Starting Process....Questions

[Michelle2020]

Alright so I'm starting the process and I have a couple of questions. I'm sorry if it's way too much but I've been googling this for hours and still have some questions. For the record, I am the one being sponsored, we are NOT married yet (we plan to marry in the spring) and I currently live in the US.

1. My understanding is there's inland/outland applications. Now apparently, it's perfectly fine for me to travel to Canada to get married on a tourist Visa and come back home and proceed to do the outland application. But from what I'm reading I could just stay there once I get married but I can't tell the border patrol that's my plan. And if I do this and succeed, then it's perfectly fine to do the inland process? This doesn't quite make sense to me. It's ok to live in Canada while you're applying you just have to lie about doing it first?
2. All the information I find talks about sponsoring a dependent child is if they're a biological child to the sponsor. But what about otherwise? My daughter, also an American, is not at all related to the sponsor. Is that going to be a problem? Or does it just add extra steps?
3. It looks like, even once we get the family sponsorship approved, I still can't work. If that's true and I have to apply for a work visa, can I apply for that concurrently with the spousal sponsorship visa? Or does that have to wait till after I'm approved?
4. So one website I found said when proving our relationship, we need to have examples from no less than 3 different categories. And of the categories listed, half of them were based on living together. Again...refer to my first question lol! Are they saying "Hey we want you to do the process THIS way. But if you do it that other way, it's cool too but....don't tell us you're doing it ok?" Cause that's really the impression I'm getting.

Thanks so much for any help! It's gonna be a long road and I want to make sure we don't make it longer by making mistakes out of ignorance.

 

[DiiDii]

1- Sort of... There is dual intent to let the officer know that you are coming to get married and apply for sponsorship. However it is at their discretion to let you in. (most times they don't) So most people just leave that part out. A visit is a visit. But yes once here in Canada you can stay and apply.

2- Not sure where you see that information about child having to be the sponsors but no that's not a problem. Go through the application and you will see that it's ok for your sponsor to sponsor you and your child. You will need permission from your child's father unless you have sole custody.

3 - You can only work if applying inland with an OWP application and that's after 4-6 months after submission. You cannot get that permit if applying Outland.

4- I'm guessing you are leaning to apply inland. You only need a lot of proof if you were applying without getting married and living together for over a year. If you are married just show proof as per application. Nothing to really lie about. Careful what you read on these sites.

 

[Phalos]

This doesn't quite make sense to me. It's ok to live in Canada while you're applying you just have to lie about doing it first?

Yep lol Ohhhh Caaaanadaaaaaaa.....

 

[Michelle2020]

1- Sort of... There is dual intent to let the officer know that you are coming to get married and apply for sponsorship. However it is at their discretion to let you in. (most times they don't) So most people just leave that part out. A visit is a visit. But yes once here in Canada you can stay and apply.

2- Not sure where you see that information about child having to be the sponsors but no that's not a problem. Go through the application and you will see that it's ok for your sponsor to sponsor you and your child. You will need permission from your child's father unless you have sole custody.

3 - You can only work if applying inland with an OWP application and that's after 4-6 months after submission. You cannot get that permit if applying Outland.

4- I'm guessing you are leaning to apply inland. You only need a lot of proof if you were applying without getting married and living together for over a year. If you are married just show proof as per application. Nothing to really lie about. Careful what you read on these sites.

Thanks so much for the response. Our plan was for me to go out in the Spring, get married and then come back to the US and start the process. It just seems like waiting a year apart when we could be together might be frustrating. But I've read other people say that if you're denied at the border when you try to come in to live, it can affect your spousal application if it's being processed. I guess I'm worried about making things worse by being impatient.
As for the work permit, I'm sorry I'm still confused. So if I do outland...I have to wait the year-ish for it to get approved and then apply for a work visa when I move to Canada, which takes 4-6 months? But if I'm doing the inland application there's a way for me to work while waiting for the application to process?
Going 6 months before even being able to look for a job isn't ideal in my situation, that's why I'm kind of focusing on this and the IL vs OL questions.

