Study visa and common law

[djkro1]

Hi everyone,

I hope you will be able to help me, I am going to cut straight to the issue I'm facing.
I received an offer into a two year post grad diploma course in Calgary, Alberta. I have a girlfriend of 4 years and obviously would prefer it if she could come with me from South Africa.
My question therefore is a segmented in a few parts:

1) If we prove common law, can my girlfriend get a work visa for Canada via extension of me having a study visa.

2) how and when would you attempt to prove this common law union? Is it a difficult process?

3) how long does the process to prove common law take? My course starts in September and I would like to avoid us being separated.

4) Would she prove our common law union in her work visa application.

I am just naive on the entire situation and so any help would be greatly appreciated. Please advise if there is anything extra that I should be aware of.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[scylla]

1) Yes - she can apply for a work permit. However there is no guarantee she will be approved.
2) You would need to say you have a common law partner in your study permit application. You will have to prove common law when she applies for the work permit. She can either do this as part of your study permit or separately (later). To prove common law - you will have to provide evidence that you have lived together continuously for at least one full year.
3) You would submit the common law evidence as part of the study permit / work permit application.
4) Yes.

 

[djkro1]

Okay thank you very much.

And can I understand that my study visa could be denied if I apply with her being my common law partner as opposed to her doing it separately In her own application?

Not sure if Iv worded that right but basically I'm trying to figure out if we apply as what I'm seeing is one application together, then they either approve the whole application together or none at all?