How do I sponsor my (soon to be) wife from Brazil?

[CanadaBrazil]

Hi,

I am a German Citizen who is marrying a Brazilian girl in Brazil this July. I recently got Permanent residence for Canada. I landed a few weeks ago and am awaiting my PR card. I am visiting parents in the USA and will be returning to Canada soon to start work etc.

Please help me bring my future bride to Canada... (I want her to get visitor and permanent resident visas for Canada). I want the best and quickest LOW RISK solution. She already has a B2 visitors visa for the USA.

My questions:

1 - How easy is it for her to get a visitors visa for canada as
a) my Fiance
b) Spouse.
Should I wait until I am legally married to her before applying for visitors visa?
Is it risky to apply for visitors visa as a fiance?

2 - Can we apply for a Canada visitors visa from the USA? We plan to get married and then have a honeymoon in the USA and visit family there before going to Canada. She has a USA 6 month visitors visa already.
Will it be quicker or necessary to apply through Brazil for the Canadian visitors visa?
Maybe I should apply after the wedding ceremony in Brazil... applying from the USA as she will be my wife then.

3 - Can I apply for visitors visa and perm residence visa at the same time after we are married?

4 - What are the implications of getting legally married before the wedding ceremony in July to speed things up.
Will it be possible/better to get the visitor visa easier this way?
Will it speed up the perm residence application?
Will it put us at a disadvantage as we will not yet have proof of wedding ceremony, honeymoon, etc. (We are Christians and do not plan to live together until after the ceremony).
Should I get legally married before the wedding ceremony in July or not?

5 - I prefer to do an outland application for her, even if she is in Canada on a 'visitors' visa. Am I correct in thinking that if she does an inland application she cannot leave Canada for approx two years until her PR comes through? I think she would want to go back to brazil occasionally to visit family.

6 - If we do an outland application, how easy is it to extended her Canada visitors visa. (We plan to be living in Canada while I work there). She would be on a visitors visa.
Can she live in Canada on a visitors visa while we apply outland?
How long is a visitors visa valid for?
Are these visitor visa extensions generally accepted? (so she can continue living with me?
How do you apply for extensions?

7 - I have PR (permanent residence) now, I am not yet a citizen.
Should I return to Canada before applying for:
a) her travel visa for Canada
a) her permanent residence for Canada.

8 - As a PR holder who will sponsor her, is there any issue with me travelling to Brazil for a few months for the wedding.

9 - As a PR holder who will sponsor her, is there any issue with us spending some months in the USA after the wedding?
Am I correct in saying we (I) need to be in Canada when we apply for permanent residence?
Can she be in Canada with a visitors visa when we apply?

Please help!!!!

Thanks,

Stephen

 

[MilesAway]

1) Some say you should apply before marriage, others after. Having a spouse with PR status gives her stronger ties to Canada, so the chances are lower. She needs to prove strong ties to her home country.

2)Not sure. I believe you must have a long term visa in order to apply through a different country.

3) Yes. They are separate processes.

4) If you get legally married, then you wouldn't have a wedding later, since you'd already be married. You could have a reception and a large celebration, but it wouldn't be a wedding. It's difficult to get a TRV regardless.
Having a small celebration would not speed up the PR application, although it would allow you to apply sooner. Depending on your relationship background, they may be more suspicious of a quick private marriage.

5) Inland applicants are not recommended to leave Canada, especially if they are not visa-exempt. If she gets stuck outside of Canada and needs a new visa, and is refused, then her application is abandoned.

6) Unless told otherwise at the border, she can stay for 6 months on her visa. Then she can apply online to extend it. Extensions are usually granted if you have a PR application in progress.

7) As a PR, you must be in Canada to sponsor your spouse.

8) See 7 above. Trips of a few weeks are usually okay, but a few months would likely cause the VO to think you are not residing in Canada, and then you would not be eligible as a sponsor.

9) see 8. She can be anywhere in the world and apply outland.

 

[canadianwoman]

For her to apply for a PR visa through the USA or any other country other than her home country, she has to have a visa for that country good for a year or more. So the six-month US visa is not good enough.
Note the person does not have to be in the other country for a year before they can apply through that country - they just need a visa good for a year or more.

