Hi there,
I will post my story here and hopefully someone will be able to help me because I'm very confused and nervous about all this process.
I was born in Montreal, and my boyfriend is from Ireland. I met him in Canada a few years ago.
He moved there for a year with the Working Holiday Visa (swap). We started going out in september/october. He came visit me in December for 10 days. (We have proofs, pictures, flights, etc.) Then, I decided to apply for the Working Holiday Visa to move to Ireland. The process took a few weeks and I moved to Ireland in February 2010. (He paid for half my flight/my visa. We still have the Western Union receipts, Bank accounts statements and everything)
When I moved here, he was already living in a house with other people, so I moved in with them. My name wasn't on the lease because he was living there for a year already. But I have proofs of address from February. (I received government papers, social security number, opened my bank account with this address, received mail and postcards there.) We recently found a new apartment just for the both of us. Moved in June 1st (Both our names are on the lease now)
My visa expires February 8th. So I wil have to go back home. I would like to go back home for christmas, and he wants to move to Canada with me then. So here is the problem.. We want to apply for the common law partner visa thing, but we will be living together for a year in February. We don't want to be far from each other again because it's just too hard. We are considering getting married (not for immigration but because we both know we want to spend our lives together but would like to plan a decent wedding and can't afford it at the moment) I really don't know what to do !!
Situation 1: We move back to Canada January 1st, we would be dating for 14 months, living together for 10-11 months.
I know we need to wait until it's 12 months. So I am wondering how we can do this. We'd have to get proofs of address in Montreal for both of us for the last 2 months. Since he took his year holiday visa, he wouldn't be able to work. So I would have to work and pay for both of us. I am wondering how long can he stay there as a tourist ? Is it 3 months or 6 months? Does he need to have a lot of money put aside to show immigration he can afford to stay in Canada without working for 3months or if I am there with him and I tell them I am going to work and pay for both of us is okay? I don't mind if I have to move back to Ireland after 3 months. Or can he just come to Canada for 3 months, get out of the country (go to USA or something) and enter back for another 3 months? Without working. Or it's not possible? Is it better if we apply from Canada or I need to move back to Ireland for 3 months and then apply from here.
Situation 2: I go back to Canada by myself for 2 weeks in February and re-enter Ireland for a few months (Can I go out of the country for a week and then come back to Ireland for another 3 months or it's not possible?) I can just pretend I'm going on a Eurotrip for a few weeks. And then we can apply for the common law visa from Ireland. I know I couldn't work but it doesn't matter.
How long could it take for him to get any kind of visa or permit to stay in Canada so we can actually get our own place and settle down.
Without having to move from Canada to Ireland back and forth.
Other thing I was considering is, I could apply for a 2years holiday visa to UK or 1 year in France (with swap) But I think you have to come back to Canada for a year before being able to apply for another visa. I am not sure, that's what I heard. Cause then we could just both live somewhere else for another year and wait for the long process to be done.
What do you think I should do ? If we get married is it really that easier or it takes a while as well? How long can it take for him to be able to stay in Canada permanently (with working visa or not).
The proofs we have now are Pictures, Skype chats and calls records (we used to just leave skype on for hours, everyday that we were apart) Emails, Facebook comments, messages and pictures with dates (Posted December 2009) for example. Proofs of addresses, Western Union and Bank money transfer proofs and statements. My name is now on the lease, we are going on holidays together so we're gonna have more pictures and flights tickets together) We can also get letters from his family, our friends, even my friends in Montreal who met them when he was there.
I know it's gonna be so hard, and I just hope someone can give me more informations. I read the immigration website and everything, I just don't know what option is better for us and what I should do if we want to stay together all the time and get a visa for him as soon as possible.
I know it's a long post, sorry about that. I just wanted to make everything clear.
Thank you!!
I will post my story here and hopefully someone will be able to help me because I'm very confused and nervous about all this process.
I was born in Montreal, and my boyfriend is from Ireland. I met him in Canada a few years ago.
He moved there for a year with the Working Holiday Visa (swap). We started going out in september/october. He came visit me in December for 10 days. (We have proofs, pictures, flights, etc.) Then, I decided to apply for the Working Holiday Visa to move to Ireland. The process took a few weeks and I moved to Ireland in February 2010. (He paid for half my flight/my visa. We still have the Western Union receipts, Bank accounts statements and everything)
When I moved here, he was already living in a house with other people, so I moved in with them. My name wasn't on the lease because he was living there for a year already. But I have proofs of address from February. (I received government papers, social security number, opened my bank account with this address, received mail and postcards there.) We recently found a new apartment just for the both of us. Moved in June 1st (Both our names are on the lease now)
My visa expires February 8th. So I wil have to go back home. I would like to go back home for christmas, and he wants to move to Canada with me then. So here is the problem.. We want to apply for the common law partner visa thing, but we will be living together for a year in February. We don't want to be far from each other again because it's just too hard. We are considering getting married (not for immigration but because we both know we want to spend our lives together but would like to plan a decent wedding and can't afford it at the moment) I really don't know what to do !!
Situation 1: We move back to Canada January 1st, we would be dating for 14 months, living together for 10-11 months.
I know we need to wait until it's 12 months. So I am wondering how we can do this. We'd have to get proofs of address in Montreal for both of us for the last 2 months. Since he took his year holiday visa, he wouldn't be able to work. So I would have to work and pay for both of us. I am wondering how long can he stay there as a tourist ? Is it 3 months or 6 months? Does he need to have a lot of money put aside to show immigration he can afford to stay in Canada without working for 3months or if I am there with him and I tell them I am going to work and pay for both of us is okay? I don't mind if I have to move back to Ireland after 3 months. Or can he just come to Canada for 3 months, get out of the country (go to USA or something) and enter back for another 3 months? Without working. Or it's not possible? Is it better if we apply from Canada or I need to move back to Ireland for 3 months and then apply from here.
Situation 2: I go back to Canada by myself for 2 weeks in February and re-enter Ireland for a few months (Can I go out of the country for a week and then come back to Ireland for another 3 months or it's not possible?) I can just pretend I'm going on a Eurotrip for a few weeks. And then we can apply for the common law visa from Ireland. I know I couldn't work but it doesn't matter.
How long could it take for him to get any kind of visa or permit to stay in Canada so we can actually get our own place and settle down.
Without having to move from Canada to Ireland back and forth.
Other thing I was considering is, I could apply for a 2years holiday visa to UK or 1 year in France (with swap) But I think you have to come back to Canada for a year before being able to apply for another visa. I am not sure, that's what I heard. Cause then we could just both live somewhere else for another year and wait for the long process to be done.
What do you think I should do ? If we get married is it really that easier or it takes a while as well? How long can it take for him to be able to stay in Canada permanently (with working visa or not).
The proofs we have now are Pictures, Skype chats and calls records (we used to just leave skype on for hours, everyday that we were apart) Emails, Facebook comments, messages and pictures with dates (Posted December 2009) for example. Proofs of addresses, Western Union and Bank money transfer proofs and statements. My name is now on the lease, we are going on holidays together so we're gonna have more pictures and flights tickets together) We can also get letters from his family, our friends, even my friends in Montreal who met them when he was there.
I know it's gonna be so hard, and I just hope someone can give me more informations. I read the immigration website and everything, I just don't know what option is better for us and what I should do if we want to stay together all the time and get a visa for him as soon as possible.
I know it's a long post, sorry about that. I just wanted to make everything clear.
Thank you!!