In land application with visitor visa

[Disabel]

My husband and I are about to start the process, we have some questions we need help with.
I entered Canada 1 month and a half ago with a turist Visa. Im from Colombia.

1. should we send the request for ' open work permit' or should we request and extation of my visa? ( it will expire in 2 months)
2. On the web page it says we should not apply for the background verifications certificate before obtaining a file number from the visa office. However in the document check list says that the 'original police certificate' should be included, so what should we do? we are quite confused.
3. we reside in Québec and he is a full time student, what happens with his student bourse now that we are married?

We will appreciate your time and help.

 

[medellinguy]

My husband and I are about to start the process, we have some questions we need help with.
I entered Canada 1 month and a half ago with a turist Visa. Im from Colombia.

1. should we send the request for ' open work permit' or should we request and extation of my visa? ( it will expire in 2 months)
2. On the web page it says we should not apply for the background verifications certificate before obtaining a file number from the visa office. However in the document check list says that the 'original police certificate' should be included, so what should we do? we are quite confused.
3. we reside in Québec and he is a full time student, what happens with his student bourse now that we are married?

We will appreciate your time and help.

Hi, I am too sponsoring my wife from Colombia. If you married in Colombia and then said you were friends before having a visitor visa, you might have problems...you lied....but if you had the visitor visa explaining you were married and everything, I guess it should be alright. Let me try to answer you questions right now:

1. I don't know for the work permit, I guess you have to ask for a work permit to the federal government and see if they give you one...some people might have better answers than me on this...since I am applying OUTLAND. You probably won't be able to work though.

2. Yeah, that problem scared me too. I wrote an e-mail to the Immigration in Bogota and they replied me to wait for the number....so yeah, procedure changed for Colombia like in February 2010 and most people think you have to send it in with your application, but YOU HAVE TO WAIT!

3. I reside too in Québec. I suggest you to contact the Directeur de l'état civil and ask them how he can changed his status to married.....I am not sure about this..but yeah, call them and they will give you all the info you need.


If you need to chat or whatever, I am available. I am fluent in Spanish too if that helps.

Good Luck!

 

[Love_Young]

Yes, apply for an open work permit before your status expires. Include it with your PR app.
They will process it 8-9 months after it is received. If you get first stage approval and don't require an interview, you will receive an open work permit in the mail. This means you aren't restricted to any employer. You can work for anyone willing to hire you. You can also apply for a temporary SIN number at that time and some provinces you can also receive free healthcare. I think if you are in Ontario though that you will have to wait until 3 months AFTER you have received your full PR status (not first stage approval) to be able to apply for healthcare there.

 

[medellinguy]

In Québec, it's 3 months after you receive your PR!

 

[Love_Young]

In Québec, it's 3 months after you receive your PR!

Glad you informed them.
That's why I was sure to include the "some provinces" thing in there. Didn't want people getting confused.

 

[medellinguy]

is it possible to get married in canada with a tourist visa and then do the application INLAND?

 

[bonbon9]

is it possible to get married in canada with a tourist visa and then do the application INLAND?

It is. The place of marriage does not affect the application.
The only condition is that the marriage has to be legal (e.g. some countries do not allow same sex marriages).

 

[Love_Young]

I would assume so. You can extend them just the same as if someone was from a visa exempt country and got a visitor record.
I was given a visitor record the first time I came to Canada so I extended two times. I was able to submit our PR app with an open work permit before my 2nd extension was going to expire. It gives me implied status until a decision is made just the same as an extension would. Plus I find that keeping to apply for an extension during the inland process can be a hassle. If you submit the owp with the PR app before your status expires then you don't need to keep applying to extend your stay during the process. But you have to submit the owp with the PR app before your current status expires to benefit from it. Otherwise you have to keep applying to extend your stay.

I wish I knew more about tourist visas but I am would think that it would work the same way as if someone had a visitor record or extension.

