We are US Citizens. I'm 40 and my wife is 32 and we'd like to become Canadian. It looks like she's going to go to 20-month MBA program at one of the big schools up there and we are hoping to parlay that into PR and eventual Citizenship.
Once she gets her Study Visa and we have all our docs/forms ready, won't it look strange that a large moving van is following us if we are supposed to convince the border guards that we will be leaving after the 20 month study program?
Is this even a good option to gain PR in Canada? First with the 2 year MBA, then apply for (I understand) PR after 1 year? I don't want to pay for the $80,000 MBA only to be denied Perm. Residency.
Thanks in advance for any help. We can afford an attorney, is this advisable? I see a lot of people saying they just complicate the process.
Thanks!
01-07-2010 Wife hears that it's much easier to get in if you are not using a student loan, which we are not.
01-05-2010 Kaplan course ends, wife improves her score from 550 to 630!
12-05-2009 Wife starts Kaplan and has a list of 6 schools to apply, including University of Toronto and McGill
11-01-2009 Purchased Kaplan GMAT study program for wife
10-15-2009 After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, wife agrees to move and pursue MBA
10-15-2009 Big argument with wife on moving to Canada
10-02-2009 Hatched scheme to get wife to pursue MBA in Canada via Study, then apply for Perm Residency and eventual Citizenship
10-02-2009 Decided Entre was a PITA and Investor too expensive
10-01-2009 Looked into investor and entrepreneur route to Canada
06-15-2007 Decided that the USA is a goner and want to get the heck out of dodge
Not sure exactly sure how one "parlays" a study visa into permanent residence. Assuming you've looked at the different programs for qualifying for PR on the CIC website, which one would that fall under? I'm not saying it can't be done - just that I've never heard of it being done. It really isn't a matter of just getting into Canada and then staying here . . . you have to have an eligible route through which to apply for PR - like you mention in your timeline having looked into the "investor" and "entrepreneur" routes and decided against them.
I think, before you pack up your life and "get out of dodge", you should consult with a qualified Canadian Immigration attorney and find out if what you're trying to do is even feasible.
I think he may be thinking about some kind of post-graduate work permit thing.
There is now the Canadian experience route.
It sounds like a reasonable plan (but for the one year part . . . I think it takes longer than that), but one that really lacks any guarantees. There are many, many contingencies along the way. Sounds like going to "pre-med" planning on becoming a doctor . . . yeah, that's the route, but anyone embarking down that route should know that only a portion of those going that way actually reach the destination.
An MBA is what it is, and its worth depends on the person, their ambitions, their talents, their prospects. Would be worth little to someone like me, who was never destined to succeed in a business world sense, but it is indeed worth a great deal to those who can leverage the degree into the sort of career they are well suited for.
I would evaluate the worth of the MBA separate and apart from hopes that it is leverage into permanent residence in Canada.
Thanks for the advice.
I just spent 45 minutes with another imm. atty in BC. Last week I sent her both our resumes so she could prepare for our meeting. Here is what she told me.
My wife can go either the skilled worker or Canada experience program, and that it would make sense to apply for the skilled app after 1 year of her study program. She also believes she has plenty of points and wouldn't have an issue with the PR. This is the same sentiment from the atty in Montreal.
Still, I feel a bit uneasy not knowing for sure, however she said we could apply for the Canadian experience if the skilled worker either didn't go through or was still in process.
The Experience path would take longer, as she'd have to do her 2 year degree, then work in Canada full time for one year and then apply; however she stated that the application was very fast once submitted.
She suggested that the best route to apply for Student visa would be direct with the consultate versus at the border. Said it was also advisable to send a full copy of my app ahead to the border crossing and ask them to "please review my app ahed of time". She also said it was probably best to limit the amount of "stuff" we take to canada, and if a moving truck is involved then the consulate route was almost a requirement.
She suggested that applying for the student visa far ahead of time was the best option - as soon as she has her acceptance letter(s).
She also stated that Canada was no longer looking at skilled worker apps unless the person already has a job lined up. So going the student visa route circumvents this issue.
Again, thank you for the replies. I'm probably thinking this process is going to be easier than it really is. What do you guys think of her responses? Are there any other questions I should ask her?
Neither atty I spoke with attempted to gain my business other than on an hourly basis; although the one in Montreal mentioned that they would charge about $2000 to handle the skilled worker app once she'd been in school for a year. Still, he didn't push it and based on what I've read it may not make sense to use an atty for this.
What do you think? Thanks in advance!
What they said sounds reasonable, though your accounting of it mixes some of the legal/regulatory issues with the practical (I think, for example, that the need for a job to apply and obtain skilled worker PR is practical, not a regulatory requirement).
However, your conclusions about it being "easier" I doubt -- but of course it depends on the individual, the specific "skill" involved, educational background, work history, and other factors. For some it will indeed be fairly easy, assuming they are adept at bureaucratic processes and have the requisite qualifications, and are patient and have the resources to manage in the meantime.
I have not seen the skilled worker app timelines of late, but they have been notoriously slow, taking a lot of time. The Harper government has implemented a number of policies, including shifting of personnel, to address and speed up the process, but I have also heard that the economic slowdown has had a significant impact as well. I believe it is still a fairly long process.
Bottom line, it looks like it will take years to obtain PR status via any of these routes. A lot can happen in the course of even a few years. I do not say this to dissuade you. I love Canada. I came here because I fell in love with a Canadian, but now am thoroughly glad that I have come here to live, to make this my real home -- and though much of my family is in the States, including my recently born granddaughter, I do feel like Canada is really my home now. So, personally, I'd think it would be worth the effort, the investment. But it will take time and dedication, perhaps some luck (getting the right job and such). If you are dedicated to the endeavor, that really improves the odds.