VISA stamped spouse can't accompany before validity expire due to personal reasons

[Bionic Beaver]

Dear everyone,

I will keep it short and not go behind the reasons why I am in this situation. My spouse is a co-applicant in my Express Entry form. We received our COPR last week and both of our VISAs are stamped. If due to a personal reason my spouse is not able to accompany me to Canada, what options do we have?

1. Can my spouse land in Canada for 2 days (soft landing) before the validity expire? Will we face any issues when returning to Canada later?
2. Will my Express Entry application still be valid and I can continue to live in Canada?
3. Can I sponsor my spouse at a later stage using Family Class?
4. Can my spouse try the Express Entry route again?

What are the other implications that we need to consider in this situation?

Thank you.

 

[scylla]

Dear everyone,

I will keep it short and not go behind the reasons why I am in this situation. My spouse is a co-applicant in my Express Entry form. We received our COPR last week and both of our VISAs are stamped. If due to a personal reason my spouse is not able to accompany me to Canada, what options do we have?

1. Can my spouse land in Canada for 2 days (soft landing) before the validity expire? Will we face any issues when returning to Canada later?
2. Will my Express Entry application still be valid and I can continue to live in Canada?
3. Can I sponsor my spouse at a later stage using Family Class?
4. Can my spouse try the Express Entry route again?

What are the other implications that we need to consider in this situation?

Thank you.

There are no co-applicants in Express Entry applications. One of you is the primary applicant and the other person is a dependent. I am making the assumption that you are the primary applicant. If that is not the case, the answers below will change.

1. Yes, they can do that. No issues later provided they meet the residency obligation and live in Canada for at least 2 out of the 5 years after landing.
2. Yes.
3. Yes, if they don't land in time and the visa expires, you can sponsor them through family class. Note that this will involve a brand new application package, new fees, etc. and you'll be looking at processing times of around 1 year. You will also need to be living in Canada in order to sponsor your spouse.
4. Yes. Note that your spouse will not be able to get any additional points for you in any way (i.e. your education or language abilities or work experience) since you will already be a PR. Your spouse will need to qualify and be selected through EE completely independently.

 

[Bionic Beaver]

There are no co-applicants in Express Entry applications. One of you is the primary applicant and the other person is a dependent. I am making the assumption that you are the primary applicant. If that is not the case, the answers below will change.

1. Yes, they can do that. No issues later provided they meet the residency obligation and live in Canada for at least 2 out of the 5 years after landing.
2. Yes.
3. Yes, if they don't land in time and the visa expires, you can sponsor them through family class. Note that this will involve a brand new application package, new fees, etc. and you'll be looking at processing times of around 1 year. You will also need to be living in Canada in order to sponsor your spouse.
4. Yes. Note that your spouse will not be able to get any additional points for you in any way (i.e. your education or language abilities or work experience) since you will already be a PR. Your spouse will need to qualify and be selected through EE completely independently.

Yes, your assumption is correct, I am the primary applicant and my spouse is a dependent. Thank you for your detailed answer. This will help a lot in making a decision.