Deeds510 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 My boyfriend and I have decided that within the next year, we would like me to move to Canada so we can be together. I have been researching all the different types of visas and applications that are available, but am totally over whelmed in all the information. Do I go to Canada, and then apply for a PR? Do I apply for a work visa, or TRV? I am just having a hard time figuring out what exactly I should be applying for. If anyone can give some advice or input that would be great! Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 I have no personal experience with Canada, but based on general experience, my suggestion would be: 1) PR is usually not an option at your stage. The vast majority of people start off with a temporary visa first. This varies according to country, but given that people with PR are accorded most of the rights that citizens have, it only makes sense that PR would be more difficult to get. 2) The visa options can be overwhelming, yes. If you genuinely can't manage it, talk to an immigration advisor. Many of them give preliminary consults during which they help you narrow down your options, without charging you an arm and a leg. If you get them to handle your entire application, though, they will charge you an arm and a leg. That's all I can offer; hopefully people with actual experience immigrating to Canada can offer more specific advice. Link to post Share on other sites
Carenth Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Hey Deeds, I'm planning to move over to Canada at the end of the year from Australia. I got a working holiday visa which will allow me to work and live in Canada for two years. I can reapply after or possibly go for PR. The process was pretty painless to be honest other than gathering the required documents. However I do not know what the visa arrangements required for America --> Canada are. Most of the Visas require you to have a letter of employment from a Canadian employer. Which for me is quite hard because I live so far away. So the working holiday visa was pretty much my only choice at this point. The only real way to get PR off the bat I could find is if you are very highly skilled and are on the skilled workers list for Canada and have a job offer. Hope this helps somewhat. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Carenth- What exactly is a working holiday visa? How did you figure out which kind of visa you actually needed? I just wish I had someone to explain everything to me and help me decide which one I need. Also, how long did your application for the holiday visa take? Id love to chat more with you to get all the details of what you had to do and how you found out all the information! Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Oh, and some more details about the immigration.. I have two more years of school left, so I will be doing one more year here and physically going to classes, but my last year I can do all online through a distance learning program when I do move to Canada. If you are not legal to work in canada, how are you supposed to find job offers and what not? Link to post Share on other sites
Nyla Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) If you are not legal to work in Canada, you will either work under the table or wait for your work permit. If your SO is a Canadian citizen, he can sponsor you to come to Canada. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp Read that and follow the links. Excellent information. Edited July 26, 2013 by Nyla 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Carenth Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) The link Nyla gave is very good information. Basically having your spouse sponsor you requires a lot of proof about your relationship and to be considered a common in law partner you have to prove you have been living together for at least 12 months + other probing questions about the nature of your relationship. So that option isn't really viable for LDR. I did a lot of research to figure out which would be the best visa for me at the time. Most of it was from the http://www.cic.gc.ca website. They say the average processing time is about 8 weeks. However once I had filled out the forms got the other requested documents they required (police check, traffic offense check etc). I got my visa approved within 10 days. A working holiday visa is basically a visa that will allow me to travel, live and work in Canada for up to two years without having a job lined up before entering Canada. You will find most of the other working visas require you to have a job lined up before they will grant it which is hard in a lot of cases. There are student visas as well but they don't apply to me because I have already finished my studies. Not sure what the working rights you would have under those you would need to research. Edited July 26, 2013 by Carenth Link to post Share on other sites
J_L_C Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Where are you moving from? Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 See if there are expat forums for Americans in Canada. When I was moving to the UK years ago, I got lots of free immigration information from two different US/UK forums. There are forums for Brits coming to the US. It seems that nearly every country has something similar. Google it! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 I am moving from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. In order to get a work visa, you already need to have a job lined up, and skilled workers seem to be what Canada wants. The work experience I have is basically all in childcare. I have worked within Montessoris and childcare centers for the last 7 years so I am not worried about my work experience. What I am worried about is how am I supposed to apply for a work visa, if I do not have a job lined up, and I am not there to try to get in the loop with getting a job lined up. I guess I have more research to do about visas and such. Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I am moving from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. In order to get a work visa, you already need to have a job lined up, and skilled workers seem to be what Canada wants. The work experience I have is basically all in childcare. I have worked within Montessoris and childcare centers for the last 7 years so I am not worried about my work experience. What I am worried about is how am I supposed to apply for a work visa, if I do not have a job lined up, and I am not there to try to get in the loop with getting a job lined up. I guess I have more research to do about visas and such. Yes, that's usually a problem with regards to work visas. A catch 22. PR is usually even worse. That is why Carenth suggested a working holiday visa. Link to post Share on other sites
