US Citizen - Working in Canada as NAFTA professional. PR - Family or Exp Entry?

[dpain250]

As the title says, I'm a US citizen working in Canada as a NAFTA professional and want to get PR. Would it be faster for me to get it through family class (my common-law partner) or through the new express entry program? I score about 1000-1100 on the scale.

Thanks

 

[purplesnow]

express entry would be quicker then, i hear common law applications taking about 13 months +, express entry aims to be done in 6 months.

 

[ZingyDNA]

Both are pretty fast by CIC standards - you'll get it in less than a year. EE should be faster. You'll get ITA immediately with your score and they are supposed to process your application in 6 months.

 

[n4mo]

Either way is good, as purplesnow said, with EE it should be done within 6 months or less, and if you do family-class (processing times vary by visa office), you get an open work permit while your papers are being processed.

I guess it's just a matter of how fast you want it - if your score is that high, then I guess EE (with family sponsorship as your backup plan).

 

[dpain250]

Okay it sounds like EE is the way to go, would I be able to leave the country for that 6 month period?

 

[dobes]

As the title says, I'm a US citizen working in Canada as a NAFTA professional and want to get PR. Would it be faster for me to get it through family class (my common-law partner) or through the new express entry program? I score about 1000-1100 on the scale.

Thanks

Are you sure about your points? You don't get 600 points for having a job - it has to be a job with a labor market impact assessment (LMIA), and most NAFTA jobs don't require or have that.

If you don't have an LMIA, you will have fewer than 600 points total, and applying through your partner will be faster.

 

[scylla]

Okay it sounds like EE is the way to go, would I be able to leave the country for that 6 month period?

Just to confirm - you have an approved LMIA to get the 600 job offer points?

 

[dpain250]

I'm currently employed on a work permit here in Canada good through 2017, I'm assuming this counts as a job offer?

 

[scylla]

I'm currently employed on a work permit here in Canada good through 2017, I'm assuming this counts as a job offer?

No - it doesn't.

You need an approved LMIA to get the 600 job offer points. If you don't have an approved LMIA, you need to subtract 600 points from your score.

 

[AshesNdust]

I'm currently employed on a work permit here in Canada good through 2017, I'm assuming this counts as a job offer?

Nope, I got in as NAFTA with a permit until 2018, but needed to get the LMIA to qualify for the 600 bonus pounts. Talk to your employer about getting you one.

 

[purplesnow]

oh no sorry, the valid job offer is only one with an LMIA.
probably better going through spousal sponsorship then. It might take longer but you know it'll go through whereas no one knows when/if the people in the pool without an LMIA will get an ITA.

 

[dobes]

Actually, I don't see why you can't do both. Apply through your partner, but enter the pool without the 600 points, and see which gets you in faster.