Looking a sponsorship to get into Canada, advice appreciated!

[splitterz]

Hello everyone!

I just discovered this site after researching spousal sponsorship for Canada. Anyways I have a few question, and I promise to go through the variety of threads to gather more information.

I have been with my girlfriend, the Canadian citizen, since mid December, we met while we were both on vacation. We took an interest immediately with each other and have I flown and seen her in Canada 10 times since December 30th. We both are serious and committed to each other and are looking towards the next step which is marriage. We plan on getting married soon, in the next couple months in Alberta and then looking towards getting me in Canada on a more permanent basis. I have been through the CIC website many times, and have looked over the guides.

Is there anything I need to know about sponsorship that is not spelled out in the guides? I understand the process can take a while, but it's a necessary evil.

I understand I can stay in Canada during the process while being classified as a visitor. Is it difficult to get a temporary work visa or even a student visa during the same times? I want to become more specialized and classes start in the fall.

I recently got a nexus card which requires a background check/biometrics. Think that will help at all?

Do I need to get a certified background check in US for my application?

Are consultants a scam, or something to be considered?

Anything else I need to know. The whole thing seems daunting, but I'd like to be as educated as possible on the matter before we begin. Thank you!

 

[Ponga]

Hello everyone!

I just discovered this site after researching spousal sponsorship for Canada. Anyways I have a few question, and I promise to go through the variety of threads to gather more information.

I have been with my girlfriend, the Canadian citizen, since mid December, we met while we were both on vacation. We took an interest immediately with each other and have I flown and seen her in Canada 10 times since December 30th. We both are serious and committed to each other and are looking towards the next step which is marriage. We plan on getting married soon, in the next couple months in Alberta and then looking towards getting me in Canada on a more permanent basis. I have been through the CIC website many times, and have looked over the guides.

Is there anything I need to know about sponsorship that is not spelled out in the guides? I understand the process can take a while, but it's a necessary evil.

I understand I can stay in Canada during the process while being classified as a visitor. Is it difficult to get a temporary work visa or even a student visa during the same times? I want to become more specialized and classes start in the fall.

I recently got a nexus card which requires a background check/biometrics. Think that will help at all?

Do I need to get a certified background check in US for my application?

Are consultants a scam, or something to be considered?

Anything else I need to know. The whole thing seems daunting, but I'd like to be as educated as possible on the matter before we begin. Thank you!

Hi,

It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of the process already!

Start by reading the first thread in this forum (Spousal Sponsorship) to get more information on the Inland versus Outland applications, to see which option works best for you.

You MAY be able to stay in Canada, but getting a visitor extension is never guaranteed.

You will need an FBI PCC for your application. You can have your fingerprints taken anywhere (US or Canada) and then mail the fingerprint card to the FBI in West Virginia and they will mail you your PCC that you then send to CIC with your application.

Consultants are not a scam, but many people have opted to tackle this themselves (myself included). This site has been a wealth of information and I'm sure it will help you as well.

Good luck!

 

[Rob_TO]

I have been with my girlfriend, the Canadian citizen, since mid December, we met while we were both on vacation. We took an interest immediately with each other and have I flown and seen her in Canada 10 times since December 30th. We both are serious and committed to each other and are looking towards the next step which is marriage. We plan on getting married soon, in the next couple months in Alberta and then looking towards getting me in Canada on a more permanent basis.

If you met for the first time in Dec and are already getting married, that could look a bit suspicious to a visa officer as it's a very quick time. They may feel you are rushing into marriage just for the sake of getting PR. If you are a US citizen you should have a relatively easier time getting PR, just be sure to submit a strong application. Having a "normal" wedding with lots of friends and family attending will help.

I understand I can stay in Canada during the process while being classified as a visitor. Is it difficult to get a temporary work visa or even a student visa during the same times? I want to become more specialized and classes start in the fall.

If you apply outland through CPP-Ottawa office, you can indeed stay in Canada as a visitor. Study permit is easy to get, all you basically need is to get accepted to a program and pay tuition.

Work permit is incredibly hard. If you don't qualify for work under NAFTA or SWAP program, then you have to find an employer willing to go through LMO process for you.

Good news is average time to PR through CPP-Ottawa is around 10 months give or take, so after that you can work.

I recently got a nexus card which requires a background check/biometrics. Think that will help at all?

Won't help for the PR app. Will just help you come and go from Canada.

Do I need to get a certified background check in US for my application?

You need to get FBI checks for USA, and police checks from any other country you've lived in at least 6 months since turning 18.

Are consultants a scam, or something to be considered?

Mostly a rip-off due to the incredibly high fees. Vast majority of straightforward apps can be done entirely by the sponsor/applicant.
Lawyers/consultants should only be used if you have criminal or other eligibility issues.

 

[keesio]

If you met for the first time in Dec and are already getting married, that could look a bit suspicious to a visa officer as it's a very quick time. They may feel you are rushing into marriage just for the sake of getting PR. If you are a US citizen you should have a relatively easier time getting PR, just be sure to submit a strong application. Having a "normal" wedding with lots of friends and family attending will help.

US-Canadian couples do get more slack in this department. If the OP met his fiance in Dec and plan to marry this summer, that is not bad. Also he has visited his fiancee many times. CIC also tends to give the benefit of the doubt in the sense that they don't suspect that many Americans marry for PR. A big wedding helps for sure. But again not mandatory. There are some US-Canadian couples who had no issues with sponsorship by having a tiny wedding (in the living room of a house with a few friends) or even just a "city hall" wedding. But because of the OP's relatively short dating timeline, that is not recommended.

Work permit is incredibly hard. If you don't qualify for work under NAFTA or SWAP program, then you have to find an employer willing to go through LMO process for you.

If you do qualify for work under NAFTA and find an employer willing to sponsor you, then it can be pretty quick. I came to Canada many years ago on a work permit, sponsored by my employer. My profession was covered under NAFTA and it took less than a month for me to get my work permit (actually I think it was ~2 weeks).

You need to get FBI checks for USA, and police checks from any other country you've lived in at least 6 months since turning 18.

Also, the FBI check takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks. This is usually the thing most people wait longest to get. So do them early... but not TOO early because CIC must receive this within 3 months of the date of the clearance letter from the FBI.

 

[splitterz]

Thanks for the helpful information. We plan on having a small, small wedding with a few of her family members.

I didn't know about the FBI clearance thing, and just begun going through it. Printed out the forms...is there a cover letter to download or..?

And finally for medical. Do you wait to do that after submitting the package or until the CIC asks for it?

 

[keesio]

Thanks for the helpful information. We plan on having a small, small wedding with a few of her family members.

I didn't know about the FBI clearance thing, and just begun going through it. Printed out the forms...is there a cover letter to download or..?

And finally for medical. Do you wait to do that after submitting the package or until the CIC asks for it?

Will any of your relatives be at the wedding? That would be helpful for you case if they are.

For the FBI thing, see:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp

For you medical, you should do it all up front. When you get your medical done, you will get some receipt or letter that you can include in your application that is proof that you got it done (the doctor's office will send the actual results to CIC directly).

 

[keesio]

A bit more on the FBI thing - you just need a filled out form and a set of fingerprints to send to the FBI (and payment too). They will mail you a letter with the results. You simply add this letter to your application.