Our immigration progress

[o6ocpaka]

I wanted to share our experience and a brief timeline of my US wife becoming a PR:

June 2014 - Enters Canada as a visitor (US passport allows 6 month stay)
August 2014 - We get married
November 2014 - Medical checks are done, police checks are done (FBI took almost 4 months)
December 2014 - Extended her stay by 1 more year
February 2015 - Entire application package is sent with all fees payed
April 2015 - SA is approved, case is sent to Ottawa
October 2015 - COPR is received with expiry date of the last medical exam +1 year (December 2015)
November 2015 - She does a round trip to New York(spends 1 hour there) and back to become a PR

While she was a visitor in Canada we kept buying health insurance. Overall everything went pretty smooth, a lot of stress though, but our wait times were pretty much by the CIC book.

 

[KelseyTVS]

When you asked to extend her stay, did you ask for 1 year or another 6 months? Also, did you say that the reason for extension was a PR application in process? Was the extension process smooth? That'll be the first step for me and my US partner so I'm curious about it.

My partner will be coming here on a 1 year work permit. The day her work permit expires will be the same day we become common law. So when we apply for a visitor extension before the work permit expires, we won't be common law yet. If we wait to apply for visitor status after we become common law, the work permit will expire and she'll be out of status before we apply. I'm unsure what we should do, so I'm trying to find out more about the extension process.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

When you asked to extend her stay, did you ask for 1 year or another 6 months? Also, did you say that the reason for extension was a PR application in process? Was the extension process smooth? That'll be the first step for me and my US partner so I'm curious about it.

My partner will be coming here on a 1 year work permit. The day her work permit expires will be the same day we become common law. So when we apply for a visitor extension before the work permit expires, we won't be common law yet. If we wait to apply for visitor status after we become common law, the work permit will expire and she'll be out of status before we apply. I'm unsure what we should do, so I'm trying to find out more about the extension process.

A few weeks before her permit is due to expire, apply online to extend her stay and change her status to visitor. Stating that you wish to become common-law is a perfectly valid reason to ask for an extension and CIC very rarely refuses, provided the person can show sufficient finances to support the extended stay.

 

[KelseyTVS]

A few weeks before her permit is due to expire, apply online to extend her stay and change her status to visitor. Stating that you wish to become common-law is a perfectly valid reason to ask for an extension and CIC very rarely refuses, provided the person can show sufficient finances to support the extended stay.

Thanks Canuck! So on the application to extend form, under marital status she should just put "single"?

 

[o6ocpaka]

When you asked to extend her stay, did you ask for 1 year or another 6 months? Also, did you say that the reason for extension was a PR application in process? Was the extension process smooth? That'll be the first step for me and my US partner so I'm curious about it.

My partner will be coming here on a 1 year work permit. The day her work permit expires will be the same day we become common law. So when we apply for a visitor extension before the work permit expires, we won't be common law yet. If we wait to apply for visitor status after we become common law, the work permit will expire and she'll be out of status before we apply. I'm unsure what we should do, so I'm trying to find out more about the extension process.

We have asked for one year and provided multiple documentation that she can support herself(bank accounts etc) and our marriage certificate. Extension went very smooth, it can all be uploaded online, you don't even have to mail anything. Just make sure you are not out of status when you apply, do it at least 1 month in advance.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks Canuck! So on the application to extend form, under marital status she should just put "single"?

Yes, she is still considered single until you hit the one year mark.