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks Guys....!

 

[jpsant]

Hi,

I am a German Citizen who is marrying a Brazilian girl in Brazil this July. I recently got Permanent residence for Canada. I landed a few weeks ago and am awaiting my PR card. I am visiting parents in the USA and will be returning to Canada soon to start work etc.

Please help me bring my future bride to Canada... (I want her to get visitor and permanent resident visas for Canada). I want the best and quickest LOW RISK solution. She already has a B2 visitors visa for the USA.

My questions:

1 - How easy is it for her to get a visitors visa for canada as
a) my Fiance
b) Spouse.
Should I wait until I am legally married to her before applying for visitors visa?
Is it risky to apply for visitors visa as a fiance?

2 - Can we apply for a Canada visitors visa from the USA? We plan to get married and then have a honeymoon in the USA and visit family there before going to Canada. She has a USA 6 month visitors visa already.
Will it be quicker or necessary to apply through Brazil for the Canadian visitors visa?
Maybe I should apply after the wedding ceremony in Brazil... applying from the USA as she will be my wife then.

3 - Can I apply for visitors visa and perm residence visa at the same time after we are married?

4 - What are the implications of getting legally married before the wedding ceremony in July to speed things up.
Will it be possible/better to get the visitor visa easier this way?
Will it speed up the perm residence application?
Will it put us at a disadvantage as we will not yet have proof of wedding ceremony, honeymoon, etc. (We are Christians and do not plan to live together until after the ceremony).
Should I get legally married before the wedding ceremony in July or not?

5 - I prefer to do an outland application for her, even if she is in Canada on a 'visitors' visa. Am I correct in thinking that if she does an inland application she cannot leave Canada for approx two years until her PR comes through? I think she would want to go back to brazil occasionally to visit family.

6 - If we do an outland application, how easy is it to extended her Canada visitors visa. (We plan to be living in Canada while I work there). She would be on a visitors visa.
Can she live in Canada on a visitors visa while we apply outland?
How long is a visitors visa valid for?
Are these visitor visa extensions generally accepted? (so she can continue living with me?
How do you apply for extensions?

7 - I have PR (permanent residence) now, I am not yet a citizen.
Should I return to Canada before applying for:
a) her travel visa for Canada
a) her permanent residence for Canada.

8 - As a PR holder who will sponsor her, is there any issue with me travelling to Brazil for a few months for the wedding.

9 - As a PR holder who will sponsor her, is there any issue with us spending some months in the USA after the wedding?
Am I correct in saying we (I) need to be in Canada when we apply for permanent residence?
Can she be in Canada with a visitors visa when we apply?

Please help!!!!

Thanks,

Stephen

Hi, I am from Brazil
my visa was issued about 30 days after I applied as a visitor and I didn't mention my plans to get married. (didn't lie, but omitted)
got married in Canada and applied outland, even though I am still in Canada as a visitor.
just make sure, she shows CIC officers that she's working or studying and that she will be back to Brazil once her visit to Canada is over. And that she has someone in Canada who's going to offer her house and food so that she won't need to pay for these things. You and her can write an explanatory letter with all these details so they know it's something that's planned.
As she's been to the US, I believe she has a higher change of being accepted.

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks Jpsant

When you applied did you need to go for an interview? The form says we need to supply a digital photo and pay 100 for the visa fee. But no mention at this point about a VAC visit of the 85 VAC fee. Is this normal, or is this because I said we already have a USA visa.

Yes... tempted to call off the engagement until we can get the visa sorted and then see what happens.

Thanks!!

 

[jpsant]

Thanks Jpsant

When you applied did you need to go for an interview? The form says we need to supply a digital photo and pay 100 for the visa fee. But no mention at this point about a VAC visit of the 85 VAC fee. Is this normal, or is this because I said we already have a USA visa.

Yes... tempted to call off the engagement until we can get the visa sorted and then see what happens.

Thanks!!

