Options for Sponsoring

[gules]

I am a Canadian-born citizen, engaged to a Korean citizen and planning on getting married soon (civil wedding). She is currently here on a visitors visa, so I want to sponsor her so that she can get her Canadian permanent residency. We are both living in Canada and want to apply as soon as possible, as the wait time is pretty long. We are also planning a traditional Korean wedding in Korea in the fall.

I know that sponsoring inland includes a lot of benefits such as work permit and implied resident status while waiting for the application to process. I've also heard that once first stage approval is granted, she is eligible for in-province tuition fees as opposed to international fees, although I've not seen a source on CIC for this (If anyone has a source or can confirm/deny this, that would be great). However, leaving the country for a honeymoon / Korean wedding may be problematic when returning to Canada.

Anyway, long story short, I'm looking at what option would be best. Applying inland/outland immediately after the wedding, extending the tourist visa and then waiting for application until after we are done are planned travels, etc.

I was also wondering if she can more easily return to Canada during the inland PR application process if she had a student visa?

Any advice or information you can give would be super helpful!

 

[Rob_TO]

I am a Canadian-born citizen, engaged to a Korean citizen and planning on getting married soon (civil wedding). She is currently here on a visitors visa, so I want to sponsor her so that she can get her Canadian permanent residency. We are both living in Canada and want to apply as soon as possible, as the wait time is pretty long. We are also planning a traditional Korean wedding in Korea in the fall.

I know that sponsoring inland includes a lot of benefits such as work permit and implied resident status while waiting for the application to process. I've also heard that once first stage approval is granted, she is eligible for in-province tuition fees as opposed to international fees, although I've not seen a source on CIC for this (If anyone has a source or can confirm/deny this, that would be great). However, leaving the country for a honeymoon / Korean wedding may be problematic when returning to Canada.

Anyway, long story short, I'm looking at what option would be best. Applying inland/outland immediately after the wedding, extending the tourist visa and then waiting for application until after we are done are planned travels, etc.

I was also wondering if she can more easily return to Canada during the inland PR application process if she had a student visa?

Any advice or information you can give would be super helpful!

Regarding inland vs outland, that is personal choice. Usually visa-exempt applicants apply outland, but every situation is different.
Basic pros/cons of outland
- can come and go from CAnada with no worries about application in process
- overall quicker times to full PR. Through Manila office should be around 1 year total, sometimes less and sometimes more
- need to wait for full PR before able to work
- need to maintain valid status in Canada to stay here
and inland
- every time you leave Canada, it's a huge risk to application. If denied re-entry for any reason by CBSA, the entire app is cancelled and have to start from scratch again
- after stage 1 approval/AIP she can get an OWP. The current times are showing 8 months to AIP, but recent times have been as long as 1 year to AIP
- overall time to PR around 1.5 years

In general, many people applying outland get their full PR in quciker than the time it takes to get just stage 1 approval on inland. Although this varies case to case, and who knows what times will be going forward since inland stage 1 processing changed to CPC-Mississauga.

My opinion is that if you guys intend to travel to Korea in the fall for a wedding celebration there, then apply outland.

And for tuition, getting lower fees by having inland AIP varies from school to school. You need to call the school you're interested in and ask them about their policy here.

 

[gules]

Thanks for the quick reply.

One further question on the outland application: Can she apply to any outland office, or only Manila? If we apply with our current Canadian address using an outland application, can it be sent to a Canadian or US office for faster processing time?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for the quick reply.

One further question on the outland application: Can she apply to any outland office, or only Manila? If we apply with our current Canadian address using an outland application, can it be sent to a Canadian or US office for faster processing time?

She would only qualify to request the CPP-Ottawa office, if she had a valid status here for at least 1 full year. And even if she did have say a study permit that would allow this and requested it, CIC may still just send her app to Manila anyways.

But while just here on a visitor permit, she would only qualify for Manila office.

 

[steerpike]

The inconvient thing about aply "outland" while living in Canada, is I think she would have to return overseas to do her interview if they request one.

 

[gules]

That is true.

Also, she will have to maintain valid status in Canada. Does anyone know how long a tourist visa can be extended, and what reasons are accepted? Or is it better just to take a trip out of the country briefly, and then return to have the tourist visa renewed?

 

[chala]

That is true.

Also, she will have to maintain valid status in Canada. Does anyone know how long a tourist visa can be extended, and what reasons are accepted? Or is it better just to take a trip out of the country briefly, and then return to have the tourist visa renewed?

