Proof of intent to live in Canada

[pine_apple]

My partner is a duel Canadian and American citizen. I'm American. He has Canadian citizenship by birth because his mom was born in Canada, but he has never lived there.

We would live to move to Canada and I plan to apply for PR through the spousal sponsorship program.

We met doing an internship in Canada and have wanted to move there ever since. We have emails and letters from the past three years that discuss our intention to move to Canada. A few months ago, we decided to go ahead and move, and we planned that I would just stay with him as a "visitor" until my PR went through. We opened up a joint Canadian bank account, visited apartments to rent, etc. However, we decided it would be too much of a financial strain if I couldn't work for the first year we're in Canada since I wouldn't yet have PR and would just be a visitor.

So my question is: Is there any possible way for me to obtain PR if my partner has never lived in Canada? I'm assuming the answer is no, but I'd like to hear any suggestions. I'm guessing our best option is to have him move first and then I apply for PR, but we will do anything we can to avoid being separated, and it might be more of a financial burden to have to live separately and pay two rents than it would be for me to just come to Canada and not work. Does anyone have any insight?

 

[setec-astronomy]

Yes, a Canadian citizen who has never lived in Canada can sponsor their spouse for PR. The work you've done setting up bank accounts, visiting apartments, etc., is a pretty good indicator of intent to reside in Canada if PR is granted. Your best option is to apply as soon as possible, because spousal sponsorship applications are being sponsored very quickly, and you might be able to move in 4-8 months. You also could move during the processing of the application, once things are further along, and minimize the time you'll be waiting.

All you have to do is convince CIC that you both intend to make your primary residence in Canada if PR is granted to you. This is a strange and nebulous sort of thing, but you've done all the right stuff so far, and just need to be able to document it to them. They like specific plans, they like evidence that you're preparing for the possibility. Good luck!

 

[Charno]

My partner is a duel Canadian and American citizen. I'm American. He has Canadian citizenship by birth because his mom was born in Canada, but he has never lived there.

We would live to move to Canada and I plan to apply for PR through the spousal sponsorship program.

We met doing an internship in Canada and have wanted to move there ever since. We have emails and letters from the past three years that discuss our intention to move to Canada. A few months ago, we decided to go ahead and move, and we planned that I would just stay with him as a "visitor" until my PR went through. We opened up a joint Canadian bank account, visited apartments to rent, etc. However, we decided it would be too much of a financial strain if I couldn't work for the first year we're in Canada since I wouldn't yet have PR and would just be a visitor.

So my question is: Is there any possible way for me to obtain PR if my partner has never lived in Canada? I'm assuming the answer is no, but I'd like to hear any suggestions. I'm guessing our best option is to have him move first and then I apply for PR, but we will do anything we can to avoid being separated, and it might be more of a financial burden to have to live separately and pay two rents than it would be for me to just come to Canada and not work. Does anyone have any insight?

Yes, your partner can sponsor you even if he has never lived in Canada!

I also have dual citizenship (French and Canadian) but I have never lived in Canada (only in France and now in the UK, where I currently live with my partner). I have applied to sponsor my partner (who is French) in february (outland) and I have been approved as a sponsor three weeks ago. I didn't have any concrete proof to give to CIC, but I did write a whole page explaining why we wanted to move to Canada and proving that we had done our research, that we've been wanting to live there for a long time and that we would be moving there as soon as my partner got his PR (the question appears in one or two forms anyway, where they ask why you want to move there and what your plans are). Like setec-astronomy said, it's all about convincing CIC that you both intend to move to Canada if you do get your PR. If my application as a sponsor was approved, I'm sure yours would be too, especially considering you have more "proof" (emails talking about the move, bank account, appartment visits) than I had!

 

[pine_apple]

Wow, thank you both so much! This is great news. I had seen a few posts where the sponsor had lived in Canada and had a place to live and job lined up and still was asked for more proof of intent to return, so I thought we might be hopeless without anything concrete! Thanks!!