Well this is the most confusing process ever

[cantthink278]

Hello all.

I came here because I have absolutely no idea what to do. You google things, ask friends in Canada, and it just seems so impossible to do this. A little more than 3 years ago I met a girl on the internet, and a year and a half ago we decided to pursue eachother. We have been in a relationship for that long and its been great. I am from New York, she is from Kingston ON. I have visited her 3 times in the past year for a total of 3 months + an extra week or so. She will be coming to visit me in NY for the first time next month.

I made the decision that I do not want to live here anymore. Since I have moved to the new part of NY that I am in, I have had absolutely nothing but bad experiences, losing friends, and just overall massive amounts of stress. I had weight loss surgery a little over a year ago so I had to take time off from life/work to get myself prepared for it with tests, etc. Now I am just hopping from Min. wage job to min. wage job because thats all that is available in the area I am in.

I want to become a Canadian citizen. I would like to move to kingston with my GF and settle down with her there. I love everything about Canada, I still think about it every day since I have been home. I dont know what it was, but I felt like I was at home. Problem with that is? Becoming a Canadian citizen is ridiculously hard and I dont even know where to get started. I have went to the website and I have no idea what to do. I do not have any labor skills, I am just a computer geek who knows computers inside and out. I do not have any schooling but a high school diploma and maybe half a year at a community college. I know my girlfriend could sponser me, but that means I cant work for 2 years? Which is absolutely nuts, and because I cant work for 2 years I wouldnt have any health insurance correct? Im not sure if this helps at all but having been there for a few months I did make friends with alot of her friends. I now know a mechanic, a roofer, another person that does construction and manual labor. I doubt knowing these people would help but you never know.

I just need some help. To be honest I dont know what to do anymore, I need to know what my best options would be here. I have been reading and thinking about taking up college courses again because it seems like the only way to do this at this point. I would prefer not to as I would have to take out yet another loan for school and cant really afford that, but I have no choice.

I really need help. If there was a phone number I could call I would just do that, but theirs so much scrambled information here out on the web that it all looks like another language to me at this point.

Im really sorry if this is the wrong forum, I am just so distressed right now from trying to figure out what I have to do to be able to move to Canada and I am desperate for answers. If anybody has any sort of information or help, a way I could get into the country without schooling or some sort of labor skill, or even if you have options that do require schooling...I just need any and all advice right now. Thank you all I really appreciate your time and patience with me.


TLDR: Dating Canadian for little over 1 1/2 years, im from NY she is in Kingston ON. Visited her in Canada for a total of a little more than 3 months. I have a high school diploma, no labor skills or college and trying to move to her. Not sure what to do, need advice big time.

 

[CanV]

Not sure where you got the "2-year no work authorization and no health card"? Thats not true. As soon as you become a permanent resident, you can work for any employer in Canada. Health card you get after 3 months of residing in Ontario. Some provinces, like Alberta, there is no waiting period for health card.

I think your best option, given your circumstances, is to be sponsored by your wife. With your highest level of education I believe it is hard to qualify as a skilled worker or a provincial nominee.

Sponsorship routine applications take anywhere between 6-18 months, depending on where you apply. As a US, and residing in the US, you have to options. One is to apply from the US embassy/consulate in the US AFTER a your wife is approved to sponsor you. It is basically a 2-step process. First your wife applies to sponsor you, takes 1-2 months of processing time, then if approved, you apply in the Canadian embassy/consulate in the US. I am not sure which visa office is taking care of sponsorship applications there now. The second step is longer than the first step.

Option two is to apply for sponsorship from within Canada. I am not sure if this is faster but I doubt it. Keep in mind though if you choose the second option then you cannot work and you do not qualify for provincial health coverage. You also should not leave Canada during the process, as this could indicate that you abandoned your application.

I personally would go for the first option. It will give you more flexibility with traveling and processing time is the same or possibly less.

