended for over 12 months then that would qualify as common law correct?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

What if she came for 6 months as a visitor then before the 6 months is up she can re apply for a visitor extension while staying with me. She won't be able to work but if she can get the visitor status extended for over 12 months then that would qualify as common law correct?

Yes, you can do that.

 

[e30m3]

So during that time frame as a "visitor" could she go back to the USA and see her family? Or will the time reset itself back to zero if she leaves for a day and comes back?

 

[krishnalynn]

So during that time frame as a "visitor" could she go back to the USA and see her family? Or will the time reset itself back to zero if she leaves for a day and comes back?

She could really only go back for a week or so, or a short vacation. Probably could get away with two weeks.

 

[Panamai]

What if she came for 6 months as a visitor then before the 6 months is up she can re apply for a visitor extension while staying with me. She won't be able to work but if she can get the visitor status extended for over 12 months then that would qualify as common law correct?

This is exactly what I did, except I used my visits back to the states to get the new 6 month stretch every time instead of applying for the extensions.

 

[e30m3]

This is exactly what I did, except I used my visits back to the states to get the new 6 month stretch every time instead of applying for the extensions.

Oh, I was under the impression that her "visit" would have to be for a straight 12 month span with her staying with me for it to be classified as common law. So what you are saying is that...

For example.... she could visit for 2 months, return to the usa for a couple weeks, come back to canada for 7 months, go back to the usa for a month then come back to Canada for 3 months = 12 months total "visiting" me while staying at my place

Would that work?

 

[Rob_TO]

For example.... she could visit for 2 months, return to the usa for a couple weeks, come back to canada for 7 months, go back to the usa for a month then come back to Canada for 3 months = 12 months total "visiting" me while staying at my place

Would that work?

No, a 1 month break is too long, and that may break the "continuous" part of cohabitation.

Any visit to the US on her own during the qualifying, should be limited to around 2 weeks in length to be safe.

 

[e30m3]

So if she did a couple trips back home. Let's say once a month for a couple days at a time then returned to Canada that would be okay?