Hello! Finally starting PR process! Have a few questions.

[lleahdoll]

Hello! So! My husband and I are terrible procrastinators but we are finally starting up everything. We've been married since August 2013.

So, I have a few questions to start off.

1) Will immigration care that I visit in 6 month increments? Because on the PR application you have to write down when you've visited and the dates. I've been visiting in 6 month increments since December 2012. It was just for the 6 months and then my husband proposed. Once we went back to Canada together, we decided to get married right away so we could start the process and be together permanently. And since we've been researching and now starting the paperwork.

2) For people coming from the US. What is your experience sending in the FBI background check? I just got my fingerprints done by the local police station and am going to send them in. How long have you guys had to wait to get your criminal record (or lack of) back?

3) I do plan on trying to keep staying in 6 month increments if possible. Of course by the time I leave next time, we will have the PR application sent in so I'm nervous they won't let me back in because I don't have sufficient evidence that I'll go back. I don't work currently as I've been visiting my husband.
Soooo once immigration requests my passport can I send it from Canada if I'm here or do I have to re-enter with it as a then permanent resident?

Thank you so much for any help you guys can give me!!! I find comfort in hearing other people's successful and smooth experiences!!

(Note: I am immigrating to Quebec. If that makes a difference to any of the above.)

 

[lleahdoll]

anyone have some wisdom? haha ???

 

[BeShoo]

You're not as bad procrastinators as my partner and I are. He's been visiting me in Canada from the U.S. for over 4 years and we just got our 5th extension on his visit.

1) There's nothing wrong with 6-month increments, but whatever you do, be sure to tell the truth.

2) The FBI are currently citing 22 calendar days plus mailing time. That is much shorter than they've sometimes done in the past.

3) They will probably allow a visit of up to 6 months after the PR is sent in. Be prepared with proofs that you sent it and if possible have your husband with you if you drive across the border. Whether they allow you 6 months or a shorter period, you can apply for an extension of 6 moths or a year for $75. As long as you've been following the rules (not working or going to school) these extensions are normally approved while you have an application in process. My partner had no money at all, nowhere in the U.S. to live except his father's address, and no job when he came to visit me in Canada. The border officer was very reluctant, especially because we had not paid the fee for the application, though we had it mostly filled out and were waiting for the FBI check to come back. She gave him only 3 months to get everything together, but she explained how to ask for an extension and we've had a lot of extensions, so it has worked well for us and we finally got the application sent off and are waiting for the decision.

 

[lleahdoll]

Wowee!!!! SO I'm guessing you've gotten year long extensions? I'm thinking of doing that once this 6 month stay is over because chance are we will have submitted the paperwork by then (June).
I don't know if you'd know the answer to this, but say I was to get a year long extension... what happens when my PR is approved? Do I just leave across the border (plane, car, whatever) and come straight back over?? I don't have many belongings still in the US to be honest besides keep sake type items that I have no present need for so I wouldn't need to move a bunch of things over.

1) Yes, I will def be sure to tell the truth no matter what.

2) Oh awesome! Through my research I kept reading 12 weeks and that is quite awhile! 22-30 days (a month, basically) would be awesome!!

3) What are proofs that we SENT the PR before we get the AOR?
Definitely have been following the rules. I don't work or go to school here. I just spend time with my husband and our cats. (He works)

The one thing I'm constantly worried about is being allowed back in for a visit since we are married now and I have more of a reason to want to stay here and not go back to the US (in their eyes). I also have no money. I was a student when we started dating and so when I started visiting in 6 month increments, he just paid for everything for me. And now to me that seems fine since he's my husband but I know they'd want some sort of proof I can support myself during my stay which I also don't understand since I'm staying with my husband, not in a hotel or something.

Also, how can you show you are currently filling out the PR application? Since I'm doing in on my computer...??? Confused when I've read people saying to show proof you're in the process of filling everything out.

So far I have entered Canada 3 times and stayed for 6 months every time. Only had trouble one time and that was when I was going BACK to the US and he was curious why I only had 1 piece of luggage if I had stayed 6 months.

Good luck with your application btw!

 

[wowsers]

I am sure that someone with more knowledge than I will eventually answer and address all the issues you raise. I am not from the USA and so will only answer the queries which I can answer from knowledge gained on this forum. You will be emigrating to Quebec; so you know about the need for a CSQ, right? If not, look it up in the search facility at the top right hand of the screen or google it. The other issue I can help with is the query you raise concerning your passport. You are from a visa-exempt country with the result that the immigration procedure will not involve submitting your passport. If, as I assume, you will be applying outland, the procedure will be that at the end of the process you will receive a COPR (confirmation of permanent residency) through the post, and you will be showing that document at the border when you enter as a PR. The procedure for an inland application is different but since you refer to trips back to the USA from time to time such an application will not be appropriate: you are stuck in Canada for the duration of the inland application and anyway it takes longer to process. When I was typing this your further post came up but there is nothing in that I can help with.

 

[lleahdoll]

Yes I know about the CSQ! Luckily, it's not too bad to fill out. Kinda a repeat of the general PR application.

