cappuccino

Someone asked me this today and I had no idea, so thought I would ask you clever lot.

Couple met here in NZ, fell in love and want to get married.

She is Canadian but with Permanent Residency (since early last year),
He is British, here on a WTR - talent visa (since January)

They want to get married soon but wonder how that could affect their status in immigration's eyes.

Can she now sponsor him to be a permanent resident or should he still wait the 2 years to apply on his own merit? When she is eligible for citizenship, can she include him in her application?

Persephone

Since both of them are on valid permits then I wouldn't have thought there would be a problem with their immigration status if they want to get married

They would still need to have lived together for 12m for her to sponsor his residency application anyway so I suppose it depends on whether he wants to get residency slightly sooner than he would on his WTR permit. They can only have lived together for 7m at the most-that's assuming they moved in together as soon as he got here
There can't be that much time difference between waiting for him to get PR in his own right and her sponsoring him, depending on when they start/started living together?? I'm not sure about the citizenship part- I'm sure you need to have lived in NZ as a permanent resident for 5y before you can become a citizen even if you are married to one [she will be eligible well before him]
Best of luck to the happy couple!!
Sue

Am Loolah

I think you are right Sue,

I have to be a Permanent Resident for 5 years even though Hubby's a Kiwi and kids are "by descent" before I can apply for Citizenship. Can't wait - halfway there!

Persephone

That means I'm 15% of the way there already....

The next 51 months will just fly by