Spousal Sponsorship timeline advice

[jmboyd24]

Hi all, I'm hoping some of you knowledgeable people might be able to help me out.

I'm an Australian citizen and I've been in Canada on an IEC working holiday visa since April last year, and my work permit will expire on April 19, 2019. I am trying to figure out a way to continue living and working in Canada so I can stay with my girlfriend. We do not live together as she is completing the final year of her post graduate degree and couldn't afford to rent in Toronto as she only works in summer while studying. So our only option is to get married and apply for PR via spousal sponsorship, which we are willing to do.

However i was unaware of the amount of "processing time" required for this to happen. 8-12 weeks to request a marriage certificate and then 4 months to wait for an open work permit after submitting my application? Does anyone know if I would still be legally allowed to work in Canada while that application is underway? Or have any other advice/suggestions for me? Unless I am mistaken I would need to submit my PR application in January in order to continue working or could i submit it any time before my current permit expires?

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi all, I'm hoping some of you knowledgeable people might be able to help me out.

I'm an Australian citizen and I've been in Canada on an IEC working holiday visa since April last year, and my work permit will expire on April 19, 2019. I am trying to figure out a way to continue living and working in Canada so I can stay with my girlfriend. We do not live together as she is completing the final year of her post graduate degree and couldn't afford to rent in Toronto as she only works in summer while studying. So our only option is to get married and apply for PR via spousal sponsorship, which we are willing to do.

However i was unaware of the amount of "processing time" required for this to happen. 8-12 weeks to request a marriage certificate and then 4 months to wait for an open work permit after submitting my application? Does anyone know if I would still be legally allowed to work in Canada while that application is underway? Or have any other advice/suggestions for me? Unless I am mistaken I would need to submit my PR application in January in order to continue working or could i submit it any time before my current permit expires?

Any help is much appreciated!

Hi

If you aren't living together, you must apply outland. There is no OWP with an outland app; you would have to apply to change your status to visitor before your IEC permit expires.