Intent to move to Canada

[dustinkeller]

I am in the process of applying to become a sponsor so my American wife and I can move to Canada. We both currently live in St. Louis Missouri.

I understand that you can become a sponsor from outside of Canada but you must prove your intent to live in Canada.

I currently do not hold a job or dwelling in Canada.

I heard that I could get family members to write letters saying that I have informed them on my intent to move. I'll also provide some correspondence I've had over e-mail with potential employers and landlords.

My question is, is that going to be enough!? Should I secure a job and dwelling before even considering applying to become a sponsor?

 

[BeShoo]

You're a Canadian then?

 

[RobsLuv]

If you're a Canadian citizen, you're eligible to sponsor while living abroad and you're correct that you have to provide evidence of your intent to re-settle in Canada. You can submit copies of the correspondence you've had with potential employers, and with landlords/property managers for housing. If you have family in Canada who are willing to give you and your family a place to stay and provide support until you get established again, they can write and sign a statutory declaration (should be notarized) saying so and you can submit that with the application, too. I would say that all of that combined should be sufficient. The thing they are trying to avoid is having Canadian citizens who are living abroad sponsor family members to Canada when they themselves don't intend to come back to Canada to provide support for those family members. The biggest issue with sponsorship is the worry that eventually those immigrants will not be able to support themselves and will end up applying for social assistance and the sponsor will not be in Canada to reimburse the government for the monies their family members receive.

 

[toby]

Hi Robsluv:

Your explanation -- of why Canada wants assurance that the Canadian sponsor will live in Canada -- makes sense. Is this your guesswork, or did someone in CIC explain this to you? I've never seen the rationale explained in the government website.