Road To Canada Forums

Hi all,
I stumbled across this site via the Canucks Abroad forums and thought it might be useful to check out. I've read some of the forums and perhaps have just started making myself nervous but it seems to be a lot more complicated than I'd thought...

I'm a 28 year old Canadian living in Melbourne, Australia. I've been here for just over a year and a half now.. I'd originally planned to come here for a year and travel, but a few months in, I met my boyfriend and ended up staying in Melbourne. (I never even made it around Australia!) We now live together (for about 5 months now) and have a new puppy.

We're actually not looking to move to Canada for a couple of years, my partner is going back to school to become a teacher (he already has a degree in IT but wants to teach IT and Math) so he'll be one year doing that, and then there's 1 year of practicum after that. However, we really want to move to Canada after that... his parents have both passed away and we'd like our children to be near their grandparents (my parents) and he's been to Canada with me and loved it.

I'm just wondering if there is information we should be gathering at this point? We do already have some compiled "evidence of our relationship" because we thought we might have to apply for partner sponsorship in order for me to stay in Australia... luckily I am allowed to immigrate here on a skilled worker visa, and we went that route so that we didn't have to wait until we'd lived together for a full year before I could be sure that I was allowed to stay.

Also, if we want to move to Canada in about 2, 2-1/2 years, at what point should we submit the application? How long would it take to process, and what is the timeframe after approval that you have to enter the country?

Really appreciate any advice you can give us! I'm hoping that if I start planning for this now, I can help our chances of having a successful application. :-)

Gather as much evidence as you can to show you're living together - you'll need it if you'll be applying as common-law partners. Save pictures of you two, cards from family address to you both, receipts of hotels you stay at together,... You'll probably have a lot of material in 2 years and won't even need to submit it all.

Sydney is currently processing applications in 3-8 months, so probably a minimum of 4 months including the time it takes for Mississauga to approve the sponsorship. The processing times change though, check in on them in 2 years or so ;)
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information...pouses.asp

Typically, the issued visa is valid until the medical exam results expired - 1 year after the exam is taken. So he'd probably have to land in that timeframe. But he doesn't have to stay in Canada after landing, he can return to Australia and do the move at a later time.

Assuming you will still be living in Australia when you apply, you (as the sponsor) will have to provide evidence that you intend to move back to Canada with your partner once he gets his permanent residency. Things that prove that are things like job offers or your attempts to find a job in Canada, proof you own or rent a place to stay in Canada, letters from family willing to put you up until you find your own place etc. Obviously it's too soon for that now, but keep that in mind when the time comes.

You generally have 1 year from when your medical exam was done to land in Canada, the actual time you have will depend on how long it takes to process the application but Sydney tends to be fast.

Once your getting closer to to wanting apply start reseraching CIC website (www.cic.gc.ca) as things will likely change overtime, little changes in requirements etc.

Since you will have been living together for quite sometime proving your relationship wont be to hard, basic things bank account, anything you have in both your names, etc.

You will need to prove you intend to come to Canada to live, but I am not familiar with that, so best to just glance at CIC's website.


And off topic, Australia is my favorite country by far, I love it there and would move there in a heartbeat if I could....

Thank you both for your quick replies, this is really helpful advice!
I'm sure I'll have many more quesions when we start the application process but for now these things are great to know :-) Appreciate the advice!

Hi... another question that we've started thinking about...

We were planning to apply as a common law couple since we will qualify for that no problem, and that means that the time and planning for getting married for us won't be dictated by a need to be "spouses" in order for him to come to Canada. BUT, we are now thinking that we might like to get married here in Australia before we leave, as that way we'll be able to have a big party with all our Aussie friends (and give my Canadian friends and family one last chance to come here to visit) before we head to Canada.

My question is IF we have applied as a common law couple, are we not able to get married in the mean time? Would that mean we'd have to start the process at the beginning again with a spousal application?

We are thinking we'd like to get married kind of JUST before we would head over here, but is that not going to be a possibility? Would we have to get married a year or 6 months before so that we can apply as spouses and then wait out the decision in Australia?

Also, would being "officially" engaged affect a common law application? Would they expect that, if you're engaged to be married, that you should do that BEFORE you apply and submit a spousal application, or is it okay to submit a common law application as an engaged couple?

I have to say that I definitely don't envy anyone with a complicated case. For us, we are 28 and 29 years old, never been married before, no dependants, no criminal records whatsoever, living together, very genuine relationship with many friends and family who will attest to that... and STILL I find the red tape difficult to navigate! I have read many of your stories and have to say that most of you are way stronger than I could ever imagine being! I really hope everyone gets their happy ending :-)

Anyone have any advice on this?

You can get married in the meantime - all you'd have to do is notify Immigration Canada of your legal marriage and submit proof of your legal marriage. They'll just change the coding of your application from c/l to spouse . . . it's actually easier to be approved as spouses because you don't have to prove the one years' cohabitation when you're married, so it shouldn't adversely affect your application. Just keep in mind that, applying as c/l partners, you need to both prove that you qualify as c/l partners by having cohabitated for at least one continuous year AND you have to prove that yours is a "genuine" relationship - and not one entered into just to facilitate his getting into Canada. The "genuine relationship" requirement doesn't go away, even when you get married - even though the proof of cohabitation does.

Really, the application is not that complicated once you break it down into bite-sized pieces! You have a couple of years to familiarize yourself with the requirements . . . by the time you're ready to do this, you'll be an expert! Just remember where to find us for the inevitable questions when the time comes.