Road To Canada Forums

Hi, salut,

I do apologize for starting a new post as this is a general question and thus, has probably been asked.

Anyhow, I am a Canadian Citizen, and I am brining my girlfriend from the U.S. I suggested it may be quicker and easier if she goes by means of immigrating via the "Skilled Worker" category than it would via the "Conjugal Partner", simply because it would create a further bureaucratic backlog since we lived together while on exchange in Europe, and therefore standardized supporting documentation would be a little harder to come by. Furthermore, I am going to school for a post graduate studies, and will not have a sufficient income [per se].

I also figured that her chances of entering will be good, since she is 26 speaks both official languages (amongst others), has a completed Masters degree from a good American school, is healthy, obviously has no record, etc, etc.

But being the perpetual skeptic, I am worried about Murphy's Law coming into full effect.

She is planning on coming here before October, but if the Skilled Worker class immigration does not go through by than, what are her options?

Can she apply for a temp workers visa WHILE she is in Canada and waiting for her Permanent Residence? Must she find a job first, than apply for the visa? I have no doubt she will find a job given her field and educational background, but are there any serious legal/bureaucratic entanglements which are common?

Was choosing the Skilled Worker class the best option?

WRT the above info, how long does the absolute ideal of all ideal timelines take to get processed in Buffalo (I will forgo asking the worst, simply because I have a keen imagination)?

she should look into the Provincial nominee program or a work permit - before entering Canada. She cannot apply for either from inside Canada.

Income on a sponsorship application is not factored as long as there are no kids as part of the application.

You don't say how long you and your girlfriend lived together while on exchange in Europe. That's the deciding factor for whether you can file a Family Class application - it must be one year. Normally, FC is processed faster than Skilled Worker, so if you qualify in FC I'd suggest you go that route. Sponsors in the spousal/common-law/conjugal class are exempt from meeting minimum income requirements, even if there are dependent children (up to age 22) - unless those dependent children have children of their own. If you think you might qualify under Family Class, check out the US2Canada link in the header above for more info on common-law qualifications, and some specific info for US applicants.

As far as working in Canada - if your girlfriend was to find an employer who would offer her an HRSDC approved position, she could apply for a work permit, regardless of which category she ultimately files through for PR. There's a ton of information to wade through before you've got all you need to make a decision - so check out the resources available here, ask more questions, and good luck.

RobsLuv Wrote:You don't say how long you and your girlfriend lived together while on exchange in Europe. That's the deciding factor for whether you can file a Family Class application - it must be one year.

Sadly we are short of one continuous year, and thus why I thought the SW application would be faster.

But thanks for all the info and advice. I will try and wade through this all, and most likely, will be back with plenty of questions.

Marcinmoka,

I'm not sure if you've checked the processing time for the skilled worker class. It's currently 18 to 32 months (80% of cases) for the Buffalo visa office. On the other hand, sponsorship as conjugal partners is only taking 4 to 17 months (80% of cases).

So I'm not sure what gave you the idea that skilled worker is quicker than sponsorship.

The fastest way to come to Canada is the Provincial nominee program. Read about it on the CIC website. Basically, it requires that your girlfriend finds a job with a Canadian company which is willing to sponsor her for PR. The application is technically an outside Canada application, but you don't have to be outside the country in much the same way as when your spouse applies to sponsor you with an outside Canada family class application. Usually, you work for the company on the work permit you have received until CIC approvs you, then you go to the closest US border, exit the country and return to "land". With a master's degree your girlfriend should have a good chance of finding a willing company to sponsor her.