Sponsoring my Wife

[danklein]

Hi everyone,

I am currently married to a Japanese citizen (she is pregnant, too) that is in Canada on a working holiday Visa. I want to sponsor her for permanent residency under the family class. I meet the minimum income requirements, but I am a part time contract worker and I go to school full time. Her visa expires in May, so I want to get started on my paperwork as soon as possible.

Do I have to wait for the T4 forms to come out for the new year to apply for sponsorship? Do the income requirements apply to me?

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi everyone,

I am currently married to a Japanese citizen (she is pregnant, too) that is in Canada on a working holiday Visa. I want to sponsor her for permanent residency under the family class. I meet the minimum income requirements, but I am a part time contract worker and I go to school full time. Her visa expires in May, so I want to get started on my paperwork as soon as possible.

Do I have to wait for the T4 forms to come out for the new year to apply for sponsorship? Do the income requirements apply to me?

There is no minimum income requirement for spousal sponsorship. You just need to show you won't go on welfare or social assistance after getting her PR status. Submitting whatever latest tax info you have (like Option C from 2012) is fine, so you should be applying asap.

 

[danklein]

There is no minimum income requirement for spousal sponsorship. You just need to show you won't go on welfare or social assistance after getting her PR status. Submitting whatever latest tax info you have (like Option C from 2012) is fine, so you should be applying asap.

Thanks for the fast reply! Last year I was a full time student, and my legal income would have qualified me for social assistance. But, I was being financially supported by my parents. Is it still wise to submit Option C from 2012?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for the fast reply! Last year I was a full time student, and my legal income would have qualified me for social assistance. But, I was being financially supported by my parents. Is it still wise to submit Option C from 2012?

If an Option C is available, then you must submit it as it's part of the list of required docs. It doesn't matter what your income was, as long as you aren't actually receiving social assistance.

You will also need to include a job letter from your current contract employer and/or details of your current contract pay, and if you want you can also include a letter from your parents which says they are willing to help support you financially if required.

 

[danklein]

Should I include proof of my wife being pregnant?

 

[Rob_TO]

Should I include proof of my wife being pregnant?

Do you intend to apply inland or outland?

If you apply outland, stage 1/sponsor approval takes 1 month then the app is forwarded to Manila. The problem you will face here is she will not be able to complete the medical exam while pregnant as it involves x-rays. So she can do all the tests of the medical except the x-rays, and can submit the application like that. You will need to include a note that because she is pregnant, you will finish the x-ray portion of the medical after she gives birth. So the PR application would basically be on pause at Manila visa office, waiting on the x-rays to be completed.

If you submit inland, she will give birth long before even stage 1/sponsor approval is completed (currently at 11 months), so by the time they require the medicals she should no longer be pregnant anymore. It will still be a lot longer overall though to submit inland.

Either way you should definitely indicate she is pregnant in the app, as it give added proof to a real marriage.

 

[danklein]

Do you intend to apply inland or outland?

If you apply outland, stage 1/sponsor approval takes 1 month then the app is forwarded to Manila. The problem you will face here is she will not be able to complete the medical exam while pregnant as it involves x-rays. So she can do all the tests of the medical except the x-rays, and can submit the application like that. You will need to include a note that because she is pregnant, you will finish the x-ray portion of the medical after she gives birth. So the PR application would basically be on pause at Manila visa office, waiting on the x-rays to be completed.

If you submit inland, she will give birth long before even stage 1/sponsor approval is completed (currently at 11 months), so by the time they require the medicals she should no longer be pregnant anymore. It will still be a lot longer overall though to submit inland.

Either way you should definitely indicate she is pregnant in the app, as it give added proof to a real marriage.

She's here right now, so we would be applying inland. Her visa expires before her due date, so I would need to have her status extended as a visitor. I'm told this is easy to do if I'm currently being approved to sponsor her? Is this true?

Also, as part of the forms, it requires her birth certificate, which isn't in english. Do I have to get it translated?

 

[gersonjaijai]

She's here right now, so we would be applying inland. Her visa expires before her due date, so I would need to have her status extended as a visitor. I'm told this is easy to do if I'm currently being approved to sponsor her? Is this true?

Also, as part of the forms, it requires her birth certificate, which isn't in english. Do I have to get it translated?

On my opinion, you should submitted the application outland.

I agree with Rob_To, you definitely need to mention that your wife is pregnant so that she is not able to have the full X-ray medical check up, but willing to do so after the baby is giving birth.