Ah they won't be requesting my passport or anything like that? I only assumed because I have read a lot of threads on here and so many people have the date their passport was requested and I could have sworn some were from the US!
So if I get the COPR at my husband's address can I still exit Canada with it and re-enter same day or something like that?

AH! And I forgot to mention I am doing outland. Since with inland there is a big chance you can be denied and then your application is tossed. Do not want to risk that. And I want chances to visit family, especially with a new member arriving soon! ;D

 

[wowsers]

I do not swear to anything concerning Canadian immigration but doubt whether any of the references you have read to passports being requested concern USA citizens. Usually it is only applicants from non visa exempt countries who have to submit their passports to have a visa stamped in them. The COPR when you receive it has to be submitted at a border and yes, you can do that in one day by a procedure which (unofficially I think) is called flagpoling: leaving Canada at one of its border posts and immediately returning. You will need your passport as well as the COPR to flagpole (what a flexible language English is: no difficulty in changing a noun into a verb!). The COPR is not a travel document. I am not sure about the address to which the COPR is sent but you have some while before you need worry about that.

 

[lleahdoll]

Ah I am such a worrywart. My husband is the laid back one in this regard anyways. Maybe a little too laid back as I have come here with no return ticket multiple times. -_-

Anywho! Ok! That is nice to know. Sending off my passport would make me so nervous and anxious!! What if they lost it and I was stuck in Canada with no passport?! Ahaha... so good! I can not worry about that now at least!

Yes, English is a funny language! Hopefully we can flagpole in New York since we are near Montreal, so not far from the border! That would be nice! And I've never been to New York! ;D

 

[lleahdoll]

Wouldn't mind more advice from people with similar background (Outland, US)
thanks

 

[Zarilenth]

I do know that US citizens sometimes get a passport request, but in that case they only have to photocopy a page and fax it in. Not the actual passport which is nice.
Also, a lot of people recently have been getting their COPR without even getting a passport request at all. I have an up to date spreadsheet in my signature if you want to take a look. All the PPR there should just be photocopies. Rarely, they will ask for the physical copy, but only rarely.

Also: about the proof that we have submitted the application.. We submitted in January and in Feb my american husband came to visit for a week. He didn't have any proof that we submitted and at that point we didn't have aor. He didn't even mention it just said he was visiting his wife for a week. He is coming back next week and planning to do the same thing. I think in our case its different because he only flies up for a short time and has strong ties back home. I guess it would be more difficult to prove you'll leave after 6 months. Maybe just photocopy some filled out forms to show you're working on it if they ask?

 

[lleahdoll]

That's so nice to know! As I said above, it would make me extremely nervous to send in my passport especially if I was sending it while in Canada!
I will check that out for sure, thank you!

 

[Zarilenth]

And about the FBI check: did you pay with a debit or credit card? I would suggest monitoring the card. If it hasn't been charged in a month, do it again. My husband did his fingerprints back in early December and my late January his card hadn't even been charged so we sent the application in without it. He then re did the FBI fingerprints in late January and just got the results back last week.

 

[lleahdoll]

We haven't done that part for FBI yet. Do we pay online BEFORE we send off the prints/paperwork? We monitor our bank account closely so I will for sure watch out for that.

BTW, totally off topic. I'm pretty new to posting so I was wondering how you "rate" people. I'd love to give everyone who helps me a positive rating. Someone already gave me a -1 rating. What the heck?! hahah

 

[lleahdoll]

Oh! Weird! It just showed up on the side! I see where I can rate now. It wasn't there before I replied back! Weird! :

 

[Alurra71]

We haven't done that part for FBI yet. Do we pay online BEFORE we send off the prints/paperwork? We monitor our bank account closely so I will for sure watch out for that.

BTW, totally off topic. I'm pretty new to posting so I was wondering how you "rate" people. I'd love to give everyone who helps me a positive rating. Someone already gave me a -1 rating. What the heck?! hahah

You don't pay for you FBI fingerprints online. You fill out the credit card paper that you can d/l from the FBI website. It gives you all the necessary information. If you are paying with say your visa debit card, make sure you remember to sign the form. They will not charge your account until they have completed your request so it can take a while to show up on your account. When I did mine, it was roughly a 6 week turn around and at about 5 weeks and a couple days, the charge hit my card and just about exactly at 6 weeks I had my report in hand. Keep in mind that FBI report is only good for 90 days from the date printed on it. You MUST get it turned in with your application before that time frame is up if you want them to accept it. You won't have to do another (rare rare rare that another PCC is requested) so don't worry about that. I also included a state PCC with my application to cover any bases just in case they decided to ask. I wanted them to know I didn't even have so much as a parking ticket! LOL

Anyway, I also came from the US, but my application was completed Inland. They are mostly the same so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Oh, and one more thing. When they ask a US citizen for the passport, it is ONLY the bio data and such they want, so a photo copy is all they really need, they don't need the actual passport as we don't require a visa foil to travel to Canada. Hope that helped alleviate any anxiety about a lost passport!

Good luck.