jameswales

Is there a limit on the time?

We do hope to marry though within 2 years of living in Canada. Do I then need a different visa?

Also, is the common law partner visa a passport stamp? or some kind of plastic card?

Thanks.

christmasoompa

You won't have a visa as such, you will be a Permanent Resident and therefore be entitled to stay as long as you like (and apply for citizenship once you've spent 3 years there). You will have to keep up your residency obligations though to keep your PR - 730 days out of every 5 years.

Hope that helps.

Judy in Calgary

That's true for most PRs, christmasoompa, but I think jameswales said in another thread that his partner is a Canadian citizen. If that is the case, he'll be different from most other PRs. Once he has become a PR, any day that he spends outside of Canada in the company of his Canadian common law partner or spouse will count as if it was a day spent in Canada, for the purposes of meeting his residency obligation.

The only caveat, jameswales, is that a day you spend outside of Canada in the company of your Canadian common law partner or spouse once you are a permanent resident (PR) will not count towards the residency qualification for a citizenship application.

Christmasoompa was correct in indicating that permanent residency was permanent residency was permanent residency, regardless of how you got it. You'll be getting it via the spousal / common law sponsorship route. Some people get it via the skilled worker route. Some get it via a Provincial Nominee Program. Still others get it via a business class application. And so on.

Once you are a PR, you will get a permanent resident card.
x

jameswales

Great info guys - many thanks.

How much is visa application at the moment?

JAJ

http://www.cic.gc.ca

jameswales

So from this page:http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp

I have calculated a total fee of $550 CAN - is this correct?