Hi all,
Question first and then some background:
Q1 - Can you make an outland application while in Canada on a visitor's visa?
In February of this year, my Belgian girlfriend and I decided that we'd make the big jump and get married. We had been living apart for the better part of our relationship and decided to take steps to solve our distance problem once and for all. We officially married in Toronto in the middle of April, in a town hall ceremony. During that same time we made an appointment with a immigration lawyer. Turns out we only really got a consultation with a paralegal. She explained our different options and was able to give us a timeline which later turned out to be wrong. Unfortunately we accepted her advice and made preparations based on a much shorter timeframe for inland applications. So my wife moved to Canada in mid June this summer on a visitor's visa, being upfront with the customs officer as to her intentions of doing an inland application. Really we only expected for her to be here for 5 months or so before she'd be able to work, but now I've had to find out that the time it will take is longer than 12 months. Really the rest of the process can take longer, what we need to do is have her able to work again as soon as possible.
We have put our application together but are now wondering what our best option really is:
1. Do we go for an outland application through Paris, so 2 months in step 1, and 8 months step 2 + open work permit processing time (5 months?) = 13 months for OWP
2. Or do we go for an inland application, so 12 months in step 1, then open work permit processing time (5 months?) = 17 months
Option 1 really depends on her being able to remain in the country too...
I feel really bad that I let us get into this position, we never budgeted for such a long time without her making any income and things will not be easy at all for us because of this... any ideas or suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.
Charles
Question first and then some background:
Q1 - Can you make an outland application while in Canada on a visitor's visa?
In February of this year, my Belgian girlfriend and I decided that we'd make the big jump and get married. We had been living apart for the better part of our relationship and decided to take steps to solve our distance problem once and for all. We officially married in Toronto in the middle of April, in a town hall ceremony. During that same time we made an appointment with a immigration lawyer. Turns out we only really got a consultation with a paralegal. She explained our different options and was able to give us a timeline which later turned out to be wrong. Unfortunately we accepted her advice and made preparations based on a much shorter timeframe for inland applications. So my wife moved to Canada in mid June this summer on a visitor's visa, being upfront with the customs officer as to her intentions of doing an inland application. Really we only expected for her to be here for 5 months or so before she'd be able to work, but now I've had to find out that the time it will take is longer than 12 months. Really the rest of the process can take longer, what we need to do is have her able to work again as soon as possible.
We have put our application together but are now wondering what our best option really is:
1. Do we go for an outland application through Paris, so 2 months in step 1, and 8 months step 2 + open work permit processing time (5 months?) = 13 months for OWP
2. Or do we go for an inland application, so 12 months in step 1, then open work permit processing time (5 months?) = 17 months
Option 1 really depends on her being able to remain in the country too...
I feel really bad that I let us get into this position, we never budgeted for such a long time without her making any income and things will not be easy at all for us because of this... any ideas or suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.
Charles
