Extension Inquiries? How to go about Extended stay in Canada

[KKRSTNA]

Hello all,

I am an American Citizen currently dating a Canadian Citizen.

We had been in a LDR for nearly 2.5 years before I recently moved to Ottawa to be with him Oct, 15th, 2013. As my 6 month visitor status nears an end, I wanted to know if there's a possibility to stay longer here in Canada if my extension request is denied. My boyfriend and I are hoping to be common-law, and then file for a spousal sponsorship. That won't be possible if we can't stay together consecutively for one year.

We haven't applied for my extension yet, because we're still trying to figure out what to do. I can't stand the thought of having to go back to being in a LDR, and we really want to be together and make everything work out.

Can someone please give me some advice?

 

[chessnut1087]

I was in your same position. Just get married and file as a spouse. I know it sucks but honestly, if you love each other and you've already been together for 2.5 years, CIC will probably ask you the same question if you apply for common-law, and by that time you'll have been together for over 3 years. If you have already set up a life in Canada, and for some reason you are not given an extension, you have to leave everything behind.

Telling the CIC that you need an extension to file for "common-law" is NOT the way to go. They will most likely deny this as you are stating to them you have dual intent.

 

[KKRSTNA]

Hello! and thank you so much for your response.

We've actually been together for three years, but we were in a LDR for almost 2.5 years before I moved in with him last year. Marriage is an option for us so it doesn't suck at all, we just wanted do do things a bit more traditional versus out of fear of me having to leave Canada. I knew things were going to be tough but I didn't expect it to be this hard! haha, but I'm thankful to you and everyone else on this forum who aim to help people with information.

May I ask what you mean by: "If you have already set up a life in Canada, and for some reason you are not given an extension, you have to leave everything behind" I've only set up a bank account, and that was done so that my boyfriend and I could have some sort of proof that we live together and have been for several months, and not just testimonies from friends and family. I am so scared that I won't be able to stay here and everything that I'm reading and coming across is so colorful that I don't know what to actually believe.

 

[little_apple]

Hello all,

I am an American Citizen currently dating a Canadian Citizen.

We had been in a LDR for nearly 2.5 years before I recently moved to Ottawa to be with him Oct, 15th, 2013. As my 6 month visitor status nears an end, I wanted to know if there's a possibility to stay longer here in Canada if my extension request is denied. My boyfriend and I are hoping to be common-law, and then file for a spousal sponsorship. That won't be possible if we can't stay together consecutively for one year.

We haven't applied for my extension yet, because we're still trying to figure out what to do. I can't stand the thought of having to go back to being in a LDR, and we really want to be together and make everything work out.

Can someone please give me some advice?

You can extend your stay as a visitor online and you can tell CIC that you want to stay here to become common-law. Hundreds of people have done it before and for visa-exempt people there shouldn't be an issue at all.

I wouldn't worry about not getting married. If you don't want to then don't (we applied as common-law as well). Just getting married to make immigration easier is not the right thing to do. I received two visitor extensions by telling CIC the truth.

 

[chessnut1087]

You can extend your stay as a visitor online and you can tell CIC that you want to stay here to become common-law. Hundreds of people have done it before and for visa-exempt people there shouldn't be an issue at all.

I wouldn't worry about not getting married. If you don't want to then don't (we applied as common-law as well). Just getting married to make immigration easier is not the right thing to do. I received two visitor extensions by telling CIC the truth.

It's honestly just up to whoever processes your application. There have been many people on here who have been denied an extension "for no good reason" and they had to exit Canada. There have been people who told the truth and gotten the extension. My point being, you can either gamble with applying for extensions for not only one year (to establish common-law) but then an additional year while your application is being processed. (That's 3 more extension applications potentially.) There have also been many people asked in interviews "why didn't you just get married if you've been together and are committed, etc" So keep that in mind.

Marriage to be with someone you love to be able to legally be with them in their country is not wrong. You're doing the process the correct way.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

It's honestly just up to whoever processes your application. There have been many people on here who have been denied an extension "for no good reason" and they had to exit Canada. There have been people who told the truth and gotten the extension. My point being, you can either gamble with applying for extensions for not only one year (to establish common-law) but then an additional year while your application is being processed. (That's 3 more extension applications potentially.) There have also been many people asked in interviews "why didn't you just get married if you've been together and are committed, etc" So keep that in mind.

Can you provide links showing these common-law applicants that were asked in interviews "why didn't you just get married if you've been together and are committed, etc"? In my few years advising on the forum, I have only seen one common-law applicant called for an interview, so I'm curious to see where you are getting your info.

As little_apple said, many people request extensions on the basis of their relationship with a Canadian citizen or PR, either to become common-law, to explore their relationship, to get married and apply inland, to stay together during an outland app etc. For a visa-exempt person with sufficient finances, that is not a problem for CIC. There are a lot of people here on the forum, including many Americans, who have been or were in Canada for years as a visitor, continually extending their visitor status on the basis of their relationship and eventual PR application.

 

[QuebecOkie]

We pretty much got married for immigration purposes. We were most certainly deeply in love, living together, committed to one another. It's just that marriage isn't that important to us, and we had no immediate plans to explore the issue. I've been married and divorced once before, and my husband is "that guy" who was sure he would never be married, just never had any interest. He's military, so when he had to move to his next posting, from the US state where I lived to Québec, we had two options. Get married or split up. (No kind of working visa/LMO was even an outside option, as I spoke no French at the time, and we're in a very French area here.) Knowing what we know now, we could have tried to go the common-law route (we'd been living together one year just as we moved to Canada, but we never put any of his bills in my name, the lease stayed in his name, etc., and it would have been hell to prove common-law status), but I wouldn't have liked that. There was enough uncertainty in our lives as it was, between immigration and him being in the military. At least, as his wife, I had insurance through his employer.

