Married to canadian, live in U.S., want to live &wk in canada what should I do?

[Cme95677]

My husband is a Canadian citizen, I am a U.S. Citizen we have been married for 30 yrs and live in the U.S. I want to live and work, with my current employer, in Canada for one year. Should I have him sponser me or should I apply for a work permit? If he sponsers me do I still need a work permit?
Thanks
Mj

 

[zardoz]

If he is to sponsor you as a spouse, he would have to declare and probably prove his intention to return to Canada permanently to live with you there. If this is not the plan, he really should not try this format of sponsorship.

 

[asrafurs]

I think you can do it.

 

[Leon]

If your employer has a branch in Canada, he can apply for a work permit called intra-company transfer which is a bit easier to get than the average. Same if your job falls under a NAFTA occupation, it is pretty easy. See here: http://www.canadavisa.com/nafta-temporary-work-permit-canada.html

If you want permanent residency in Canada, your husband could sponsor you but if he sponsors you while he himself is living in the US, he would have to show that you have intentions to move to Canada when you get your PR. The PR application can easily take a year so it is not the best option if you want to be working in Canada quickly.

However, for the future, it is a good thing because a PR allows you to live in Canada and work without a work permit if you choose to. Normally PR's have to meet a residency obligation of 730 days in Canada any rolling 5 year period but staying with a Canadian husband outside Canada is counted towards that so if you do get PR, you will not lose it even if you return to the US afterwards and don't come back for years. That is as long as you are living with your husband.