jakebhatt

Hi,

I have a couple of questions about the visitors visa, I got a pass for 6 months to end in july, but I came back to the UK after 1 month of that visitors visa, to get my working visa, If I do not receive a working holiday visa for whatever reason, I was planning on going back again in March, will they allow me to have another 6 months, so I am able to see my girlfriend?

thanks

christmasoompa

Nobody can tell you for sure unfortunately, it's up to the immigration officer on the day.

Remember that it's up to six months, so you may be given less.

victorfoxtrot

Christmasoompa is right, however in my experience I've always been given 6 months (even if I didn't need it). I came over last July having quit my job to be with my canadian boyfriend. My initial 'visit' was 6 weeks as I had a wedding in the UK to go back for. I re-entered Canada after an absence of 3 weeks in late Sept, and they gave me the full 6 months. I'm about to submit my online application to extend it. My advice would be to tell the truth, so on the landing form when it asks how long you are staying, write on it that it is 180 days. All they asked me was whether I was employed (no), and whether I had funds to support myself - which I did and I presented my bank statement. I think you need $10,000 CAD per 6 month visit. I think there might be issues if you cannot prove you are able to financially support yourself, or if you can't show a return ticket or a reason to head back to the UK.

jakebhatt

Thanks, that has helped me a lot, looks like I will have to get a return ticket then , thank you

jakebhatt

Thank you, I am going to have to find a sponsor or just purchase my return.

victorfoxtrot

if you can't prove you have enough funds to support yourself for the 6 months, then most definitely get a return ticket that proves you will leave - or some other reason to return - but they could still give you fewer than 6 months. It's still worth the risk though and to be honest it all depends on the immigration officer you get. Last time I came over, she asked me who I was visiting, I said my boyfriend, and she asked 'why did I want to stay so long', and I just responded truthfully and said, that it was the only option we had if we wanted to be together. She smiled, said I was lucky to be a lady of leisure and stamped my passport. You can never predict it.

christmasoompa

A return ticket is usually cheaper than a one way anyway if that's any consolation.

THEBOLD

hi i came last july for 6 months, had bank statement with me. they did not ask to see it or even ask me how much i had. i also had one years medical insurance and they did not ask to see that. all they asked was the address where we were going, and how long we intended to s tay. they didnt ask to see our return tickets either. they asked about had we been arrested or in jail in the uk. i think if you tell the truth its always better as in the future if you do apply to stay whatever you tell them in immigration is recorded on computer. they gave us 6 months.i haveapplied for an extension. if you stay longer apply for an extension at least 2 months before you have to leave as we have been waiting since dec 14 and it is now feb 16 and we still dont know.

mandymoochops

FYI if you have a visitor visa that ends - say on april 1st, the best thing to do is apply for an extension as close to that time as possible - so submit it to get to CIC about a week before your current one ends.

Reason?

Visitor extensions I think are taking around 4 months to approve / deny - but whilst they are in the process of deciding - if yours runs out you are on whats called implied status until a decision is made.

So if its a negative decision at least you've had as much possible time as you can, if its positive then thats ok then!

so basically THEBOLD don't worry if you don't hear before your current one expires, you won't be required to leave the country - you'll be on implied status until such time comes when you get the letter saying whether you've been granted an extension or not.

THEBOLD

Hi good idea! We just did what the immigration advised. But if we extend again will do that as our plane ticket back has gone now anyway. Its such a laughable system as its their fault if your flight back is over as they didnt get back to us on time. In this country you feel like you are in never never land you never know where you stand as the system is too slow. We did call them whilst we have been waiting (2 days before expiry) and they did say about implied status but you just dont want to break any rules. cheers for the advice.

mandymoochops

I think thats why this forum is a haven for good advice, implied status isn't breaking rules - it's perfectly legal. CIC won't offer information, and tbh why would they - they will answer a straightfoward question with a straightforward answer.

InternationalMal

Good Afternoon All,
I hope you don't mind my posting to this question but the topic is very relevant to my question and so I wanted to save asking a fresh.

My Girlfriend (Canadian) and I have been in a relationship since '06 and she lived with me in the UK for a period of time too. Business changed and she had to return home as I didn't have the money to support her.

Fast forward to now, I am looking to move to Canada to be with her. I understand I have two options. Marry her (which we do not want to do for the sake of a visa) or Visitors Visa.

I now understand you can turn up and hopefully get 6 months and hopefully extend. When I make this move I will be able to prove funds and a return ticket.

I understand that I cannot work - but is this definition "Taking a job or money from the Canadian economy?"

I ask because I am fortunate to be building an income via online businesses so my money will be made via the UK so any work I do will be via a UK company and monies will be transferred into Canada via a UK bank account to begin. Would this be allowable?

