HELP!!!I'm Canadian and sponsoring my future American Husband

[beebrown]

Hi Guys,

Don't think I'm retarded ok, but I need somebody to help me step by step with links and all. It would be SOOOOOO appreciated! First off I'm french speaking so excuse my English and my spelling mistakes.

In August 2013, I will marry my fiancé in Maryland. He is a US citizen (he was born in the US).

I have questions about the whole process. I will get married in the US, I will drive to MD to get married and then go off on my honeymoon come back in MD and then drive back to Canada alone as I want to apply outland for it to be faster and for him to have his PR when he comes. During this time, from what I understand we will be able to go back and forth and see each other right?

When does he have to start the whole medical process, and FBI criminal background check? A couple of weeks before the wedding? I need to know as I want to send in my application as soon as we get married. Like before I step foot in the plane for the honeymoon...

Where do I need to start? I know some people have posted links of other members who posted their own story, but I never find anyones who's story is like mine. Also the reason why I want to apply outland is because I do not want him sitting around and not working. He works for UPS in the states and I would not want for him to quit his job and then sit at home until he gets all his papers, I will want him to continue working over there and then when he gets his PR he can come and have his full benefits.

 

[Isometry]

Welcome!

You can apply as soon as you have all the documents together. The FBI check will take the longest to get, I think current wait times for that are almost 3 months, so apply for that soon! The medical should be done right before you're ready to send off your application. Other things that may take time to order/get are your birth certificates and marriage certificate, so keep that in mind. I don't know the turnaround time for marriage certificates in MD, it may be quicker than mine.

The FBI check and medical need to be no more than 3 months old when the CIC gets your application, so don't get those things *now* if you're getting married in August.

You can find all the forms here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp

You can and should start filling out those forms as soon as you like. Paperwork is really tedious, and it can take time to get some of the information, and you don't want to be doing it all last-minute. You should also start gathering proofs that your relationship is genuine. Some of the things that are commonly used, like phone records, can be harder to get if they're old, so it's good to get records as far back as you can now, and then get the newer ones again when you're almost ready to submit the application. If there's anything about your relationship that might raise eyebrows (things like a huge age difference are the most common) think about how you want to address it.

I know you said that no-ones story is like yours, but there are a lot that are very similar. Here is a thread for applicants going through the US visa offices, most of us there are US/Canadian couples, and those applications tend to be very straightforward.

Also, you said you are a native French speaker, are you intending to settle in Quebec?

 

[Creampop]

Hi, I am from Baltimore, MD! (Go Ravens!) Congrats on your up coming wedding! You can have him come back with you if you can support him and still apply out-land... I came with my husband after we were married and was issued a 8 month visitor record when I entered Canada. I mailed my application from with-in Canada and I am now awaiting the return of my passport with visa. I never left Canada but wanted the option to be there if I needed it. I would apply for the FBI check in May as it could take up to 12 weeks to receive it is good for 3 months once you receive it. I actually did my medical (good for 1 year) after we were married as we had to wait for our marriage certificate to come in the mail we got married in NY, but MD you get the marriage certificate right away, unless they have changed that I was married in MD in 1986 so it has been a very long time. you mentioned you were french speaking will you be apply from Quebec? there are different things you must do when filing from Quebec... in any case it's best to start here....

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/index.asp

Good Luck!


Edited to add: Maryland no longer does inked fingerprints so he will have to find a fingerprinting service or have them done electronically, If you are going to department of vital record in reisterstown plaza to obtain your marriage license they also have a live scan in the mall and he can do them right there electronic prints come back faster... do not use a chandler CIC will deny them.

 

[beebrown]

@ISOMETRY Yes we will live in Quebec after! Anything else I have to do because of that, I know how things always are more complicated in Quebec!!! :-X

 

[beebrown]

@Creampop: In my culture a man has to provide for his family ( I know I know, it's old school...) So I don't want him sitting around the house. And the working permit would be fine but them he won't get health benefits!!! I want him to come to Canada Full-equipped like they say. I won't die for a couple of months if we intend to spend the rest of our lives together... I don't want us to start our married life by him living with me and my parents, or me paying all the bills, and all this fun stuff....

