Inland vs Outland (french spouse)

[a_ayad]

Hi everyone,

I would like to apply for family sponsorship for my french wife. I'm currently a PR, living in Quebec (I know Quebec has additional steps after completing the process on the federal level). I have a couple of questions regarding choosing the inland vs the outland track. Would really appreciate any guidance or tips.

1- If we choose to apply as outland, can my wife enter Canada (as a french citizen, she can get an eTA, and be admitted to Canada with the supporting document i.e., marriage certificate)? Is it possible that the officer denies her entry because of an existing PR sponsorship application?

2- If we decide to apply inland or outland After entering to Canada, which is the faster route? My wife can freelance so the OWP is definitely a bonus but is not a deal breaker?

3- Did anyone face a similar experience of entering with an eTA while having the intent of applying to PR sponsorship, especially with the new measures due to COVID-19 restrictions?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my question Best of luck to everyone here in their application!

 

[scylla]

1) It's never guaranteed that someone will be allowed into Canada. However for your scenario, the chances of any issues at the border should be extremely extremely low. If asked, she should make it clear that she understands that she is only allowed to enter as a visitor at this time and cannot make a permanent move until PR is approved. Also, once in Canada, she will have to continue to apply to extend her status while the application is being processed to keep her status legal in Canada.
2) It's a hard call. If she is in Canada and doesn't plan to leave, then I would go with inland since then she can benefit from the OWP. Note that OWPs are taking around 8-10 months to be issued right now so it's a bit of a wait. Hopefully that will speed up again with him.
3) I'm sure there are some cases where people have had issues but very low chances with an eTA. Will let others comment based on personal experiences.