As soon as you have got the stage 1 sponsorship approval, she is eligible to receive the full medical insurance coverage in Canada and in the mean time extend her stay as a visitor in Canada. If you are in Vancouver Area, you may go to "Vancouver Woman's Hospital" and ask about your wife's coverage. The Manila VO takes more than half year to issue VISA, so that you have time to let the baby born and the wife could have the medical check up done too. In the other hand, the Baby is born to be a Canadian, will save a lot of documents to submit. It will save a lot of time to get her P.R. done.

Yes, all documents need to be either English or French. you can translate it by yourself, then stamped a true translation seal in Japanese consulate.

 

[canadianwoman]

She can apply outland even though she is in Canada. The forms are a bit different, and they are sent to a different place to be processed.

 

[danklein]

On my opinion, you should submitted the application outland.

I agree with Rob_To, you definitely need to mention that your wife is pregnant so that she is not able to have the full X-ray medical check up, but willing to do so after the baby is giving birth.

As soon as you have got the stage 1 sponsorship approval, she is eligible to receive the full medical insurance coverage in Canada and in the mean time extend her stay as a visitor in Canada. If you are in Vancouver Area, you may go to "Vancouver Woman's Hospital" and ask about your wife's coverage. The Manila VO takes more than half year to issue VISA, so that you have time to let the baby born and the wife could have the medical check up done too. In the other hand, the Baby is born to be a Canadian, will save a lot of documents to submit. It will save a lot of time to get her P.R. done.

Yes, all documents need to be either English or French. you can translate it by yourself, then stamped a true translation seal in Japanese consulate.

How long does stage 1 sponsorship approval take?

 

[Rob_TO]

Yes, all documents need to be either English or French. you can translate it by yourself, then stamped a true translation seal in Japanese consulate.

No, you can't translate documents by yourself. The guide specifically states neither you, nor family members, can do the translations. They must be done by certified translator. If you do them yourself, you run the risk of having to redo them and causing delays.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3900ETOC.asp :Important information. Translations by family members are not acceptable

How long does stage 1 sponsorship approval take?

If you apply Outland, then sponsor approval takes around 3-4 weeks (from Mississauga), and then stage 2 applicant approval takes another 10 months or so (from Manila).

What province are you in? In general for outland apps, you need to wait until full PR is approved and applicant has landed, before you can easily get healthcare.

Also with outland app, you need to maintain visitor, study or work status in Canada to stay here during processing. Though this is usually pretty easy for visa-exempt applicants.

 

[danklein]

No, you can't translate documents by yourself. The guide specifically states neither you, nor family members, can do the translations. They must be done by certified translator. If you do them yourself, you run the risk of having to redo them and causing delays.

:Important information. Translations by family members are not acceptable

If you apply Outland, then sponsor approval takes around 3-4 weeks (from Mississauga), and then stage 2 applicant approval takes another 10 months or so (from Manila).

What province are you in? In general for outland apps, you need to wait until full PR is approved and applicant has landed, before you can easily get healthcare.

Also with outland app, you need to maintain visitor, study or work status in Canada to stay here during processing. Though this is usually pretty easy for visa-exempt applicants.

Ok, so anything in Japanese has to be translated by an official translator.

I live in BC, so as long as we're married I'm pretty sure she qualifies for BC healthcare under my plan. I have already started the application process for that. What is the processing time for inland applications? I feel like I only have one shot at this before the baby is born and I'm really nervous about screwing it up.

 

[danklein]

The really important thing is her getting healthcare in time for the baby.

 

[Rob_TO]

The really important thing is her getting healthcare in time for the baby.

I don't think BC provincial healthcare covers people just for being a spouse. That is only Alberta. For BC I believe you MUST be a permanent resident or passed stage 1 of inland, but best you check directly with the province.

If you apply inland stage 1 will take 11 months after which she can get healthcare, so there is zero chance she would have healthcare in time for baby. Stage 2 takes up to an additional 8 months more.

With outland app you can't get healthcare until the entire PR has been approved. With stage 1 at 1 month and stage 2 another 8-10 months, there would also be no chance to get healthcare this way.

So end result is you should be prepared to pay all hospital costs out-of-pocket.

 

[danklein]

I don't think BC provincial healthcare covers people just for being a spouse. That is only Alberta. For BC I believe you MUST be a permanent resident or passed stage 1 of inland, but best you check directly with the province.

If you apply inland stage 1 will take 11 months after which she can get healthcare, so there is zero chance she would have healthcare in time for baby. Stage 2 takes up to an additional 8 months more.

With outland app you can't get healthcare until the entire PR has been approved. With stage 1 at 1 month and stage 2 another 8-10 months, there would also be no chance to get healthcare this way.

So end result is you should be prepared to pay all hospital costs out-of-pocket.

Can you show me where that is stated?