Spousal visa to Canada from UK

[SillyPenguin13]

Hi,

My husband is a Canadian Citizen currently living with me (british citizen) in the UK on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (working holiday) visa. His visa is coming to an end in November so we have decided to both move to Canada in the summer.
We have been married since 8th august 2013 and been together 4 years in August this year. We met online is 2010. I have a few questions.

Do we have to apply from outside of Canada or can we apply from inside Canada?
Is he allowed to sponser me if he is currently in the UK on this YMS visa?
Would is be ok if his parents wrote a letter to support our application saying they will keep us until we have jobs? (we're both currently working in the UK and have a reasonable amount of savings. I also have a diploma in childcare)
What sort of proof of a genuine relationship would we need if applying from inside/outside of Canada?

Thanks in advance!

 

[zardoz]

Hi,

My husband is a Canadian Citizen currently living with me (british citizen) in the UK on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (working holiday) visa. His visa is coming to an end in November so we have decided to both move to Canada in the summer.
We have been married since 8th august 2013 and been together 4 years in August this year. We met online is 2010. I have a few questions.

Do we have to apply from outside of Canada or can we apply from inside Canada?
Is he allowed to sponser me if he is currently in the UK on this YMS visa?
Would is be ok if his parents wrote a letter to support our application saying they will keep us until we have jobs? (we're both currently working in the UK and have a reasonable amount of savings. I also have a diploma in childcare)
What sort of proof of a genuine relationship would we need if applying from inside/outside of Canada?

Thanks in advance!

1) Under your circumstances, it should be an "outland" application, not "inland".
2) Yes, he can sponsor you. He will have to show "intent to reside in Canada" after you gain PR status.
3) It certainly will help.
4) Whatever you can think of, especially if it covers the whole 4 years of your relationship. Letters, pictures, shared financial records, wills, you name it...

 

[Rob_TO]

Get your OUTLAND application in asap, while you are both still living in the UK. Remember that while waiting for PR, you can "visit" Canada but won't be allowed to work. So the sooner you can get PR status the better. If you travel to Canada during the processing, and just change your address with the visa office. So when PR is eventually approved, they will mail all the necessary paperwork to your address in Canada. In total you should budget around 1 year for the processing from when you submit the app, to getting PR (though through London visa office and with a strong application, it could be much quicker).

And just to add to Zardoz's proofs he mentioned... CIC puts lots of emphasis on the wedding itself, and having pictures that show a normal wedding ceremony, reception, lots of friends/family that attended, etc. If you had a very small wedding or even just a courtroom ceremony that's fine too, but you would then just need to include lots of other proofs.

 

[SillyPenguin13]

Ok thanks guys this is really helpful!

I read online it should only take a matter of a few months to complete and gain the PR status? I assume medical examination is a must aswell?

Thanks again

 

[zardoz]

In my case, it took only 5 months from receipt of the application to the issue of my COPR.
Yes, they screwed it up and we had to get it fixed, but 5 months is certainly "doable".

However, we had been married for over 8 years before application submission. YMMV.

 

[Rob_TO]

Ok thanks guys this is really helpful!

I read online it should only take a matter of a few months to complete and gain the PR status? I assume medical examination is a must aswell?

Thanks again

Sponsor approval from CPC-Mississauga takes around 1 month.
Then app is sent to London visa office, where latest stats show 50% of the apps are done in 8 months or less.

So you should budget at least 9+ months to be safe, and anything quicker consider yourself lucky. Keep in mind some people run into delays or CIC simply screws something up, and get processing times well over 1 year. Lots of it comes down to luck.

Check the London visa office thread on this forum, to see what times people are currently experiencing.

 

[SillyPenguin13]

Ok thanks for all this info, it's really helpful!

Just wondering - if i were to fly to Canada as a visitor, would we be able to still apply for this visa? And if so, would i be allowed to stay until we find out if its approved or not?

 

[Sweden]

Ok thanks for all this info, it's really helpful!

Just wondering - if i were to fly to Canada as a visitor, would we be able to still apply for this visa? And if so, would i be allowed to stay until we find out if its approved or not?

you can apply outland no matter where you are - including in Canada. So yes - you can apply outland, and then be in Canada - quite a common thing for visa-exempt applicants.
Having an outland application on-going doesn't give you any status, you would need to maintain your status "on your own" but that's usually not an issue. When you fly to Canada, you enter as a visitor, and you're given a "visitor visa" (stamp on your passport). IF the officer doesn't write anything, it's good for 6 months. Before the end of the 6 months, send a request for extension, explaining that you have applied for PR and would like to stay in Canada with your husband until the PR is approved. Add the proofs that your husband can support you during that time, and most likely your extension will be approved. that part is easy!
Sweden

 

[SillyPenguin13]

Hey guys, thanks for all the help!

I think my Husband and I have decided to go for it and apply outland for this visa. I cant find out how much the fee's are - anyone know? And i am assuming i will need a medical exam done and im wondering what this consists of? (i have this huge fear of doctors and anything medical - crazy i know. Would put my mind at ease if i at least knew what they involve!) And how would i go about getting police checks done in the UK?

