Long-time unmarried partner moving to Canada

[iphigenia]

Hello - My long-time partner (we're not married) is moving to Canada for 18 months. I'm concerned about how and for how long I will be able to visit/stay with him there.

Here's some info on our situation:
- We're both US citizens.
- He will be on a temporary resident work permit, and we're not married, so it doesn't look like he can sponsor me for temporary residency. Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. We don't currently live together, but have been in a relationship for six years and if he were not moving to Canada, we had planned to move in together in the US this summer.
- I work remotely for a US company but am considering taking a leave of absence to work on a creative writing project (unpaid). I have decent savings after several years of working and saving money to support myself without working for 18 months.

What's the best way to do this? I'm concerned to find so few specifics. It seems like it's really up to border control as to how long I can stay in the first place (up to six months) and whether or not I can go home to the US, then return to Canada, after that six-month period. Any advice you can provide is appreciated. Starting to feel very stressed about our prospects for spending time together.

 

[Jalex23]

Hello - My long-time partner (we're not married) is moving to Canada for 18 months. I'm concerned about how and for how long I will be able to visit/stay with him there.

Here's some info on our situation:
- We're both US citizens.
- He will be on a temporary resident work permit, and we're not married, so it doesn't look like he can sponsor me for temporary residency. Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. We don't currently live together, but have been in a relationship for six years and if he were not moving to Canada, we had planned to move in together in the US this summer.
- I work remotely for a US company but am considering taking a leave of absence to work on a creative writing project (unpaid). I have decent savings after several years of working and saving money to support myself without working for 18 months.

What's the best way to do this? I'm concerned to find so few specifics. It seems like it's really up to border control as to how long I can stay in the first place (up to six months) and whether or not I can go home to the US, then return to Canada, after that six-month period. Any advice you can provide is appreciated. Starting to feel very stressed about our prospects for spending time together.

So, you want to live in Canada using a visitor status.

Yes. You will be assessed on entry and given up to 6 months, but the 6 months are not meant to be used, but rather given in "good faith" that you won't abuse them. Using the six months and then attempting to come back will not be liked. Also, you can file for extensions to increase from 6 months to up to 1.5 years, true, but you won't be able to be exiting the country, if you do, you will be reassessed on reentry and it will become obvious you are not a genuine visitor, resulting in a shorter stay or refusal.

There is no option for what you are trying to do, you cannot just live in another country because "you want to", and as this person doesn't hold any relationship to you then you have no strong purpose of visit.

So you can come here and keep extending (and not leave) or you can just come for "six months" on/off... which could also prove risky to do.