Pgwp holder to getting married

[Angel_17]

I arrived here in Canada as a student in 2017. I graduated after a year and am now on my postgrad work permit (pgwp). However, it will be expiring in July 2019.
I have a long-term bf here of almost 5 years. He is a canadian citizen and we met.during one of his visits back home (we come from the same place). We are planning to get married on april 2019.
My question is after we get married and I am processing my papers for PR, would I still be required to go home when my pgwp expires? Any advice? Pls help

 

[ContactFront]

You can apply for a new open work permit once sponsorship application is submitted. But be aware it could take a while to receive your marriage certificate. If you can't get all the documents ready for sponsorship application before your PGWP expires, you should apply to change your status to visitor first.
If you've already been living together for more than a year, he could sponsor you now as a common law partner without you two actually getting married, which is another option

 

[Angel_17]

You can apply for a new open work permit once sponsorship application is submitted. But be aware it could take a while to receive your marriage certificate. If you can't get all the documents ready for sponsorship application before your PGWP expires, you should apply to change your status to visitor first.
If you've already been living together for more than a year, he could sponsor you now as a common law partner without you two actually getting married, which is another option

Thank you for replying.

We have only been living together for about 10 months and do not have enough proof of cohabitation. I only have letters from my previous school that are addressed to his residence. All the bills and lease are under his name.

Can I apply for a new open work permit before we submit the sponsorship application?
I am also in the process of pursuing a career in Nursing here in Ontario. Part of it requires me to enroll in an 8 month course. Would applying for a student permit (rather than an open work permit) be a better option?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you for replying.

We have only been living together for about 10 months and do not have enough proof of cohabitation. I only have letters from my previous school that are addressed to his residence. All the bills and lease are under his name.

Can I apply for a new open work permit before we submit the sponsorship application?
I am also in the process of pursuing a career in Nursing here in Ontario. Part of it requires me to enroll in an 8 month course. Would applying for a student permit (rather than an open work permit) be a better option?

No, you can't apply for an OWP before submitting the sponsorship app.

If you want to take an 8 month course before becoming a PR, you will need a study permit.

 

[Angel_17]

No, you can't apply for an OWP before submitting the sponsorship app.

If you want to take an 8 month course before becoming a PR, you will need a study permit.

Hi canuck_in_uk
I am worried that getting all the documents for sponsorship application would take time (especially the marriage certificate) long enough to have my pgwp expire. Is it advisable to start the application now even when the wedding takes place in April and just wait until we get the marriage cert? Would that cause suspicion among immigration officers?

Also, I am aware that sponsorship application takes about 12 months to process. Am I still allowed to stay and work in Canada without a decision, provided that we have submitted the application?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi canuck_in_uk
I am worried that getting all the documents for sponsorship application would take time (especially the marriage certificate) long enough to have my pgwp expire. Is it advisable to start the application now even when the wedding takes place in April and just wait until we get the marriage cert? Would that cause suspicion among immigration officers?

Also, I am aware that sponsorship application takes about 12 months to process. Am I still allowed to stay and work in Canada without a decision, provided that we have submitted the application?

You can start getting things ready but you need to watch for new versions of forms. If you submit outdated forms, the app will likely be returned.

You can stay. Given the short timeline from when you can actually apply to your PGWP expiry, you should apply for visitor status as a backup.

 

[EstherBarros]

You need to have status in Canada at the time of the inland sponsorship application to qualify for the pilot program which will allow you to get the open work permit sooner. You should apply for the OWP with the inland sponsorship application. As I understand it, if you are out of status, you do not qualify and have to wait much longer for the OWP. Definitely apply for visitor status once your WP is about to expire.
If you're willing to pay non-domestic fees to go back to school, you could do that too!

Here is the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1163&top=17

You can definitely start preparing all of the documents to be sent in, and that is probably a good idea, given some of them could take a while to obtain, but you cannot send the application before you have either lived together for 12 months (and apply as common law) or have gotten married.

 

[Angel_17]

You can start getting things ready but you need to watch for new versions of forms. If you submit outdated forms, the app will likely be returned.

You can stay. Given the short timeline from when you can actually apply to your PGWP expiry, you should apply for visitor status as a backup.

You can start getting things ready but you need to watch for new versions of forms. If you submit outdated forms, the app will likely be returned.

You can stay. Given the short timeline from when you can actually apply to your PGWP expiry, you should apply for visitor status as a backup.

Thank you. As per your advice, I have been reading about obtaining a visitor visa and came across the term "visitor record". Am i right in thinking that I should be applying for the latter instead of a visitor visa?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you. As per your advice, I have been reading about obtaining a visitor visa and came across the term "visitor record". Am i right in thinking that I should be applying for the latter instead of a visitor visa?

IMM5708.

 

[Angel_17]

IMM5708.

Hi @canuck_in_uk @EstherBarros
I am in need of your advice again. My partner and I have decided to go with the common-law sponsorship instead. We are getting married by the end of May 2019 and we are planning to submit our application for common law before the wedding. We are not opting for the spousal sponsorship just because the the wait for the marriage certificate would take longer. Is this ok?
Another question is, should I include an application to extend my work permit? It will expire in July 2019 and as previously said, we are applying this month. Is it something I should apply for later in the process or just include it now?
The visitor visa, I will be applying for on a separate application.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi @canuck_in_uk @EstherBarros
I am in need of your advice again. My partner and I have decided to go with the common-law sponsorship instead. We are getting married by the end of May 2019 and we are planning to submit our application for common law before the wedding. We are not opting for the spousal sponsorship just because the the wait for the marriage certificate would take longer. Is this ok?
Another question is, should I include an application to extend my work permit? It will expire in July 2019 and as previously said, we are applying this month. Is it something I should apply for later in the process or just include it now?
The visitor visa, I will be applying for on a separate application.

When did you become common-law? Seems it was only this month. Do you have solid proof of cohabitation from day 1 to day 365?

If applying inland, include the OWP app.

 

[Angel_17]

When did you become common-law? Seems it was only this month. Do you have solid proof of cohabitation from day 1 to day 365?

If applying inland, include the OWP app.

Yes I moved in with him on april 22, 2018. The earliest date I can find proof of is a payslip addressed to the same residence but dated May 2nd, 2018.
However on the imm 5409 (statutory declaration of common law), we put april 22 as the date the union began.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Yes I moved in with him on april 22, 2018. The earliest date I can find proof of is a payslip addressed to the same residence but dated May 2nd, 2018.
However on the imm 5409 (statutory declaration of common law), we put april 22 as the date the union began.

The Stat Dec isn't a proof. You could put any date you want on it. What else do you have besides one payslip from May 2?

 

[Angel_17]

The Stat Dec isn't a proof. You could put any date you want on it. What else do you have besides one payslip from May 2?

That's it, unfortunately. I have other transcripts and letters mailed from my school. The earliest is on May 8.
Should we redo the stat declaration and put May 2 instead?
I am still waiting for some documents from my home country so we probably won't be submitting the application before May 8.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

That's it, unfortunately. I have other transcripts and letters mailed from my school. The earliest is on May 8.
Should we redo the stat declaration and put May 2 instead?
I am still waiting for some documents from my home country so we probably won't be submitting the application before May 8.

There is no point in redoing the Stat Dec. I strongly suggest you at least wait until after the 8th to apply so that you have more than just one payslip.