Immigration Advice- Moving to Canada

Discussion in 'General Advice' started by Jemmy, Jan 8, 2019.

  1. Jemmy

    Jemmy Don't Do A Hit

    So, I've just gotten engaged and my partner and I really want me to move up to canada with them. The problem is that both of us have trouble understand/being able to figure out a lot of what we have to do in order for that to happen. I know basic stuff, like needing a language test and enough money to have a safety net, but a lot of the jargon flies over my head, stresses me out, and then I get nothing done.

    Has anyone here had experience moving up there, other places (i know countries have different rules but i figure there's some that are similar), or who could help me figure out a basic checklist to get things started? Any help would be super appreciated!
     
  2. turtleDove

    turtleDove Well-Known Member

    Second-hand experience, since I haven't moved here or helped anyone move here - all I've done is watch Hummingbird prep to move here.

    Stuff I do know:
    - the language test (like you mentioned) - you'll need to demonstrate that you're fluent in at least one of the official languages, depending on which province you plan on moving to. Probably English, for most provinces, but it'd be French for Quebec. Don't be surprised if you don't pass the test the first time, Hummingbird has an English degree (I think) and had to retake it at least once.

    - background check. For most people, this is probably not going to be a big deal since they won't have travelled a lot or won't have travelled to places that raise questions. Hummingbird did a lot of travelling to Middle Eastern regions, so she had to explain that in detail.

    - medical exam. This, I think, doesn't happen until way after the background check. I don't know a lot about it beyond that It Is A Thing.

    - financial support. One part of this is having enough money to have a safety net, yes. Another part is "how are you going to be supporting yourself, or who is going to be supporting you if you move here?" They'll be checking for if you have a job, or if your partner can support the both of you on their income. If you do have a job now, will immigrating interfere with you being employed and will it be easy for you to find a new job if your current one can't move with you?

    - sponsor! This is basically: "who is vouching for you to be a good bet to let into the country and become a citizen?" In this case, it would be your partner and you'd (most likely) be going for a fiance or spousal visa.

    Honestly, I'd strongly recommend getting a lawyer or seeing if you can get a couple of consults with one for the stuff that's confusing you the most because immigration is Complicated and the government has made it complicated on purpose.
     
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  3. Everett

    Everett local rats so small, so tiny

    Absolutely get a lawyer, my friend's american husband is getting messed with because some aspect of the immigration process wasnt done by the time they were trying to bring him across the border, which 1000% sucks to run into
     
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  4. Jemmy

    Jemmy Don't Do A Hit

    yeah, i knew about lawyers and such and wasnt sure if id need one or not. it makes sense that itd be so complicated that id need help in understanding things...though it is a pain.

    the financial support is a bit of a worry once i get there, bc im planning on moving to newfoundland...for the time being bc its an island and my partner wants off ASAP, as well as sponsership and...whoof

    yeah considering my mind just starts slipping off the topic when i think about it too hard i should probably figure out where to find help from a lawyer
     
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  5. turtleDove

    turtleDove Well-Known Member

    There are lawyers who specialize in immigration, yeah. I'd recommend looking for one who's in Canada and reasonably local to where you're going to end up, if possible (although that's not a necessity, it just makes things like in-person visits a lot easier on everyone if you need one). Start with trying to google Canadian immigration lawyers? I'm pretty sure that the only reason that Y and Hummingbird didn't get a lawyer to help Hummingbird out is because Y went through law school and also Hummingbird is a white girl who's self-employed and (on paper) capable of supporting herself financially; the only major tripping hazards they encountered that I know about are that Hummingbird did a lot of international travel to eyebrow-raising regions, and she had to explain her trips for the past decade or so.

    And...yeah, if you're planning on moving to Newfoundland, you are definitely going to want "how are you going to support yourself" nailed down solidly, because the Maritimes is. Uh. They're gorgeous and about half my family lives there (in Nova Scotia, granted, not Newfoundland), but they're...not an economically-thriving section of the country, really.

    If you and your partner aren't going to be spending much/any time there before you both decamp to another section of the country, maybe focus on where you're planning on moving after Newfoundland? idk, the lawyer would be able to advise better on this.
     
