please help, girl friend on visitor visa, planning to get married

[kan12]

hello,
i am a new canadian pr (for the last 6 months), and my girl friend who is chinese just came to visit me in canada. she has a visitor visa. we have known each other for 2 years as we studied together in college in china.

we are planning to get married but i had some questions. i would really appreciate if someone can help me out with this:-

a) her 6 month visitor permit will expire in next 3 months. we need to extend her visitor permit so that she can continue to live here. is it possible to renew visitor permit after our marriage is registered, but while we have not sent her PR application (planning to do an inland application). on the other post that i have read, other people have already either applied for PR before visitor extenion (and shown their PR application number when submitted extension for visitor permit), or they submit the PR application at the same time with the visitor extension.
the reason i cannot submit PR application before or at the same time as her visitor permit extention application is because we need some more time to prepare all the papers for the PR application after we get married.

b) if it is easier to apply outland, then we are planning that we go back to China after registering our marriage here in Canada.
i) is it ok to have the marriage registered in Canada while she was on visitor visa, and then apply the PR application in China
ii) if i have want to live with her in China while the PR application is in process is that ok. I read somewhere that to sponsor wife with an outland application, if the husband has PR and is not a citizen, then he has to remain in Canada while the application is in process

iii) if i have to technically remain in Canada while her out PR application is in process, i can ask my company to transfer me to China to continue to work there for 1 year (this would not be a problem). so if i am continuing to work for Canadian company that has transfered me to China because of the job, will this be ok


i am sorry for asking such long questions, but while i tried, i could not find specific information to my questions else where. I would really appreciate if someone can help me with this.

 

[Sweden]

Hey, and welcome to the forum.

1 - the extension has more chances to get approved if you show that you will apply for PR. If you don't have the application ready, you can for example pay the fees ($1040) and include the receipt to the visitor extension application, it shows that you are serious about applying for PR. The fees can be paid in advance, it's not an issue.
2 - you can have the marriage wherever you like. As long as the marriage is valid in the country where you get married, CIC doesn't care if it's in Canada or in China.
As you are a PR, you must be in Canada for the time of the application. You can not go back to China and leave with her while they process the application.
3 - No, I don't think so. As a PR, you must be residing in Canada, according to the sponsor guideline http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3900ETOC.asp#overview

The rule about the Canadian Company transfer applies to keep your PR and meet residency requirements, but I don't think that it allows you to be outside of Canada to sponsor your spouse. However, I'm not 100% sure of that, so wait until a more senior member can comment on that.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[canadianwoman]

She is here in Canada, so I suggest you apply while she is here. If the PR application is not ready when you need to apply for her extension, just pay and send in the fee receipt, as Sweden suggested. She should be granted a visa extension, and so can stay here with you while the application is being processed. Since she is in Canada, she can apply outland or inland. If she would be applying through Beijing (depends on where she is from in China) I suggest outland; if through Hong Kong, I suggest inland.
You have to be in Canada during the processing of her PR application.

 

[kan12]

Hello Sweden and Canadianwoman,

thank you for your help and valuable advice. I really appreciate the same. So i would go along with the same and do as following then:-

1) we are getting married in BC in June 1st week (I am also a resident of BC). From what i read online i can get marriage licencse in BC within 1 week of us getting married
2) then we will pay in advance the fees required for to sponsor her PR application and include the copy of receipt in her application of visitor visa extension (as both of you have suggested, thanks). the 6 months for her current permit expires in August 1st week, so we will send the application by end of June and under the reason for extension, we will show our marriage certificate, include the fees for the PR application and say that we intend to apply for PR application very soon.


Just three more questions (sorry):
a) is the above summary ok and correct. do we need to do something else also to make our case stronger. for example the advice from both of you to pay the PR application fees, i had not considered this point and i will definitely follow up on this. Is there anything else that you can suggest me
b) how long should i request the extension be valid for. We will include that we are going to apply for her PR application. do you have any advice on this.
c) Also if there any other suggestions/advice that you can give me that might help us with our situation.

i really thank you both again for helping me out here and taking time to reply back to my questions. it immensely helps me out.

thanks again

 

[canadianwoman]

They usually give a six-month extension. You can reapply once that one is nearing its end. Some people have asked for a year extension and gotten it.

You are not married yet, so I suggest you look at the forms and see what kinds of proof they are asking for. Do not do anything that would be odd in your culture - for example, you are both of Chinese origin, so if an engagement party is not normal in your culture, don't do one just because it is mentioned in the forms. But do look at the questions and make sure you have lots of proof for anything you do. Get lots of photos of the marriage ceremony and reception, try to get photos proving how many guests were there, keep receipts to do with the wedding and any other outing or travel you do. Introduce her to your friends and relatives and get photos of this. Travel a bit and take photos. Keep all evidence of cohabitation.

You don't need a huge wedding, but if it is small, do your best to make it look special: get dressed up, have flowers, have some kind of celebration afterwards, even if it just dinner at a nice restaurant. Try to have family there.

 

[NeverGiveUp]

hello,
i am a new canadian pr (for the last 6 months), and my girl friend who is chinese just came to visit me in canada. she has a visitor visa. we have known each other for 2 years as we studied together in college in china.

we are planning to get married but i had some questions. i would really appreciate if someone can help me out with this:-

a) her 6 month visitor permit will expire in next 3 months. we need to extend her visitor permit so that she can continue to live here. is it possible to renew visitor permit after our marriage is registered, but while we have not sent her PR application (planning to do an inland application). on the other post that i have read, other people have already either applied for PR before visitor extenion (and shown their PR application number when submitted extension for visitor permit), or they submit the PR application at the same time with the visitor extension.
the reason i cannot submit PR application before or at the same time as her visitor permit extention application is because we need some more time to prepare all the papers for the PR application after we get married.

b) if it is easier to apply outland, then we are planning that we go back to China after registering our marriage here in Canada.
i) is it ok to have the marriage registered in Canada while she was on visitor visa, and then apply the PR application in China
ii) if i have want to live with her in China while the PR application is in process is that ok. I read somewhere that to sponsor wife with an outland application, if the husband has PR and is not a citizen, then he has to remain in Canada while the application is in process

iii) if i have to technically remain in Canada while her out PR application is in process, i can ask my company to transfer me to China to continue to work there for 1 year (this would not be a problem). so if i am continuing to work for Canadian company that has transfered me to China because of the job, will this be ok


i am sorry for asking such long questions, but while i tried, i could not find specific information to my questions else where. I would really appreciate if someone can help me with this.

Hi,

Sorry for the irrelevant question. I much appreciate it if you could answer my question. I am studying in Canada for more than 3 years (with study permit), and I am not a PR yet. My girlfriend is a Russian, and she lives in Russia. How may I apply for a visitor visa for her? I see that your girlfriend came to Canada for visit. I have exactly the same plan. How did you apply for her visitor visa? Does the Canadian embassy accept an invitation letter from me (while we are not married yet)?

Thank you in advance.