Hi all,
I hope someone could answer my questions regarding the process of sponsoring a spouse. I have been through the CIC website numerous times, but I couldn't really find an answer to my exact questions. If there is a link that just answers everything easily, feel free to pass it along.
My situation: I became a Permanent Resident through Express Entry last year. At the time, I was single (not in a common law relationship either), so it is only me who got the Permanent Residency. Close to a year has passed, I have met someone and we will get married later this year. Both of us hold passports that don't require a visa to enter Canada, but we don't hold the same citizenship (in case this is even relevant). I have entered Canada once to "activate" the Permanent Residency, but I have not moved to Canada yet. Both my spouse and I currently still live overseas. The idea is to move to Canada after we get married, probably early 2017 to be realistic. Now, here are my questions:
- Can I sponsor my spouse for Permanent Residency even when I have not officially moved to Canada yet?
- If the answer to the above is yes, what is the process?
- If the answer to the above is no, then do I have to move to Canada first and then sponsor my spouse while he is not in the country yet? CIC website says processing time is then 17 months, so we can't live together for 17 months? Or can my spouse also move to Canada on some temporary visa? But is it then an inland sponsorship and in this case CIC website says processing time is 26 months?
- If all this were to boil down to whether I officially live in Canada at the time of the sponsorship application, does anyone know how they define that? Would I just need an address in Canada? If so, I have one, I am not there, but would that matter? Or do I need a job in Canada to sponsor my spouse? Not to be a jerk, but I am able to show sufficient financial resources that would would allow both my spouse and I to live comfortably in Canada for 10 years even if neither of us work (clearly the plan is to find a job once we get there, but I am just saying this for the purpose of proving financial resources to the immigration authorities).
- Lastly, could my spouse apply for Express Entry? I mean, at this point he would have to list me on the application, but I am already a Permanent Resident...soooo.....does that work? Or is someone who is already married to a Permanent Resident excluded automatically? However, would you think he even has a shot at Express Entry? Did not attend university but has a professional qualification, mid-30s, 16 years of professional experience, would be considered professional sportsman, native English speaker. My sense is that he probably wouldn't qualify given that they give a lot of points for degrees, let me know if you think otherwise.
Sorry for the many questions, but if anyone has any idea, I would be very grateful.
I hope someone could answer my questions regarding the process of sponsoring a spouse. I have been through the CIC website numerous times, but I couldn't really find an answer to my exact questions. If there is a link that just answers everything easily, feel free to pass it along.
My situation: I became a Permanent Resident through Express Entry last year. At the time, I was single (not in a common law relationship either), so it is only me who got the Permanent Residency. Close to a year has passed, I have met someone and we will get married later this year. Both of us hold passports that don't require a visa to enter Canada, but we don't hold the same citizenship (in case this is even relevant). I have entered Canada once to "activate" the Permanent Residency, but I have not moved to Canada yet. Both my spouse and I currently still live overseas. The idea is to move to Canada after we get married, probably early 2017 to be realistic. Now, here are my questions:
- Can I sponsor my spouse for Permanent Residency even when I have not officially moved to Canada yet?
- If the answer to the above is yes, what is the process?
- If the answer to the above is no, then do I have to move to Canada first and then sponsor my spouse while he is not in the country yet? CIC website says processing time is then 17 months, so we can't live together for 17 months? Or can my spouse also move to Canada on some temporary visa? But is it then an inland sponsorship and in this case CIC website says processing time is 26 months?
- If all this were to boil down to whether I officially live in Canada at the time of the sponsorship application, does anyone know how they define that? Would I just need an address in Canada? If so, I have one, I am not there, but would that matter? Or do I need a job in Canada to sponsor my spouse? Not to be a jerk, but I am able to show sufficient financial resources that would would allow both my spouse and I to live comfortably in Canada for 10 years even if neither of us work (clearly the plan is to find a job once we get there, but I am just saying this for the purpose of proving financial resources to the immigration authorities).
- Lastly, could my spouse apply for Express Entry? I mean, at this point he would have to list me on the application, but I am already a Permanent Resident...soooo.....does that work? Or is someone who is already married to a Permanent Resident excluded automatically? However, would you think he even has a shot at Express Entry? Did not attend university but has a professional qualification, mid-30s, 16 years of professional experience, would be considered professional sportsman, native English speaker. My sense is that he probably wouldn't qualify given that they give a lot of points for degrees, let me know if you think otherwise.
Sorry for the many questions, but if anyone has any idea, I would be very grateful.
