I am an American and I married my husband almost 10 years ago. For the past 11 years I have temporarily lived with my husband for my 6 month period of time that is allowed for visitors and then I return to the States for a few days and return once again to Canada for another 5-6 months. We've tried repeatedly to figure out what forms and just what we need to do so that I don't have to keep traveling like this and just "visiting" for my 6 month period, but we have no idea where to begin. Plain and simple, I want to live in Canada permanently with my husband and stay for more than 6 months at a time and still be able to freely visit my family in the States without hassel at the border each time we cross. Right now they keep bugging us and saying that we need to "make a decision on which country you both will reside in and finalize it or you will be split up and go back to your own respective countries". Can they really do that? Split up my husband of 10 years from me and make him return to Canada and me to the States? I DO NOT want that to happen....we are terrified that we will be split up on any one of our next visits across the border and not see each other again. We hate crossing the border, it gets worse everytime, but we're just so confused on how to apply for things and what we need to apply for to begin with. Can anyone help me with my situation? Please.... Thanks
I just want to live with my Canadian husband..what do I need to do?
- Thread starter titofan69
- Start date
Hi
PMM
Start here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp#sponsor all the forms and information for sponsorship. Your choice will be either a sponsorship processed outside Canada through Mississauga and Buffalo, or an In-Canada through Vegreville then you use this application: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asptitofan69 said:I am an American and I married my husband almost 10 years ago. For the past 11 years I have temporarily lived with my husband for my 6 month period of time that is allowed for visitors and then I return to the States for a few days and return once again to Canada for another 5-6 months. We've tried repeatedly to figure out what forms and just what we need to do so that I don't have to keep traveling like this and just "visiting" for my 6 month period, but we have no idea where to begin. Plain and simple, I want to live in Canada permanently with my husband and stay for more than 6 months at a time and still be able to freely visit my family in the States without hassel at the border each time we cross. Right now they keep bugging us and saying that we need to "make a decision on which country you both will reside in and finalize it or you will be split up and go back to your own respective countries". Can they really do that? Split up my husband of 10 years from me and make him return to Canada and me to the States? I DO NOT want that to happen....we are terrified that we will be split up on any one of our next visits across the border and not see each other again. We hate crossing the border, it gets worse everytime, but we're just so confused on how to apply for things and what we need to apply for to begin with. Can anyone help me with my situation? Please.... Thanks
PMM
Thanks to all who responded and sent me the links that I need. Still, does anyone know about being split up at the border? We haven't done anything illegal but we keep getting threatened at the border about being seperated if we don't make a decision on where to settle. We've been married for 10 years, can they really seperate us just because we haven't done any paperwork yet? We're not doing anything illegal!
You say you haven't done anything illegal. But what you're doing is not considered 'visiting' the U.S. or Canada. You are, in fact, living in Canada for 6 months out of the year; and your husband is living in the U.S. for 6 months. Immigration has every right to stop you from playing games and to require you - or your husband - to formally immigrate.
Actually my husband is never living in the States with me. I come to Canada and stay for 5-6 months at a time with him in his house that he owns in Canada and then I go back to the States and stay at my mom's house for a weekend and then go back to Canada again. We aren't BOTH going back and forth every 6 months. He actually owns his own home and lives in Canada continually. So for example, I come to Canada from about Oct-Feb and then I go home for a weekend visit to my mom's house in the States. 2-3 days later I come back to Canada and stay again from Feb-Jun or July. So as far as I've been made aware, there is nothing illegal about that. I'm still just visiting Canada within my 6 month range every time and my husband is always staying at his house in Canada. We aren't "playing games", we've just been so confused and never been pointed in the right direction as to what specific papers we need to apply for and even then we don't understand a lot of them.
You are effectively living in Canada without going through the process of immigration. That is playing games.titofan69 said:Actually my husband is never living in the States with me. I come to Canada and stay for 5-6 months at a time with him in his house that he owns in Canada and then I go back to the States and stay at my mom's house for a weekend and then go back to Canada again. We aren't BOTH going back and forth every 6 months. He actually owns his own home and lives in Canada continually. So for example, I come to Canada from about Oct-Feb and then I go home for a weekend visit to my mom's house in the States. 2-3 days later I come back to Canada and stay again from Feb-Jun or July. So as far as I've been made aware, there is nothing illegal about that. I'm still just visiting Canada within my 6 month range every time and my husband is always staying at his house in Canada. We aren't "playing games", we've just been so confused and never been pointed in the right direction as to what specific papers we need to apply for and even then we don't understand a lot of them.
In any case, it's not me you have to convince. Immigration has already told you what you need to do.
Well I came to this site looking for help, not to be treated like a child. You may call it playing games all you want and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, I was simply looking for advice and help. Apparently you're not understanding that I don't know what forms I'm supposed to get for my current situation. I was hoping to find intelligent and helpful people on this site, but I guess I came to the wrong place. I don't need someone giving me a hard time and just making things worse, which is what you seem to be doing for me...so thank you very much for turning a helpful site into a hurtful site.
we all are going thru this, legally you are only allowed to "VISIT" canada 6 months out of a year , and when you cross to go home after 6 months your supposed to stay away for 6 months, thats what the playing games comment is. we all have to go thru the process, take the medicals and pay the fees etc. goto the links provided, read thru them, and the FAQ section of this website is enormously helpful. http://www.canadavisa.com/canadian-immigration-faq.html Decide if you are going to do this inland or out, inland meaning you can live with your husband in canada but can not work until processing is complete.There is a way to work while waiting, if you file an open work permit application and you get approved AIP which approval in principle which takes about 5-7 months. Out of canada is generally faster.The time lines are approxamate and not set in stone, each case is different. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/index.asp so read the links, download the appropriate forms (in or out of canada) http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/index.asp
get ur proof together, get ur fingerprints from states and fbi, and since uve lived in canadamore than 6 months (doesnt matter if its all at once or broken up) u will still need an RCMP check as well. if you have any questions just ask away. its long and drawn out and at first seems impossible, but step by step we get thru the process. good luck and take care
get ur proof together, get ur fingerprints from states and fbi, and since uve lived in canadamore than 6 months (doesnt matter if its all at once or broken up) u will still need an RCMP check as well. if you have any questions just ask away. its long and drawn out and at first seems impossible, but step by step we get thru the process. good luck and take care
Thank you so so much Tamee. Your reply was very helpful and considerate. I was not aware that you may visit for up to 6 months at a time as long as you are also away for 6 months. I was always under the assumption that as long as you return to your home country, whether it's for a day or a month, you could turn around and return for another 6 months to the foreign country again. I am in no way trying to "play games", it's just a lot of rules and regulations to all of this and all I truly want to do is be with my husband and live a happy and long life with him and not have this worry over my head of possibly being seperated and not seeing him again for a while. So again, thank you so so much for all of your advice and help and I will check into more of the links that everyone has posted for me and try to figure out just what I need to do. I appreciate your response!