If you apply online you don't need to pay VAC's fee.. I applied online and it was really fast and easy!
and I didn't need an interview.. about 20 days later, they requested my passport with an self-addressed return envelop.
the digital photo is a passport or brazilian ID (I can't remember) photo that can be scanned and uploaded on to the website..
if you send it through the mail, go to a photographer and have a pic taken and send it to them.

 

[markareader]

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks JPSANT. At this moment I want to find out all my options.

When you went to Canada as a visitor spouse, did they ask you any questions??? How did you handle this?

What will happen after 6 months? Will you apply for extension? How easy is this to get?

Have you considered studying?

Obrigado!

 

[jpsant]

Thanks JPSANT. At this moment I want to find out all my options.

When you went to Canada as a visitor spouse, did they ask you any questions??? How did you handle this?

What will happen after 6 months? Will you apply for extension? How easy is this to get?

Have you considered studying?

Obrigado!

They just asked me why I wanted to get into the country.. I said visit friends.
and at that point I had a return ticket within 30 days.. my spouse and I decided that I should stay longer. But they didn't have any issue with that.
I applied for an extension but I haven't heard anything from them yet. Still waiting for their response.
I did but it's too expensive and we believe it's best to study when I get my PR.
But if she wants, she can do English.. as it is less then a six months she won't need a study visa. And it is not that bad in some colleges money-wise

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks JPSANT,

Have you heard about the extension yet?

Can you travel to Canada as spouse if got a travel / study visa before marriage? Are there any issues with this? I assume that you got the visitor visa before marriage? You don't need to inform them that you are married do you?

Thanks!!!

 

[jpsant]

Thanks JPSANT,

Have you heard about the extension yet?

Can you travel to Canada as spouse if got a travel / study visa before marriage? Are there any issues with this? I assume that you got the visitor visa before marriage? You don't need to inform them that you are married do you?

Thanks!!!

Not yet.. this or next up-coming week I should hear from them.
Yes u can travel to Canada before marriage (that's what I did). The problem of letting them know you're getting married if u need a visa is that they might deny it because they might think the person (the brazilian) might stay in Canada after the ceremony.
So maybe u should omit that part until she's in Canada.

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks JPSANT.

Did you get married in Canada? And just stay there?

We are applying for the visitor Visa now. How easy is it for a Brazilian to get married in Canada?

I am a little concerned to get married outside Canada and then have her try get into Canada after marriage (even if she already has a visitor visa).

I assume you are applying through Sao Paulo. I read this takes about 1 year. Is this correct in your view?

Did you put your Brazilian address or Canadian address on the Spouse application?

Thanks

 

[jpsant]

Thanks JPSANT.

Did you get married in Canada? And just stay there?

We are applying for the visitor Visa now. How easy is it for a Brazilian to get married in Canada?

I am a little concerned to get married outside Canada and then have her try get into Canada after marriage (even if she already has a visitor visa).

I assume you are applying through Sao Paulo. I read this takes about 1 year. Is this correct in your view?

Thanks

You're welcome!
Hope everything is good there!
Apparently it is easy for Brazilians to get visitor visa (very high rates of acceptance)
I got married in Canada a week after I got into the country.
If you marry outside Canada and she's got a visa. It is not a prob. As long as she has strong ties in Brazil they will let her in to visit you.
Yes, 11 months after the 1st stage but PR's are being issued within 4-8 months.. so go on with the outland, it's a lot faster!

 

[CanadaBrazil]

Thanks JPSANT!

So that sounds like 2 months for sponsor assessment and 4-8 months spouse assessment? (total 10 months?)

I will let you know about the visitior visa. I am also tempted to apply for a study visa, but I am not sure if they will allow my parents to sponsor her... also... I don't want a denial of a study visa to be a red flag if she comes in on a visitor visa... Your thoughts?

also, if she got the study visa, not sure if she should start the course before getting married.

Please let me know about your extension when you hear. I may want to copy your application letter exactly

What do you mean by strong ties? She has family... but isn't a husband in Canada stronger.

Also, she has a study course that she could continue in Brazil after a 30 day visit... but obviously I don't want her passport to be stamped only for 30 days!! I want her to stay longer.

I am wondering if she should just come get married in Canada...??? But she does want a big wedding with her family in Brazil.

Thanks so much for all your help!!