US citizen getting married in quebec and then applying for sponsorship, Help?

[dankelley2]

I am in a pinch Right now, My girlfriend (born and raised in Quebec) and I were to get married soon, but do to complications and an incredible job offer for me (a US citizen) in Quebec, we would like to get Married, or in a Civil Union, as soon as possible, and immediately after apply for her to sponsor me for PR in Quebec, Is there anyone that has gone through this process recently and is willing to lend me a hand in the process?

I apologize in advance that i did not have a few days to lurk through this forum and see if the question was posted already, I'm just desperate for help, my previous contact intended to charge me an additional $6000 for help with this, and now i feel stranded. Has anyone here been married in Montreal Before?

thank you in Advance,
-Dan

 

[Rob_TO]

I am in a pinch Right now, My girlfriend (born and raised in Quebec) and I were to get married soon, but do to complications and an incredible job offer for me (a US citizen) in Quebec, we would like to get Married, or in a Civil Union, as soon as possible, and immediately after apply for her to sponsor me for PR in Quebec, Is there anyone that has gone through this process recently and is willing to lend me a hand in the process?

I apologize in advance that i did not have a few days to lurk through this forum and see if the question was posted already, I'm just desperate for help, my previous contact intended to charge me an additional $6000 for help with this, and now i feel stranded. Has anyone here been married in Montreal Before?

Whether or not you apply for PR inland or outland, you're looking at up to around 1 year before you'll be able to work.

You could instead ask the employer if they're willing to go through the LMO process to get you a closed work permit to work for them. Or you could also look for some other IEC or working holiday visa available to US citizens to work in Canada.

As for the PR process itself, if there are no serious concerns with your application (like criminality issues), then hiring a lawyer or consultant is not necessary and a big waste of money. You can do all the paperwork in the application yourself. Start with the first thread here: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html

 

[Leon]

The US doesn't really have a working holiday program agreement in Canada. There is just a 6 months exchange program for students, that's it.

If the job falls under NAFTA, you need a job offer from the employer describing the job as falling under NAFTA, see http://www.canadavisa.com/nafta-work-permits.html and then you can show up at the border with your job offer and your $150 processing fee and ask for a work permit.

If the job doesn't fall under NAFTA, the employer has to advertise it and prove that they found no qualified Canadians and then they can apply for an LMO (labour market opinion) and if they get it, you can show up at the border with your LMO and $150 processing fee and ask for a work permit.

If you do get married, your spouse can sponsor you for PR but that doesn't mean you will be allowed to work immediately. Like Rob_TO just said, you could be looking at up to 1 year before you would get PR through outland or open work permit with inland. For the future, you would want to get your PR if you want to live in Canada. You do not have to pay anybody $6,000 to get it but it involves a bit of work for you getting through the paperwork and filling out forms.

 

[dankelley2]

Thank you greatly for your responses so far!

believe it or not, The working part is OK!

My employer was very generous as he really wants my specialty, So here's what we worked out:

My Girlfriend just registered a company under her name, and I am a contracted worker underneath her. So each week we will have to draw up a bill for the "contractor" my employer hired, and he will pay directly to my girlfriends company, and she will pay me. I'm Buying private insurance so he's okay with that, and everything seems to be working out.

Thank you for pointing out that thread, i don't know how i missed it. Forms and paperwork, i can do, Blowing $6000 for someone else to write my personal info and send it to the right place, i cannot.


Now to just figure out the fastest way to get married in Quebec... (as of now i am here on a 6 months visitors visa)

anyone know the cheapest way to get a marriage license?

Edit: also wondering, what are some reasons a Sponsorship may get Denied? Besides the obvious Criminal Records or Bankruptcy filing, etc...

 

[Alurra71]

Thank you greatly for your responses so far!

believe it or not, The working part is OK!

