Wanting to mov to Canada to be with my girlfriend :)

[WestboundOasis]

okay! Hey, guys! I've done lots of research over the past few months on all of the different ways to move to Canada but I still am unsure of the best option for an American?

So..

I am a 26 year old U.S. citizen wanting to move to Canada to be with my girlfriend. She is 30, and lives in Saskatoon. I am visiting her soon but would like to know how I can make the best of the time I have there (6 months, I know) to try and move forward with actually being able to work up there and live with her and start a new life up there.

I thought about applying for an OWP at the POE but is this the best route to go for a visitor?

Any advice would be awesome...

Thank you in advanced!!

 

[scylla]

okay! Hey, guys! I've done lots of research over the past few months on all of the different ways to move to Canada but I still am unsure of the best option for an American?

So..

I am a 26 year old U.S. citizen wanting to move to Canada to be with my girlfriend. She is 30, and lives in Saskatoon. I am visiting her soon but would like to know how I can make the best of the time I have there (6 months, I know) to try and move forward with actually being able to work up there and live with her and start a new life up there.

I thought about applying for an OWP at the POE but is this the best route to go for a visitor?

Any advice would be awesome...

Thank you in advanced!!

You don't qualify for an open work permit. If you attempt to apply for an OWP at the POE, you can expect the border crossing to go badly and will put yourself at high risk for a refused entry.

If you wish to work in Canada, you'll need to start by getting a job offer in Canada from a Canadian employer. If the job falls on the NAFTA occupation list, then you can apply for a work permit with just the job offer. If it doesn't, the employer will need to first obtain an approved LMIA which is a 4-6 month process with no guarantee of approval. It's generally extremely difficult to find employers willing to go through the LMIA process.

Once the two of you are either married or common law (common law means you have lived together continuously for at least one full year) - she will be able to sponsor you for permanent residency and you'll be able to obtain a work permit along with the PR application (the OWP will be issued around four months after the PR application is received).

 

[WestboundOasis]

You don't qualify for an open work permit. If you attempt to apply for an OWP at the POE, you can expect the border crossing to go badly and will put yourself at high risk for a refused entry.

If you wish to work in Canada, you'll need to start by getting a job offer in Canada from a Canadian employer. If the job falls on the NAFTA occupation list, then you can apply for a work permit with just the job offer. If it doesn't, the employer will need to first obtain an approved LMIA which is a 4-6 month process with no guarantee of approval. It's generally extremely difficult to find employers willing to go through the LMIA process.

Once the two of you are either married or common law (common law means you have lived together continuously for at least one full year) - she will be able to sponsor you for permanent residency and you'll be able to obtain a work permit along with the PR application (the OWP will be issued around four months after the PR application is received).

Thank you so, so, so much for your reply!

That was one of our questions, actually, so I am glad you mentioned common law.
She mentioned common law, and it seems like an easy route, but how can I live with her for one year if I'm only allowed in for 6 months?

Thank you again!

 

[scylla]

Thank you so, so, so much for your reply!

That was one of our questions, actually, so I am glad you mentioned common law.
She mentioned common law, and it seems like an easy route, but how can I live with her for one year if I'm only allowed in for 6 months?

Thank you again!

Once you are in Canada and are close to the end of your six month visit, you would apply for an extension to your visit from within Canada and state that you are working towards becoming common law and having your partner sponsor you for PR. Under these circumstances, extensions are almost always approved.

The downside of the above plan is that you are looking at spending roughly 16 months in Canada without working. You won't be able to study either at any institution in Canada - and also won't be covered by the health care system (you'll have to pay for everything out of pocket).

 

[WestboundOasis]

Once you are in Canada and are close to the end of your six month visit, you would apply for an extension to your visit from within Canada and state that you are working towards becoming common law and having your partner sponsor you for PR. Under these circumstances, extensions are almost always approved.

The downside of the above plan is that you are looking at spending roughly 16 months in Canada without working. You won't be able to study either at any institution in Canada - and also won't be covered by the health care system (you'll have to pay for everything out of pocket).

Okay, well, that's still a step in a good direction! How long would my extension be approved for? Meaning how long would I have to get everything in order after the 6 months?