 

[cantthink278]

Not sure where you got the "2-year no work authorization and no health card"? Thats not true. As soon as you become a permanent resident, you can work for any employer in Canada. Health card you get after 3 months of residing in Ontario. Some provinces, like Alberta, there is no waiting period for health card.

I think your best option, given your circumstances, is to be sponsored by your wife. With your highest level of education I believe it is hard to qualify as a skilled worker or a provincial nominee.

Sponsorship routine applications take anywhere between 6-18 months, depending on where you apply. As a US, and residing in the US, you have to options. One is to apply from the US embassy/consulate in the US AFTER a your wife is approved to sponsor you. It is basically a 2-step process. First your wife applies to sponsor you, takes 1-2 months of processing time, then if approved, you apply in the Canadian embassy/consulate in the US. I am not sure which visa office is taking care of sponsorship applications there now. The second step is longer than the first step.

Option two is to apply for sponsorship from within Canada. I am not sure if this is faster but I doubt it. Keep in mind though if you choose the second option then you cannot work and you do not qualify for provincial health coverage. You also should not leave Canada during the process, as this could indicate that you abandoned your application.

I personally would go for the first option. It will give you more flexibility with traveling and processing time is the same or possibly less.

Thank you SO MUCH for your response. To be honest, I have gotten so much information off of the internet that I must have taken false information. I assumed it was 2 years by all that I read but its good to know its different. All I had to do was make my one post and you have given me so much more information than I have been able to find. I appreciate it so much CanV.

So option one definitely seems to be the best bet, but I did see you say something about #2 I would not be able to work or qualify for provincial health coverage. Are you saying with option #1, that while I am being sponsored I would be allowed to live in Canada and be able to not only work but also get health insurance at the same time? Or are you saying I would have to wait in the USA until the application goes through?

I am so glad I am getting information now, really helps to brighten my day considering how much of a hard time I have been having.

 

[CanV]

If you are sponsored while you are outside Canada then its a 3-step process.
1. Your wife, who lives in Canada, applies to sponsor you, who lives abroad. Application is sent to a processing centre in Canada. You should avoid visiting Canada until she is approved.
2. You apply to the visa office in the US. This is an application for permanent resident. You are not a permanent resident until this is approved. You may visit your wife while this is in process but you should make them short trips. You do not qualify for work permit or health coverage before this is approved and you land.
3. Once your application is approved, a permanent resident visa will be issued to you. This visa has an expiration date. You must "land" in Canada before the expiration date. Landing simply means your cross the border, by air or land, and seek admission as a permanent resident, by showing the officer the visa, along with other documents, and indicating you are "landing". Once approved the officer will stamp below the visa and indicate write the date of admission. At this point you are a permanent resident and you may seek employment right away. Your PR card will be sent in mail to the address you provide when you land. This may take 2 months. You will be eligible for health coverage after 3 months of residing in Ontario. You may apply to receive the card before but you will not be eligible for coverage until 3 months have passed.

 

[jes_ON]

To clarify a few things -

CanV mentioned options for family class sponsorship - for that you would have to be MARRIED. Canada is rather generous in their definition, allowing for "common-law" spouses, but you have to prove that you've been cohabitating for at least 1 year.

Family class options (for anyone, not just USA) are for outland and inland and sponsorship - CanV's first option is "outland" and 2nd option is "inland."

Outland applications are usually processed faster, but yes, you would have to wait outside of Canada. And your Visa Office would be New York, which is currently showing 2nd stage processing times of 33 months (tied with Islamabad for the longest processing time!). Inland applications take longer (at least the sponsorship application), but allow you to apply for an open work permit after the sponsorship application has been approved and your application (2nd stage) has reached an "approval in principal" stage. Overall processing looks to be shorter inland than Outland@NY.

