Quickest way to get spouse to Canada

[SamuraiJack]

Hello,
My questions in this post are about getting my fiancé (who will be my wife in another few weeks) a visa so she can join me soon.

I am on track to getting my PR in the next month or so. I plan to move to Canada as soon as I get my CoPR.

Q: What's the quickest way to get my wife (currently fiancé) to Canada if I'm a PR holder?
Our priorities are (1) to enable her to live with me in Canada (2) get her a work permit. It's ok if only priority 1 is accomplished for now - She's enjoying her break so doesn't mind starting work a little later.

We have ruled out the spouse sponsorship option since the current processing time is 1 year!

The option we're currently exploring is:
Fiancé applies for tourist visa now since she's single. But can that cause complications later, when, say, she is asked about family ties to Canadian citizens/PR holders at the port of entry? Has anyone done this?

If this is our best option, is it better to have her apply for PR right away or wait until she's in the country? or is it simpler for her to just come in on a tourist visa and then apply for a dependent work permit?

 

[scylla]

Hello,
My questions in this post are about getting my fiancé (who will be my wife in another few weeks) a visa so she can join me soon.

I am on track to getting my PR in the next month or so. I plan to move to Canada as soon as I get my CoPR.

Q: What's the quickest way to get my wife (currently fiancé) to Canada if I'm a PR holder?
Our priorities are (1) to enable her to live with me in Canada (2) get her a work permit. It's ok if only priority 1 is accomplished for now - She's enjoying her break so doesn't mind starting work a little later.

We have ruled out the spouse sponsorship option since the current processing time is 1 year!

The option we're currently exploring is:
Fiancé applies for tourist visa now since she's single. But can that cause complications later, when, say, she is asked about family ties to Canadian citizens/PR holders at the port of entry? Has anyone done this?

If this is our best option, is it better to have her apply for PR right away or wait until she's in the country? or is it simpler for her to just come in on a tourist visa and then apply for a dependent work permit?

Where is she from / what passport does she hold? Has she been approved for a Canadian TRV previously? Does she have previous travel to countries requiring visa such as the US or UK? Depending on a person's background, it can be quick tricky to get a TRV approved. FYI - there is no depending work permit available in this situation. To qualify for a work permit, she would need to come to Canada on a TRV and then you would have to sponsor her for PR inland and include an OWP with that application package. The OWP would then be approved approximately four months after the complete application package is received. And yes - she can apply for a TRV now while she is single.

Note that you MUST add her to your current application if you get married before you land in Canada and become a PR. If you get married before you land in Canada and become a PR - then your question is answered. Since you are required to add her to your application, you might as well add her as accomanying and then both of you with get a COPR at the same time and be able to move to Canada together.

 

[SamuraiJack]

She is Indian, has never applied to or traveled to Canada before. She does have an Australian PR and has travelled to US in the past (tourist visa plus has spent a good 5 years of her childhood living in the states).

Could you elaborate on how I can add her to my application and if its better to do it at a particular stage? Could that slow down my PPR/CoPR?

 

[21Goose]

She is Indian, has never applied to or traveled to Canada before. She does have an Australian PR and has travelled to US in the past (tourist visa plus has spent a good 5 years of her childhood living in the states).

Could you elaborate on how I can add her to my application and if its better to do it at a particular stage? Could that slow down my PPR/CoPR?

If you get married before you have landed as a PR, you have to add her. The process is simple enough - once you're married, you raise a CSE via the IRCC webform and tell them you're married and want to add your spouse.

Yes, it will delay your CoPR and PPR since she'll have to do her medicals and send her police records. But you have no choice (well, the only other choice is to not get married before you land), so you should just go ahead and do this. It's the easiest way to move together and have her be ready to work from Day 1.

 

[SamuraiJack]

If you get married before you have landed as a PR, you have to add her. The process is simple enough - once you're married, you raise a CSE via the IRCC webform and tell them you're married and want to add your spouse.

Yes, it will delay your CoPR and PPR since she'll have to do her medicals and send her police records. But you have no choice (well, the only other choice is to not get married before you land), so you should just go ahead and do this. It's the easiest way to move together and have her be ready to work from Day 1.

Thanks for that. By how long could it be delayed?

 

[scylla]

Thanks for that. By how long could it be delayed?

Around 4 months. But there's no choice in the matter. If you get married before you land and become a PR - you are required to add her.

 

[21Goose]

And if you don't add her, it's misrepresentation and you can lose your PR and be barred from Canada. Just so you know that it really is a requirement, it's not something you can easily fix later.

You can add her as not accompanying and that will mean you can land without her, and then sponsor her later, but that's just going to add a year or more to getting her to Canada. And you will be required to stay in Canada while you sponsor her, you can't move back to be with her.

 

[SamuraiJack]

Thanks for this information! We've decided to put the wedding aside for now. I was not aware of this requirement. Glad I checked with you awesome folks here