IEC + Family Class - anyone ever done this? Help!

[KL0718]

I am a US citizen in a relationship with a Canadian citizen (3 years at this point). We've both decided that Canada is the best place for us. The current plan is for me to move to Canada initially as part of an IEC program, and we move in together. The program will let me stay for a year, and then I apply for a visitors visa for a couple of months so we can make sure we have common law status and get everything back in. Then after depending on whether we decide to do inland or outland we go from there.

Has anyone done this sort of route before? I'm worried about a few things....

• being rejected for either IEC or a visitors visa because of insufficient ties to the US. I don't own property or anything like that here- I live with my parents and, if I decide to do outland, I will live with my parents while it processes- and I will probably bring all of my money with me to Canada when I go on IEC.
• Not being able to find work. My partner warned me about putting down my American schooling on my resume because employers will see it and think I'll only be here temporarily (which is true). I will be going to Vancouver since that's where he is from and we have a support network there but I know Vancouver is expensive and hard to find work
• My partner not being considered a stable sponsor. Right now he is volunteering in Cambodia but when he comes home he will be working full time for probably minimum wage OR going to school and working part time while his parents help support us. My parents have also promised to help support me a little bit when I am there on IEC. I am worried we will be rejected for not being "self sufficient' enough.

Is there anything I can help protect myself from these? I can't tell if I'm being a worrywart or not. I have 8 months before I will even be able to move (I want to finish my associates degree here and I'll graduate in December) and I want to smooth everything out before then so we can focus the 12 months together on finally being together and working on our application instead of jumbling and worrying about things we can figure out before hand.

 

[little_apple]

I had two IEC visa and two visitor records. I never showed proof of ties back in Germany. First time I asked for a visitor record because I waited for my second IEC and the second time I told CIC that I want to stay in Canada during the process of my PR. I never had problems with that.

I also brought all my money (but no personal belongings) over from Germany and I don't even have an address there anymore. I sold all my stuff.

There is no minimum income for spousal sponsorship. I would just explain your plans on a different sheet of paper, showing your savings, your job plans and get a letter from his parents stating that they will support you until you both find jobs which pay enough.

You can put your American school in your resume. You can tell the Canadian employer that you have a 1 year IEC visa but you will apply for PR afterwards to stay in Canada permanently

 

[little_apple]

And to make things easier: You could get married. You have been a couple for 3 years now. So you don't need to worry about living together for 12 months.

If I could turn back time I would not apply as common-law anymore.

 

[KL0718]

Thank you for your help. I guess I am being a worry wart about it all. We were planning on getting married after I finished University but I brought it up to him and he said he'll think about it. However maybe I'm blind but there appears to be no difference be common law spouses and married spouses when it comes to the family class.

 

[little_apple]

Thank you for your help. I guess I am being a worry wart about it all. We were planning on getting married after I finished University but I brought it up to him and he said he'll think about it. However maybe I'm blind but there appears to be no difference be common law spouses and married spouses when it comes to the family class.

CIC wants to see way more proof that you have actually lived together for at least 12 months in a row. My embassy requested almost all of the following documents from me: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=347&t=14 (except Statutory Declaration of Common-Law) + tax returns for the last two years (one of them as common-law).

Last week I got "decision made" but I still haven't received the letter yet and don't know if it's an approval or a refusal.

When you are married you need less proof of living together.

 

[jennfwa]

I'm the same as little_apple, I've had 2 IEC work permits and now I'm currently sat at home in Vancouver on my second visitor record as my PR hasn't been finalised yet.

It can be done for sure. I've also had no problem finding work, albeit not the best jobs (retail / customer service type) it can be done.

Best of luck to ya!

 

[KL0718]

[quote author=little_apple]
CIC wants to see way more proof that you have actually lived together for at least 12 months in a row. My embassy requested almost all of the following documents from me: (removed) (except Statutory Declaration of Common-Law) + tax returns for the last two years (one of them as common-law).

Last week I got "decision made" but I still haven't received the letter yet and don't know if it's an approval or a refusal.

When you are married you need less proof of living together.
[/quote]

Interesting, thank you.. I expected these though, and we have plans on getting a joint credit card and a joint bank as well as saving any proof of us living together (letters, rent receipts, etc). This is of the photos, plane and bus stubs, and the chat logs I'm collecting to establish that we were in a serious relationship beforehand. I'm an American and I have read I will go through Ottawa so I should look up what they require (I know a statutory declaration is) especially if it's different from Vienna.

[quote author=jennfwa]
I'm the same as little_apple, I've had 2 IEC work permits and now I'm currently sat at home in Vancouver on my second visitor record as my PR hasn't been finalised yet.

It can be done for sure. I've also had no problem finding work, albeit not the best jobs (retail / customer service type) it can be done.

Best of luck to ya!
[/quote]

Thank you! While it'd be nice, I'm not expecting anything glamorous (especially because I won't have a B.A yet) just something to keep us alive and relatively comfortable (even if we're extremely frugal which I'm used to). I'm a telemarketer here in the states so any job is a step up from this, LOL. ;D

 

[little_apple]

Interesting, thank you.. I expected these though, and we have plans on getting a joint credit card and a joint bank as well as saving any proof of us living together (letters, rent receipts, etc). This is of the photos, plane and bus stubs, and the chat logs I'm collecting to establish that we were in a serious relationship beforehand. I'm an American and I have read I will go through Ottawa so I should look up what they require (I know a statutory declaration is) especially if it's different from Vienna.

The problem was that I didn't know my boyfriend before I came to Canada. I met him when I started my one year world trip in Calgary. 11 days later I moved in and canceled the last 11.5 months of my world trip.

We didn't look into immigration right away. That "being in love" thing kind of paralyzed our brains for a few months so when we finally looked into the requested documents it was not possible to get all of them :