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

dpain250

Member
Sep 27, 2010
13
0
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

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2015
960
56
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
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

Champion Member
Aug 12, 2013
1,252
185
Category........
Visa Office......
CPP-Ottawa
NOC Code......
2111
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-06-2013
AOR Received.
28-08-2013
IELTS Request
Sent with Application
Med's Request
21-02-2014 (principal applicant)
Med's Done....
07-03-2014 (both, upfront for spouse)
Passport Req..
10-04-2014
VISA ISSUED...
22-04-2014
LANDED..........
13-06-2014
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

Full Member
Feb 2, 2015
31
5
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).
 

dobes

Champion Member
Nov 23, 2014
1,177
95
Category........
NOC Code......
1123
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
dpain250 said:
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

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,950
22,190
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
dpain250 said:
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

Member
Sep 27, 2010
13
0
I'm currently employed on a work permit here in Canada good through 2017, I'm assuming this counts as a job offer?
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,950
22,190
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
dpain250 said:
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

Hero Member
Jan 4, 2015
663
335
dpain250 said:
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

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2015
960
56
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
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

Champion Member
Nov 23, 2014
1,177
95
Category........
NOC Code......
1123
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
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.