Hello All,

Soon my husband and I will be departing the UK for good. My husband is relocating back to Canada (has citizenship) and I am essentially going with him as a visitor until my Permanent Residency application is hopefully approved.

I was just wondering if anyone out there has done this, and how they found this form of living? Not be able to work, not having status etc.? Any tips and advice?

Thanks in advance!!

Hi,

Ive been here on a vistors visa since September this year waiting for my PR to be granted. (although Im literally on my to the airport now to get home and spend some time with my folks for christmas.. yipee!).

I enjoyed the two months not working, its a chance to get to know where you will be living (Toronto for me) and to spend time to yourself enjoying things without the stress of working or even worse, looking for work.

I'd suggest you do some volunteering or if you can, do a short course of study. (there are some visa limitations here - ie you cant do a course for longer than 6 months i think... someone here can verify)

Its hard not having the social side of work and there is a danger that one could totally rely on the partner for that side of life. finding some sort of activity is a must i think.

On a visitors visa you can only stay for 6 months. If you don't have a return flight to the uk within 6 months they may deny you entry

network, network, network
when that visa comes you have the contacts in place.!

Thanks for the advice! It helps to know there are others out there in the same situation.

Once we are settled I plan to do some volunteering, should get me out of the house and meeting people. I think I am most worried about my husband having a social life with people at work, and I am stuck home all day only having the cat to talk to

Yup got a return flight back to the UK. Hopefully they let me in

I was the same, my husband was returning to Canada after 17 years and I came on a visitor visa to start with. I was in the process of getting transfer within the company I worked for the UK but nothing was finalised. However, after 2 months I got the transfer and a temporary work permit sorted so I can work while I start the application for PR. Incidentally, I didn't have a return flight booked and they let me in no problem on the condition I knew I had to go at the end of the 6 months.

So I had 2 months of being alone in a new country and city (Toronto) and the time flew by with getting to know the area, looking at places to live, sorting all the little things out that you take for granted at home. I don't know what I'd do if I had longer out of work, PR can take a while to come through so it's best to have a plan of action. A friend moved to the states a few years ago and had a long wait for a green card, she volunteered at a dog shelter (even though strictly speaking she wasn't supposed to).

It can be daunting, moving away from everything and it may well make your relationship stronger as you're both discovering everything together. You have to take all opportunities that come your way and force yourself out of your comfort zone!

I came over from Scotland in Oct 2006, my husband went to London to pay for visas, himself a work visa, kids study visas and myself a visitor one instead of a work one, never let a man do a womans job lol. Anyway we got our paperwork finalised at YVR upon entry which is not recommended but we had been told we could do by an immigration agency. We all got 2 year visas instead of the expected 1year including my visitor visa! I was able to change it to a work visa very easily when my husband changed employers and had to change his work visa as employer was on it as a sponsor. Was just a case of going over the border and getting it approved coming back into Canada at border.

Sorry if I am repeating what has gone before but thought i would tag onto this thread. I am going out to Canada next year sometime (feb-apr) and have not applied for my pr yet as we sold our house much quicker than i thought and didn't get round to it. My husband is canadian and kids have citizenship so just leaves me. I have all the relevant forms but haven't filled them out yet and my worry is if i start the process here i will be gone by the time it comes through. My question is if i apply in canada for pr then how long does it take and when can i start working? i have read it can take up to 18 months to get your pr this way as opposed to 2-3 months from the UK. Any advice gratefully received.

Emma