 

[YVR123]

Alright so I'm starting the process and I have a couple of questions. I'm sorry if it's way too much but I've been googling this for hours and still have some questions. For the record, I am the one being sponsored, we are NOT married yet (we plan to marry in the spring) and I currently live in the US.

1. My understanding is there's inland/outland applications. Now apparently, it's perfectly fine for me to travel to Canada to get married on a tourist Visa and come back home and proceed to do the outland application. But from what I'm reading I could just stay there once I get married but I can't tell the border patrol that's my plan. And if I do this and succeed, then it's perfectly fine to do the inland process? This doesn't quite make sense to me. It's ok to live in Canada while you're applying you just have to lie about doing it first?
2. All the information I find talks about sponsoring a dependent child is if they're a biological child to the sponsor. But what about otherwise? My daughter, also an American, is not at all related to the sponsor. Is that going to be a problem? Or does it just add extra steps?
3. It looks like, even once we get the family sponsorship approved, I still can't work. If that's true and I have to apply for a work visa, can I apply for that concurrently with the spousal sponsorship visa? Or does that have to wait till after I'm approved?
4. So one website I found said when proving our relationship, we need to have examples from no less than 3 different categories. And of the categories listed, half of them were based on living together. Again...refer to my first question lol! Are they saying "Hey we want you to do the process THIS way. But if you do it that other way, it's cool too but....don't tell us you're doing it ok?" Cause that's really the impression I'm getting.

Thanks so much for any help! It's gonna be a long road and I want to make sure we don't make it longer by making mistakes out of ignorance.

Most of the information you got, isn't entirely correct....
1. You shouldn't lie to immigration. There is something called dual intend. Search for in this forum and there are people explaining the process. You are visiting your partner and you can get married in Canada. But you cannot be MOVING to Canada. (no packing up your whole house and if you are driving, a trunk load of personal items) Once you are in Canada, if you decided to apply for inland, you need to extend your visitor status before your 6 months normal visitor status expires. But during COVID lockdown, you cannot cross the border to visit. Only family can and you are not married yet. You may need to look into this if you planned to cross the border this year.

2. If this is your biological child, she will be in part of your application as dependent. There are 2 parts of the application, for the sponsor and for the applicant. You are the applicant. I do not see any problem but do you have sole custody of your child? Otherwise, you may need to look into extra form if the child's biologyical father needs to give permission for the child to immigrate.

3. You cannot work just because you submitted your application, the process takes time and once it's approved, you will be a PR and you can work. Or if you choose to apply inland, then you can include OWP (open work permit) with the inland application. Then you can work once the OWP is approved. pre-COVOID timeline was 4 - 6 months and new timeline... is prob over 6 months.

4. I do not know what website you are referring to. But as a American, I think the amount to proof a legit relationship is less (few cases of marriage of convenience) . If you are applying outland, just need to show that you are a true married couple. (With marriage certificate and some pictures...etc) If you are applying inland, one requirement is that you are living in Canada with your spouse. So in that case, you need some cohabitating proof. (same address...etc) Those discussion online about proof of 1 year of cohabitation is for common law application.

Suggestion is to find, download and start filling in the applicant. Read the application guide carefully.

 

[Michelle2020]

Most of the information you got, isn't entirely correct....
1. You shouldn't lie to immigration. There is something called dual intend. Search for in this forum and there are people explaining the process....

Thank you so much for the reply. I think as hard as it is to wait, we're going to go the Outland route. And it sounds like once I get approved I'm able to work without any further paperwork, right? Thanks again!

 

[YVR123]

Thank you so much for the reply. I think as hard as it is to wait, we're going to go the Outland route. And it sounds like once I get approved I'm able to work without any further paperwork, right? Thanks again!

Once you get approved, you should land/cross the border to Canada and then apply for your PR card (for travel in the future) and apply for a SIN number (for working). It's similar to SSN. You can also apply for provincial health coverage as well.