Reevokid

Hi everyone,

I followed my heart to Calgary Canada 4.5 years ago to be with a Canadian guy I met in Mexico on holiday. We married and now have a 14 month old baby. It's been quite a journey since I jumped on a plane with 2 suitcases leaving everything I knew in Bristol. Yep unbelievably we are still in love.

I've always missed home and we are now thinking it's time we lived in the U.K for a while so my family can enjoy our daughter. My question is: should I become a citizen before we go? I can apply in May 2017. I'm aware that I'm meant to have intention to stay after becoming a citizen. How strict is this? Do people get citizenship and then take off? Doesn't seem right. Or should we just go for a few years and I retain my PR? We actually probably won't leave until 2018 as we need to save hard to make it happen.

Also

Any advice welcome.

quiltman

I assume you are a British citizen? If so then you have no problem returning, but your husband and daughter will, other than as tourists. I think once you have Canadian citizenship that there is no restriction on travelling and living outside Canada - others with much more knowledge will be along soon. Be aware that if you intend being in UK for some time - as you say "thinking it's time we LIVED in the UK for a while ....- that you would have to sponsor your husband and that's not straightforward. however, As i understand it, your daughter is entitled to a British passport, being born to a UK citizen and if so then certainly apply for it. There is plenty of info on the Wiki here - in blue on top line - regarding coming back to UK with spouse etc. Read it then come back with any other questiopns you may have and you'll be given good advice by those who have done it before you!
Good luck , hope it all works out for you.

TrishP

I would advise getting citizenship, given that you really don't know where you will be in the future with a Canadian spouse and dual citizenship child.
Once you have citizenship, you're free to come and go without any restriction on his long you have to be in the country.
There's plenty of info on the Canada forum on applying for citizenship, but be aware, there is usually quite a delay rom the time of application until actually getting it, about a year.

Reevokid

Thank you for your replys. So if I go back on my PR I will have to come back into the country after 3 years to retain it? Can I retain it this way? Is there a chance they could refuse me reentry and take the PR away?

A year and a half is long time to wait 😓 As I have still 6 months before I reach my 4 year mark. I'm really homesick and my parents aren't getting any younger. I wish for them to see their grandaughter grow up.

Thank you for any advice.

Twitcher1958

There is a residency requirement to maintain Canadian PR (I think it's any two years out of five, looking back) but I think being with your Canadian spouse, out of Canada, counts equally.
Have you looked at the government website? I found this but you need to check further before acting on it:

To maintain your status as a permanent resident, you must live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period. During this time you must be here physically.
The two years may not need to be continuous. An officer can confirm if your time in Canada counts when you:
re-enter Canada, or
apply for a permanent resident card.
Time spent outside Canada may also count towards the two years if you are:
travelling with your spouse or partner who is a Canadian citizen,

Shirtback

Apply for your daughter's British passport:
https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Time spent outside Canada as a PR accompanying Canadian spouse does count towards maintaining PR status (as mentioned above):
How long must I stay in Canada to keep my permanent resident status?

Personally I'd wait and get my Canadian citizenship before moving back. & yes, plenty of people get citizenship then move. There are no penAlties for this.

And lastly (possibly the most difficult part, depending on your circumstances), you'll need to sponsor your husband* to go to the Uk. The financial requirements are quite stringent:
Spouse Immigration-UK : British Expat Wiki

https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...family-members

*Unless he has European ancestry which might qualify him for a European passport/citizenship, or unless he's eligible for an ancestry visa:
https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa/overview

Reevokid

You are lovely people!!!

Thank you for all the information! I did read the spousal sponsorship info and can easily get a job earning over $22'000. I'm a senior graphic designer and my husband is a project manager for a pipe lining company (not oil). I have lots of contacts for my line of work. I left as a successful designer.

I do think it would be best to get my citizenship too but at the same time I wish to have another baby back in the Uk. My body clock is ticking. I'm 38 in January. It will take 12 months minimum from May 2017, so we are looking at late Summer 2018 for moving. I will be the one who has to secure a job and hold it for at least 3 months before I get pregnant again. I will be 40, which is ok but just a bit longer than I expected to wait for another baby. The wonderful thing would to be not so isolated while on maternity leave. My mum and sister would be a car ride away. Rather than sitting in a house in bland Calgary in the middle of winter with no one. I don't want to do that again.
I'm rambling but need too.

