Canadian Retired Husband, US Retired Wife want to Live in Canada - Where Start?

[broomhilde]

Hi!
My 74 yr old Canadian husband has been retired for many years and receives about $1400 per month as his TOTAL income. We have lived in the US and I will retire in January with a total income of $850 per month. My husband wants to return to Canada to live for his health and medical reasons. What steps do we need to take for me to be able to become a permanent resident and eventually a citizen? We are confused about financial requirements. Will I have to work? We have a friend who will provide us with a low priced rental, so living there is not a problem.

 

[canadianwoman]

He can apply to sponsor you as his spouse. You can apply outland or inland: for outland, the file will be processed in the USA, but while the processing is going on you could come up to Canada with him as a visitor. For inland, you would both have to be living in Canada. For Americans, we usually recommend outland, as it is usually faster, and Americans can easily stay in Canada as a visitor while waiting anyway.

Leon's first post on the first thread in this section explains what forms to use.

There are no financial requirements for someone to sponsor his spouse. However, the visa officer will want to see how the two of you will support yourselves, so include proof of both incomes, proof of any savings and investments, and a letter or lease from the friend who will be giving you a low-priced rental.
Your husband will also have to prove that he intends to move back to Canada. The lease from the friend is one type of evidence he can show.

 

[broomhilde]

Thank you for your answer. Can you tell me about the approximate differences in wait times re applying inland or outland? and while we are waiting is it the temporary visa that I need to go in country or will my American passport suffice?


Is there no expeditionary process because of his health concerns...heart attack, epilepsy, and diabetes?

 

[scylla]

You can enter the country on your American passport.

It's difficult to give a difference in the wait times between inland and outland since processing times differ from person to person and are always fluctuating. However you should be better off going outland.

As a Canadian citizen, your husband can return to Canada at any time due to his health concerns. Note that he will likely have to live in Canada for three months before his health care coverage is reactivated. No - there is no expedited process available to sponsor you.

 

[canadianwoman]

With his poor health, he could move back to Canada now and get settled. He can send in your sponsorship application right away. The bonus is that if he moves up before you get your PR visa, then he won't have to include proof of his intentions to return to Canada - he can just show that he is in Canada. Of course the downside is that you would be apart until you retire and can join him (as a visitor until you receive the PR visa). You don't need a TRV to get into Canada - Americans just need their passport.

If you apply outland, you could apply now. If you apply inland, you would have to wait until you retire and move to Canada (again, as a visitor). (For an inland application, the applicant has to be in Canada. For outland, the visa is processed outside of Canada, but the applicant can stay in their own country or come to Canada as a visitor to wait.) So even if inland wait times are getting shorter, the fact you can apply outland now should mean you'll get the PR visa sooner than with inland.