Fastest way to get my boyfriend Permanent Residency?

[juliakristof]

My boyfriend is Belgian and is currently finishing up his 1st year (1 more to go) of his masters in an Engineering-type degree in Belgium.

We want him to live in Canada as soon as he is done his masters (June 2018) and of course be able to legally work here and get his Permanent Residency.

What is the fastest way for him to get his PR/move here?

We don't want to rush marriage just to speed up the process so marriage is not an option. I don't think I could sponsor him since we don't qualify under a common-law relationship since we have not lived together for a year. We don't qualify under conjugal partners because we haven't been together for a year yet and don't share any mutual financial support etc but we DO have evidence of flying to be with each other several times. We have been dating for 7 months.

Would it be faster for him to apply as outland before he is finished his masters? Should we wait until we have been dating for a year so I can sponsor him under conjugal partnership? Any help is appreciated!

 

[sylvain1]

My boyfriend is Belgian and is currently finishing up his 1st year (1 more to go) of his masters in an Engineering-type degree in Belgium.

We want him to live in Canada as soon as he is done his masters (June 2018) and of course be able to legally work here and get his Permanent Residency.

What is the fastest way for him to get his PR/move here?

We don't want to rush marriage just to speed up the process so marriage is not an option. I don't think I could sponsor him since we don't qualify under a common-law relationship since we have not lived together for a year. We don't qualify under conjugal partners because we haven't been together for a year yet and don't share any mutual financial support etc but we DO have evidence of flying to be with each other several times. We have been dating for 7 months.

Would it be faster for him to apply as outland before he is finished his masters? Should we wait until we have been dating for a year so I can sponsor him under conjugal partnership? Any help is appreciated!

Conjugal sponsorship is not an option for you. There is nothing preventing you to live with boyfriend and reach the 12 months of cohabitation for the common law relationship, so you cannot go via conjugal sponsorship. It has to be either common law or marriage.

Then yes, outland applications are faster than inland, but with inland application, he could apply for an open work permit an get it in about 4 months.

 

[Rob_TO]

Agreed a conjugal app would fail as you are not eligible no matter how long you've been dating. Conjugal class is reserved for those where it is impossible to become common-law or get married i.e. one can't get a visa to visit the others country, one is married in a country with no divorce, a same-sex couple in a country where same-sex marriage is illegal, etc.

Read through the conjugal sections of this manual: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf
It states very clearly that people intending to get married and who are able to do so, do not qualify as conjugal.

 

[juliakristof]

Conjugal sponsorship is not an option for you. There is nothing preventing you to live with boyfriend and reach the 12 months of cohabitation for the common law relationship, so you cannot go via conjugal sponsorship. It has to be either common law or marriage.

Then yes, outland applications are faster than inland, but with inland application, he could apply for an open work permit an get it in about 4 months.

Thank you. If he came here as a tourist (eligible to stay for 6 months at a time), could he then apply for an open work permit with inland application? How long would the open work permit be valid for? And would we then have to wait 12 months before applying as common law sponsorship for his PR?

 

[sylvain1]

Thank you. If he came here as a tourist (eligible to stay for 6 months at a time), could he then apply for an open work permit with inland application? How long would the open work permit be valid for? And would we then have to wait 12 months before applying as common law sponsorship for his PR?

To apply for common law, you have to be cohabiting for 12 consecutive months and you have to document it. Are you currently living together?

to reach the 12 months, he could come here as a visitor and apply to extend his stay at the end of his 6 months. But he will not be allowed to work with a visitor status. The open work permit (OWP) I was referring to is only when applying for the common law sponsorship. I don't know the duration of this permit, but long enough to cover the sponsorship process.

As he is from Belgium, he might want to have a look at the international experience Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/index.asp
That would allow him to come here as a worker and reach the required cohabitation with you.

Another possible route would be for him to come as a PhD student.

And finally, with his degree and language, he might be able to immigrate on his own. I'm thinking about immigration to Quebec as French language gives a lot of points, you may find out if he could be accepted: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/permanent-workers/epi.html
I'm less familiar with other programs in Canada, but he might qualify as well.

 

[spousalsponsee]

And finally, with his degree and language, he might be able to immigrate on his own. I'm thinking about immigration to Quebec as French language gives a lot of points, you may find out if he could be accepted: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/permanent-workers/epi.html
I'm less familiar with other programs in Canada, but he might qualify as well.

I agree with most of your post, but if he's Belgian, there's a 2/3 chance he doesn't speak French (Yes, if he is Wallonian, he probably has fairly high chance of meeting Quebec criteria)

 

[juliakristof]

I agree with most of your post, but if he's Belgian, there's a 2/3 chance he doesn't speak French (Yes, if he is Wallonian, he probably has fairly high chance of meeting Quebec criteria)

Correct - he speaks Dutch/Flemish.

So we've come to a conclusion that he will come here on a 12 month working holiday visa in which we will live together for 12 months. Then he will apply for PR with me as his common law sponsor with inland application so that he can get an open work permit within 3-4 months while PR application is being processed.