Japan - visit while awaiting PR question

[Kayaker]

Hi everyone,

So my wife (as of Dec 24th!) and I are almost ready to submit our application... just awaiting a translation and her documents to be shipped across the pond. We are thinking that if we can submit by the end of the month, I might be approved as a sponsor by early March. Ideally they would email me that approval, though I gather they sometimes use snail mail even if an email is provided. I know the wait time right now is 33 days (up from 27, I guess due to holidays).

My question is about my wife coming to visit. We know that she will likely be able to visit (though nothing is guaranteed) because she's on a Japanese passport. We are really hoping she can come here by mid-March to coincide with a week off work that I have then. Is there likely a great importance placed on the first stage approval when it comes to her being allowed in as a visitor? She will have a return ticket dated six months from her arrival. She will say she is visiting her husband and that we've applied for PR. She has proof of payment.

If we receive first stage approval, she will present that, but if we don't have it, is that a big concern? Afterall, she has visited me before, though not as my wife.

Thanks for any help here.
Kevin

 

[bartjones]

Hi everyone,

So my wife (as of Dec 24th!) and I are almost ready to submit our application... just awaiting a translation and her documents to be shipped across the pond. We are thinking that if we can submit by the end of the month, I might be approved as a sponsor by early March. Ideally they would email me that approval, though I gather they sometimes use snail mail even if an email is provided. I know the wait time right now is 33 days (up from 27, I guess due to holidays).

My question is about my wife coming to visit. We know that she will likely be able to visit (though nothing is guaranteed) because she's on a Japanese passport. We are really hoping she can come here by mid-March to coincide with a week off work that I have then. Is there likely a great importance placed on the first stage approval when it comes to her being allowed in as a visitor? She will have a return ticket dated six months from her arrival. She will say she is visiting her husband and that we've applied for PR. She has proof of payment.

If we receive first stage approval, she will present that, but if we don't have it, is that a big concern? Afterall, she has visited me before, though not as my wife.

Thanks for any help here.
Kevin

She's from Japan, a visa exempt country. It probably doesn't matter much whether you have sponsorship approval so long as she has that return ticket and says she is in Canada to "visit", not "live". Once here she can easily apply to extend that initial visitor's visa for an additional year, particularly if you have a place to live, are working and have the means to support her during that period of time.

 

[Kayaker]

Thank you, bartjones. This is what we hoped/suspected, but we wanted to check if others agreed.

 

[HoneyEllis]

Hi Kayaker

Just seconding what bartjones said based on my own experience.

I visited my husband during our processing (like your wife I'm visa-exempt).

I made sure to have plenty of evidence that I would return to my home country. I had a return ticket, a letter from my employer saying that I was on approvied vacation and my return to work date, and a letter from a medical specialist for a long-awaited appointment.

As it turned out the border officials were really OK with it - I expected to be 'grilled' but I was just waved through!

I stayed two weeks and then returned home (wouldn't you know it the week after I got home my application was approved!)

Good luck with your visit and your application

 

[Kayaker]

Thanks HoneyEllis,

We're hoping her return ticket and proof of finances back home will be enough. Her work is translations, done online, so no vacation to ask for. She also does not own a home there, as she lives with her parents presently (having lived abroad for many years).