The other questions I have are regards Bank Accounts - Can I have a Canadian bank account on a visitor visa or is that a no-no...

Would I be able to rent a property with my girlfriend and have bills in my name? Basically - could I start to build a financial history in Canada on a visitor status?

Could I ship all of my furniture over too?

Sorry for all the questions but thank you for your replies in advance and thanks to all the current posts that have already helped me no end!

Mal

THEBOLD

Hi if you are planning on living permanently in canada with your girlfriend and want it to happen quickly it is best if she sponsors you immediately. You cannot be sponsored if you are engaged (you would have to marry) but as a boyfriend you can. Look at www.cic.gc.ca which is the start to applying. Or if she cant sponsor you maybe you want to come in on a skilled worker dependent on your age and profession. You can still go to Canada whilst it is going through. So long as you completely fill in all the forms you shouldnt be called in to london for an interview and if it goes through you just go out of canada to the usa for a day and then come back in to be landed in canada.

We came last year and took all the necessary advice, had return tickets (they didnt look at them), had a years travel insurance (didnt look at that), had a bank statement to proove we had money (only asked about money). They asked my partner did he have a criminal record and did we have any house hold items in our bags. What is our address in the UK (we gave my brothers). Did we have jobs in the UK (we are self employed like yourself internet business). They asked us how long we wanted to stay we asked for 6 months. They asked us what will we do for 6 months and we said travel all over british columbia and stay with friends. They searched our bags and asked us to go in a room and after 15 minutes we were called back in.

We are still in Canada. They gave us 6 months. It is advised to apply to extend at least 4 weeks before it expires. We applied 6 weeks before expiration and we are still waiting (it is now 3 months). Next time we extend we will apply 1 week before it expires (you are then theoretically looking at at least 6 months till they get back to you and you can legally stay as you have applied. I would just say you are coming for a holiday to see your long term girlfriend, 6 months would be nice but longer would be better. You dont plan on taking a job from a canadian, you have funds to support yourself and health insurance and a return ticket. If you are with HSBC they are in canada. I am a canadian citizen they didnt ask to see proof and my partner opened an account as a visitor. They assumed he had moved here permanently. If you have a business in the UK as we do I would advise moving it to HSBC and it will be easier to open an account. If you are a premier customer they will do all the necessary paperwork in the uk and simply open the account and you can just start using it in Canada. It also doesnt cost you anything for transferring money if you are a premier customer and you can view all your accounts at once uk and canada. Suggest you get an international drivers licence whilst in the UK as it will be easier for driving here and you wont have to surrender your uk licence after a certain amount of time. Or take a driving test there and just get a canadian licence (i did that in ontario 20 years ago as a nanny). Take your paper part of your licence and your driving history written from your insurance company - very important as your insurance is higher here without that history. Keep records of all correspondence including phone bills, pictures, travel tickets anything to do with a history with your girlfriend. This is for when you apply. My advice is you are coming in as a visitor, you cannot look like you are going there long term and just keep that in your mind. If you fly with www.canadianaffair.com and pay for the more expensive seats possibly 150 pounds more one way you get 10kgs of luggage extra (it costs 10 pounds per kilo anyway and you only get 20 kilos now). Therefore it is better if you have extra luggage to do that. Hope this helps.

InternationalMal

Thanks for the response!

I don't think she can sponsor me as we've not been living together for the last year so the common-law avenue would not apply sadly.

I've looked at the skilled worker list and also cannot see a requirement for IT workers nor Internet Marketers so again, I think that's not an option.

So at this stage I guess it will be a visitors visa then a renewal of that and then at the year mark I hope we'll then be able to get myself sponsored under the common-law category, unless of course we decide to marry and then that will take us into a different direction but as I said, we don't want to marry just for a bit of paper...

So the restriction on work doesn't count if your business is in the UK then? That's good to know, I'll look into the HSBC account - I don't bank with them but it may be worth switching if it will be easier long term...

Thanks for the reply - That really helped clear up a few points I was unsure of.

THEBOLD

hi you would be a conjugal relationship look at the forms online for outside applications. you have a history together going back, you dont need to get married. You have had a history together and now it has been rekindled.do you have pictures going back in time or any documentation like rent/bill agreements? Look at the expats blogs on immigration very helpful. If she cannot financially sponsor you i would apply through the skilled worker. I know an old man of 70 plus he is english living in canada and a canadian citizen. He is sponsoring a woman he was engaged to when he was 20 in the UK. He has only just started communicating with her since his wife's death - online. He has been over for a visit and she has visited him. They do not live together, it is going through. good luck