Our plan is to apply for this asap and head to Canada the end of September this year (his UK visa is up at the end of October). By then we should have the first part back and (hopefully) approved. So from what you guys said i am able to fly over on a visitor visa as normal and if my PR doesnt come back within 6 months of being there i can apply to extend my visitors visa? If it comes back within 6 months then i am fine to work and stay? Should i have a return flight booked at the time of flying over or will they be ok if i tell them i'm waiting on a PR status and have the money to book a flight back to the UK should it fail? Sorry for all the questions - i dont want to do anything wrong!!

Thanks for all this help!

 

[Rob_TO]

I think my Husband and I have decided to go for it and apply outland for this visa. I cant find out how much the fee's are - anyone know?

Total fees to CIC for the entire application, is $1,040 CAD. Other fees will be for police check, and medical (all vary by location).

And i am assuming i will need a medical exam done and im wondering what this consists of? (i have this huge fear of doctors and anything medical - crazy i know. Would put my mind at ease if i at least knew what they involve!) And how would i go about getting police checks done in the UK?

Medical consists of basic physical, blood test, and chest x-ray. Check here for CIC doctors nearest you, and to get prices: http://www.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx

Others can advise about police checks. You will need one from every country you've stayed in 6 months or longer, since turning 18.

Our plan is to apply for this asap and head to Canada the end of September this year (his UK visa is up at the end of October). By then we should have the first part back and (hopefully) approved. So from what you guys said i am able to fly over on a visitor visa as normal and if my PR doesnt come back within 6 months of being there i can apply to extend my visitors visa? If it comes back within 6 months then i am fine to work and stay? Should i have a return flight booked at the time of flying over or will they be ok if i tell them i'm waiting on a PR status and have the money to book a flight back to the UK should it fail? Sorry for all the questions - i dont want to do anything wrong!!

That sounds good. It's always good to have a return ticket in hand dated for 6 months or sooner, just in case they ask (sometimes they do, but many times they don't). Perhaps look into tickets which have no fees to change dates, or that are fully refundable.

 

[SillyPenguin13]

Thanks for all the info

If we were to decide to apply Inland (move over in september/october with a return ticket) would i still need the medical exam and if so would i need that before i move or would they do it in Canada? We're just trying to leave as many options open as possible

Thanks again, you have all been a huge help!

 

[zardoz]

Thanks for all the info

If we were to decide to apply Inland (move over in september/october with a return ticket) would i still need the medical exam and if so would i need that before i move or would they do it in Canada? We're just trying to leave as many options open as possible

Thanks again, you have all been a huge help!

Every PR applicant gets a medical at some point... It doesn't matter where it's done, as long as it's performed by a Panel Physician.
In the case of LCP, I think that it's done as part of that program and doesn't need to be repeated but it's still done.

 

[wowsers]

You have received advice from several of the most experienced members of this forum, but I can add a few points which have not been mentioned yet:
1. Dont apply inland. It takes much longer than applying outland. By the time your husband will have been accepted as a sponsor under an inland application (ie Stage 1 in the application process) the whole outland process, both Stages 1 and 2, will in all probability have finished and will have resulted successfully in a grant of permanent residency. In any case you will not be able to apply inland until you are both in Canada and so long as the application is ongoing you will not be able to leave Canada. If you wish to apply now when you are both in the UK it must be an outland application.
2. The received wisdom on this forum is that you must undergo an 'upfront' medical examination ie a medical examination by a panel physician prior to sending in the application to Mississauga. Whether that is a correct construction of the regs is a moot point but it is the safer course. The examination is straightforward and nothing to worry about. After it the doc wil give you a form which you should enclose with your application when you send it off to Mississauga. You can shop around the available panel physicians for the cheapest, but you will find that the charges in Canada are much cheaper than in the UK. So if you waited until you were both in Canada there might be a considerable saving. You can have your medical done by a panel physician anywhere in the world where you can find one.
3. Your UK police certificate is granted by ACRO. You need a photograph and an application form which you can download from http://www.acro.police.uk There is a smallish charge for their services. Without leaving this page I cannot tell you what it is, but I can tell you that they are very laid back about it all, that when I applied I underpaid them and that they then sent me a very helpful letter asking for another £10: unlike the CIC who would have sent it all back!

 

[wowsers]

Also since you are concerned about medical examinations I should add that I do not remember having had a blood test at my examination in Canada, despite what Rob_TO says. There is an urine test but not so far as I am aware a blood test. However my arms are so full of holes that I would not remember whether or not I had yet another one in Canada!

 

[zardoz]

Also since you are concerned about medical examinations I should add that I do not remember having had a blood test at my examination in Canada, despite what Rob_TO says. There is an urine test but not so far as I am aware a blood test. However my arms are so full of holes that I would not remember whether or not I had yet another one in Canada!

I had a blood test as part of my IME. It's required for quite a few of the checks, such as syphilis for example. You would/should have had one.

Here is the full information: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/partner/pp/