My employer was very generous as he really wants my specialty, So here's what we worked out:

<b>My Girlfriend just registered a company under her name, and I am a contracted worker underneath her. So each week we will have to draw up a bill for the "contractor" my employer hired, and he will pay directly to my girlfriends company, and she will pay me. I'm Buying private insurance so he's okay with that, and everything seems to be working out.</b>

Thank you for pointing out that thread, i don't know how i missed it. Forms and paperwork, i can do, Blowing $6000 for someone else to write my personal info and send it to the right place, i cannot.


Now to just figure out the fastest way to get married in Quebec... (as of now i am here on a 6 months visitors visa)

anyone know the cheapest way to get a marriage license?

Edit: also wondering, what are some reasons a Sponsorship may get Denied? Besides the obvious Criminal Records or Bankruptcy filing, etc...

Be careful with the part about working. Being in Canada and accepting ANY payment for a job can negate your ability to not only get PR, but could potentially get you 'banned' from Canada for working in Canada then it won't matter if she's your girlfriend or wife. If you get a 'black' mark on your record for such an infraction it will also raise red flags when you do finally get your paperwork underway. One thing they don't bend on is if you are breaking the law. As bad as it sucks you have no RIGHT to work in Canada, therefore working in Canada, even only as a visitor is breaking the law. It's up to you how to proceed from here.

 

[Leon]

That's right. Working as a contractor under your girlfriends company is still working illegally and if you get caught, you will be deported and probably banned from Canada for a couple of years.

The most common reason for a sponsorship being denied is that immigration questions the relationship, that is they believe it is a marriage of convenience for you to get PR. It is up to you to prove them wrong. Most people send some photos of themselves together as well as other evidence of their relationship like visits, trips taken together, print outs of emails and chat logs etc.

 

[dankelley2]

Whoah..
I guess the legality of that never ran through my mind for some reason, Thank you all so much for the input.

Currently the Inland sponsors processing times say:

Step 1: 11 Months

Step 2: 8 Months

And the Outland times are:

Step 1: 27 Days

Step 2: 22 months (for Los Angeles, CA)

If i submitted an open work permit application at the time of my Sponsorship application submission, how long on average before i can receive a work permit in each of the cases?
Is it Until after the 11 months in the first case? or after the 22 months? just a little confused about that...

-Thanks again for the help

 

[scylla]

Assuming your application is processed normally, you would qualify for an open work permit at around the 11 month mark if you apply inland.

And I agree with what others have said about the work plan you had proposed (working as a contractor for your girlfriend). It's completely illegal. And working illegally makes you deportable (even if you have submitted a sponsorship application).

 

[scylla]

Just to add... There is no open work permit granted if you apply outland. If you apply outland, you'll qualify to work once your application has been fully process and you are a PR of Canada.

 

[dankelley2]

Thank you Scylla!

No doubt about it I will definitely choose the Legal route. Thank you for your responses!

 

[Rob_TO]

And the Outland times are:

Step 1: 27 Days

Step 2: 22 months (for Los Angeles, CA)

I believe that all USA applicants are processed through the CPC-Ottawa visa office these days. CPC-O is showing stage 2 time of 14 months on the CIC site, but keep in mind those are kind of worst case numbers and more people get processed quicker than the posted times for outland if you have a straightforward application with no major red flags. Some people in the CPC-Ottawa thread ( http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/cppottawa-t118769.4005.html ) seem to be getting their full PR within around 8 months after submitting.

Anyways if you apply outland, you will qualify for a SIN card which allows you to work only after the full PR is approved.

 

[eurmione]

I am in a pinch Right now, My girlfriend (born and raised in Quebec) and I were to get married soon, but do to complications and an incredible job offer for me (a US citizen) in Quebec, we would like to get Married, or in a Civil Union, as soon as possible, and immediately after apply for her to sponsor me for PR in Quebec, Is there anyone that has gone through this process recently and is willing to lend me a hand in the process?

