Canadian wife sponsoring South African husband and open work permit questions

[nj123]

Hi all,

My wife is Canadian, I'm South African. We are busy deciding which is the best option for me to immigrate to Canada and looking for advice from people who have done the same or similar.
So,

- is it better i.e. quicker to apply from SA or in Canada?
- If we apply in Canada,
- can I just arrive there on a tourist visa and apply?
- can I also work while the application is being processed?
- I've heard of an open work permit. Would I be able to apply for this at the same time as when I submit my permanent residence application?
- Does the open work permit get approved much quicker than the PR application?

All the questions I have for now! ;D

Thanks all.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hi all,

My wife is Canadian, I'm South African. We are busy deciding which is the best option for me to immigrate to Canada and looking for advice from people who have done the same or similar.
So,

- is it better i.e. quicker to apply from SA or in Canada?
- If we apply in Canada,
- can I just arrive there on a tourist visa and apply?
- can I also work while the application is being processed?
- I've heard of an open work permit. Would I be able to apply for this at the same time as when I submit my permanent residence application?
- Does the open work permit get approved much quicker than the PR application?

All the questions I have for now! ;D

Thanks all.

1. First things first, do you have TRV (visitor visa) that would be decider, if you can't get a TRV, then the application would not processed in Canada.
2. If you are in SA with your spouse, as a Canadian she can start the sponsorship from there.
3. Read www.cic.gc.ca under Immigrate and sponsorship.
4. No, if do either a in-Canada application, you can't work until you receive 1st level approval, about 6 months into the process.
5. You apply for an OWP with your in-Canada application to Vegreville ,if you get 1st level approval, you will be issued an OWP, out of Canada no work until you are a PR.
6. See: 5

PMM

 

[nj123]

Re: Canadian wife sponsoring South African husband and open work permit question

Thanks for the quick response!

1.) I do have a TRV.
4.) You mean it will take 6 months for the OWP for the in-canada application?

Thanks mate!

 

[PMM]

Re: Canadian wife sponsoring South African husband and open work permit question

Hi

Thanks for the quick response!

1.) I do have a TRV.
4.) You mean it will take 6 months for the OWP for the in-canada application?

Thanks mate!

Yes, you can't get an OWP until you receive first level approval, which is now 6 months.

PMM

 

[Leon]

If you apply through S-Africa which you can do whether you are in Canada or not, your processing times would be first 66 days in Mississauga to approve sponsor, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/canada/process-in.asp#sponsorship and after that it goes for processing in Pretoria, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/international/05-fc-spouses.asp#africa where the average processing time is 6 months.

For an inland Canada application, they just say 6 months for first stage, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/canada/process-in.asp#perm_res and nothing else but from what we have heard from people, you may get lucky and get your PR in 9 months or you may wait up to 18 and that is only if your application is going well and there are no problems. If there is a problem with inland, it means that you will not get a first stage approval but instead they will send your application to a local office where you are living in Canada and it will be shelved there until they have time for you. That can take 1-3 years depending on how busy they are. Since inland Canada applications are based on you living in Canada, if you leave Canada at any time during the processing and for any reason are denied entry again, your application goes out the window.

 

[nj123]

Re: Canadian wife sponsoring South African husband and open work permit question

Hmm, looks like it will be better if we stay in SA and apply here and only move once we have the PR.
Looks like it will take about 9 months too.

Thanks everyone for the responses.

 

[chitotolo]

Hi NJ,

My wife also sponsored me and my application went to Pretoria as well. I would recommend that you go through Family class- Spouse sponsorship as I had a very good experience with Pretoria. They have finished my visa application in just 69 days. I'm just waiting for DHL to collect my passport from CHC- Pretoria and send it back to me. Let me tell you what we did:

1. Download and complete the Country specific Application forms from the CIC website
2. Your wife must fill up the Application to sponsor and complete all the requirements
3. Get your Police clearances and medicals
4. Send all your forms including the police clearance and medicals to your wife
5. Aks your wife to pay all the fees - CAD $ 1,040 total.
6. Your wife must then submit ALL the documents TOGETHER to CPC- Missassagua

After this all you have to do is wait for Immigrations to contact you and your wife. If you have submitted everything completely (send them lots of pictures, phone bills and proof on going relationship) then you will have your visa in no time, as long as your case is ROUTINE (no complications).

 

[nj123]

Re: Canadian wife sponsoring South African husband and open work permit question

Thanks for your reply. Chitotolo.

Good to know it isn't too much of a hassle. My wife is with me here in SA.

Only problem is proving that she/we want(s) to return to Canada. The application form asks for some sort of proof i.e employment contract, study permit in Canada etc. which she doesn't have as she is studying in SA (Phd completing in 2010) and working parttime. We'll both intend to leave SA when we get the PR and only then find work.

Any ideas?

 

[chitotolo]

Hmmm... I know that there is no income requirement for spouse sponsorship, but I'm not sure about having your wife outside of Canada during the time of application.

But I think I remember reading something about your case in the website. Try browsing the spouse sponsorship section in the website.

 

[Leon]

If the wife is a citizen, it's not a problem to apply from outside Canada but you must show plans to settle in Canada after getting the PR. Plans could include a job offer, acceptance to college, having arranged housing etc. but failing that could include detailed plans on where you are planning to live and work and letters from friends and family who know of your plans and have offered help and support such as letting you live with them while you look for a place of your own.

 

[Sandrainzambia]

Hi there! This message is for Chitokolo

I am a Canadian sponsoring my Zambian husband. We met in Zambia, got married in Canada and moved back to Zambia where we have been living and working together for over a year.

