How to sponsor spouse as being "oustide of Canada" when in Canada?

[55way]

Hey folks,

I am planning to sponsor my spouse to become a permanent resident in Canada. She is currently here on a visitor visa.
As I understand it some folks go across the border to the US and submit their applications as being from outside of Canada.
I was told by Immigration when we arrived back to Canada that some people do this so it must be an acceptable thing to do.
Question is how/where would I go to do this in the US? We are currently in Ontario. Appreciate any advice/words of wisdom. Thanks.

 

[CharlieD10]

She doesn't need to go anywhere to submit the application. All you have to do is fill out the correct forms and send them to the appropriate office, and that is an Outland application.

Use these forms: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp Follow the instructions in the Guides, pay the fees and submit the forms and other supporting documents to the address given for CPC-Mississauga, and that's how you submit an Outland application while she is in Canada. "Outland" has nothing to do with where she is, it has to do with where the application goes to be processed.

 

[55way]

Thank you for your reply. Just for clarification, with my wife and I currently residing in Ottawa she can send her application as an "outside of Canada" applicant? A naive question perhaps but why doesn't everyone applying from within do this to avoid the longer wait time?

 

[canadianwoman]

Some visa offices take longer than the inland wait time, on average, or at least longer than first stage approval, when you can get permission to work. Some people want the assurance that they can stay in Canada during the application, which they might not be allowed to do (though usually if they are in Canada they can get their visa or stay extended.)

 

[truesmile]

Exactly right. Just to be clear, the applicant (for inland cases) may apply for 'open work permit' immediately upon Sponsorship Approval which is NOT the case for outland applications. On the other hand, with inland, the applicant MUST stay in Canada for the duration of the process and thereby eliminating any possibility of going home for emergency purposes etc. without putting their application at risk.

 

[55way]

Exactly right. Just to be clear, the applicant (for inland cases) may apply for 'open work permit' immediately upon Sponsorship Approval which is NOT the case for outland applications. On the other hand, with inland, the applicant MUST stay in Canada for the duration of the process and thereby eliminating any possibility of going home for emergency purposes etc. without putting their application at risk.

Thanks for your replies all. So to summarize:

1. You can apply for permanent residence (outland) while in physically in Canada without having to go to the US or other country.
2. Pro & Cons:

Inland application
Pro - Can apply for work permit immediately upon sponsorship
Con - Cannot leave Canada until process is completed.
Con - Takes longer than outland application.

Outland application
Pro - May leave Canada during application process (ie: go home for family matters, etc).
Pro - Process is quicker than inland application.
Con - Cannot apply for work permit until application is completed (is that true?).

If anyone has any other points to compare/contrast the outland and inland application processes please add it to the above. Thank you so much.

 

[Güzelyol]

Thanks for your replies all. So to summarize:

1. You can apply for permanent residence (outland) while in physically in Canada without having to go to the US or other country.
2. Pro & Cons:

Inland application
Pro - Can apply for work permit immediately upon sponsorship
Con - Cannot leave Canada until process is completed.
Con - Takes longer than outland application.

Outland application
Pro - May leave Canada during application process (ie: go home for family matters, etc).
Pro - Process is quicker than inland application.
Con - Cannot apply for work permit until application is completed (is that true?).

If anyone has any other points to compare/contrast the outland and inland application processes please add it to the above. Thank you so much.

An important difference: outland gives you the right to appeal before the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), while inland doesn't.

 

[Sweden]

Thanks for your replies all. So to summarize:

1. You can apply for permanent residence (outland) while in physically in Canada without having to go to the US or other country.
2. Pro & Cons:

Inland application
Pro - Can apply for work permit immediately upon sponsorship true - but it will be approved only after the completion of the first stage which currently takes 11 months, so you're better off with an outland application
Con - Cannot leave Canada until process is completed.
Con - Takes longer than outland application. for most countries yes - and definitely for US nationals

Outland application
Pro - May leave Canada during application process (ie: go home for family matters, etc).
Pro - Process is quicker than inland application.
Con - Cannot apply for work permit until application is completed (is that true?).you can apply - but it's a separate process than the PR one. So to clarify> there is no work permit attached to the outland PR application, you will have a work permit automatically when you become a PR. However, you can apply for a work permit on your own. Either find an employer willing to go through a LMO (Labour Market opinion) and apply for a work permit on your behalf (difficult but not impossible),or, if you are a US national, have a look at NAFTA program ( enter Nafta as a search word on this forum and you'll see)

so - you can stay in Canada and work if you find a way to obtain a work permit, and apply for PR at the same time. the processes are independent.

There is also a thread for US applicants outland, if you have some more specific questions: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/us-outland-applicants-thread-t106068.1005.html there are lots of US/Can couples applying, you'll get all the help you may need.

GOod luck putting your application together!
Sweden



If anyone has any other points to compare/contrast the outland and inland application processes please add it to the above. Thank you so much. if you look at the first post on top of this forum, you will see a post by Leon - it summarizes the advantages and inconvenients of both procedures. There is a list of questions afterwards, but the first post should be already informative enough!

 

[Franzi]

Just one thing I'd like to add: If an interview is required, the applicant would have to go back to their home country for it/to the place where the VO is located.

 

[55way]

Thanks all. Indeed Leon's post in the "Spousal sponsorship" thread does seem to cover all of the bases as far as inland vs outland application goes. As I do not want to have to travel back to my wife's home country for a possible interview I think we will opt for inland even though it is a longer process.

 

[Sweden]

Thanks all. Indeed Leon's post in the "Spousal sponsorship" thread does seem to cover all of the bases as far as inland vs outland application goes. As I do not want to have to travel back to my wife's home country for a possible interview I think we will opt for inland even though it is a longer process.

Good luck with the process (either inland or outland) - to help you take a decision on what is best, maybe you can look at the country specific thread/VO, so you get an idea if interviews requests are frequent or not - for some nationalities it's quite rare to be asked for an interview, and worth taking the risk in a way (that's what I'm doing - currently in Canada on a tourist visa waiting for my PR to be approved).

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[canadianwoman]

Thanks all. Indeed Leon's post in the "Spousal sponsorship" thread does seem to cover all of the bases as far as inland vs outland application goes. As I do not want to have to travel back to my wife's home country for a possible interview I think we will opt for inland even though it is a longer process.

If there is an interview, you do not have to attend: it would just be for your wife.