Quebec Spouse Sponsorship - residency requirement

[zhanfenny]

Guys, I'm a Canadian citizen,having been living in ontario for many years before returning to my home country since the end of 2011. I'm now thinking of sponsoring my wife to Canada and settle in Quebec, even though I have never lived in Quebec before.

Am I eligible to sponsor her via Quebec spouse sponsor program? or do I have to live in Quebec for 6 months - 1 year to be eligible?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Mrs.]

Hi,

I don't think there is a residency requirement for you as the sponsor to fulfill. I think you need an address in Quebec to put on the form and for you PR card to be mailed to that address.

Hope someone else can provide some confirmation of this

 

[Sweden]

Well there is an extra step for Quebec as you also have to fill out and obtain the "CSQ" ( certificat de selection du Quebec) so there is something specific.

Having said that - the sponsorship program is a federal one, so you could sponsor your spouse now when you are living in Ontario and have her land in Ontario with you, and once you are established in Ontario, you could decide at a later date to move to Quebec, if there are conditions to fulfill.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks. I'm aware of the extra step for Quebec to obtain the "CSQ", but that is for my wife, not me. and there is no specific requirement regarding to the residency requirement on that application form.

Well there is an extra step for Quebec as you also have to fill out and obtain the "CSQ" ( certificat de selection du Quebec) so there is something specific.

Having said that - the sponsorship program is a federal one, so you could sponsor your spouse now when you are living in Ontario and have her land in Ontario with you, and once you are established in Ontario, you could decide at a later date to move to Quebec, if there are conditions to fulfill.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks, that's what i thought, but generally each province has a 3 months rule to be eligible to its resident. could some one confirm this please?

Hi,

I don't think there is a residency requirement for you as the sponsor to fulfill. I think you need an address in Quebec to put on the form and for you PR card to be mailed to that address.

Hope someone else can provide some confirmation of this

 

[frege]

Thanks, that's what i thought, but generally each province has a 3 months rule to be eligible to its resident. could some one confirm this please?

If you live abroad when you sponsor your spouse, you need to include in your application evidence that you both intend to reside in Canada. In most cases, this means you'll need to tell them where you want to live. If you intend to live in Quebec immediately after moving to Canada, then you must put Quebec down as your intended province of residence. You'll need to submit your undertaking and CSQ application after receiving Stage 1 approval from Mississauga.

There is no requirement to have lived in Quebec previously. However, depending on your circumstances, it may be harder to demonstrate that you intend to live in Canada if your previous province was Ontario, but you say you want to move to Quebec and you presently have no ties to Quebec.

It takes three months to get provincial health care coverage after you move to Quebec. (In some cases, there is no waiting period if your previous country of residence/citizenship has an agreement with Quebec.) Perhaps this is the three-month period you're thinking of.

 

[zhanfenny]

Thank you. That sounds much easier.

I'm thinking of going to Quebec for 3 - 4 months to set up everything for my wife to come over, i.e: a pre-arranged rental agreement, health care coverage, get in a government sponsored french lesson program, or maybe driver's license if i have to drive

There is no requirement to have lived in Quebec previously. However, depending on your circumstances, it may be harder to demonstrate that you intend to live in Canada if your previous province was Ontario, but you say you want to move to Quebec and you presently have no ties to Quebec.

It takes three months to get provincial health care coverage after you move to Quebec. (In some cases, there is no waiting period if your previous country of residence/citizenship has an agreement with Quebec.) Perhaps this is the three-month period you're thinking of.

 

[frege]

Thank you. That sounds much easier.

I'm thinking of going to Quebec for 3 - 4 months to set up everything for my wife to come over, i.e: a pre-arranged rental agreement, health care coverage, get in a government sponsored french lesson program, or maybe driver's license if i have to drive

Depending on the visa office, it may take a long time for your wife to get PR. So if you move to Quebec, you might prefer to do it a short time before you expect her to receive her permanent residence.

Her healthcare coverage will start three months after she becomes a permanent resident, regardless of when you move to Quebec yourself. So you will receive coverage sooner, but she won't. Blue Cross and similar insurance companies offer insurance for about $100 a month per person, if you're young. They don't cover pre-existing conditions. You would both need something like that for three months.

Since you immigrated to a different province, I think you probably won't be entitled to government-subsidized French classes. (I'm not sure about this, so you should check. In any case this is only available for a limited number of years after immigration.) However, your wife will be eligible.

About driver's licences, you may be able to exchange yours, depending primarily on the country it's from, but also on how long you've had it and how long you've lived in that country. If you can't exchange it, you can drive on the foreign licence for six months before you need to get a Quebec one. So there's no point coming in advance just for the licence.

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks for the advice. I'm already a Canadian citizen, i guess I can still use my Ontario health insurance for the 3 months transition period. By the way, do you know what's the average waiting time for Federal spousal sponsorship case (sponsor from abroad)? and what about Quebec?