I am about ready to send in my paperwork and just came across this forum, now I am panicking abit!

I am confused about what people refer to as inland/outland application. I assume because I am applying from Zambia, that I would be outland? Correct? Do I still send the entire application to Ontario?

Also, I'm confused about the Option C printout. My mom sent me my Notice of Assessment, but from what i can tell that is not good enough. What did you use? It looks like I have to put off mailing my application till I get this printout.

Also, because I met my husband while living in Zambia and we are currently living together, I dont have things like airline tickets or phone Bills....what do I send as proof of relationship? We see eachother every day....we work together, we live together....what more would they want?
Also, do you know if its possible for him to get a visitor visa while this is being processed. I booked our airfare home for Aug 3 standing on faith that it will all come together....but just in case I don't want to be seperated from him.

I look forward to any advice you can give me.

Thanks in advance.
Sandra

 

[Leon]

Sandra:

You are applying outland but you still send your application to Mississauga as per the instructions.

Since you are currently living with your husband, add proof that you are living together such as joint lease, mortgage, bills etc.

Your husband can apply for a visit visa to go to Canada at any time but there is still no guarantee that he will get it.

 

[ruanp28]

Hi guys. I hope some of you are still active here and can help us out? We are in a similar situation, both live in South Africa and my fiancee (we have been together and living together for 4 years) is a Canadian. We would like to move to Canada. This whole waiting without being able to work is unfortunately not possible for us, since we are still young and dont have thousands of dollars saved up for me to be without a job for a year. Hence, we need to apply in South Africa and then move to Canada once my PR is approved. Now, this is a massive headache for people who are not informed enough; at least thought that they would make have people assisting us in the matter - but I went to both the Brooklyn and Hatfield offices today in Pretoria, and the people working there could not worry less about helping me out. After sitting in the que for 2 hours the South African employee there just told me to go to CIC (wow, thanks for telling me that!)

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone who had to do the same process could tell us what to do and when to do it? We have read through the guide on the website but there is a ton of stuff and we would just like to know where to start. Since this is African time, everything will probably be slower (just my everyday experience) so we would have loved to just book tickets and fly over - unfortunately we cannot. So, if anyone has been through the same process, can you please share with us what you did and some tips?

1: Like when to do the police clearance, should the clearance and meds be done before the paperwork?
2: How much proof should we put in the relationship part? Photos, lease agreements at my parent's garden flat, same address for bills, some "chats" (we dont chat a lot since we are both taking our work seriously during the day)
3: The proof of intention to return to Canada; now, I cannot book flights unless I know if we will be accepted OR even have a date. I managed to get a lease form renting out a friendly lady's basement, and she is also going to give me a temp job once I arrive (she is going to provide me with letters of this, and we already have an address which is a blessing from up above).
4: After filling in the paperwork which we assume is done correctly, can we just send it to the address through a company like DHL and hope for the best?
5: Should we just get a lawyer and get it over with? It would really screw up my savings for our move.

I thank you in advance for taking time to read this. It would be real nice if someone who went through the same process from South Africa could tell us how you did it if all else fails I will probably have to apply from in Canada, but I don't want to be a burden on my fiancee.

Thanks!

 

[Leon]

Hi guys. I hope some of you are still active here and can help us out? We are in a similar situation, both live in South Africa and my fiancee (we have been together and living together for 4 years) is a Canadian. We would like to move to Canada. This whole waiting without being able to work is unfortunately not possible for us, since we are still young and dont have thousands of dollars saved up for me to be without a job for a year. Hence, we need to apply in South Africa and then move to Canada once my PR is approved. Now, this is a massive headache for people who are not informed enough; at least thought that they would make have people assisting us in the matter - but I went to both the Brooklyn and Hatfield offices today in Pretoria, and the people working there could not worry less about helping me out. After sitting in the que for 2 hours the South African employee there just told me to go to CIC (wow, thanks for telling me that!)

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone who had to do the same process could tell us what to do and when to do it? We have read through the guide on the website but there is a ton of stuff and we would just like to know where to start. Since this is African time, everything will probably be slower (just my everyday experience) so we would have loved to just book tickets and fly over - unfortunately we cannot. So, if anyone has been through the same process, can you please share with us what you did and some tips?

1: Like when to do the police clearance, should the clearance and meds be done before the paperwork?
2: How much proof should we put in the relationship part? Photos, lease agreements at my parent's garden flat, same address for bills, some "chats" (we dont chat a lot since we are both taking our work seriously during the day)
3: The proof of intention to return to Canada; now, I cannot book flights unless I know if we will be accepted OR even have a date. I managed to get a lease form renting out a friendly lady's basement, and she is also going to give me a temp job once I arrive (she is going to provide me with letters of this, and we already have an address which is a blessing from up above).
4: After filling in the paperwork which we assume is done correctly, can we just send it to the address through a company like DHL and hope for the best?
5: Should we just get a lawyer and get it over with? It would really screw up my savings for our move.

I thank you in advance for taking time to read this. It would be real nice if someone who went through the same process from South Africa could tell us how you did it if all else fails I will probably have to apply from in Canada, but I don't want to be a burden on my fiancee.

Thanks!

The application instructions are pretty straight forward if you both read through them carefully so it is not necessary to get a lawyer. Chats are proof are more for couples who live apart. You have been living together for 4 years and I am sure you have plenty of photos of you together over 4 years as well as mail sent to you both at the same address. Having housing and a job lined up in Canada will suffice as proof that you plan on moving to Canada when the PR comes through.