Couple Moving to Canada?

[calla210]

Hello,
My girlfriend and I are thinking about a possible move to Canada for temporary work. Just looking for a little information to help us out. Here is our situation. She is a Colombian resident, I am from the United States. we have been together for 2 years. Moving back and forth from the US and Colombia. Just looking for somewhere to settle down together and start building a solid life together. So my question is, where is a good place to start and what are our options? Just browsing through the Immigration website has my head spinning and I don't know where to begin. Would it be easiest to apply for tourist visas and search for a job while in the country, or look for jobs and go in the application process with an offer? Any help/advice would certainly help us out.

Thanks

 

[scylla]

Two questions:

Are you common law? Have you lived together for at least one year continuously and can you prove it?

Secondly, take a look at the NAFTA occupation list. Do you, as the American, qualify for any of the jobs on that list?

 

[calla210]

No, we are not common law. And as far as proving our time together. We have plane tickets, work and travel documents, and even Facebook (if thats proof in any way?). For the occupation list, I have a bachelors in Biology so I would fall under that.

 

[Leon]

No, we are not common law. And as far as proving our time together. We have plane tickets, work and travel documents, and even Facebook (if thats proof in any way?). For the occupation list, I have a bachelors in Biology so I would fall under that.

If you are not living together as a couple for at least one year (common law), you would have to get married in order to go as a couple.

If you find a NAFTA job in Canada, you can get a work permit fairly easily and she can get a work permit based on your permit if she is your common law wife or married to you.

Once you are in Canada, you would have your options to apply for permanent residency if you want to stay for good.

 

[Rob_TO]

For the occupation list, I have a bachelors in Biology so I would fall under that.

THe only applicable job title you would seem to qualify under is "Scientific Technician/ Technologist". You would need to make sure this is the specific kind of job you're applying for and get an offer for, to qualify for a work permit.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/work/international/nafta.asp