I've seen that when you apply for permanent residency you may get a work permit of some description, but I do not think I qualify for permanent residency just yet?! There must be something we can do in the mean time to get me working and for me to finally 'exist' in this country!
You qualify to apply as soon as you receive your marriage certificate. If you are under 31, you can apply for a working holiday visa.
Until then I also need to get my UK driver's license switched around to a Canadian one (straight transfer fortunately!) but can only do so with physical mail showing my address in this country. Which means opening a bank account; can you open a bank account when you're just here visiting?
Yes, visitors can open bank accounts. You may need to try a few different banks.
Not to mention healthcare. At what point does one qualify for healthcare? Not that I wish to mooch of the system, but I am used to the NHS and would rather know I am covered should something go wrong, if it did. My husband wants to add my onto his work benefits as a spouse, and this includes healthcare so hopefully it is not too tricky to sort this out.
As you are in Alberta, your husband can add you to his AHCIP now while you are only a visitor.
So many questions and I just want to get the ball rolling before being forced to meet with an immigration lawyer!
Save your money. The vast majority of us did this without a lawyer.
- What is the fastest way to receive a work permit through spousal sponsorship, with an inside or outside application?
- Is sponsorship the first step towards PR?
- Is it true that the processing time for either inside/outside PR applications are a similar 12 month time frame?
- Is it worth extending my visiting VISA before our trip in July?
- With the application, is it best to send in as many photos/emails/conversations of our 'relationship status' from before we were together in person?
With inland, you would receive the OWP after about 4 months. Outland could be as fast as that if the app is sent to Ottawa or it could take 8-9 months if the app is sent to London.
Applying for sponsorship is applying for PR.
As of right now, no one knows if IRCC is going to live up to their promised 12 month processing time for inland. Outland would be faster than 12 months.
Yes, apply for an extension.
If you are referring to the sponsorship application, there are limits to the proofs that you can send.
Or simply say that I do intend to leave in 6 months or so, but we will still be submitting for spousal sponsorship?!
Yes, that's fine.
