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Visitor Visa Extension Confusion - Please Help

cometSuicide

Member
Jan 19, 2015
13
0
Hello all! I registered today so I could post and hopefully gain some insight or advice. Here is my situation;

I'm from the US, and I met my Canadian girlfriend in October 2013, and maintained a long distance relationship until we met on June 14th, 2014. I visited until the 28th, and then went home. I then worked my butt off and saved the money to bail out on my less than ideal living situation because GF had invited me to move in with her. I arrived back in Canada October 29th of 2014, and am still here. My GF and I both work our own jobs, I'm a freelance writer and she works full-time for a house cleaning company. Additionally, we work together on a bi-weekly paper route to bring in some extra cash (and get a little exercise as we are both homebodies.) Now, my passport stamp will expire I believe sometime in April. I need to apply to extend my visitor visa another six months so that I'm covered for a full year until we can apply for my PR card under Family Class. My questions about the visa extension are:

How am I supposed to show proof of income? My money from my writing goes to my PayPal, then to my GF's bank account. Can we just use her bank statements, or do they require me to open my own bank account? (And for that matter, how do they expect a visitor to work? ???)

Our concerns are mostly just over the proof of finances aspect. We do pretty well and I bring in around $250CAD weekly plus the income from our joint rout and her job, we just have no way to prove it. If worst comes to worst we have a plan B which is to move me back across the border in the Northern most part of the US in an apartment, but we reallly want to avoid that if we can. If you have any advice at all, please let us know!
 

Jalex23

VIP Member
Apr 12, 2013
4,463
369
Calgary
Category........
Visa Office......
CPP-Ottawa
NOC Code......
2171
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-09-2013
Doc's Request.
09-04-2014
AOR Received.
06-11-2013
Med's Request
05-04-2014
Med's Done....
20-05-2014
Passport Req..
07-07-2014
VISA ISSUED...
14-07-2014
LANDED..........
06-09-2014
cometSuicide said:
How am I supposed to show proof of income? My money from my writing goes to my PayPal, then to my GF's bank account. Can we just use her bank statements, or do they require me to open my own bank account? (And for that matter, how do they expect a visitor to work? ???)
They don't expect a visitor to work, that is illegal, but they expect visitors to be able to show how they plan to survive while in their country.

You can print your paypal statement, and then her bank statement where you are transfering the money. Be careful doing that, if any of your work relationships (clients) are Canadian then you are illegaly working and that will backfire on you.
 

queenpies

Full Member
Jan 18, 2015
46
3
Saskatchewan
Category........
Visa Office......
CPC - Mississauga
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11 Apr 2014
AOR Received.
07 Aug 2014 (OPW APR: 09 Jan 2015)
Hello,

Good day.

Please visit this site for financial proofs: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/visa/intake/proof.asp

You cannot work in Canada, without a valid work permit or PR status. Your freelance writing is based in the states, right? Paper route is not.

You can always ask to extend another 6 months' temporary resident status, and state your reason for extending is to prepare for Family Sponsorship through Common-Law or marriage.

I extended my temporary resident status for about 3 months' time (because I stated 3 months') because I said I was preparing for our Inland Sponsorship application. It was approved. This was what I included:

1. Visitor visa extension application and all the other required supporting documents

2. Letter from my husband that it is confirmed that he will be sponsoring me

3. Financial support proof - All my husband's - 3 months' worth of pay stubs, income verification letter from employer, and a letter explaining the places he was working at that time and positions held.

4. His proof of citizenship - Canadian passport

I hope that makes sense.
 

cometSuicide

Member
Jan 19, 2015
13
0
Thank you both for your advice!

One more area of concern, do they require a minimum financial income or will our income be sufficient? I assume they check just to make sure illegals aren't staying here on government aid.
 

queenpies

Full Member
Jan 18, 2015
46
3
Saskatchewan
Category........
Visa Office......
CPC - Mississauga
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11 Apr 2014
AOR Received.
07 Aug 2014 (OPW APR: 09 Jan 2015)
cometSuicide said:
Thank you both for your advice!

One more area of concern, do they require a minimum financial income or will our income be sufficient? I assume they check just to make sure illegals aren't staying here on government aid.
Hello again!

Are you referring to the Family Sponsorship or just the visitor visa extension?

Family Sponsorship, right now, the sponsor doesn't require to have a minimum income anymore if the sponsor is ONLY going to sponsor his/her spouse.
 

cometSuicide

Member
Jan 19, 2015
13
0
queenpies said:
Hello again!

Are you referring to the Family Sponsorship or just the visitor visa extension?

Family Sponsorship, right now, the sponsor doesn't require to have a minimum income anymore if the sponsor is ONLY going to sponsor his/her spouse.
I am referring to the visa extension, but that information is helpful too! My girlfriend was afraid she would need to meet a certain financial level for the Family Class application.
 

o6ocpaka

Hero Member
Sep 19, 2014
233
9
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
24-02-2015
AOR Received.
none
File Transfer...
20-04-2015
Med's Done....
07-12-2014
Interview........
none
Passport Req..
visa exempt
VISA ISSUED...
08-10-2015
LANDED..........
11-11-2015
I married my U.S. wife and we easily extended her visitor status by requested 1 more year. No questions asked, did not even say we are working on PR.
I think when it comes down to common in law and GFs, they look a lot more closely on the applications. You would definitely have to prove that you can support yourself for the requested period though, if you have savings or means of income I think that should work. You are not really working in Canada.
Like I said the easiest way in these situations is to probably get married. Also there is a thing on the Canadian government site that says spouses are not required to maintain their legal status. Although I would still extend the stay just to be on the safer side ;D