As a US citizen, you can "visit" Canada for up to 6 months at a stretch without a permit. You could exit and re-enter for another 6 months. As a visitor, you cannot be employed in Canada, but you can (a) commute to the USA to work or study (You don't say where in NY you are, but Watertown looks to be about an hour from Kingston), or (b) telecommute (again, US employer, or self-employed with US-based clients). You can also do online studies without a study permit. Binational work & taxes get very very complicated, so I'm not necessarily recommending it.

Studying may be expensive, but it would have multiple benefits and would be your safest bet. In addition to getting a credential that you don't have yet, it would be a foot in the door in the Canadian job market. And, if you complete a 2 year program at a college (like a community college), you would be eligible for a 3-year post-graduate work permit. There are other Ontario immigration programs as well (if you earn a 4 year degree), but these are always subject to change, it is hard to say what your options would be 2 years from now.

Perhaps most importantly - if you go the student route, it would take the pressure off of your relationship.

 

[CanV]

I wasnt sure if you qualify for work permit when you apply inland. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Goldline]

Guys , you re giving this gentlemen tooooooooooo much information. All he needs to know is this. In order for him to come LEGALLY to live in Canada and enjoy all the benefits he needs to MARRY his girlfriend. Why talk about studying in Canada, health care......work permit work visa........ Just make it simple. The guy said he doesn't have a high diploma or big experience to be admitted as a foreign worker so the only and BEST option for him is to marry his girl friend and she will sponsor him. In the meantime he can come to Canada for up to 6 months as a visitor. By the way, someone said he can't visit her or maybe he can only come for short visits while applying for PR status. Where did u read that? Absolutely wrong. As a us citizen he can freely come to Canada to visit.
Sorry for the long post.

 

[cantthink278]

Guys , you re giving this gentlemen tooooooooooo much information. All he needs to know is this. In order for him to come LEGALLY to live in Canada and enjoy all the benefits he needs to MARRY his girlfriend. Why talk about studying in Canada, health care......work permit work visa........ Just make it simple. The guy said he doesn't have a high diploma or big experience to be admitted as a foreign worker so the only and BEST option for him is to marry his girl friend and she will sponsor him. In the meantime he can come to Canada for up to 6 months as a visitor. By the way, someone said he can't visit her or maybe he can only come for short visits while applying for PR status. Where did u read that? Absolutely wrong. As a us citizen he can freely come to Canada to visit.
Sorry for the long post.

Its ok. I am not going to Marry her yet as much as I love her, thats something I want to come naturally and not forced just to live together. I DO have a High School diploma also. After reading all the information I think I am going to take some classes in Canada, apply to work for a few years after I graduate, and as Im working apply for citizenship

 

[CanV]

Guys , you re giving this gentlemen tooooooooooo much information. All he needs to know is this. In order for him to come LEGALLY to live in Canada and enjoy all the benefits he needs to MARRY his girlfriend. Why talk about studying in Canada, health care......work permit work visa........ Just make it simple. The guy said he doesn't have a high diploma or big experience to be admitted as a foreign worker so the only and BEST option for him is to marry his girl friend and she will sponsor him. In the meantime he can come to Canada for up to 6 months as a visitor. By the way, someone said he can't visit her or maybe he can only come for short visits while applying for PR status. Where did u read that? Absolutely wrong. As a us citizen he can freely come to Canada to visit.
Sorry for the long post.

Good luck convincing the officer in your second visit that you are only in the country "visiting" after you had spend 6 months in your first "visit". Thanks for reading out the laws to us, but we already know them. The officer can, and most likely will, refuse entry if at any time he/she believe the visitors may violate the temporary residence admission.

 

[Goldline]

Its ok. I am not going to Marry her yet as much as I love her, thats something I want to come naturally and not forced just to live together. I DO have a High School diploma also. After reading all the information I think I am going to take some classes in Canada, apply to work for a few years after I graduate, and as Im working apply for citizenship

Going to school in Canada for a non resident will cost u a fortune, also"working in Canada" does not mean you can apply for citizenship later on. You need to be PERMANENT RESIDENT for a few years to qualify for citizenship. Again I still think the best option is marriage, but I don't know about your circumstances so I'm just suggesting.