 

[Creampop]

Hey I completely understand and feel the same way you do! my husband and I just got married April of this year, we had a 13 year relationship and 2 children and I still worked and lived in MD, we visited each other every other weekend (I would be up there for 2 weekends a month him down here the other 2) for years! plus of course holidays etc... But when our oldest started school 4 years ago I decided I wanted them in school up there as schools are 100% better then in the US. It was harder being away from my oldest but how we had been doing it was working so why stop it? then our youngest started and I couldn't bear being without both of them... I couldn't sacrifice everything! I just know most people on this forum don't want to be without their spouse as if showing undying love is going to prove their relationship, to me sacrifice shows love more then anything... but after as many years it was time to settle down and make it right so we did... anyways again Good Luck!

 

[Isometry]

There's some different things for Quebec sponsors, but I'm not very familiar with them. This page has a few things, and suggests that this one would have more information, but I don't know any French so I can't look through that second website myself.

 

[beebrown]

@Creampop i know what you mean especially that you had kids, that must have been hard!!! My fiancé is in Westminster! I love Baltimore but Westminster is a little country for me.... I love Montréal better, especially the suburbs (where I live) but it has nothing to do with Westminster, everytime my fiancé comes I feel like he's in another country, but so far he seems to like it! He's actually coming to visit tomorrow. I was thinking after the wedding, we could meet each other half way..Like in CT. Cause 10 hours it's not easy on the wallet, especially with a SUV.....

Thanks for sharing your experience! I will read the links when he comes tomorrow, we could read them together... I'm going to follow Isometry's advice to start now for what I can fill out... At least I won't be last minute! That's exactly the type of person I am, I hate being last minute! My wedding dress is already bought just to tell you lol

 

[Creampop]

yes of course start what you can now, and gathering relationship proof etc... enjoy your visit! when your apart it makes them so much more special! our drive was 6 hours and I rented cars cus mine was not really trust worthy going that much so I can understand that plus the newer cars were much much better on gas! we had everything ready as well got married April 7th had medical April 10th received marriage certificate April 17th and I crossed into Canada April 19th mailed application same day, they received it April 23 that was as smoothly as I could make it go LOL

 

[beebrown]

Where should we get the medical tests done, in the states or in Canada?

 

[Creampop]

Since after the wedding he is staying in MD it would probably be better for him to have it done in the states in case he needs to be re-seen, if for some reason he needs to be re-seen that would mean an extra trip to Canada if you had them done in Canada. There are only 2 DMP's in Maryland one in Gaithersburg and the other in Bethesda both are about an hour away from him I used the DMP in Gaithersburg because she didn't have as long of a wait period as Bethesda. She was very polite and explained everything to me. and it only took about 20 mins from start to finish and then another 15 for the chest x-ray it was done at another place right around the corner from her office.


http://www.cic.gc.ca/dmp-md/medicalinfo.aspx?CountryID=2040&ProvID=19006&ProvinceName=Maryland&CountryName=United%20States%20of%20America

 

[beebrown]

@creampop You are really awsome! We so need to keep in contact!!! I think you will be my new best friend! Thank you for this as I will read this with him over this week-end!

 

[parker24]

@ creampop You are really awsome! We so need to keep in contact!!! I think you will be my new best friend! Thank you for this as I will read this with him over this week-end!

Welcome! I'm sponsoring my US husband as well

You can do the medicals wherever, just try to have them done close to the time you apply since they expire after a year and they usually want you to land before your medicals expire.

I have a post about sponsoring an American, down to the last detail haha. It's in my blog I'm doing on immigration and steps. I'll look for the post

EDIT: Here it is http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/us-outland-applicants-thread-t106068.0.html;msg1860856#msg1860856

 

[beebrown]

What I find really weird is that you should be able to apply for a working visa right away if your marrying a US citizen. I mean come on....If you are applying for him to get his PR, I mean the gov already knows you want him to come live with you in Canada. So this is Canada/Us , not Canada/ and some forein country....Just issue a working visa right away. he wants to work and pay taxes like everybody else and be able to support his wife....I will not have my future husband on the couch for 6 months, I just won't do it!

 

[parker24]

What I find really weird is that you should be able to apply for a working visa right away if your marrying a US citizen. I mean come on....If you are applying for him to get his PR, I mean the gov already knows you want him to come live with you in Canada. So this is Canada/Us , not Canada/ and some forein country....Just issue a working visa right away. he wants to work and pay taxes like everybody else and be able to support his wife....I will not have my future husband on the couch for 6 months, I just won't do it!

I agree, I find that dumb. My husband is currently here, and has been since May 2011, we applied March 2012 (Married Sept 2011) So he's been sitting here for a while. It sucks that they won't allow him to work. You'd think they would want them to work and pay taxes. *shakes head*