Not saying by any means that you "need" to or "have" to or even "should" get married. Just saying that I don't feel marrying to ensure the best chance of our remaining together doesn't at all feel to me like it cheapened our relationship, or that it wasn't the right way to go, or that it was dishonest. You have to make your own decisions about what works best for the two of you.

 

[chessnut1087]

Can you provide links showing these common-law applicants that were asked in interviews "why didn't you just get married if you've been together and are committed, etc"? In my few years advising on the forum, I have only seen one common-law applicant called for an interview, so I'm curious to see where you are getting your info.

As little_apple said, many people request extensions on the basis of their relationship with a Canadian citizen or PR, either to become common-law, to explore their relationship, to get married and apply inland, to stay together during an outland app etc. For a visa-exempt person with sufficient finances, that is not a problem for CIC. There are a lot of people here on the forum, including many Americans, who have been or were in Canada for years as a visitor, continually extending their visitor status on the basis of their relationship and eventual PR application.

I think I was mixing up the "conjugal partner" questions with the "common-law" questions. I did a ton of research for conjugal because that was our original immigration application route. I was personally advised by many people on this forum that I would be asked "why didn't you just marry" upon interview if I chose this route.

 

[steler]

You can extend your stay as a visitor online and you can tell CIC that you want to stay here to become common-law. Hundreds of people have done it before and for visa-exempt people there shouldn't be an issue at all.

I wouldn't worry about not getting married. If you don't want to then don't (we applied as common-law as well). Just getting married to make immigration easier is not the right thing to do. I received two visitor extensions by telling CIC the truth.

I was reading the post, until I read your answer, and I can not say more than this:

 

[Graihn]

Can you provide links showing these common-law applicants that were asked in interviews "why didn't you just get married if you've been together and are committed, etc"? [font=Verdana]In my few years advising on the forum, I have only seen one common-law applicant called for an interview, so I'm curious to see where you are getting your info.[/font]

Curious about your comment there (red font).
You have only seen one common-law applicant called for an interview? Is the reason for this that there really isn't any common-lawing (lol) of convenience going on? And people who acquire common-law status usually come from visa-exempt countries?

Reason I am asking: Worried about an interview because of a red flag, in some VOs eyes.
1. Same-sex, partner much older and has adult children
2. Maybe that is it.. Lol

Anyway, addressing #1: This was explained in thoroughly addressed in my essay, how I do not want kids, and never will do, and that we have discussed this and many other obstacles we may face while being far apart in age (how I like older and he likes younger). Everything they could think of, we have addressed ( I hope ).

On top of this we have the whole CRA as common-law, insurance policies naming each other as beneficiaries yada yada, plus pics and wedding invites to both of us, and pics of us at such weddings together yada yada.

Lived together for 11 months, I went back to Sweden to finish university for 4 months, came back, did my thesis, worked for another six months, so we lived together for another 13 months (24 months in total where as at least 12 consecutive months last round), AND have several bills and pay stubs proving that I stayed there, and that my partner did too (condo owner).

So, back to you saying you have only seen one common-law couple being called for an interview, think this is a case for an interview? And would they really want to risk being accused of discrimination?

And really, if someone wanted to acquire legal status in Canada via a fake relationship, why choose someone older and of the same-sex? I'd pick a woman my age to fake it.

 

[Ponga]

You [Graihn] have to realize that those that share their stories here make up a small fraction of those that are actually dealing with CIC. We are a large school of fish in an enormous ocean of all the other applicants that haven't discovered this website!

Based on what you've shared with us here, and in your other posts, I can't imagine why you would have any trouble proving your relationship. The age difference seems to be the only valid reason for any potential scrutiny.

 

[Graihn]

You [Graihn] have to realize that those that share their stories here make up a small fraction of those that are actually dealing with CIC. We are a large school of fish in an enormous ocean of all the other applicants that haven't discovered this website!

Based on what you've shared with us here, and in your other posts, I can't imagine why you would have any trouble proving your relationship. The age difference seems to be the only valid reason for any potential scrutiny.

Yeah I know, I just post for re-assurance ( and probably will be once a month lol, this having no control is something I am not used to ) .. But I assume a lot of people who get an interview, either member here or not, will worry when called for an interview and seek advice (and they'd end up here after some google-ing.

 

[Ponga]

Yeah I know, I just post for re-assurance ( and probably will be once a month lol, this having no control is something I am not used to ) .. But I assume a lot of people who get an interview, either member here or not, will worry when called for an interview and seek advice (and they'd end up here after some google-ing.

LOL! I know the feeling!
Google should be disabled on the computers of anyone that's `waiting' for CIC to do whatever they're going to do.

AFAIK, a real relationship is not difficult to prove in-person. The VO's are not stupid people and know what's legit...mostly...unless the applicant is from Sweden. ;D

 

[Graihn]

LOL! I know the feeling!
Google should be disabled on the computers of anyone that's `waiting' for CIC to do whatever they're going to do.

AFAIK, a real relationship is not difficult to prove in-person. The VO's are not stupid people and know what's legit...mostly...unless the applicant is from Sweden. ;D

In Sweden it's custom to cut of a golden lock and give to people interviewing you. I hope they are aware of that or it might get awkward.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

So, back to you saying you have only seen one common-law couple being called for an interview, think this is a case for an interview? And would they really want to risk being accused of discrimination?

They were called for an interview because they were claiming common-law but hadn't been living together for a few years.

Your situation is perfectly reasonable and you need to stop worrying.