I apologize in advance that i did not have a few days to lurk through this forum and see if the question was posted already, I'm just desperate for help, my previous contact intended to charge me an additional $6000 for help with this, and now i feel stranded. Has anyone here been married in Montreal Before?

thank you in Advance,
-Dan

Hi there,

I am a foreign person who got married to a quebecois in quebec.
The cheapest way is designated officiant,who can be your friend or family. But the process take up to 3 months.
The fasted way is a civil union with a lawyer (can be the next day). But this cost up to 700$.

You can work under your girlfriend or anyone as long as you have a work permit. This work permit can be obtained through
A/ having an employer sponsor you. But this is a closed work permit and you can only work for that employer.
B/ open work permit for in-canada sponsorship. This can be obtain after your file is being approved for the process and it takes about 1 year from the day of the complete application.

Sponsoring a spouse in Quebec take average 2 years or more. Dont forget you have to apply for a CSQ then apply with federal (addition of 18 months).

Reason for refuse is if they think
A/ you have a marriage fraud
B/ you/your girlfriend had an abuse history toward someone else
C/ you/ ur girlfriend havent finished your duty with previous spouse or children
D/ you cant prove that this is a real marriage
Etc..

As for me, i am applying under PEQ program of Quebec and currently staying here under post graduate work permit. I dont want to start a marriage with me owning my spouse anything.

FYI: read marriage law carefully before getting married in Quebec. They are known to protect women and children. The law is favour those. Please walk into a marriage with your eyes open.

 

[QuebecOkie]

Hi there,

I am a foreign person who got married to a quebecois in quebec.
The cheapest way is designated officer, who can be your friend or family. But the process take up to 3 months.
The fasted way is a civil union with a lawyer (can be the next day). But this cost up to 700$.

You can work under your girlfriend or anyone as long as you have a work permit. This work permit can be obtained through
A/ having an employer sponsor you. But this is a closed work permit and you can only work for that employer.
B/ open work permit for in-canada sponsorship. This can be obtain after your file is being approved for the process and it takes about 1 year from the day of the complete application.

Sponsoring a spouse in Quebec take average 2 years or more. Dont forget you have to apply for a CSQ then apply with federal (addition of 18 months).

Reason for refuse is if they think
A/ you have a marriage fraud
B/ you/your girlfriend had an abuse history toward someone else
C/ you/ ur girlfriend havent finished your duty with previous spouse or children
D/ you cant prove that this is a real marriage
Etc..

As for me, i am applying under PEQ program of Quebec and currently staying here under post graduate work permit. I dont want to start a marriage with me owning my spouse anything.

FYI: read marriage law carefully before getting married in Quebec. They are known to protect women and children. The law is favour those. Please walk into a marriage with your eyes open.

There is NO truth to the CSQ adding 18 months to the process, nor to the statement that PR takes 2 years here. The CSQ step of the process does not appear to affect the PR application timeline at all, and MICC (Québec's immigration office) has pretty fast turn around on issuing those. We applied inland, we received stage one and two approval (AIP and DM) at the same time, 10 months and one week into the process. That's not a "typical" timeline, though it's hard to say what's "typical." However, CIC currently states that 80% of inland apps receive stage two approval within 19 months of applying. That goes for Québec as well as ROC.

 

[eurmione]

There is NO truth to the CSQ adding 18 months to the process, nor to the statement that PR takes 2 years here. The CSQ step of the process does not appear to affect the PR application timeline at all, and MICC (Québec's immigration office) has pretty fast turn around on issuing those. We applied inland, we received stage one and two approval (AIP and DM) at the same time, 10 months and one week into the process. That's not a "typical" timeline, though it's hard to say what's "typical." However, CIC currently states that 80% of inland apps receive stage two approval within 19 months of applying. That goes for Québec as well as ROC.

18 months is federal not quebec. Like you said it is average 19 months for federal + 1 month of csq, it is 20 months + police reports + incomplete apps. You do the math.

 

[QuebecOkie]

The CSQ doesn't seem to add any extra time. Also, 19 months is not "average". It's the time by which 80% of apps have been processed.