Carenth Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I have no idea if the US has similar arrangements with Canada but this is the program I applied for https://www.whpcanada.org.au/ Though I suspect it has a lot more to do with Australia and Canada both being part of the Commonwealth and also the Australia has a similar program for Canadians wishing to come here (though somewhat stricter). I could apply for a skilled work visa however I would need a job lined up before going and trying to do that whilst on the other side of the world is easier said than done. So I applied for this one instead may try to change that once I get there. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 Im looking at information for the working holiday visa, and I keep seeing all the requirements for applying for the IEC from many different countries, but the US is not part of the groups...hm... Link to post Share on other sites
TMichaels Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I have no idea if the US has similar arrangements with Canada but this is the program I applied for https://www.whpcanada.org.au/ No, the US does not. Even if it did, the rules of the Canadian working holiday program bar working with children or doing child care so that would be out. The OP might be able to get a Canadian student visa, but that requires enrollment in a Canadian university which sounds like she doesn't want to do. A straight-out work visa will be next to impossible due to the fact she's have to meet Canada's skilled worker criteria or have a job already lined up. As usual, what seems like should be a simple matter is often not. None the less, OP, you might want to do some poking around here. Best of luck, TMichaels Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 Bleh. I am trying to stay positive about it all, but it looks to be that there is no way to get any type of visa. I am already enrolled in my school here, and can do the distance learning program, so I do not need to enroll in any Canadian college, which rules out the study visa. I am not qualified to be a skilled worker, and unless I have a job offer, well..there goes the work visa. There is no working holiday visa for the US, so there goes that option. The only other solution I have looked into is being sponsored, but that seems to cost a whole lot of money. When I do go there, my boyfriend and I will still be living at his parents house, so we will not have bills really- rent/electric/water/ ect. Even if we are living at their house for the time being, it would be my boyfriend having to sponsor me, even if his parents were helping out financially with things. Link to post Share on other sites
TMichaels Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Bleh. I am trying to stay positive about it all, but it looks to be that there is no way to get any type of visa. Deeds510, there used to be a poster here called "Rollercoasterr" who was in a LDR with a Canadian citizen. They ended up getting married and he moved to the US. However, IIRC, they/she did a lot of research about which way to go (she move to Canada/he move to US, etc.) and in their situation decided it was better that he move to the US. Regardless, you might try and see if you can send her a PM and chat with her about your issues. She may have some suggestions for you about options or which way to proceed. Best, TMichaels 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Deeds510 Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 Thanks. I think I found her, but can not find a way to send her a message. Link to post Share on other sites
TMichaels Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Thanks. I think I found her, but can not find a way to send her a message. Oops, sorry. Unfortunately you haven't been on the site long enough/made enough posts in order to send a PM. As a substitute, you might consider reading through Rollercoasterr's old posts to see if there's anything that might be of help. Best, TMichaels Link to post Share on other sites
Anela Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 The easiest way is to just get married. But even in that case I'd advise to use an immigration bureau to follow the correct procedures. My sister and I aren't speaking, unless it's mostly uncivilized discourse, but getting married didn't allow her to move to Canada with her now-husband. She's still waiting, and they were married last October. I was told that, once they had certain things filed a couple of months ago, that it could take up to a year for her to find out whether or not she's allowed to emigrate. A year. Which was bad news for both of us. I don't know if she went through the same channels as those you mentioned - I think she had help from the man who is now her brother-in-law. Link to post Share on other sites
Chris516 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I was browsing this thread and wanted to include, my 'indirect' experience. My ex moved to Canada to be with her husband. He is having sponsor her for the time being because she can't work the first six months, and however long the immigration process takes. Link to post Share on other sites
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