How quickly to enter Canada once PR visa is issued?

[JeremieY]

Hi All,

I was really happy to find this forum, and would really appreciate some guidance. I sponsored my Argentinian wife to become a resident in November 2012, and on February 26, 2013 I was approved as a sponsor and the file was transferred to Buenos Aires.
We are really sick of the wait though, so I am just about to quit my job in Canada and move back down to BA to be with my wife, at least until she gets the papers.
And so my question is this: once she receives the residence, how long will we be given to enter Canada without losing the visa?
And if I did go back to Argentina, I guess I would have to tell CIC about my situation? Would that cause prejudice to the processing of our application?
Or yet again, based on your experience, do you think we should keep holding tight in the hope that we may get some news in the next couple months or so?

Hope to hear back from someone!

 

[keesio]

I've been told that it is one year from the date of when they received the medicals. From my experience, this seems accurate. For example, on my wife's COPR, it implies that they received my wife's medicals on Feb 12, 2013 so the COPR is valid until Feb 12, 2014. She actually did the medicals in January but I assume the "receive" date for them for the VO is Feb 12th since her file was transferred to Ottawa in Feb 11th (hence that is when the VO received them)

I don't think you need to tell CIC anything regarding visiting Argentina for awhile. You have been approved as a sponsor. I guess there is a risk that they may ask you and your wife for proof of finances again near the end (seems like some people get this) and not having a job anymore may make them pause. But if you have savings and such, it may be fine. Other experts here would know better.

Personally, I'd sit tight. Giving up your job is risky in general (unless you hate your job). She will be dependent on you initially. BA office timeline is similar to CPP-O and many people in CPP-O who applied in February is just getting some movement....

 

[Alurra71]

Hi All,

I was really happy to find this forum, and would really appreciate some guidance. I sponsored my Argentinian wife to become a resident in November 2012, and on February 26, 2013 I was approved as a sponsor and the file was transferred to Buenos Aires.
We are really sick of the wait though, so I am just about to quit my job in Canada and move back down to BA to be with my wife, at least until she gets the papers.
And so my question is this: once she receives the residence, how long will we be given to enter Canada without losing the visa?
And if I did go back to Argentina, I guess I would have to tell CIC about my situation? Would that cause prejudice to the processing of our application?
Or yet again, based on your experience, do you think we should keep holding tight in the hope that we may get some news in the next couple months or so?

Hope to hear back from someone!

If you are a PR yourself, you can't leave the country. If you are a citizen, no worries.

 

[ksimental]

You have to notify CIC if you do leave, though. It will not hurt your application at all. In fact, it will help to prove a genuine relationship. You will be asked how you plan on supporting yourselves when you return.

 

[keesio]

You have to notify CIC if you do leave, though. It will not hurt your application at all. In fact, it will help to prove a genuine relationship. You will be asked how you plan on supporting yourselves when you return.

Just to visit her?

 

[ksimental]

Just to visit her?

To move there, yes.
To visit, no.
Although visiting a spouse is always good for supplemental proof if needed.

 

[keesio]

To move there, yes.
To visit, no.
Although visiting a spouse is always good for supplemental proof if needed.

He may have mentioned "move" but I assume he is just planning on going there as a tourist/visitor. I don't think he is planning on applying for a work or any resident visa. At least that was my assumption.

 

[JeremieY]

Thank for the answers everyone!

I'm a Canadian citizen, as well as a PR of Argentina. When I say move, I really mean stay there as long as it takes for my wife to receive her Canadian PR. So I guess I would have to let CIC know then.

If I am not mistaken, my wife did her medicals around the same time we actually sent the application. We were told that for the PR process, we had to go ahead and do the medicals, not wait for instructions from CIC. Does that mean she may be required to do medicals again?

I know, I know... not the best idea to give up my job, even though I do not particularly like it... But we're really not too good dealing with the uncertainty of it all

 

[canuck_in_uk]

If I am not mistaken, my wife did her medicals around the same time we actually sent the application. We were told that for the PR process, we had to go ahead and do the medicals, not wait for instructions from CIC. Does that mean she may be required to do medicals again?

Between 12 and 15 months after the initial medical date, the VO can apply to have the meds extended for another year if they are about ready to issue the COPR.

BA is processing 80% of applications within 15 months right now. If you guys have an easy straightforward case, it will most likely be through in less than that. If that is the case, then CIC might just extend the meds instead of asking for another.

 

[frege]

The processing times for spousal cases through Buenos Aires between April 2012 and March 2013 are as follows:

20% processed within 7 months;
30% within 8 months;
50% within 11 months;
70% within 14 months;
80% within 16 months.

Source: http://data.gc.ca/data/dataset/427337d0-7c36-4fed-8428-c6a63f8c19b3

This is counting from when your file was transferred in February. So if you're in the fastest 30%, you should be approved by October.

You could try applying for a tourist visa for her. People on the forum have said this is sometimes difficult, but I think it could be worth a shot. The current processing time listed for Buenos Aires is 14 days.

Also, if you want to see what's going on with your file, you can request your GCMS notes. Probably, they will start looking at your file and adding notes within a couple of months of the time that the fastest ones are approved. So I'd say by November there ought to be something in your GCMS notes that will give you a preliminary indication of how things are going, and perhaps even in September.