Getting into Canada after marriage, before sponsorship

[Louis15]

I got married last month to a Canadian and want to go to Canada as a visitor to start the sponsorship program, within the country, to get permanent residence. Obviously that raises some questions.

Can I tell the immigration officer and expect to enter as a visitor?
Or should I tell that I come to visit my husband, for 3 months? And, start the process afterwards anyway.

I understand that after some time I can apply for an open work permit. How long are they for? (because this is a pilot project that runs until the end of 2016)

Thank you

 

[canadausa#11]

Which country are you from?

 

[Louis15]

Belgium

 

[truesmile]

Then you are visa-exempt. Commencing March 15th you require an ETA to enter Canada by air, (that's an Electronic Travel Authorization).

 

[Mardek]

I would recommend an Outland application, as it is very likely that you will get your PR pretty soon.
From what I understand current Inland applications can take up to 28 months.

 

[Louis15]

The processing time for an outland PR through spousal sponsoring is 17 months. Inland application times are 26-28 months, but I could get an open work permit within 4 months.
That's why I'm interested in following this route and would like to know how long the work permits are for.

 

[Peterh1970]

I would recommend an outland application too. I'm also Belgian and married with a Canadian woman and our application took 4.5 months after the application was received.
Best regards, Peter

 

[MilesAway]

Outland is definitely not 17 months. Paris is fast, with a few people recently being done in less than 4 months (so even faster than you would receive your OWP for inland).

Check out the Paris spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OsPSpPEgZQL0IaYgzQu8WNELALfbvPGfACt5n4n_K2A/edit#gid=0

If you get the documents together now, you can start the process and possibly be a PR by the time your 3 month "visit" is up.

 

[Louis15]

Thank you for those remarks, that definitely changes things.

1) I have a complicated immigration history (Used to have a open-work permit based on my common law partner. Now married to someone else.)
Does this potentially make the PR process longer? (If it's much longer I would still go for long route, with work permit...)

2) I plan to come to Canada in April, as a visitor, because we're moving across the country. Would it be better to wait the PR application, or is it no problem ?

 

[Vanityfair]

Just curious, if you apply outland from philippines. And then visit the spouse and then you really want to wait it out in canada, is this possible on a TRV? and just extend status just in case?