charlie9

Hi ... after hours of reading threads and cic links , I need advice on what route to take , I have found a few threads very similar to me only these people already living in Canada on all kinds of different visas , my story is we are in the 5th year of a long distance relationship,(she is Canadian) with me visiting Canada mostly she has visited me in uk a few times ,now we are looking at me selling my home in uk and moving to Canada and getting married summer 2015 , but I need to know am I being stupid and just adding years to process and not be allowed to work in Canada , should we get married asap? not what we had planned, what visa should I apply for to be able to live and work in Canada as just being married doesn't give me any right to work , I guess we would use the spousal sponsor visa , I don't have a skill that's in short supply so no job sponsor, what visa would allow me to work ,live with girlfriend get married and become permanent, tourist ,twp ???? just want the easiest, please note it could take months to sell property and business in uk , I have found a very close thread to mine only guy already in Canada on visa and met Canadian girl so he already on a visa

Zoe Bell

Get married
Spouse sponsors you for PR
Doesn't get any easier
See wiki for more details

SchnookoLoly

Ack... okay for future posts, try to break up the post a bit! I had to read this a few times to get my head around it!

A few things.

1) There are a bucket of different routes to getting into Canada, so have a read of the wiki for the most common ones (TWP, IEC, CEC, etc) and familiarise yourself with those.

2) You don't say your age, but if you are 30 or under, then IEC is probably the easiest and quickest. You've missed the boat for this year, but the program will reopen in December/January. If it's going to take you a few months to get everything lined up then that might be an option.

3) Family Class is otherwise the quickest option, but if you aren't married and are doing long distance, then this will be tough. If you want to apply but aren't married then the only option is common-law, but you have to be living together for 12 months unbroken before you qualify. So you could get married sooner and then apply after you're married, but it depends if you want to go down that route or not. If you did choose to do that, you'd have your PR in about 6-7 months. (If you got married next month, you'd probably have PR by the end of the year.)

4) You don't say what area you work in, just that it's not in high demand so I'm guessing an LMO/TWP is likely not an option for you.

Hope that helps a bit...

charlie9

thanks for quick answers and yes my first go at writing here did get a bit confusing, what I am trying to say is if I stick to summer 2015 wedding as planned it will be an age till I get PR and be able to work in Canada , we would like to keep to dates as GF has sick child who should be well by next summer ,but I might be able to be live in Canada sooner ,but I would have to live on savings as I couldn't work what I am asking is there a way I could move here work then get married as planned 2015 and then use spouse sponsor visa, also I am 52 but the area she lives is remote so I would probably get labouring work on farms till iam able to retrain or buy a business.

Aviator

Find an employer who could get a positive LMO for you to get a TWP. It would still take several months once an employer is found who wants to do this. Labouring on a farm is an unlikely option for this, unless you are a skilled farmer with farm management experience. Some fast food stores have LMOs already approved.

charlie9

thank you experts, it looks like its marriage earlier than planned, then spousal sponsor as this will start the process and I can stay in uk earning , and dealing with sale of property, car,ect ect also I have a friend just doing all that as I write this, so they will go through everything and I will just do the same only they will no all the pit falls and websites dr for medical and other problems , they are using lawyer but I guess with the info i get of them I should be able to save on that expense, shame GF wanted summer wedding and big party at house outside wedding on lawn thanks again ,and any more info would be helpful as haven't given up on other routes yet..

Zoe Bell

Spousal is bar far the easiest and fastest route, IMO trying to find another route would be a waste of time effort and money.
As for the summer wedding, get married now ( simplest and cheapest ceremony possible) and then have the "real wedding" complete with party at your leisure.
A lot of people who need to be married for immigration purposes do this.

You don't need a lawyer there are many people on here who have gone this route.
Read the wiki and ask about anything you don't understand.

SchnookoLoly

I agree with Zoe - don't waste your money on an immigration lawyer. Your case is straight-forward and simple - any questions you have can be asked of the people on this forum.

And as Zoe said, lots of people have simpler weddings up front and then have proper weddings later. So just do something small for now if it's not in your budget to do it properly, and then plan your "proper" wedding next summer with the big lawn party and all the rest of that. It's maybe not quite ideal, but it's the option that jumps the most hurdles.

Print out the forms and start filling them in by hand - guaranteed you'll come across questions, so just give it a go and post back when you get stuck.

charlie9

thank you guys , that is the option we shall take, how soon I don't know as I said in earlier post GF son is quite ill and will take months till fully recovered, there is just a question concerning spousal sponsor , would I be giving myself problems or making things easier by getting a bank accounts, buying a car ,or anything along those lines , I cant quite stretch to buying property , showing commitment to spouse and Canada or would I be giving my self problems when it comes to apply and fill out forms? and thanks again guys , I hope one day to give people good advice and help like you do in the coming years

SchnookoLoly

The application will take 6-7 months to process from the time you apply - have a look at the spreadsheet in my signature. You'll then be issued your COPR, which will have an expiry date on it - you have to land in Canada by that date. However, you don't have to STAY in CAnada from that date... read the wiki about how to maintain your PR status. Just because you aren't ready to move yet doesn't mean you can't get your application started.

So have a quick wedding, file your application, and let the process run its course. If you applied in May you'd probably have PR around the end of the year. Your landing document (COPR) will be valid one year from when you had your medicals, so if you do medicals just before applying, you'll have until May 2015 to land. All that means is that you have utnil May 2015 to physically enter Canada... you can do that and then turn around and fly right back out if you want. There's no requirement to MOVE then, just to show up in Canada and be like "hey I'm here! Make me a PR please!"

To maintain your PR status after that, you have to EITHER:
a) be physically present for 730 days in a 5 year period in Canada, OR
b) be living abroad with your Canadian spouse

So if you weren't ready to move, you could just go to Canada, land, then come back to the UK, and as long as you and your wife-to-be continue living together your PR is active and cool and good to go. Even if you take 5 years to move, you can renew it with no problems because you have stayed living with your wife.

Hopefully that takes some stress off you in terms of timing!

Siouxie

Don't forget the OP will likely have conditional PR and as such will be required to reside with his spouse for 2 years after becoming a PR. This 'may' have an impact if the OP wanted to return to the UK on his own for any length of time.

SchnookoLoly

Good call - I had it in my head that the girlfriend was in the UK, not in Canada. So yes, would actually need to move pretty swiftly!!

Siouxie

It was easily missed

SchnookoLoly

Hehe yep I went back to read it and found that! Definitely awesome that you flagged it though - thanks! - as this circumstance is definitely important when it comes to the OP applying.

charlie9

thank you again for info, and again sorry for me not making things clear, we have talked and I am visiting my GF in Canada in a few weeks we will go to city hall and apply for marriage and fill in forms and have a wedding in early august, now I know I don't have to apply down the spousal route immediately as I now know its going to take roughly 7 months from applying , but what I want to know is when I do and PR is granted will I not be able to leave Canada for 2 years ?? ,as I might have unfinished business back home , or be a proper Canadian and have a winter week in cuba , or a days shopping trip to states, I am sure I will be bombarding you over the coming months, I printed of all the forms this afternoon to go through and like advised answer using pen, ready for the day