My Common Law Partner has now been given the go-ahead to travel to Vancouver where a work permit will be issued on arrival. Despite giving every bit of evidence to the CIC London they would not have it that we have been partners for 3 1/2 years. They suggest that I go with her as a visitor and it might get sorted out when we land. Another CIC immigration contact we have in Canada has suggested the same and to leave and re-enter the country after 6 months if necessary. This seems a bit messy and loose and not very certain??? Anyone done this or know anybody who has? Is it easy to get married in Canada. Any suggestions (even funny) would be appreciated. Dorftrottel

My friend had some problems when his work permit run out, but he carried on working until his employer gor worried about the matter. He came back to the UK for a few months, but in the meantime had bought a property and let his new girlfriend live there with her kids. In the meantime he applied for a new work permit and came back to Canada as a visitor and he married his girlfriend, and thought it would be ok to work.

How wrong he was, he had to wait for his permit to come through and be posted to an address in the UK. But he carried on working and applied for citizenship because he was married to a Canadian national. It was quite easy for him to get married they just booked the registar office, had the legal ceremony, then they were legally bound. I think the immigration officials asked how long they had been together, and could they proove it. He could proove that they had been together for a while, and met at their work place, and that he had been in Canada for 5 years.

I could be wrong but as your partner is already getting a work permit issued on arrival, and the immigration officials already know that your a couple. I'm no immigration expert, but I'm sure you could just simply get married over here, or over there, but if you get married over here you will have to make your marriage legal in Canada. Might be easier to get Married in Canada, and cut out the red tape and middle man fees. And plus the fact your not intermarrying with a Canadian for legal purposes, so they won't think its a scam marriage. Just be sure this is what you want though, don't just get married just for the immigraton reasons. I don't know why they wouldn't beleive you were partners for 3 1/2 years though.

If you look at some of these immigration agents application forms, they ask if your married, single, divorced, seperated, or defacto partner, I assume they mean common law partner. When I saw this last year when I was considering using one of them , I was quite suprised to see that you no longer had to be married to come as a couple. Anyway going there for six months then coming out, will give you an excuse for a holiday. Either in the UK or the US, if you go to the US, its just a drive down the road from Vancouver and probably cheaper.