USA- Wedding After PR Approval / Work Permit

[karinlove]

Hi everyone,

I have two things I need your help with . :-[

Here's the background:
My boyfriend and I have been in a LDR for almost 2 years now. Not engaged but discussing serious future marriage and how we can finally be together. We have tons of records of our relationship since 2010. I'm 28, a teacher + Canadian, he's 26 and a autmotive mechanic and served 5 years in the US army.

MY QUESTIONS...
1. We've looked into work permits and they seem impossible with his profession. Anyone have experience with work permits for their spouse? I don't understnad how some people do "inland" applications, is your spouse on a visitor visa and you are supporting them or something?

2. And so, when we are ready for marriage, we were thinking of this path: getting married at city hall. Maybe invite a few close friends and family. Get the marriage certificate and then apply for Permanent Residency for him to come here. Wait a year and once he gets PR, then do a fancy ceremony with all the family. Would you recommend this path, or would this be grounds for the analyzers to be suspicious about the legitimacy of our marriage??

We just don't really like the idea of having to leave each other immediately after our fancy schmancy formal wedding. We would still have a city hall cute little wedding. IT's not like he would be here on a work permit (unless somehow we could get one).

 

[Sweden]

Hey, and welcome to the forum!

1 - work permits are difficult to get, and you can go either through LMO ( where he finds an employer, and then the employer obtains a LMO for him, but that's quite difficult), or because he is from the US, he could look into Nafta. If not, then indeed - people applying inland are usually on visitor permit, and then inland. No work permit for the first stage, so then the person can get a work permit after 6 months in the country ( once first stage is approved, if you send an application for an open work permit at the same time). Otherwise the other spouse supports the person waiting.
2 - that could work, as long as you have proofs from the previous 2 years etc. Make sure that the ceremony looks special, and explain your plan on getting a bigger ceremony later on when you have more funds, etc. Depends on how you word it, but lots of people have done that without trouble.

As as US citizen, there are very few advantages of going inland, because it potentially longer than outland, but also he wouldn't be able to leave the country for the whole period of the application (14 months) even for family emergency etc. not really recommended if he can avoid that. He could come and stay with you in Canada on a visitor visa if you don't want to be separated - but he won't be able to work, and depending on where you are, most likely won't have access to healthcare (unless you're in AB).

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[canadianwoman]

My boyfriend and I have been in a LDR for almost 2 years now. Not engaged but discussing serious future marriage and how we can finally be together. We have tons of records of our relationship since 2010. I'm 28, a teacher + Canadian, he's 26 and a autmotive mechanic and served 5 years in the US army.

Unless there are some issues with your relationship you haven't mentioned, you should have no trouble sponsoring him. Both of you are employed, and he should be able to easily get work in Canada once he is a PR. Plus CIC is not suspicious of American applicants - the approval rate is very high, and the likelihood of the visa officer thinking he entered a marriage of convenience to enter Canada is very low.

MY QUESTIONS...
1. We've looked into work permits and they seem impossible with his profession. Anyone have experience with work permits for their spouse? I don't understnad how some people do "inland" applications, is your spouse on a visitor visa and you are supporting them or something?

Work visas can be hard to get. I'd just get married and sponsor him. Inland applicants usually do just wait while the sponsor supports them. The applicant can get an open work permit, but that is only after 6 months or more of waiting; by that time he could have gotten his PR visa and have full work rights.

2. And so, when we are ready for marriage, we were thinking of this path: getting married at city hall. Maybe invite a few close friends and family. Get the marriage certificate and then apply for Permanent Residency for him to come here. Wait a year and once he gets PR, then do a fancy ceremony with all the family. Would you recommend this path, or would this be grounds for the analyzers to be suspicious about the legitimacy of our marriage??

This would be fine, in particular because you are a Canadian/American couple, where smaller weddings are perfectly normal. Make the small wedding look as special as possible, though.

 

[karinlove]

thank you so much, both of you. i seeyou post on the forum quite often and i am so grateful for your wealth of knowledge and eagerness to help others. this helped me immensely and has eased some worry i have been having. thank you from the bottom of my heart!