HELP - What is the best route?

[Ashley & Mac 0]

My boyfriend and I have been in a consecutive relationship for almost 4 years now. I live in Florida and him in Edmonton, AB, (Canada). We are not Married nor engaged but that is obviously the plan for the future. We both are still young. We both have been doing a lot of researching about this whole immigration thing and to be honest, we haven't decided fully if I am going to live with him in Canada or him here with me here in the US. We're still kind of considering our pros and cons in that area. So, what I am asking is, if it is decided that he make his journey to come live with me here in Florida, what is the best route for us to take? I've looked into a lot of things and I'm maybe considering a student visa for him. but I'm not sure. The plan would be for him to both work and go to school to become in Electrician. Although I'm not sure if there is a limited number of hours you can work and if there is a minimum number of hours you have to attend class. I have already come across a great Electrician Apprenticeship program if he does consider moving here. The ball is really in his court.

What are your suggestions for us? What is the best route we can take for him coming to live in the US?

Please feel free to ask me questions if needed. Thank you for your help. -Ashley

Edited March 9, 2012 by Ashley & Mac

[dukeandduchess 141]

From what I understand student visas are hard to get because you need to have a substantial amount of money to pay for tuition. Usually a Fiance(e) visa [K1] or a visa for married couples [CR-1] is the easiest way to go. Of course, that would mean you need to get married.

Although every situation is different, I will pass on some advice for you. I would think long and hard about the pros and cons of where you intend to live. For example: who has the better job and can support the other person until they get a job? "Free" health care in Canada is also a huuuuuuge thing to consider if you plan to have children. My fiance and I kind of rushed into things hoping he would have a teaching job once he finished his credential. That didn't happen and I left a job where I could support both of us to come here. I don't think I necessarily regret moving here (my fiance got a decent job before I moved) but I do wish I had been a bit more thoughtful about our decision. In hindsight I think we both would have chosen for him to move to Canada.

Anyway, not to be a downer but I just thought I would share my advice. There is a page on VisaJourney that weighs the cost and benefits of each type of family-based visa.

Best of luck.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

As noted above there are not Visas to 'just come live here' or to 'try it out' to see if you even like living together.

I would continue with your research because it sounds like you're on the right track. Some things to consider if he chooses to move to the US either as a fiancé or as a spouse if you marry:

i) neither VISA is instant - both involve waiting apart (although you can still visit during the process)

ii) Consider cost - you mention being young. You may not have the proper income level, you may need to involve another family member to help you sponsor him. You should probably inquire now rather than later about that. Look at the fees for the VISAs, they can be steep for some folks who are younger. You and he will spend $$$ acquiring the proper documents (ie: birth cert etc...) and he will need to pay for the medical in Canada (it is not covered by his provincial healthcare, it is entirely out of pocket). You will further need to fork out roughly $1100+ in the next step of the immigration process when he arrives if he is a fiancé. There will be wedding costs, moving costs, travel back home eventually etc.

iii)as noted by the previous poster - Healthcare....you may be covered until 26 by your parent's plan (if you don't have your own already) but your new spouse will not be. How will you provide coverage for him? Canadian care is gone the day he moves down here.

iv) There is emotional impact as well. Despite the fact that you will be happy to be together, you can expect that he will miss home & family dreadfully. We've all found it to a certain degree even when we weren't expecting it. Moving from Canada to the US is a big adjustment...it isn't as much like home as we expected. Being married is NOTHING like dating Its great, but it's not dating! You may think you know, bt trust us old ladys

Most of this applies if you move to Canada (although there is NO Fiance Visa for Canada).

Not trying to scare you, but you sound like someone who's interested in palnning ahead so these are some things to look into

Good luck

[Ashley & Mac 0]

From what I understand student visas are hard to get because you need to have a substantial amount of money to pay for tuition. Usually a Fiance(e) visa [K1] or a visa for married couples [CR-1] is the easiest way to go. Of course, that would mean you need to get married.

Although every situation is different, I will pass on some advice for you. I would think long and hard about the pros and cons of where you intend to live. For example: who has the better job and can support the other person until they get a job? "Free" health care in Canada is also a huuuuuuge thing to consider if you plan to have children. My fiance and I kind of rushed into things hoping he would have a teaching job once he finished his credential. That didn't happen and I left a job where I could support both of us to come here. I don't think I necessarily regret moving here (my fiance got a decent job before I moved) but I do wish I had been a bit more thoughtful about our decision. In hindsight I think we both would have chosen for him to move to Canada.

Anyway, not to be a downer but I just thought I would share my advice. There is a page on VisaJourney that weighs the cost and benefits of each type of family-based visa.

Best of luck.

Thank you very much for responding! The fees for an Electrician Apprenticeship Program are not much,(less then $1,000 a year) although he has money saved from when he was young for college, so he has plenty for wherever he chooses to attend school.

