Illegal in the USA trying to get legal at Canada... can anybody help?

[Luisbk]

I'm currently living in the USA illegal. I have bachelors degree in Management and currently I'm doing my second bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. (EE is the best, Love it) I'm from south east Asia and speak Spanish as well (But not french, Oops). I come to USA illegally( One of the baddest mistake that I have did in my life, not baddest stupidest). I have a girl friend, she is citizen in USA. I don't want to live illegally once I finished my second degree and I wanted to get a job in Electrical Engineering field and go up. Is there any way that I go to Canada legally with out going back to my home country?
What wanted to get married to my girl friend, I love her. Can she get the Canadian (PR) faster and put her name as a primary applicant. (She have a Bachelors degree too.)

Please help? I've heard US citizens don't have to have visa to live in Canada. Is that true?
I'm reading all kinds of articles and information on the web but still didn't find the correct info.

 

[scylla]

Please help? I've heard US citizens don't have to have visa to live in Canada. Is that true?
I'm reading all kinds of articles and information on the web but still didn't find the correct info.

No - that's not true. US citizens don't need a visa to VISIT Canada. However if they want to live there, that's a completely different story.

You should start reading here about the different immigration routes available to see if you and/or your girlfriend qualify:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

There is no PR fast-track for Americans. You should decide who is going to be the primary applicant based on who has enough points to qualify for immigration. If you apply to immigrate to Canada as the primary/only candidate, there's a chance you will have to return to your home country (if an interview is required, it will be held in your home country - not in the US).

I assume you've been illegal in the US for more than a year? If so, are you aware that you will be automatically banned from the country for 10 years as soon as you leave? Have you considered marrying your girlfriend and attempting to adjust your status in the US?

 

[Luisbk]

Yes i have asked the lawyers and they said no because I came here with crewman visa. I used to work for shipping company and when I come to USA through my company to do a cargo audit I decided to stay. I really don't want go back there. If I go back I can get pretty good job but the thing is my girl friend don't want to live there for 10 years till I get the papers. I don't mind going to Canada to do my masters but before that I need to make sure that I will be able to get the papers from there or not.

Do you know that once I put my application to Canada for skilled worker program or for Quebec and when the application in process that I can get a student visa to do my masters. I have a really good GPA from my business degree but okay GPA from Electrical Engineering.

Oh! My girl friend brother live in Canada. Through him can she get the PR faster to Canada or for Quebec?

Thank you.

 

[scylla]

Unfortunately I think your chances of getting a student visa are pretty much zero. To qualify for a student visa, you have to prove you have strong ties to your home country and prove that you do not plan to remain in Canada long term. It's going to be next to impossible for you to prove strong ties given how long you have been in the USA and given that you're there illegally.

Your girlfriend will be awarded extra points if her brother is living in Canada. However this won't speed up the federal skilled worker application process.

 

[Luisbk]

So. Do you think that I put my girlfriend as a primary applicant? Her degree is physiology, which is not very strong for work visa.

Anyway after get married if Canadian embassy called her (My Wife near future) for an interview what going to happen to me? Do i have go back and face for the interview by my self or can I do the interview here in USA?

 

[scylla]

You and your girlfriend should sit down together and go through the points calculations for the federal skilled worker program. The person who can achieve 67 points it the one who should apply as the primary.

You may also want to check out some of the provincial nominee programs.

 

[ashana55]

Hi, I'm an illegal alien in USA. I entered legally with 6 months of visitors visa. I was only 11 years of age when I came. I want to now study in Canada for a better life. Am I able to do so? considering that I have no valid status in the USA?

 

[scylla]

Hi, I'm an illegal alien in USA. I entered legally with 6 months of visitors visa. I was only 11 years of age when I came. I want to now study in Canada for a better life. Am I able to do so? considering that I have no valid status in the USA?

Zero chance a study permit will be approved unfortunately. Same goes for a work permit or visitor visa. All of these require you to prove you have strong ties to your home country and have no plans on remaining in Canada long term.

 

[scylla]

Just to add to the above - you should focus on applying to immigrate. Your illegal stay in the US won't impact your ability to immigrate to Canada provided you are 100% honest about this history in your application and provided you meet the requirements to immigrate.

 

[Joey30]

Hello im US citizen and working for an airline, we have a station in canada. If im able to get the job in our station there. How long would it take for me to get my residency? And when im permanent resident and marry my girlfriend who is illegal in USA can i petition her to canada?
Thank you

 

[scylla]

Hello im US citizen and working for an airline, we have a station in canada. If im able to get the job in our station there. How long would it take for me to get my residency? And when im permanent resident and marry my girlfriend who is illegal in USA can i petition her to canada?
Thank you

Hard to answer your question because it would depend on which immigration program you qualify for and how quickly you are selected. Best case scenario is probably 10-12 months - but could easily be a lot longer. If you are married or common law (have lived with your girlfriend for at least one year continuously), you would include your wife in the application and both of you would get PR at the same time.

 

[Joey30]

Hard to answer your question because it would depend on which immigration program you qualify for and how quickly you are selected. Best case scenario is probably 10-12 months - but could easily be a lot longer. If you are married or common law (have lived with your girlfriend for at least one year continuously), you would include your wife in the application and both of you would get PR at the same time.

Even my girlfriend is illegal here in usa?

 

[scylla]

Even my girlfriend is illegal here in usa?

Yes. But remember that she won't be able to come to Canada until she has PR. So it's possible you may be separated for quite some time.

 

[Joey30]

Can she get PR for canada even shes in usa and illegal?

 

[Joey30]

Thank you for you help and answers I really appreciate it.