Extending 6-months Visitor Visa so she can stay with me thru common law

[sokenyou]

Dear all:

I seriously need some help here..... I have been doing some research on the CIC websites, called lawyers and even asking around but I still don't feel comfortable and I don't know what to do or what to tell my friend about coming over to Canada to stay with me.

She is a US citizen living in the New York State and I am a Canadian citizen living in the Niagara Region. Our relationship began January 1st, 2009. It happened when I was in traveling to the US for work. Now I am full time stationed here in Canada again, so it's tough for us to see each other!!!!

I have a stable job in Canada, and she just graduated from Grad School, so we decided to stay in Canada as we really want to be together in one place. We are not ready for marriage yet, at least not ready financially, maybe in a couple of years will do.

We'd like to go through the common-law spouse process in order to make her stay legal by applying the Permanent Resident status, but she has to stay with me and live with me for a year in Canada to become eligible, but the Visitor's Visa expires in 6 months! If she applies for an extension, will that be rejected and she has to go back to the US for another 6 months? We have to wait another 6 months to continue with our 'bottling' up of the balance of the 1 year requirement for common law in the year after??????

What should we do here to extend her Visitor's Visa before it expires 6 months after she crossed the border (to begin the common law process by staying in Canada with me) so we can get the common law status in a year and that allows her to apply for a permanent resident (PR)??????

I am just worried that if she tells the Immigration Officer that she is coming to Canada to be with me and she ended up getting 'vamoose' signal and she could never come back in here!!!!

Also, more questions/concerns. Assume that we have lived together for a year so what needs to be done to legally grab the official title: She is my common-law partner????? Is that already implied the day that we lived together for a year????

Also, can she apply for a temporary SIN number so she can apply for a job once the application for PR is in progress???? I know we have to wait at least 6 months after putting in the application. It's not just money, but she has to do something. She can't just stay home, right???


Some one help!!!!!

Thanks a million if you can help..... Appreciated... ^^

 

[ryanmacd]

I would also be very interested in hearing any possible answers to this question.
My situation is very similar to this one. Even if the original poster could share any solutions they've found that would be helpful.

Thank you.

 

[The Littlest Hobo]

If she just finished grad school then presumably she is specialized, can't she apply for a job in Canada from the US? I thought it was rather easy these days to work across the border if you have some kind of useful skill/trade/qualification? Then maybe she could get in through a work visa? I have no idea, I'm just guessing...

Just curious, but if you are not ready for marriage then how are you sure you are ready to sponsor her because it is a 3-year committment (and tougher to get out of than a marriage from what I gather)

Well good luck in any case!

Cheers,
TLH

 

[ryanmacd]

I don't see how a ring and a piece of paper makes I or anyone else less dedicated or serious about our realtionships then those who got married. I love my partner with everything I have, but I don't want to get married right now and I would never cheapen a union, even if I did want it, just to satisfy immigration.

I'm hoping someone can answer the question we both have about extending the 6-month visitor VISA, it is the only thing I haven't been able to find a concrete answer to. Has anyone ever done it before? Has anyone ever been successful is this regards?

Thanks.

 

[Lylyth]

I am sure she could apply for a visitor visa, however she will have to give her reason to extend her visit. Whether or not it will be approved is another thing.

As TLH said, and I don't deny the genuine aspect of your relationship, with applying for sponsorship/PR status that is a 3 year commitment. Once you have been approved you have to support your girlfriend, whether you stay together or not.

With work permits, unless she specializes in something Canada needs and/or gets an LMO with a job offer, she won't be able to work until she gets her AIP (approval in principle) then she will be able to apply for an open work permit. As nice as it is to have your spouse with you, it can be financially draining when one can't work for 6 - 7 months and the unexpected pops up, i.e. pregnancy

 

[The Littlest Hobo]

There used to be special rules for working x-border under NAFTA only for Americans (and maybe Mexicans), you didn't need to go through the normal (LONG!) process and the LMO and so on. I know because I did it as a Canadian working in the US in 1998 and it was very quick and easy compared to the immigration process we are going through now even as a married couple. I had no ties to the US,only an employer, and it was very quick. I dunno if things have changed but I suggest you look into this.

 

[ryanmacd]

Thanks everyone for the info so far! I realize the financial commitment to sponsoring and that is why I intend to be prepared to help support both of us before she would even move in .
I was wondering about Open Work Permits though. Are the open work permits that you can apply for after sponsorship approval different form the ones you apply for through immigration? I only ask because my partner doesn't really fall into a work class that is of high demand. Would the open work permit just allow her to work anywhere? Or would that permit only apply to certain job sets?

Thanks

 

[pegasusyt]

my situation is the same - can anyone shed some light on this subject? thanks in advance!