Returning to Canada

[Cristy 4]

It has been a long time since I have posted here. 4 teenage boys and a new baby will do that lol.

I need some direction....

I am Canadian, my dh is American. We are seriously considering moving back home (Sask). I know the kids and I could ust go home.....but I need help pointing me in the right direction on how to get dh there quickly and legally.

Any info or links would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[trailmix 77]

It has been a long time since I have posted here. 4 teenage boys and a new baby will do that lol.

I need some direction....

I am Canadian, my dh is American. We are seriously considering moving back home (Sask). I know the kids and I could ust go home.....but I need help pointing me in the right direction on how to get dh there quickly and legally.

Any info or links would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Hi Cristy,

The best information is here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/spouse.asp

[Reba 2]

and check out the forums at http://roadtocanada.com Lots of info and good folks there to help you out.

Your quickest route is to file what they call "out-land" application. Send in the sponsorship application along with the immigration application and they're usually complete in about 6 months (give or take). It'll take you a bit to get all the paperwork together (not unlike getting all the stuff together for US immigration really, only for Canada, your hubby will have to have the medical before you send in the applications).

You'll be the sponsor, but unlike for the US, you don't have to have a specific income to sponsor a spouse, but they do like to see that you will have a job and place to live of course.

[jhunjhun 7]

Hello, which city in Saskatchewan are you living at? I'm from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan...

[Flames9_RN 358]

I'm from Prince Albert!! Parents now live in Saskatoon

[Cristy 4]

Thanks for the info. From what I have been reading it seems like there is an easy way. I also have been in contact with Brad Wall (sk premier). It looks like the kid and I can 'move' home and he can come with then apply to work and eventually apply to stay. I am double checking if it really is that easy but it sure looks like it.

[Cristy 4]

Or better yet he gets a job offer before we go. Which is pretty likely considering the worker shortage in Sask right now.

Oh and we will be going back to Regina if we go. I love Saskatoon but my family and friends are in in Regina and area.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Sorry about having to move to Regina,lol I have never liked Regina,lol I wouldn't even move back to my home town of PA, find it too "dirty" really gone downhill. Housing has started to come down a bit after the big increases, but I read online new car purchases were up. Best of luck

[DeadPoolX 9]

It has been a long time since I have posted here. 4 teenage boys and a new baby will do that lol.

I need some direction....

I am Canadian, my dh is American. We are seriously considering moving back home (Sask). I know the kids and I could ust go home.....but I need help pointing me in the right direction on how to get dh there quickly and legally.

Any info or links would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Cristy, my wife and I did this. She's the Canadian and I'm the American. I immigrated to Canada since it was quicker than immigrating to the United States. We may still do that in the future.

Anyway... I can tell you from firsthand experience that Canadian immigration isn't too difficult. As Reba said, apply for an outland application. That goes much quicker and my visa was ready within six months. An inland application can take a long, long time.

Your husband will need to get his fingerprints taken at the nearest police station and have them checked by the FBI. He'll also need to see an authorized Canadian physician for a medical exam. Make sure to get several passport-sized photos. You'll need them later on, if for nothing else, the medical checkup that's sent to Ontario. Don't worry about the requirements for photos that are listed on the sheets. Virtually no one knows how to make pictures that size and even if you explain it to them fully, they won't understand. To most Americans, immigration means "you're immigrating to the U.S. and that's that." My American-sized passport photos worked just fine.

After that, it's basically sending in all forms and evidence of being in a real relationship. My wife and I didn't get an RFE -- we packaged in photos, phone records, etc -- and that seemed to work. I think Canada is less picky about who immigrates; the U.S. is picky because it has so many immigrants coming in all the time, both legal and illegal.

Make sure your husband's name is correctly spelled on the landing documents. For some reason, mine wasn't and ever since then, the Canadian government has refused to change it, stating that whatever my name is on the landing document is my real name. I've shown them my U.S. passport, birth certificate, financial information (with the monetary details blacked out) and even my Canadian visa to enter the country, which has my correctly spelled name on it. They still insist that my name is whatever it is on the landing document, despite evidence to the contrary. I had to pay extra money to get my SIN card fixed (they initially refused to do so, unless I pay a fee covering their mistake) and I just recently -- three months after landing -- received my PR Card. They lost the first one (and attempted to blame that on me) and of course, my name isn't spelled correctly on it, either.

If you have a car that you wish to import, you'll probably want to use a specific USA/Canada transporter. You could drive up there yourself, but after taking into account gas, lodging and food expenses, including the time lost, the total cost would probably be the same (if not more). You'll need a letter of recall from the authorized dealership, VIN, title registration, statement of compliance label and sales receipts. The most important out of those is the letter of recall, since you won't pass federal inspection without it. The statement of compliance label should be on the inside of the driver's side door (where the door meets the car when closed). You can also show the car has been given as a gift, if you don't have the proper sales receipts.

Most importantly, make sure your car can be imported. The RIV have a list of vehicles that can be imported and not every single brand and year is allowed into Canada. You'll need to bring the car to a dealership in Canada that's the same type as your car, so they can inspect it and see if anything needs to be changed for Canadian operation. Depending on how stringent some of the rules are, you might have to get the dash readouts changed. I think that's unlikely, however, since nearly all cars show the speedometer in both MPH and KM/H.

[trailmix 77]

My Husband's application was an inland application - it took 6 months from start to finish - that was 8 years ago.

While I agree with a lot of what you have said today Deadpool - you have said it before and you said it again - about Canada being lax about who they let immigrate - I just don't think that is true and if there is any question of that you might want to ask Delicia about how lax they are (or aren't).

Just so the OP knows, shouldn't imply to people that it's that easy for everyone to immigrate.

Oh and I can't believe you haven't been able to clear up the name issue yet!

[DeadPoolX 9]

My Husband's application was an inland application - it took 6 months from start to finish - that was 8 years ago.

While I agree with a lot of what you have said today Deadpool - you have said it before and you said it again - about Canada being lax about who they let immigrate - I just don't think that is true and if there is any question of that you might want to ask Delicia about how lax they are (or aren't).

Just so the OP knows, shouldn't imply to people that it's that easy for everyone to immigrate.

Oh and I can't believe you haven't been able to clear up the name issue yet!

Well, the reason I feel Canada is a bit more easy-going on immigration is that it's practically supporting the country. Canada has a negative birth rate, so immigrants are necessary. Looking at the U.S., which has so many people it's virtually overflowing, with more births happening every day and an illegal alien issue, it's no surprise that immigration would be tougher. The U.S. doesn't need immigrants the same way Canada does.

You're right, however, that I shouldn't indicate that immigrating to Canada is a breeze. It's not, but it is easier than U.S. immigration.

As for my name... the Canadian government absolutely refuses to budge. According to them, my landing document specifies my name, despite other evidence I have and using my name for nearly 30 years. I couldn't believe they made me pay an extra fee to correct their mistake on my SIN card. My PR Card just arrived three months after my initial landing, which -- as I said before -- has my name incorrectly written on it. They won't change it, of course, since the Canadian government says that's my real name!