bigyin4891

Hello,

My name is Scott and I am currently 36 years old, I have met an amazing Canadian that I truly want to spend my life with and I'm currently looking to move to Edmonton Alberta to be with him.
I must admit to feeling overwhelmed and I wanted to go the route of applying for a work visa then follow that up with a permanent residency visa going down the common law route. I know of a couple that done this and it worked out for them just fine.
I'm confused as it seems you need to have a job offer before applying for the Visa, this can take up to 5 weeks from what I've been told about the timescales so I was wondering if you could apply for a work visa without a job and then if I get a job offer (albeit from an accepted employee) I could let them know I have my visa ready to go. I thought this would be a better way forward and I know of people that have gone without jobs and proceeded to become employed after arrival but I presume this is maybe older rules?

I hope there's someone in the know out there that can point me in the right direction as I'm very confused and I really just want to be with my partner of 2 years. Coronavirus as kept us apart for long enough and I have a Law Degree and work for EE with 17 years experience. I have decades of work ahead of me and I hope I'm not already too old.

Many thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide and hoping everyone is well and safe.

Scott.

DandNHill

I have no idea about visas. Been here 10 years so not up to date. I wouldn’t think you were too old yet. Hubby and I were 44 and 47 when we made the move.
if you’ve already been together for two years could get married?

christmasoompa

Sounds like older rules, or possibly just something you're not eligible for i.e. the IEC visa which is an open work permit (no job offer required), but only for those aged 30 and under. I can't see any way you'd qualify for an open work permit from what you've said, so yes, you'd need a job offer to get a work permit. As well as a job offer, you'd need a LMIA. This is something the employer has to apply for (cost of $1000 to them), to prove that they have advertised the job across Canada and been unable to find a Canadian willing, or able, to do the job. The LMIA generally takes around 3 months, once you've got that you can apply for the work permit.

What do you do for a job?

And I second the suggestion above, a wedding would certainly help! I'll get my hat.

Will_PA

Given his law degree and work experience couldn’t he go down the Express Entry route?

OP this means you apply for PR, not work permit.

I moved here as a spouse of a Canadian so not an expert in vocational streams.

There are points calculators for EE - perhaps google and let us know on here how many points you have?

PS finding work once you’re here is no easy task, whole new network you have to build, etc.

Will_PA

Here’s a link - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...d-workers.html

See if you get 67 points. If so, there’s another points calculator after that. And then a load more bureaucracy. But that’s your first taste of Canada.

Siouxie

Perhaps better to use the instructions in our Wiki (kindly prepared by Christmasoompa) - with links to the official website calculators and an explanation to using them..
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick..._by_step_guide

The OP would need to be scoring 460+ to be in with a chance of getting an invitation to the EE pool.. unless they can qualify for one of the Provincial Nominee streams..

A law degree would give points but to practice law the OP would need to obtain Provincial Certification, a long drawn out process. The OP doesn't say what type of work they have been undertaking - so the next step could be to ascertain their NOC, if they intend to apply for Express Entry, and also discover if there are many opportunities in Alberta....

JamesM

The two year thing has gone now under the Liberals.

Anyone can pretty much sponsor anyone but you have some liabilities for 3 years.

Siouxie

There are very specific people who can be sponsored under the Family Class, not 'anyone'. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html

There is no longer a requirement to reside with the sponsoring spouse for 2 years after landing as a Permanent Resident to retain or convert to full PR status, a good thing indeed..

The financial liability depends on who is being sponsored.. anything from 3 years (spouse) to 20 years (parent) . https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpce...um=1355&top=14.

JamesM

I know a guy who was sponsored by a spouse and they had only dated a month. That has nothing to do with Family Class. You just have to bank roll an immigration lawyer.

christmasoompa

A lawyer makes no difference. Getting married after only a month of dating is a bold move though!

Siouxie

A spouse IS Family class... and an immigration lawyer (Immigration Consultant) makes not one iota of difference - either you meet the requirements and have the proof of genuine relationship or you don't..

Brave couple!

JamesM

You don't have to get married- you just have to get them to agree to sponsoring you.

There is no 2 year requirement anymore.

The items they tie one down on for 3 years are quite dubious so it is not the risk one would think.

It has also opened up Canada's immigration more than people think.

JamesM

Not really.

She sponsored him after a couple of months and he got the desired visa approximately 6 months later.

Siouxie

If you are not married then you have to live together 'as if married' (with documented proof) for a minimum of a consecutive 12 months before being considered Common Law partners - and yes, they do check.
Perhaps read the official word if you have doubts as to the truth of this.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ationship.html

DaveLovesDee

I'm not up to date on the visa rules either, but this is more of a moral support post....

After I was required to leave Canada because my ex-wife in the UK refused to allow our kids (who weren't immigrating with me) refused to allow the kids to have the required medicals (which I would organise, get them taken to, and paid for) because one of her family members insisted that it was to take the kids without her consent. I left in Feb 2011, and my Canadian wife needed to stay in Canada for family reasons, so other than for a 6-month visit in May 2012, we were apart until April 2014. We made it work, so can you.

Find programs and movies you both like, find times you can watch them together or the same day in your separate countries, and talk about them. It's hard, i'll admit that, but we've been married 14 years last week. Good luck.