 

[cantthink278]

Going to school in Canada for a non resident will cost u a fortune, also"working in Canada" does not mean you can apply for citizenship later on. You need to be PERMANENT RESIDENT for a few years to qualify for citizenship. Again I still think the best option is marriage, but I don't know about your circumstances so I'm just suggesting.

Yeah its really difficult but I just would prefer not to do marriage yet. If its the only choice I have than obviously I will have to consider it but right now I am looking at any and all other options. I am going to contact the school and figure out prices. This is what I mean though, it seems so freaking difficult just to figure all of this out. I dont know what my best options are. CanV's options were great but if thats only for a married couple than I dont know how that would work. I dont know if I could apply for a student visa that would allow me to stay for longer than 6 months, because if I can than I can stay with her for long enough of a time that it would be considered common-law at that point correct? Just trying to figure out anything other than the big M word right now lol. I appreciate all of your responses though its helping me figure it out but still so confusing.

 

[alphazip]

If you just visit Canada, you can stay for up to 6 months, but you can't legally work. If you get a student visa, you can stay as long as your classes last (4 years?) and you can work. (See here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-offcampus.asp) However, going to a Canadian university would be quite expensive. There are also colleges, which (at least, in Ontario) are geared toward learning a trade. Once you live 1 year with your girlfriend (be sure to have a lot of evidence, such as a joint rental agreement, etc.), she could sponsor you for permanent residence. If you do get married, you don't have to wait the year.

 

[jes_ON]

I dont know if I could apply for a student visa that would allow me to stay for longer than 6 months, because if I can than I can stay with her for long enough of a time that it would be considered common-law at that point correct? Just trying to figure out anything other than the big M word right now lol. I appreciate all of your responses though its helping me figure it out but still so confusing.

Some info about studying in Canada:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-before.asp
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-changes.asp

Yes it is expensive, so hopefully you can find something that you really want to do. Your permit would last as long as the study program (e.g. a two year program = 2 year permit) but attendance is monitored.

 

[cantthink278]

Yeah im not sure what I am going to do at this point. It doesnt seem like I have many options. Its pretty much spend a ton of money and go to school out there, or get married to her and be sponsored. I am not sure really what I can do at this point anymore and its extremely frustrating. I understand that its not supposed to be an easy process to move to another country (even though its just a 5 hour drive from me) but im really losing all hope the more I read about it. I love Canada, the times I visited there I really enjoyed everything about it but this is just bringing me down big time and not sure how I am going to make this happen anymore.

 

[on-hold]

Yeah im not sure what I am going to do at this point. It doesnt seem like I have many options. Its pretty much spend a ton of money and go to school out there, or get married to her and be sponsored. I am not sure really what I can do at this point anymore and its extremely frustrating. I understand that its not supposed to be an easy process to move to another country (even though its just a 5 hour drive from me) but im really losing all hope the more I read about it. I love Canada, the times I visited there I really enjoyed everything about it but this is just bringing me down big time and not sure how I am going to make this happen anymore.

Foreign countries are like that -- it is never easy to find work on one, education is always expensive, and they put pressure on relationships because marriage is the only way around the obstacles. You mention that you know something about computers -- if you could find some sort of code work or something else that can be done from home (from an American company), I believe it would be legal for you to live in Canada for 6 months and do that. At least that way you could test your relationship in real life. The thing is, though, it's getting harder even to immigrate to Canada -- in the late 1990s it was quite simple for Americans; when my wife and I applied the Foriegn Skilled Worker program was almost like applying to college (meet the criteria, you're admitted); now it's a lot tougher on every hand. I will say that at least for us, it has been worth it -- in my opinion, Canada is a wonderful place to live, and worth making a plan to achieve.