+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Moving to a different Province on a Spouse visa

Salazar1196

Member
Aug 17, 2022
15
0
I have arrived in Toronto on a spouse visa. My wife is on a student visa, and I plan to move to a different province, say British Colombia or Alberta, for work. Will there be any complications? Is it allowed? Will I face any problems in future for PR or anything else?

What kind of process will I have to follow for this?
 

Simba112

VIP Member
Mar 25, 2021
4,481
1,664
I have arrived in Toronto on a spouse visa. My wife is on a student visa, and I plan to move to a different province, say British Colombia or Alberta, for work. Will there be any complications? Is it allowed? Will I face any problems in future for PR or anything else?

What kind of process will I have to follow for this?
But your wife will remain in the same DLI? If yes, there is no issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Salazar1196

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
56,152
13,720
I have arrived in Toronto on a spouse visa. My wife is on a student visa, and I plan to move to a different province, say British Colombia or Alberta, for work. Will there be any complications? Is it allowed? Will I face any problems in future for PR or anything else?

What kind of process will I have to follow for this?
The purpose of an SOWP is to join your spouse in Canada so yes not living together could be an issue. Why are you not able or wanting to live with your spouse? BC and Alberta are very far from Toronto so it isn’t a situation where you could spend time together every weekend or multiple time per month. For example if your spouse went to school in a small town a few hours away from Toronto you could argue that there weren’t employment opportunities in the small town so you stay in Toronto and your wife comes to stay with you most weekends. That would be a valid argument why you temporarily are living apart while still spending a significant amount of time together in person and living as a couple. This isn’t your situation though you would be able to find job opportunities in Toronto. If you lived in BC or Alberta while your wife lived in Toronto you would be essentially acting like you were on a WP independent of your spouse and relationship. If it was discovered that you were landing in BC with no onward plans to Toronto you could be denied entry into Canada. There also could be questions about the validity of your relationship given the set-up you are suggesting and whether you were in a genuine relationship when you applied for SOWP. It is not a good idea not to live with your spouse when you applied for an SOWP.
 

Simba112

VIP Member
Mar 25, 2021
4,481
1,664
The purpose of an SOWP is to join your spouse in Canada so yes not living together could be an issue. Why are you not able or wanting to live with your spouse? BC and Alberta are very far from Toronto so it isn’t a situation where you could spend time together every weekend or multiple time per month. For example if your spouse went to school in a small town a few hours away from Toronto you could argue that there weren’t employment opportunities in the small town so you stay in Toronto and your wife comes to stay with you most weekends. That would be a valid argument why you temporarily are living apart while still spending a significant amount of time together in person and living as a couple. This isn’t your situation though you would be able to find job opportunities in Toronto. If you lived in BC or Alberta while your wife lived in Toronto you would be essentially acting like you were on a WP independent of your spouse and relationship. If it was discovered that you were landing in BC with no onward plans to Toronto you could be denied entry into Canada. There also could be questions about the validity of your relationship given the set-up you are suggesting and whether you were in a genuine relationship when you applied for SOWP. It is not a good idea not to live with your spouse when you applied for an SOWP.
That is not correct, SOWP has no conditions placed on it to limit where dependant spouse should live. Your reply is personal, two adults can decide what is best for them.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
56,152
13,720
That is not correct, SOWP has no conditions placed on it to limit where dependant spouse should live. Your reply is personal, two adults can decide what is best for them.
An SOWP is meant to join a spouse and without a spouse working or studying in Canada you wouldn’t qualify for the OWP. It is implied you will be joining your spouse in Canada. If you applied for an SOWP while your spouse was studying in Canada and indicated that you planned on living in BC while your spouse studied in Toronto your OWP would likely be denied. There would be no reason why you would qualify for the SOWP unless you planned on joining your spouse.
 