You can apply to extend your visitor visa online. CIC will usually grant a 1 year extension if they know you have applied for PR. Some applicants have extended 2 or 3 times without any problem.

 

[gules]

Let's say she got her tourist visa extension approved. If we were to leave the country to go on a honeymoon, or when we go to Korea for the Korean ceremony, would the extended tourist visa still be valid, or would it be reset as soon as she leaves the country?

 

[scylla]

Let's say she got her tourist visa extension approved. If we were to leave the country to go on a honeymoon, or when we go to Korea for the Korean ceremony, would the extended tourist visa still be valid, or would it be reset as soon as she leaves the country?

Reset as soon as she leaves.

 

[gules]

So it looks like our options are as follows:
1. Apply inland right after the wedding, and risk denial when returning from the honeymoon/Korean ceremony
2. Apply outland right after the wedding and extend tourist visa until honeymoon/Korean ceremony, then return on a tourist visa again
3. Extend the tourist visa until the honeymoon/Korean ceremony, then apply inland/outland afterwards

Did I miss anything? What would you recommend as being the safest way?

 

[Rob_TO]

So it looks like our options are as follows:
1. Apply inland right after the wedding, and risk denial when returning from the honeymoon/Korean ceremony
2. Apply outland right after the wedding and extend tourist visa until honeymoon/Korean ceremony, then return on a tourist visa again
3. Extend the tourist visa until the honeymoon/Korean ceremony, then apply inland/outland afterwards

Did I miss anything? What would you recommend as being the safest way?

#2. Once you get married in Canada, just apply right away outland. Make sure she brings the necessary documents from Korea in advance.
Then later in the year you can enjoy your Korean ceremony/honeymoon without any fear of being denied re-entry to Canada and having an inland app cancelled.

 

[gules]

Awesome. From what I've ready, extending the tourist visa shouldn't be a problem, so that is probably the safest way.

Thanks everyone for the information and advice. You've put my mind at rest.

 

[Regina]

From what I've ready, extending the tourist visa shouldn't be a problem, so that is probably the safest way.

This is not a problem: however there could be a problem to get into Canada in the first place with intent of get married but asking for visitor visa. This is a misrepresentation! Also this is a bad advice:

Make sure she brings the necessary documents from Korea in advance.

if she claims she is coming to visit but brings all her papers for getting married and for applying for PR inland.

 

[Rob_TO]

This is not a problem: however there could be a problem to get into Canada in the first place with intent of get married but asking for visitor visa. This is a misrepresentation!

No it isn't. You are allowed to enter Canada with the purpose of getting married. You just need to be honest about it, and convince the immigration officer that after your status is expired you will request a renewal through the proper way, and if not approved you will leave Canada.

Also this is a bad advice: if she claims she is coming to visit but brings all her papers for getting married and for applying for PR inland.

Again getting married here is fine. And papers i mentioned are things like police check and family registrar... not marriage documents.

Watch Border Security Canada, Season 1 Episode 7. A Canadian guy and Korean gf are entering Canada, and the officer finds out they are really intending to get married. He just tells them it's not illegal to get married in Canada, so they just should have been honest instead of trying to hide it, and then let them in with 6 months status.

Regina, sorry to say but based on all your posts you give very bad advice. I would try to learn first from some of the others on this forum, before you give more wrong info to people.

 

[taffy7]

No it isn't. You are allowed to enter Canada with the purpose of getting married. You just need to be honest about it, and convince the immigration officer that after your status is expired you will request a renewal through the proper way, and if not approved you will leave Canada.

Again getting married here is fine. And papers i mentioned are things like police check and family registrar... not marriage documents.

Watch Border Security Canada, Season 1 Episode 7. A Canadian guy and Korean gf are entering Canada, and the officer finds out they are really intending to get married. He just tells them it's not illegal to get married in Canada, so they just should have been honest instead of trying to hide it, and then let them in with 6 months status.



Regina, sorry to say but based on all your posts you give very bad advice. I would try to learn first from some of the others on this forum, before you give more wrong info to people.

My now husband arrived in Canada in Dec and they asked him the purpose of his visit ,he told them he was getting married ,then going to apply for PR. The guy said congratulations and good luck .We then left the country for our honeymoon and had no problem returning . He went through the non Canadian side and i went through Canadian customs.