Sponsor lives outside of Canada!!!

[Keratzlaff]

I am a canadian citizen wanting to sponsor my spouse to get his PR. We had to move back to his homeland ( New Zealand) because his work permit in Canada expired.

My question is am I able to sponsor him if i am not currently living in Canada? We for sure want to move back to canada as soon as we get his PR ,it made sense financially to move back to nz while its in process so that he can work as he makes more money at his job than I do at mine. The application is not sent off yet as I am not sure if I can still sponsor him without having an address of residence in canada

Thanks for your help.

 

[parker24]

I am a canadian citizen wanting to sponsor my spouse to get his PR. We had to move back to his homeland ( New Zealand) because his work permit in Canada expired.

My question is am I able to sponsor him if i am not currently living in Canada? We for sure want to move back to canada as soon as we get his PR ,it made sense financially to move back to nz while its in process so that he can work as he makes more money at his job than I do at mine. The application is not sent off yet as I am not sure if I can still sponsor him without having an address of residence in canada

Thanks for your help.

Since you're a citizen, it's fine. Just make sure to include proof that you intend to move back to Canada, proof of job searching, proof of rental searching etc. Also, if you have family/friends in Canada, that would be a good place to have your spouse's PR card sent to if you don't have a place to go once you land

 

[Keratzlaff]

thanks for your reply! is there anything on CIC that confirms what you said about it being ok? Also could we get the PR card sent to us in NZ, or how else would he get into the country once he is approved? Thanks heaps!

 

[WoodyKatie]

thanks for your reply! is there anything on CIC that confirms what you said about it being ok? Also could we get the PR card sent to us in NZ, or how else would he get into the country once he is approved? Thanks heaps!

Hi! yes u can sponsor him.. my husband is my sponsor and he is currently living with me here in the Phils. He will be back in Canada with me once I have my visa. It is confirmed that you can still sponsor your spouse even if you are living outside Canada as long as you are Canadian citizen and able to show proof of coming back in Canada.

 

[messenger]

thanks for your reply! is there anything on CIC that confirms what you said about it being ok? Also could we get the PR card sent to us in NZ, or how else would he get into the country once he is approved? Thanks heaps!

A copy-paste from Guide 3900

If I live outside Canada, may I sponsor?

If you are a Canadian citizen, you may sponsor a spouse, a common-law partner or conjugal partner, or a dependent child who has no children of his or her own. However, you must demonstrate that you will live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.

Note: Permanent residents residing abroad may not sponsor from outside of Canada. Canadian citizens travelling as tourists are not considered to be residing abroad.

 

[jo-macral]

I am living outside of Canada myself (5 years now), and have just been approved as a sponsor. You just need to convince them that you will in fact move back to Canada once the PR is approved and you should have no problems.

I have no address in Canada either, so I just used my parents address, mentioning that it is temporary until we find a new place to live.

 

[Sweden]

thanks for your reply! is there anything on CIC that confirms what you said about it being ok? Also could we get the PR card sent to us in NZ, or how else would he get into the country once he is approved? Thanks heaps!

since your spouse is from a visa-exempt country, he will get a COPR ( confirmation of Permanent residence) in the mail once the PR is ready. With that, and his passport, he can travel to Canada, and "land as a PR " ( complete the landing procedures, 10 min usually, signing the paper etc), and he will receive his PR Card 2 months later. THe PR card is sent by post to an address in Canada that you indicate when you land... so you can sponsor him without being in Canada and having an address in Canada, and once everything is ready, and the PR issued, you can both travel together. Just prepare an address for the PR card to be sent to (can be friends or family), and it'll be fine.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Keratzlaff]

Thanks everyone for your help! just wondering how I can convince them that I will be returning? what did some of you do? also where would i put that information in the spouse visa, in the part where it says " any additional information?

 

[Sweden]

Thanks everyone for your help! just wondering how I can convince them that I will be returning? what did some of you do? also where would i put that information in the spouse visa, in the part where it says " any additional information?

Just explain what is your plan : where you will stay when you arrive, if you will stay with family, get them to write a letter saying that they are willing to host you until you get on your feet. If you have started looking for work in Canada, print out some emails with recruiters, or show an history of internet search. If you have started getting quotes from your country to Canada for moving stuff, then add them too ( if not, well get a quote with a "tentative date" and include it).
Include the steps that are needed to live the place where you are residing currently - how many months in advance you need to give notice for your work, or for the place you are renting etc.
If you have been discussing coming back to Canada with family or friends, print out emails that show that.... etc! anything that proves that you have seriously started thinking about moving back, and you are preparing for it as much as you can.
We created a timeline with the steps needed to leave where we were residing, and a tentative plan when we would get to Canada, and it worked.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Keratzlaff]

Thanks Sweden that is very helpful! As i am going through the checklist it says put an "X" next to the documents you are enclosing, do you have to put an X by all of them or can you have some forms left out if they do not apply to you such as "use of a representative" and " statutory declaration of common law union" . I am confused cause it says if you do not enclose all the required forms that it is incomplete...
Thanks

 

[Sweden]

Thanks Sweden that is very helpful! As i am going through the checklist it says put an "X" next to the documents you are enclosing, do you have to put an X by all of them or can you have some forms left out if they do not apply to you such as "use of a representative" and " statutory declaration of common law union" . I am confused cause it says if you do not enclose all the required forms that it is incomplete...
Thanks

I don't remember what I did - but if it doesn't apply to you, you can always write "n/a" and it should be good, as long as it is clear that you are not including the form because it doesn't apply to you, and not because you forgot about it.

Also - just to mention, you're really lucky because your VO will be Sydney, which is one of the fastest ( together with London and a few others) of all VO and apparently they're very good at answering queries and following up on questions.... so if you prepare your application very well, and have all the proofs etc, you can expect a fast processing... there is a Sydney thread on this forum with a spreadsheet if you want to have a better idea of timing, but I remember that it was very fast - lucky you!

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Keratzlaff]

Ok sounds good thanks! yes im hoping it will be a fast process one more question, once you get approved do you have to move back to canada right away ? is there a time frame?

 

[Sweden]

Ok sounds good thanks! yes im hoping it will be a fast process one more question, once you get approved do you have to move back to canada right away ? is there a time frame?

Time frame is either expiry of the passport, or 1 year from the day you have done the medicals, whichever comes first ( usually 1 year from the medicals). That's why, if you have not done the medicals yet, try and leave it to the last minute, last thing you do before you send your application. There is no way to extend the validity of the visa once issued, so it's important to stick to it. But you can also choose to "land" ( go to Canada and complete landing procedures at the airport, 10 min), and then turn back and go to NZ, although given the type of traveling involved, I don't imagine that's a preferred solution... but it's a possibility. You don't have to settle in Canada right away, but you have to land within a certain timeframe....
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[herewecome]

We included a signed covering letter that went through the steps my partner, the sponsor, had taken and will take once my PR is in place. They included job search (emails and names of websites used), Canadian bank account, property, e-mails with family and friends discussing our move, etc.

As for the checklist, we put N/A next to stuff that was not filled out due to not being applicable to our situation (no lawyer, no joint spouse sponsorship).