Road To Canada Forums

hello all. i am sure that i am not asking anything new and already by searching through the forum i have been able to start answer some of my questions but ...

i am a uk citizen and will be travelling to canada soon to be with my girlfriend who is canadian. i am going to entering on a tourist visa and have a letter from my current employer stating that i am on sabbatical and bank statements to prove i have the necessary funds to supprt myself whilst 'traveling' in canada. along with a return flight booked at the end of a nearly 6 month period.

we plan to get married within that 6 month period although not immediately as she has just begin a new job in another province and we are essentially setting up house together initially. we will seek legal advice once i am within canada but already from trying to pick my way through the cic site and various other official sites i can find i am just getting more and more confused.

i know that every case is going to be different but is anybody else in similar circumstances to me and what advice would they give me.

for a start i am worried that border control might not even let me into the country! do i lie about my intentions? do i ask my girlfriend to provide me with a letter of invitation? do i prepare a fake itinerary for my 6 month 'trip'? or do i simply say that i am visiting friends (true) and that i want to see as much of the country as i can (also true)?

any advice will be gratefully received as i am increasingly finding myself in a mild state of panic!

You are from a visa-exempt country, so an invitation from your girlfriend is not only unnecessary, it could be problematic. You are "visiting" Canada, you have friends you want to see, and you'd like to travel to see the country. You have a return itinerary, evidence of funds to support yourself, and a letter from your employer that you're on sabbatical. Stick to the story that those evidences demonstrate and you'll be okay. On entry you are required to convince the IO that you have the means and intention to leave at the end of your authorized stay - admitting that you have a Canadian girlfriend only muddies the waters because it causes doubts as to your intention to leave. There's ALWAYS the risk that a foreign national will be refused entry to Canada, but it's not likely in your situation - the worst they might do is decide you don't have sufficient funds to support yourself for almost six months, and limit your stay to less time - but even if they do that, don't get freaked out. Just let it go and simply apply to extend your temporary status once you're in Canada. As long as you're a "qualified PR applicant" by virtue of your marriage BEFORE the status you were given on entry expires, you can do that by mail without having to leave Canada and re-enter. You're going to have to extend your status anyway, even with a PR ap in process, if you want to remain in Canada legally while your PR ap is processing, so it's not a big deal.

I'd also suggest that you file for PR via the outland application - which will be processed in London - as opposed to an application processed inland. You can file outland (which has a much faster processing timeline than inland) and still stay in Canada as long as you keep your temporary status current. You will have to attend any requested interview in London, but as long as you provide quality evidence of your genuine relationship, most spousal application interviews are waived.

There's more information for visa-exempt spousal applicants (specifically US applicants, but UK applicants are in a similar situation) at the US2Canada website.

Most important thing - don't panic. There is nothing wrong with what you're planning to do - stay cool and don't let the IOs interpret your intentions as anything "sinister". As long as you are honestly ready and willing to leave Canada if your temporary status expires (and isn't extended), you have nothing to worry about. That's all you're required to do.

sorry, i just have to say robsluv you're starting to sound like a professional..well said. i was going to put my two cents in but you covered it all.

Thanks, andeealso. If I wasn't so sure I'll be completely with CIC by the time this is all done, I might have tried to make it a career! But it's really nice to be appreciated.

thank you robsluv

it's no different to to what the voices in my head (and those of my friends around me) were telling me but somehow seeing it written down by a complete stranger has gone a long way to putting my mind at rest.

and no i have no intention of doing anything stupid like overstaying a visa so you're right - 'don't panic', tell as much of the truth as they need to hear and take it from there.

thank you again (from my girlfriend too probably - she'll no doubt appreciate me being a little less stressed).

The more relaxed you are, the better. Just remember, there is absolutely no reason for them to refuse you a chance to visit Canada . . . just, for a time, put your gf and all your plans out of your mind and "play the game".