Depending on the visa office, it may take a long time for your wife to get PR. So if you move to Quebec, you might prefer to do it a short time before you expect her to receive her permanent residence.

Her healthcare coverage will start three months after she becomes a permanent resident, regardless of when you move to Quebec yourself. So you will receive coverage sooner, but she won't. Blue Cross and similar insurance companies offer insurance for about $100 a month per person, if you're young. They don't cover pre-existing conditions. You would both need something like that for three months.

Since you immigrated to a different province, I think you probably won't be entitled to government-subsidized French classes. (I'm not sure about this, so you should check. In any case this is only available for a limited number of years after immigration.) However, your wife will be eligible.

About driver's licences, you may be able to exchange yours, depending primarily on the country it's from, but also on how long you've had it and how long you've lived in that country. If you can't exchange it, you can drive on the foreign licence for six months before you need to get a Quebec one. So there's no point coming in advance just for the licence.

 

[berbu]

Hi, I'm telling by experience here. I submitted my app and I said I intended to live in QC, but I was residing abroad at the time. They approved my as a sponsor but they didn't request the CSQ because I didn't show them any address in Quebec.

I called them and the told me to send them an email with the address of my parent's house in QC before they sent me letter requesting the CSQ.

If they don't ask for the CSQ at the beginning of the app, then you may have to give them a call.

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks for sharing your experience. may i ask when you submitted your application. how long does the whole process take?

Hi, I'm telling by experience here. I submitted my app and I said I intended to live in QC, but I was residing abroad at the time. They approved my as a sponsor but they didn't request the CSQ because I didn't show them any address in Quebec.

I called them and the told me to send them an email with the address of my parent's house in QC before they sent me letter requesting the CSQ.

If they don't ask for the CSQ at the beginning of the app, then you may have to give them a call.

 

[Leon]

Thanks for the advice. I'm already a Canadian citizen, i guess I can still use my Ontario health insurance for the 3 months transition period. By the way, do you know what's the average waiting time for Federal spousal sponsorship case (sponsor from abroad)? and what about Quebec?

Are you sure you haven't lost your OHIP? Normally you have to live in a province for at least 6 months a year to keep it. You say you have been outside the country since end of the year 2011 so that is a year you have been gone.

Now, you may ask if OHIP knows you are outside the country. Maybe they don't but if you use your OHIP and they find out later, they will backcharge you and it may get more expensive for you than actually paying yourself.

You can see the processing times here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp and here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp

Currently 43 days in Mississauga and after that it depends on where the application gets processed.

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks for the heads-up about OHIP. I did tell OHIP to cancel my coverage when i left, just a few months ago, when i check online, i found it was still valid. I guess i won't use it unless for absolutely necessary and wait for my Quebec health coverage kicks in.

By the way, any idea how long does the extra step for CSQ application take?

Are you sure you haven't lost your OHIP? Normally you have to live in a province for at least 6 months a year to keep it. You say you have been outside the country since end of the year 2011 so that is a year you have been gone.

Now, you may ask if OHIP knows you are outside the country. Maybe they don't but if you use your OHIP and they find out later, they will backcharge you and it may get more expensive for you than actually paying yourself.

You can see the processing times here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp and here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp

Currently 43 days in Mississauga and after that it depends on where the application gets processed.

 

[frege]

Thanks for the advice. I'm already a Canadian citizen, i guess I can still use my Ontario health insurance for the 3 months transition period. By the way, do you know what's the average waiting time for Federal spousal sponsorship case (sponsor from abroad)? and what about Quebec?

This depends on your visa office. If you tell us what country you and your wife live in, we might be able to give you more specific information (including for health care and driver's licences, based on agreements with Quebec). Otherwise, you can look up processing times yourself here

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp

or here (where you'll have more detailed information)

http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=5175A6F0-1&xsl=datacataloguerecord&metaxsl=datacataloguerecord&formid=427337D0-7C36-4FED-8428-C6A63F8C19B3

The CSQ application takes about a month. People have written on the forum that it doesn't slow down the visa office. However, I'm not so sure. I think the visa office waits to see the Quebec undertaking, and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way they manage their queue.

I would be certain to follow Leon's advice about being careful with OHIP.

 

[zhanfenny]

Thanks very much for the info. I will definitely avoid using my OHIP card unless absolutely necessary.

This depends on your visa office. If you tell us what country you and your wife live in, we might be able to give you more specific information (including for health care and driver's licences, based on agreements with Quebec). Otherwise, you can look up processing times yourself here

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp

or here (where you'll have more detailed information)

http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=5175A6F0-1&xsl=datacataloguerecord&metaxsl=datacataloguerecord&formid=427337D0-7C36-4FED-8428-C6A63F8C19B3

The CSQ application takes about a month. People have written on the forum that it doesn't slow down the visa office. However, I'm not so sure. I think the visa office waits to see the Quebec undertaking, and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way they manage their queue.

I would be certain to follow Leon's advice about being careful with OHIP.