 

[scylla]

Okay, well, that's still a step in a good direction! How long would my extension be approved for? Meaning how long would I have to get everything in order after the 6 months?

You can ask for a year so that you have time to submit the application. If they only give you six months, then you would just apply for another extension.

 

[WestboundOasis]

You can ask for a year so that you have time to submit the application. If they only give you six months, then you would just apply for another extension.

Wonderful! What all will we need to document for that route? Anything specific I will need to do when I enter Canada within the next few weeks? Or just wait out my first few months and then apply for common law? Or do I need to be there for a full year before we can even apply for it?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Wonderful! What all will we need to document for that route? Anything specific I will need to do when I enter Canada within the next few weeks? Or just wait out my first few months and then apply for common law? Or do I need to be there for a full year before we can even apply for it?

As scylla said, you need to live together for one continuous year to become common-law. You can't apply before that.

 

[WestboundOasis]

As scylla said, you need to live together for one continuous year to become common-law. You can't apply before that.

Thank you for your reply!

How do I get a job offer from a Canadian employer while visiting Canada? Is this possible at all?

What steps do I need to go about getting a job offer?

 

[scylla]

Thank you for your reply!

How do I get a job offer from a Canadian employer while visiting Canada? Is this possible at all?

What steps do I need to go about getting a job offer?

As said above, it's extremely difficult to get a job offer in Canada since the vast majority of employers aren't willing to go through the long and expensive process of hiring a foreign worker unless they have very specialized skills / experience.

If you want to try, you simply apply for jobs and hope you get lucky. There's no special process. Make sure employers are aware that you need a work permit. As also said above, in addition to giving you the job offer, the employer will need to obtain an approved LMIA which generally takes 4-6 months (this is before you can apply for a work permit).

You should assume there's a very high chance you won't be able to work until after you've applied for PR and have an open work permit. So you're looking at a wait of around 16 months after you get to Canada before you can work. If you want to go through with this and go the common law route, you need to be prepared to effectively sit around and do nothing for 16 months.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Thank you for your reply!

How do I get a job offer from a Canadian employer while visiting Canada? Is this possible at all?

What steps do I need to go about getting a job offer?

As Scylla mentioned, it is not impossible to get, but very hard to get as a foreign national. Jobs are prioritized for citizens/PR holders first before being offered to foreigners. One of the first things an employer will ask for is your SIN, if you do not have a SIN, it will be a no go from the start. So if you go thru the hiring process without telling them you do not have a work permit/or authorization, the time will be wasted

 

[WestboundOasis]

As said above, it's extremely difficult to get a job offer in Canada since the vast majority of employers aren't willing to go through the long and expensive process of hiring a foreign worker unless they have very specialized skills / experience.

If you want to try, you simply apply for jobs and hope you get lucky. There's no special process. Make sure employers are aware that you need a work permit. As also said above, in addition to giving you the job offer, the employer will need to obtain an approved LMIA which generally takes 4-6 months (this is before you can apply for a work permit).

You should assume there's a very high chance you won't be able to work until after you've applied for PR and have an open work permit. So you're looking at a wait of around 16 months after you get to Canada before you can work. If you want to go through with this and go the common law route, you need to be prepared to effectively sit around and do nothing for 16 months.

Thanks again! is common law guaranteed?

 

[WestboundOasis]

As Scylla mentioned, it is not impossible to get, but very hard to get as a foreign national. Jobs are prioritized for citizens/PR holders first before being offered to foreigners. One of the first things an employer will ask for is your SIN, if you do not have a SIN, it will be a no go from the start. So if you go thru the hiring process without telling them you do not have a work permit/or authorization, the time will be wasted

Looks like common law will be the (while longer) easiest route for me then, no? My girlfriend is on board for it.

 

[canuck78]

Make sure you are gathering documentation to prove that you are living together like joint lease, mail at that address from when you move in throughout the whole 1 years, etc.

 

[WestboundOasis]

Make sure you are gathering documentation to prove that you are living together like joint lease, mail at that address from when you move in throughout the whole 1 years, etc.

How can I get mail there and have a joint lease if I have no money and cannot work?