The person being Sponsored not being able to work

[screech339]

The argument is been discussed including volunteer work. We all agreed that a person cannot volunteer at a job where a person can actually be paid for. So in effect, we can argue in same logic. He was doing "volunteer" work on major renovations in the house. Thus in a sense he wasn't suppose to do work that a contractor can get paid for.

As Ponga said above, don't mention it.

Screech339

 

[SchnookoLoly]

Interesting... I've heard of the babysitting thing, and I get doing it for OTHERS might bring in some questions... but doing it for yourself I think is probably a safer bet. Hence the poster renovating their OWN bathroom I think kind of falls in the same category, along with doing your own gardening, mowing your own glass, shovelling your own driveway, and cleaning your own house.

Doing it for others I agree is a different story. But doing it for yourself?

But generally I agree, don't offer the information to CIC!

You would probably be fine with saying something like "Oh, what were you doing while you were on a visitor visa?" "Just projects around the house" - not really a lie but doesn't offer up a whole remodelling! If pressed one could even then say "Did some work in the kitchen and in the bathrooM" without getting into specifics... that sort of thing. (That said there's a fine line with offering minimal information and just being straight-up evasive!)

 

[screech339]

Interesting... I've heard of the babysitting thing, and I get doing it for OTHERS might bring in some questions... but doing it for yourself I think is probably a safer bet. Hence the poster renovating their OWN bathroom I think kind of falls in the same category, along with doing your own gardening, mowing your own glass, shovelling your own driveway, and cleaning your own house.

Doing it for others I agree is a different story. But doing it for yourself?

But generally I agree, don't offer the information to CIC!

You would probably be fine with saying something like "Oh, what were you doing while you were on a visitor visa?" "Just projects around the house" - not really a lie but doesn't offer up a whole remodelling! If pressed one could even then say "Did some work in the kitchen and in the bathrooM" without getting into specifics... that sort of thing. (That said there's a fine line with offering minimal information and just being straight-up evasive!)

There is a big difference between house / gardening maintenance and making renovations in the house.

One involves using your own personal time for upkeep. The other involve major financial savings, house investment and nothing to do with maintenance of house.

 

[mikeymyke]

Inland is generally not a very desirable option for most VO's. The main reason people choose inland, I believe, is for the spouse to be with them, but wouldn't it be better to have a shorter processing time without your spouse rather than be "trapped" in Canada and having to wait a year for a work permit?

My wife and I, as soon as we saw how long the processing times are for inland and the inability to leave Canada, we immediately chose outland. Her VO's processing time is 31 months, one of the longest processing times in the world for spouses. But we were confident in our application and relationship background, so we applied outland, and sure enough, she got her visa in 5.5 months processing time, a far cry from 31 months processing. To address the problem of being apart, we applied for her visitor visa and she got a multiple entry TRV.

By applying outland + visitor visa, we were able to address all the cons of applying inland: my wife was allowed to leave Canada and return home, we had a significantly shorter processing time than inland, and my wife can start working in Canada as soon as she lands (total 6 months from time application sent), rather than wait a year to get a work permit to work in Canada. Also not to mention we had the added benefit of being able to spend time together in Canada during the processing.

Apply outland, use the visitor visa to address the long distance issue.

 

[Ponga]

I think that there is a huge difference in the homeowner doing the work on their own property and a "visitor" doing the same work while visiting the same property. I guess it depends on the relationship between the worker and the task.

Exactly my point!

If the sponsored spouse is technically just a visitor, is his name even on the title to the property as a co-owner? Is it even his house (yet)?

 

[taffy7]

Exactly my point!

If the sponsored spouse is technically just a visitor, is his name even on the title to the property as a co-owner? Is it even his house (yet)?

But after a year of common law or after getting married they become 1.Whats mine is his... whats his is mine.So technically he is half owner . lol what i really say whats mine is mine and whats his is mine lol so he may be visiting but its his home ..

 

[Ponga]

I see your point, but with so many `unknowns' with how this would be received by CIC/CBSA...I'd still keep my mouth shut!

 

[taffy7]

I see your point, but with so many `unknowns' with how this would be received by CIC/CBSA...I'd still keep my mouth shut!

+1 :-X I have warned my husband ,not to tell them he's installing a new sink when he comes next week. ;D

 

[fugaziosbourne]

Whatever you do, do NOT disclose the remodeling/landscaping work to CIC/CBSA!

While I can certainly understand your logic, you have, in essence, done work that a Canadian contractor could have done.

I already knew about that one, but it's good to share that info so someone doesn't trip up if asked by CIC.

My logic is we wouldn't' have hired a contractor, especially at insane Canadian prices, to do this work even if I was legally able to work. But I doubt the CIC would agree with me, so I'm keeping my mouth shut.

 

[desktopgold]

in Canada ,at least bc after were married ,the house still belongs to my wife , but any increase in value sense the date of marriage belongs to both of us , this is rough as i have painted fences ,painted decks, done landscaping,painted kitchen ,fixed rotted window ,painted trim around windows , put new deck railings on etc my self not thinking for an instant i couldn't ........and the not being able to volunteer has been hard on me at church because they are all looking at me like why cant you volunteer . i said i cant do nothing no volunteering at church it is hard ........but maintenance on my own home were i live wow ,thanks for the heads up . both of us have worked on these projects but sence ive had more time ive done most of them while she is at work . ill try to not mention it other than projects around the house , or helped out around the yard is this right

 

[canuck_in_uk]

and the not being able to volunteer has been hard on me at church because they are all looking at me like why cant you volunteer . i said i cant do nothing no volunteering at church it is hard ........

It should be perfectly fine to volunteer at your church. As long as there are Canadians doing the same volunteer work, it's not considered to be a paid job that you are taking away from a Canadian and therefore not allowed.

 

[keesio]

my feeling about this is that I think CIC doesn't care (much) if you do things like fix up your own home or babysit your nephew. The cases where CIC did go after people doing minor things like this usually had other more serious issues (like being out of status). Think of it like say you have a dirty license plate on your car where some of the letters/digits are obscured. Technically you can get a ticket for it. But people almost never get pulled over just for that. However if a cop pulls you over for blowing a stop sign and for whatever reason decides to give you a hard time (you gave the cop some attitude), they can start picking on the smallest details ("oh your license plate is dirty, that is a ticket too").

As long as you don't draw attention to yourself, it is likely a non-issue.

 

[screech339]

As long as you don't draw attention to yourself, it is likely a non-issue.

Basically you are saying what everyone else is saying. Don't mention about major renovations done in the house. By announcing about renovations, you are drawing unneeded attention to yourself.

Screech339

 

[keesio]

Basically you are saying what everyone else is saying. Don't mention about major renovations done in the house. By announcing about renovations, you are drawing unneeded attention to yourself.

Screech339

Yeah, true. But I also think that even if CIC somehow found out that you watched your nephew for an afternoon or fixed your front door, they would not bother to do anything if you have no other flags/issues.