I just want to leave. My husband is lovely and I love him but I can't bear another Christmas away from my family. I've been told I'm crazy to go back and that England is awful. I don't see or remember it being awful, I loved my life in England. I just simply fell in love with a Canadian and fancied an adventure. My husband is terrified that he won't be able to provide for us financially. I rambled more.

Maybe we will go and I will realize it's was a big mistake. But if I don't go I will always wonder and I fear it will drive me to depression.

I wonder if there is another woman out there who's tread the same path as me?

brits1

If it were me I would obtain my citizenship as you do seem unsure if staying in the UK is 100% and that's before you are even here lol. I would not take to much notice of being told your crazy, it's something you feel the need to do so try and do it, as you say you had a good life before you left the UK, from my experience people who use to say the same things to me did not usually have such a good life in the UK before they left or had other reasons not to encourage us. What you are both thinking and feeling is normal most of us on this site have gone through the same thoughts and feelings but you have a good start that you both could have good jobs to come back to, family to help. May 2017 is just around the corner, have your paperwork all ready to mail for citizenship as soon as you are eligiable and at the same time start looking for work in the UK and sponsoring your DH, depending how long it takes for Citizenship etc you could be in the Uk by 2017 with good planning. Good luck with everything

Reevokid

You've filled me with optimism, thank you! I'm having some therapy to try and help me feel better. Now that sounds North American lol.

I think I have to do it to find out and then I may feel more at peace. I will wait and get my citizenship as suggested, it will give us freedom and peace of mind. I care for my little family so much and know it's not just about me but at the same time I need to be happy to be a good mummy and wife.

I've made good friends here and have a good job as a art director in an ad agency. I instruct karate at a club who kindly let me join them. I've really tried very hard to create a new life that matches my old life. I just feel disconnected somehow, it will never measure up to the people and community I had around me in the UK. Maybe it would come in time but it's been 4.5 years and of course it will never be the same.

Anyway thank you all and merry Christmas!

christmasoompa

I really don't think it will going on recent timescales - have a look at the Canadian immi section of the forum, here's one recent thread to get you started. http://britishexpats.com/forum/immig...meline-884075/

If you apply as soon as you're eligible in May 2017 (or even sooner if the rules change before that), then you should have citizenship fairly quickly.

Best of luck.

brits1

Hi, You North American you lol , If having therapy is helping you then that's all that matters, heck I would talk to a plank of wood if I thought it would help!!! We also had a "good" life in our new country (Australia) on paper we really could not complain, wonderful home, good friends and great jobs but after years hoping we would feel at "home" that feeling evaded us, we do feel differently here in the UK, it's more like we feel we "belong" which sounds quite "deep" buts that's the only way I can describe how being in the UK feels to us. As I said you can go through all kinds of emotions.

TrishP

According to the cic website, current processing times for those who have yet to apply for citizenship is 12 months.

Danny B

Is it me or have they changed the rules? It now looks as though you only get to keep your PR if your Canadian Citizen spouse is employed by a Canadian business outside of Canada.

The two years may not need to be continuous. An officer can confirm if your time in Canada counts when you:

re-enter Canada, or
apply for a permanent resident card.
Time spent outside Canada may also count towards the two years if you are:

travelling with your spouse or partner who is a Canadian citizen,
a childFootnote 1 travelling with his or her father or mother who is a Canadian citizen,
an employee of (or under contract to) a Canadian business.
It may also count if you are:

travelling with your spouse or partner who is a permanent resident and works full-time for:
a Canadian business, or
the public service of Canada or a province,
a child travelling with his or her father or mother who is a permanent resident and who works full-time for:
a Canadian business, or
the public service of Canada or a province.
an employee of (or under contract to) the public service of Canada or a province and you are on a full-time assignment to:
a position outside Canada,
a partner business outside Canada, or
a client of the Canadian business or the public service outside Canada.

Shirtback

I think it's you . I agree the info page is badly written/formatted.

The bit about being employed by a CDN business applies to PRs & their PR spouses, NOT to PR spouses accompanying CDN spouses living/working outside Canada.

The relevant text for PRs with a Canadian citizen spouse is:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa....asp#appendixA

christmasoompa

That's the average, and based on past processing times (i.e. When there was a huge backlog before the rule changes). But as you can see from the thread I linked to above, it's not taking that long for recent straightforward applications.

I'd be surprised if it took more than 6 months for the OP going on others timelines.