EDIT: (Oops I think I got a bit confused by the question. Yes what bonbon9 said is correct. I married while on an extension of my stay and submitted inland so yes you can as well if you did the same on a visa.)

 

[Disabel]

Can I mail both? the extention and the application for open work permit?
I m nervous about loosing my legal status since in the web page it says it is your responsability. It also says that they will advise you in writing whne to apply for the permit.

 

[sgnv]

Can I mail both? the extention and the application for open work permit?
I m nervous about loosing my legal status since in the web page it says it is your responsability. It also says that they will advise you in writing whne to apply for the permit.

I'd suggest you to mail them both along with your PR application.

Immigration will issue an extension of your visitor's visa before your current one expires, and for the OWP, you'll obtain it as soon as your application for sponsorship reaches 1st Stage of Approval (or Approval in Principle), instead of waiting for another 2-3 months after your application reaches this stage.

I know is a hassle and comes with a high cost, but in the long run is all worth it. Good luck!

 

[Love_Young]

Can I mail both? the extention and the application for open work permit?
I m nervous about loosing my legal status since in the web page it says it is your responsability. It also says that they will advise you in writing whne to apply for the permit.

You don't need to include both. The open work permit application is the same you use for an extension so it is treated the same as a regular extension would be. Instead of checking off the box saying you want to request an extension you will check off the box (C) I think. It will say "initial work permit" that is what you will check off. Then when you get to the part on the application that asks how long you would like to stay for, you don't fill in the box. Instead there is a box off to the side that says "change conditions" you will check this off. That way when you are approved for first stage approval, this will enable them to give you a new status document which will be a work permit. There is no need to apply for a separate extension on its own. As long as you include the work permit app with the pr app and it is RECEIVED before you status expires then the work permit allows you to have implied status for the duration of the processing. Don't send them two of the same application. That will just confuse them of what you are trying to ask for. The open work permit is the extension. This is the same as what I did and I am currently under implied status because both the applications were received before my status expired.

Or easier way to put it:
PR app + OWP app mailed together before status expires = implied status until first stage approval

(Implied status means you are able to stay under the same conditions on your visa even after it has expired. Just as long as you mailed the OWP with the PR app before your visa was to expire.)

 

[Love_Young]

This is a quote out of the Operational Manual for Processing Temporary Resident Extensions.
Hopefully this verifies my statement or clears up confusion for future inland applicants.

5.6. Inland applications for permanent residence
"In situations where an applicant who has visitor status submits an application for permanent residence to Vegreville and at the same time submits an application for a work permit (pursuant to R207(b)), the visitor may be considered to have requested an extension of their TR status (in accordance with R183(5)). They are considered to have implied status as a visitor, until a decision is made on their WP application.
When no application for a work or study permit is received with the application for permanent residence, the applicant is obliged to apply to extend their visitor status."

You can read some more here and you can also read the quote I just posted.
You will probably have to scroll down the page a bit but it is the one entitled (IP-6 Processing Temporary Resident Extensions).
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/ip/index.asp

 

[Disabel]

Thanks alot!

Now, what should be do with the criminal records? Do we wait for the case number? should we marked the box in the check list? I have read those forms 300 times and I m still confused about what to do with Police certificates, finger prints, and all that...

Thanks

 

[angelbrat]

When you send an Inland application, you should send in the medical receipts and criminal background checks with the application.

As others have stated, include the application for Open Work Permit and the 150 dollar fee. This will ensure you get an OWP when you reach the AIP stage.

Make sure your status in Canada is always legal, when you eventually get your 'landing' papers, you must have a legal status in Canada to land.

I applied Inland on 29th September 2009, got AIP 27th April 2010 and landed 20th May 2010.

Good luck.

 

[Disabel]

Yes, that is why we are confused cos it says we should include the police certificate in the application however it also says that we should wait untill we get the file number from the visa office to ask for the police certificate. Does someone sponsoring a Colombian wife know something concerning police and background checks?

thank you all a lot for all your info, it has been very useful