Getting married - somewhat unusual relationship

[profiler]

Unfortunately my girlfriend is not even willing to consider visiting Europe right now. She thinks that Europe in general is unsafe and there are also plenty of misconception and prejudices about my country in the western world. Most of them aren't even half true.

You may want to ask her to reconsider this. Especially when your child is there. They should meet. Include proof of that when you submit to CIC. If you didn't, they would look at the situation as sketchy because you chose not to introduce her to your child.

Also, I'd like to point out, that I'm not really interested in working in Canada. I will eventually apply for OWP, just in case, but I currently have a job that pays more than a Canadian average for a similar position and I get equity too. I'm definitely not an economic migrant, since my personal standard of living is higher in my country, than it will be ever be in Canada. I'll get pretty much the same salary, but Canada is just more expensive. I think that Canada is a great country and I loved every second while being there, but I'm only doing this, so we could be together.

Depending on which Slavic state, I can understand your POV here. However, my wife has come to realize that in actual fact, the standard we live by is very high, and it costs about the same or even less than in *some* Eastern European countries.

1. Is us getting married because we just want to live together considered a marriage of convenience, or a fraud?

No. It does raise concerns though. Your job will be to tamp this fire out before it gets too big.

2. ImABule said that I shouldn't say that I want to stay for 6 months. What is the safest thing for me to say? How many times can I extend my visitor record?

It will totally depend on the CBSA agent. Last time my wife came in, she told the CBSA agent she planned to live with her husband. *obviously* I don't recommend this, but they allowed her to enter, with a date to leave by 6 months from the day she entered.

Generally speaking, you can state you are here for a few weeks, and that you will buy a return ticket at a later date. It's a red flag, sure, but it's not totally unreasonable. Though you may want to consider having a round-trip ticket, and just refund the second leg perhaps.

3. Speaking of visitor record, last time I was in Canada, they stapled a temporary visitor record to my passport and said I should return it when I leave Canada. When I was leaving, I couldn't find a place to return it, so I have stopped a random officer and she told me that they will remove the record when I board the plane. I forgot about it and now I found out it's still in my passport. Am I going to get in trouble because of that? I have applied for ETA and got approved, so I hope not. Anything I can do about it? I would prefer not to spend over $1.5k and be turned back right after I get off the plane.

This might be troublesome. I will leave it to more experienced travellers to help out on this one.

GL! and enjoy your trip!

 

[just a square]

Speaking of visitor record, last time I was in Canada, they stapled a temporary visitor record to my passport and said I should return it when I leave Canada. When I was leaving, I couldn't find a place to return it, so I have stopped a random officer and she told me that they will remove the record when I board the plane. I forgot about it and now I found out it's still in my passport. Am I going to get in trouble because of that? I have applied for ETA and got approved, so I hope not. Anything I can do about it? I would prefer not to spend over $1.5k and be turned back right after I get off the plane.

Did they scan your passport when boarding the plane? If so, they should have the record that you didn't overstay.

 

[ImABule]

Manila
wow, what a big changed for you.lol well, although i'm muslim but i don't totally practice and act like a real muslim like, praying 5x,fasting. wearing veil. so it was ok for me to have civil wedding.

My wife doesn't practice either but her family is very religious.

No civil wedding in Indonesia so I converted so her family would attend and approve instead of marrying abroad

 

[Siqz]

Did they scan your passport when boarding the plane? If so, they should have the record that you didn't overstay.

I'm not sure, it was over a year ago. Don't they have to scan all the passports?

 

[just a square]

I'm not sure, it was over a year ago. Don't they have to scan all the passports?

I think they have to. However, I haven't taken many flights in North America to be sure, and here in Europe I've taken flights without showing any ID at the airport at all.

 

[profiler]

I wonder why they felt the need to issue a Visitor Record though... did they happen to say why?

 

[Siqz]

I wonder why they felt the need to issue a Visitor Record though... did they happen to say why?

Probably because I went to Canada to meet a girl I met over the Internet, which is somewhat sketchy. Can't say I blame them, I could have never showed up at my gf's place and just work illegally I guess.

 

[profiler]

Probably because I went to Canada to meet a girl I met over the Internet, which is somewhat sketchy. Can't say I blame them, I could have never showed up at my gf's place and just work illegally I guess.

We had the same situation.. I gave her an invitation letter. They called me the first time she entered to verify I wtote it. That was about an hour after they grilled her about coming. 10mins later, she came out of the gates. They even wrote her leave by date as something in 3017.

 

[Siqz]

It was exactly the same for me. I spent over an hour there. The worst thing was, that I wasn't able to sleep for about a day before the trip and I couldn't sleep in the plane either. I must have looked quite weird. My leave date was exactly the same as on my return ticket.
How did it go the next time she visited you? Did they grill her again? Did they give her another visitor record, or did they just let her in?

 

[profiler]

It was exactly the same for me. I spent over an hour there. The worst thing was, that I wasn't able to sleep for about a day before the trip and I couldn't sleep in the plane either. I must have looked quite weird. My leave date was exactly the same as on my return ticket.
How did it go the next time she visited you? Did they grill her again? Did they give her another visitor record, or did they just let her in?

She was out of the gates 15 minutes after the plane 'arrived' at the terminal. In Toronto. During the PanAm Games. During the crossing where she told CBSA she was here to live with me, she had her dog and everything. They didn't look at the dog, they 'counselled' her, took some info (marriage date, where she was staying, etc), then stamped her passport and she was on her way.

 

[profiler]

It was exactly the same for me. I spent over an hour there. The worst thing was, that I wasn't able to sleep for about a day before the trip and I couldn't sleep in the plane either. I must have looked quite weird. My leave date was exactly the same as on my return ticket.
How did it go the next time she visited you? Did they grill her again? Did they give her another visitor record, or did they just let her in?

And no visitor record -- ever.