I feel like it would be very difficult for me to get any type of visa into Canada. I am 20 years old with very little work experience. I just don't have much to show for myself at this point in time. What would be a good option for me if I planned on moving to Canada? We've looked into him sponsoring me, that seemed like the best route. All of the information is very overwhelming...

[SapphireDreams 71]

Thank you very much for responding! The fees for an Electrician Apprenticeship Program are not much,(less then $1,000 a year) although he has money saved from when he was young for college, so he has plenty for wherever he chooses to attend school.

I feel like it would be very difficult for me to get any type of visa into Canada. I am 20 years old with very little work experience. I just don't have much to show for myself at this point in time. What would be a good option for me if I planned on moving to Canada? We've looked into him sponsoring me, that seemed like the best route. All of the information is very overwhelming...

You cannot just pick any school or program you want to and then apply for a student visa. There are various requirements and qualifications the school must have. He also must have a reason as to why he must attend that particular school/program. Having a girlfriend that lives in the area is not compelling and if anything will hurt his case. I could be wrong, but most sutdent visas are for mainly college/universities. Also, he would need to show that he has enough money to pay international tuition fees (which are generally higher than the regular fee) and then also enough money to support himself. I would read up on student visas and figure out if apprentice programs are even eligible (I don't think they are).

Can you go visit him for a few months at a time? Are you in school? Would you consider moving to Canada and attending school there? What exactly do you plan to do with your own career and life? Not trying to pry, but these are the types of questions you should be asking yourself. He will have a much easier time going to school to be an electrician in Canada and also doing his apprenticeship. He'd also need to join a union at some point and to become certified needs to work a certain number of hours. If he's in the US on a student visa (if he even qualifies) his working hours will be limited and it'll take a VERY long time to get enough. My brother is a plumber, still an apprentice actually (5th year) and I've seen how hard he works and how long it's taking him.

I will say this, don't rush into anything. My husband and I met online when we were 15 (I'm 28 now). We met in person when we were 19 and started dating long distance. We dated long distance for 6 years before we made the decision to then get married and for me to the move to the US. In that six year span we both finished college, I went to grad school and then worked for two whole years in Canada before moving. He found a good job and started saving money while I finsihed school and also built up experience because I knew that entry level jobs were pretty much non existent due to the economy in the US.

Was it easy? Not at all! Would I do it any other way? Absolutely not! I had a very easy and amazing transition to the US. I was able to find a job very quickly based on my education AND experience, we could afford to live on our own, buy furniture etc., he had an awesome job that supported us and provided me with healthcare while I had to wait out my work permit. Could I have done any of this at 20 years old?? NO WAY! We barely scraped by and really scrimped to visit eachother for those 6 years. Sometimes we'd go months without seeing eachother. But at the end of the day we both knew that we had to be responsible and not rush if we really wanted our relationship to be a true success. We also knew it would be worth it and it has been SO WORTH IT. It was a long and expensive six years, but I love my life here and know without a doubt I made the right decision.

I like to share my experience because I feel like not many people do what I did. Many people go straight into a K1 visa and end up with a much bumpier transition and experience. Sure, a lot of the time it all works out in the end but there is a lot of relying on parents and others or being dead broke just to be together and honestly in my opinion, I'd rather be apart then have to be broke and miserable.

I'd encourage you to continue dating, visit eachother and wait until you're in a position a good mature and financial position to start your lives together whether that's in 6 months or 6 years . Read as much as you can about the student visas (F1), the fiance visa (K1) and the spousal visa (CR-1) and also the process for you to move to Canada.

[alizon 77]

Thank you very much for responding! The fees for an Electrician Apprenticeship Program are not much,(less then $1,000 a year) although he has money saved from when he was young for college, so he has plenty for wherever he chooses to attend school.

I feel like it would be very difficult for me to get any type of visa into Canada. I am 20 years old with very little work experience. I just don't have much to show for myself at this point in time. What would be a good option for me if I planned on moving to Canada? We've looked into him sponsoring me, that seemed like the best route. All of the information is very overwhelming...

Do student visas even work for something like an electrician apprenticeship? You might need to look into that more because it sounds dangerously close to employment rather than, say, going to a university.

[Ashley & Mac 0]

You cannot just pick any school or program you want to and then apply for a student visa. There are various requirements and qualifications the school must have. He also must have a reason as to why he must attend that particular school/program. Having a girlfriend that lives in the area is not compelling and if anything will hurt his case. I could be wrong, but most sutdent visas are for mainly college/universities. Also, he would need to show that he has enough money to pay international tuition fees (which are generally higher than the regular fee) and then also enough money to support himself. I would read up on student visas and figure out if apprentice programs are even eligible (I don't think they are).