Simba112

VIP Member
Mar 25, 2021
4,481
1,664
An SOWP is meant to join a spouse and without a spouse working or studying in Canada you wouldn’t qualify for the OWP. It is implied you will be joining your spouse in Canada. If you applied for an SOWP while your spouse was studying in Canada and indicated that you planned on living in BC while your spouse studied in Toronto your OWP would likely be denied. There would be no reason why you would qualify for the SOWP unless you planned on joining your spouse.
Poster did not say all that, he said he has arrived in Toronto and plan to move to other province for work. Poster has valid SOWP, and he can work anywhere. What difference does it make if he was hired in Toronto where his wife is studying but later posted to other province by employer? again back to the main issue, there is no any compliance issue here. He can work anywhere while his wife is studying....
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
56,152
13,720
Poster did not say all that, he said he has arrived in Toronto and plan to move to other province for work. Poster has valid SOWP, and he can work anywhere. What difference does it make if he was hired in Toronto where his wife is studying but later posted to other province by employer? again back to the main issue, there is no any compliance issue here. He can work anywhere while his wife is studying....
There is certainly a risk when applying or SOWP extension that not living with your spouse could be an issue. The spouse of an international student is given an SOWP to join their spouse in Canada or else they would apply for an OWP on their own merits.
 

Simba112

VIP Member
Mar 25, 2021
4,481
1,664
There is certainly a risk when applying or SOWP extension that not living with your spouse could be an issue. The spouse of an international student is given an SOWP to join their spouse in Canada or else they would apply for an OWP on their own merits.
Still Irrelevant and there's zero risk provided this is not compliance requirement. You are making up rules
 
  • Like
Reactions: Buletruck

DeepTomCan

Member
Dec 4, 2024
19
0
Hi, I have same question but little different ,

I am working in BC on LMIA closed work permit, My wife will come on SOWP in Vancouver to me, but i spoke to one of my friend living in another province and he advised to send her on different province Manitoba or Alberta as they have a job opportunity, so is it mandatory to get SIN, bank account, health card and ID from BC or she can also get these from Manitoba as well ? Will there be any complications? Is it allowed? Will I or my wife face any problems in future for PR or anything else?

Please advise
 

YVR123

VIP Member
Jul 27, 2017
7,614
2,996
Hi, I have same question but little different ,

I am working in BC on LMIA closed work permit, My wife will come on SOWP in Vancouver to me, but i spoke to one of my friend living in another province and he advised to send her on different province Manitoba or Alberta as they have a job opportunity, so is it mandatory to get SIN, bank account, health card and ID from BC or she can also get these from Manitoba as well ? Will there be any complications? Is it allowed? Will I or my wife face any problems in future for PR or anything else?

Please advise
I don't think it's a good idea. Legally, she probably can work on any job anywhere with an open work permit. She will need to find out how she can be covered by medical in Manitoba as a foreign worker. Since she is not under your coverage.

Do not get health card from BC if she is not going to live in BC.

Chance of getting PR is not very high according to your previous posts. Be prepared to just work and return home after your work permit expired.
 
  • Like
Reactions: canuck78

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
56,152
13,720
The grounds for awarding SOWP is to join your spouse in Canada not to live apart. Technically probably legal but if you try to extend your WPs you may run into problems if you and your spouse are living in different provinces. If you live multiple provinces apart you would spend minimal time together in Canada which defeats the purpose of the SOWP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: YVR123

Hyper1013

Champion Member
Aug 21, 2024
1,554
711
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
An SOWP is meant to join a spouse and without a spouse working or studying in Canada you wouldn’t qualify for the OWP. It is implied you will be joining your spouse in Canada. If you applied for an SOWP while your spouse was studying in Canada and indicated that you planned on living in BC while your spouse studied in Toronto your OWP would likely be denied. There would be no reason why you would qualify for the SOWP unless you planned on joining your spouse.
Just adding from a PR application submitted back in 2022 : A couple received an ADR regarding this because the PA (wife) was studying in Ottawa, while, the dependent (husband) was working in Toronto right after coming to Canada under SOWP. The main reason for the change in location was for more money in Toronto. Even with an articulated response to the ADR, they still received a PFL later on regarding the genuine proof of their relationship. The PFL response was submitted accordingly through an immigration lawyer but still got refused as the officer was not satisfied with the response. However, they didn't get banned or anything but had to re do everything from scratch again. Don't know if they are PR yet. This was a case which came on one of the FB groups.
 
  • Like
Reactions: canuck78 and YVR123