  6. Jemmy

    Jemmy Don't Do A Hit

    yyyyeah ive visited there before and seeing what most of the jobs there are....not a lot of jobs in general actually. im fine with working blue collar jobs but i know its hell. plus, my partner is a game designer and wants to be on the mainland sooner than later so...

    thank you for the help! i deffo would have tried to contact one of the Many immigration lawyers down here instead, so youve saved me at least a couple of minutes of Suffering. im still very wary about all of this but hopefully it wont be like....a total hellscape
     
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  7. turtleDove

    turtleDove Well-Known Member

    Not a problem! And yeah, the issue with blue-collar work in the Maritimes is...most people (that I know of, anyways) in that area do blue-collar work, and the bottom sort of fell out of things after the oilfields stopped being a major money-maker. And you'd really, really want to be union if you're doing construction.

    Even if you'd contacted an immigration lawyer local to you, they'd (hopefully) have pointed you in the direction of someone who can do Canadian immigration law. So you wouldn't have ended up too bad.

    From what I've seen, immigration isn't (usually) a complete hellscape, it's just...long and tedious. A lot of hurry-up-and-wait.
     
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  8. rigel

    rigel in a line of late afternoon sun

    hey! im in newfoundland! the job prospects arent, great here, but like.
    if you/your partner are any good with phones and dealing with customers AND also like. going to be in the st johns area, there are a few call centers there that pay nicely and have really good incentives that you could apply to that might help with like. getting off the ground wrt saving money/financial stuff while getting settled, and would probably look promising to immigration as well, like, that theyre interested in hiring you if you do apply and get a response?

    that said i cant offer any other advice but i really do hope it goes well!
     
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  9. Jemmy

    Jemmy Don't Do A Hit

    Yeah, luckily they already have a half decent job .I've been hopeful abt finding something when the time comes but I'm not too sure how well it'll pan out

    Tho tbf since it'll take a long time anyhow I do have plenty of time to research
     
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  10. keltka

    keltka the green and brown one

    hi I'm in the process of this same thing
    this is the preliminary shit that I can recommend:

    - look into conjugal sponsorship. you can't get it while you're in the country, though
    - once you've lived in the same household for 12 months, you qualify for common-law, much easier
    - you CANNOT get a work visa while you're on a visitor visa/visitor record
    - make sure you triple check what you have ahead of time. there's multiple options and almost no one will be able to tell you what's what
    - the immigration website is seven kinds of hell so like, consider going through a secondary party account instead of a GC Key (you'll wanna apply via the website, it helps even as it gives you grief)
    - 100% get a lawyer first thing. holy fuck, get a lawyer. fucking HELL listening to the people who said "oh you don't need a lawyer YET" was the worst mistake I've ever made
    - get proof that you guys are super into each other. I almost didn't get let into the country by border security until I was like "yes, my partner is a woman, I am AFAB passing" and then suddenly the dude was like SHIT SHIT SHIT I CAN'T LOSE MY JOB FOR BEING HOMOPHOBIC

    more info later
     
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  11. Jemmy

    Jemmy Don't Do A Hit

    it's all so much more complicated than you'd think just from browsing the canadian website about it, honestly. and its not like its any easier the other way, either

    im still trying to figure out whether or not i should go for a partner-related visa because that might be a hair easier but also...im not ever sure how much i should trust the government when it comes to gay relationships and immigration status
     
  12. keltka

    keltka the green and brown one

    so my experience was, they're a LOT more likely to get dinged for being homophobic than cops here are. which province are you looking into? a couple options available to you are:
    - partner-related visa (conjugal, possibly common-law)
    - work-related visa
    - visitor record (from the US) or visitor visa (not from the US)
    - provincial nomination
    - express entry (work-emphasis, skilled labor, white collar jobs, that kinda thing)

    the provincial guys? they're a LOT faster about getting back to you quickly where I am, and they're the ones who actually sent us to talk to people who could help us more. they're also a little more picky in some ways?
    if you have a visitor record, you can apply to extend it until you've been living together long enough to go for a common-law, even if you're not married
     
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