US to Canada - Full Time Student Wife?

[grds303]

Hello,


I've been reading through past posts and can't seem to find a specific answer for our situation. I'm a US citizen looking to get a visa to live with my wife in Canada. She is a Canadian born citizen. She is not working, but rather a full-time student currently working on her last semester and a half towards an education degree. I've been working full time since I came back to the US after my Canadian work visa expired. Will this negatively affect our request for a spousal visa? Or would it be better to wait till she has finished school and is working?

Secondly, some past history, when I had my Canadian work visa, we lived together tho not yet married. We worked at the same company, and one year into my two year visa we both were laid off due to budget cuts. She spent the following months trying to find another job that would work with her full time school schedule. I spent the following year trying to find another company to sponsor another work visa. Neither of us had luck, and during this time we both lived on our unemployment benefits. Will this have a negative affect on our application? Again, since I came back to the U.S. I was able to find a good job within a week of my return and have been there since Dec 2010.

Thank you for your advice and your assistance. Have a great day!

 

[Isometry]

You should be fine to apply now.

As far as your wife being in school and not working, there is no income requirement to sponsor a spouse. You only need to demonstrate how you will support yourselves when in Canada. This could include: you finding a job in Canada; her parents helping out while you both look for work; your wife getting a job once she has her degree; living off of savings for a while. As long as you have clear plans as to how you will support yourselves without relying on welfare, you're good to go, and there have been people in these forums who have had successful applications in the same circumstances.

Being on EI should not have a negative effect either. As far as what I can find (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) EI doesn't count as 'social assistance' that would make your wife ineligible to sponsor. How is your wife currently supporting herself?

 

[grds303]

She is living with her parents and they are paying for her college. Outside of that I support her with my paycheck, we have a joint u.s. bank account.

 

[Belinasha]

I am a full time student and didn't have any problems getting sponsorship approval for my husband. I'm on OSAP which is different from EI, but they're both not consideration social assistance. Hope this helps.