petemg

Hi everyone

i'm in need of some help/advice. Basically i'm 26 from england but living in Ireland and have management experience in hotels and store manager in retail. Last year i met the most amazing Canadian girl and we clicked immediately, she spent 6 months in Ireland as part of her college course and over that time we got very close. We ended up getting together and she went back last summer but we have still continued our relationship. Now i have decided i want to move over there and she would like it too. what will be my best/easiest route.

any help appreciated
thanks
Peter

iaink

Whats the total time you have been together?

You seem to be a candidate for either conjugal or spousal type sponsorship, but best bet is to read either the wiki here or the cic website...

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick_...an_Immigration

http://www.cic.gc.ca/

christmasoompa

As Iaink said, if you've lived together for a year or more, you may qualify as her common-law spouse. If not, Bunac? It's a years open work permit for people aged 30 and under for Canada. Would get you over there, and then once you've lived together for that year she can sponsor you for Permanent Residency. The program has closed for this year, but opens again in December and you could then go from February 2011 onwards. Just Google it for info.

Alternatively, there may be another way of getting Permanent Residency before you go - whereabouts in Canada are you wanting to go? You mentioned managing hotels, so it may be worth checking to see if you'd qualify as a Skilled Worker - 'accommodation service managers' are on the list of occupations in demand so if you meet the points score, you could apply for Permanent Residency that way and it only takes around 8 months.

And welcome to the forum.

petemg

Hi Iaink & Christmasoompa

thanks for the info and quick replies, we have been together 8 months but haven't lived together so that would rule out the spouse route for now i guess.

ill have a look in to Bunac and the skilled workers way (i fancy going Ontario as thats where she is) and see how i get on.

if you guys think of anything else that may be helpful then please let me know
thanks again

dannyg1001

You'll probably have to wait until next year for Bunac, but its definitely the quickest, easiest and cheapest route.

If you have a bit of money stashed away, or she would be willing to support you, you could do what my friend did.

His girlfriend was in the UK for 6 months where they met, and then when she came back to Canada he followed on a 6 month holiday visa. Obviously he couldnt work during this time.

He rode out the visa until he got his bunac visa (maybe he renewed the holiday visa at some point I'm not sure), and whilst working on bunac they applied for common law sponsorship. It just about came through in time so that he never had to leave apart from crossing the border to activate the visa's.

SMCNI1968

Do you work for a hotel chain? I've met quite a few British guys in Toronto who work for international groups that got transfers there.

petemg

having looked into it more it seems Bunac is gonna be my best bet for the first year and then see what happens from there, cant apply till December though

im not working in a hotel at the moment SMCNI1986 as i went into retail management but if anyone has any contacts in hotels in canada then that could help.

thanks again