Can I sponsor my wife?

[can84]

Can I sponsor my wife, or more specifically do I qualify to am i eligible to sponsor her.
We just recently married but we have lived together for more than 5 years (both names on rental agreements and joint bank accounts ect.)
She is Chinese and I'm from Canada. We met in Canada and moved the the UK to study and we are both working on our PhDs.
She would like to get a Canadian passport to travel easier and because we will move to Canada after we both finish our studies.
Living outside of Canada and being a student would I be able to sponsor my wife at this time?
We will graduate in around 2 years but if we apply in the UK it can take that long. We could also apply in China where we married if it would be preferable.
Does anyone have any advice. The Canadian embassy in Beijing was not helpful.

 

[andrew-brit]

Yes you can sponsor your wife.

Your wife would not be able to get a Canadian passport until she becomes a citizen. Sponsoring her, if successful makes her a permanent resident, not a citizen.

Yes, you can live in the UK and sponsor her from there as you are a Canadian citizen.

You have to prove to CIC that should your application be successful you will move back to Canada.

CIC will choose which visa office processes your application. They choose based on the applicant's current location (UK) or their nationality (Chinese).

 

[Rob_TO]

We will graduate in around 2 years but if we apply in the UK it can take that long.

No, at this time you are not eligible since you have no immediate plans to return to Canada.
Wait until you have approx 1 year or less to go before graduation and can show proof of intent to return back to Canada, and then apply.

Also once approves she will be a PR, not a citizen. She won't be able to get a Canadian passport until living physically in Canada for 4 years after becoming a PR, then waiting for citizenship process. I would budget at least 5 years after becoming PR before she may have a Canadian passport.

 

[krishnalynn]

Yes, it sounds like you are eligible. You will have to submit proof that you will move back to Canada once she gets her PR. She won't be able to get her passport for around 6 more years though, it's a long, long process.

 

[can84]

So, after more reading... she applies for permanent residence, lives in Canada for 4 years than she can apply for citizenship.

It seems that London takes 28 months to process. She can apply in Canada but that can take 17 months. That extends the time before she can apply for citizenship by 1.5-2 years depending on where she applies. Surprisingly Beijing is only 10 months. It would be preferable for her to have her PR when we move to Canada.

What kind of proof can I show that we intend to move to Canada after graduation?

I'm also confused by this "CIC will choose which visa office processes your application."
would I not apply wither in Canada, UK or China myself?

 

[andrew-brit]

You send your complete application to Mississauga, and once they approve you (the sponsor) the application is sent to a visa office abroad based on the applicant's current location and nationality.

The posted timelines by CIC are not a true indication. In my signature there is a link to a spreadsheet for London - use it to see the current averages. There is also a link to a thread specific for those applying through London.

Proof that you plan to return to Canada could be

Job offers/acceptance letters
Mortgage papers/leases
Enrolling in study programs
Etc.

 

[can84]

Are they very strict on this requirement?

Job offers/acceptance letters - 1 year in advance?
Mortgage papers/leases - I need a job for a mortgage and would not lease a year in advance
Enrolling in study programs - we will both be finished with our studies
Etc.

This is the part I think could be the most difficult.
I want to apply far enough in advance that the process will be completed before graduation as we don't want to be stuck in the UK waiting.
At what point would these be requested?

I can imagine that it could cause complications if or UK residence permits expired while her application is being processed.
Do they not take her passport at some time?

 

[andrew-brit]

As the sponsor, if you were in Canada you would not have to provide this proof.

However because you are out of Canada you have to.

It is best to send everything upfront but you could write a letter/as part of your relationship proof explain that you will return to Canada once you have been approved, but if your graduation occurs before you have been approved then you have a problem because your wife is non-visa exempt meaning she needs to apply for a visitor visa prior to traveling to Canada.

You should apply when you are ready to move because if you apply beforehand and your application is processed quicker than expected your visa office may refuse you on grounds that you will not relocate when they want you to.

 

[can84]

It would be ideal. I believe we will have a good idea of when we are ready to submit our PhD thesis.
When they say ready to move to Canada. Do they mean within a week, a month or 6 months?
I imagine that it would be incredibly risky to have our lease ending and give notice to our jobs in anticipation of when we expect to receive PM.

It would also be extremely costly to stay in London waiting for it to process so I would like to receive the PM a few months before if possible.
If she can keep her passport than we could stay in our apartment in China but than would we possibly need to fly to the UK to pick it up?

 

[Rob_TO]

It seems that London takes 28 months to process.

What kind of proof can I show that we intend to move to Canada after graduation?

Outland times posted on CIC site are not averages, that time is not reflective of London (it's more a time for Pakistan citizens who are also processed in London), plus there is a good chance CIC will process her app in China based on her citizenship regardless if she's currently residing in London. You should except around a 12 months processing time.

It doesn't matter what proofs you submit, if your plans to move back to Canada show it will be 2 years away, your app will be rejected and you'll be told to re-apply closer to when you actually intend to move. This has happened to several people on this forum. Don't apply now, you will most likely just be wasting your time. Wait until 1 year before graduation.

 

[can84]

Thanks, I was asking about applying 1 year in advance. Hoping to receive it a few months before graduation.
So, we can submit the application to the office in London, and it is likely to be processed in Beijing?
It will make no difference if we submit the documents in Beijing or London?

 

[andrew-brit]

Please reread the posts in this thread. I stated that you send your application to Mississauga first and then CIC decide where to send it afterwards for stage 2.

You do not send it to the visa office you want.

 

[2cookies]

Hi,

My girlfriend in actually living in Dublin with a PR status and I am planning to sponsor her to move over here.
My question is A) where will it be appropriate to get married ( i mean in Dublin or her country of birth) and B) will CIC ask for any kind of proof that we've been together?

Thanks everyone.

 

[can84]

Ok, I re-read through your posts again. I was a bit confused before.

All new Family Class applications must first be mailed to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

I understand that she may be required to attend an office in person for biometrics, additional documents, interview ect.
Are you saying that she may be required to Fly to Beijing for these?

 

[Rob_TO]

Ok, I re-read through your posts again. I was a bit confused before.

All new Family Class applications must first be mailed to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

I understand that she may be required to attend an office in person for biometrics, additional documents, interview ect.
Are you saying that she may be required to Fly to Beijing for these?

The only time the applicant needs to go in person to the outland visa office is when CIC suspects anything in the relationship so an interview is required. The location of the interview will be based on the visa office processing the app so will depend if they decide to do yours by citizenship (China) or current residency (London).

You can certainly make a request in your application with a separate note stating what visa office you prefer and why, but in the end the choice of where your app goes is entirely up to CIC after they process the sponsor in Mississauga.