Can you go visit him for a few months at a time? Are you in school? Would you consider moving to Canada and attending school there? What exactly do you plan to do with your own career and life? Not trying to pry, but these are the types of questions you should be asking yourself. He will have a much easier time going to school to be an electrician in Canada and also doing his apprenticeship. He'd also need to join a union at some point and to become certified needs to work a certain number of hours. If he's in the US on a student visa (if he even qualifies) his working hours will be limited and it'll take a VERY long time to get enough. My brother is a plumber, still an apprentice actually (5th year) and I've seen how hard he works and how long it's taking him.

I will say this, don't rush into anything. My husband and I met online when we were 15 (I'm 28 now). We met in person when we were 19 and started dating long distance. We dated long distance for 6 years before we made the decision to then get married and for me to the move to the US. In that six year span we both finished college, I went to grad school and then worked for two whole years in Canada before moving. He found a good job and started saving money while I finsihed school and also built up experience because I knew that entry level jobs were pretty much non existent due to the economy in the US.

Was it easy? Not at all! Would I do it any other way? Absolutely not! I had a very easy and amazing transition to the US. I was able to find a job very quickly based on my education AND experience, we could afford to live on our own, buy furniture etc., he had an awesome job that supported us and provided me with healthcare while I had to wait out my work permit. Could I have done any of this at 20 years old?? NO WAY! We barely scraped by and really scrimped to visit eachother for those 6 years. Sometimes we'd go months without seeing eachother. But at the end of the day we both knew that we had to be responsible and not rush if we really wanted our relationship to be a true success. We also knew it would be worth it and it has been SO WORTH IT. It was a long and expensive six years, but I love my life here and know without a doubt I made the right decision.

I like to share my experience because I feel like not many people do what I did. Many people go straight into a K1 visa and end up with a much bumpier transition and experience. Sure, a lot of the time it all works out in the end but there is a lot of relying on parents and others or being dead broke just to be together and honestly in my opinion, I'd rather be apart then have to be broke and miserable.

I'd encourage you to continue dating, visit eachother and wait until you're in a position a good mature and financial position to start your lives together whether that's in 6 months or 6 years . Read as much as you can about the student visas (F1), the fiance visa (K1) and the spousal visa (CR-1) and also the process for you to move to Canada.

My situation is much like your own. We met online, I was 17 and him 19. I'll be 21 on the 27th and he turned 23 back in November. We go months apart due to costs of plane tickets and even being able to take time off work. I recently saw him in January and almost a whole year went by since our visit prior. It was agonizing and still is. I don't have much going for me here in Florida or that many people in my life so the emotional part of me picking up and leaving for Canada would be much easier on me. He makes very good money where he is now, even though he hates is job and his true goal is to start Apprenticeship program to become an Electrician. After I graduated I was in school to become an Esthetician. It was a 2 year program. I would have had an Associates degree in it. I would have been finished with my education by now. But I Dropped after I completed the 5 month course...I had a 3.9 GPA for crying out loud...but I was afraid of the school fees in the end I guess.

Anyways, currently there is nothing I want to go to school for right now. I just plan on working and saving money in the mean time to save for the future and whatever other costs being together with him might be. Thank you for sharing your story with me and I really do appreciate everyone's advice. Still looking for the best route for MYSELF to move to Canada.

[Krikit 1,165]

To be totally honest.... I would move to Canada.

Welcome to VJ.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

To be totally honest.... I would move to Canada.

Welcome to VJ.

I am inclined to agree with you Madame!

[dukeandduchess 141]

Honestly, as others have mentioned, I don't think he could qualify for a student visa. Obviously you can pursue whatever you want but I don't think many of us know much about it since we're all doing family-based visas. I think we tried looking into getting a student visa as well but didn't think it would work for us (even though we both have Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and I have one in Archaeology also). -not saying trades aren't important or anything but I really don't think it would work for a student visa- I could be wrong though!

To get a visa to come to Canada, aside from a student visa, you would need to be married. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/index.asp

You would have to get married and have your husband sponsor you. I don't think it would be easier for you to get a student visa to Canada either based on this: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp

I know it sucks, my fiance and I did a long distance relationship for nearly 3 years. Ideally, if we both lived in the same country I highly doubt we would be getting married so quickly. We both decided that we wanted to be together. We're a bit older than you (26) but considering our relationship getting married right now is a bit rushed but it was the only way for us to be together. Both of our families have done a lot for us to make this happen, and we both sacrificed a lot (not going to get masters degrees, working 50+ hour weeks, sacrificing some of our traveling dreams). I know that sounds silly but I guess my point is that in this kind of situation you have to decide what's more important to you. If you don't think you're ready to get married yet - don't! Visiting back and forth isn't fun but don't rush getting married either. You both need to consider what you want to do for the next few years and decide from there. No one can really tell you what the best decision is for you and your boyfriend. However, a lot of us have the benefit of hindsight so I'm sure you will get a lot of good advice.

If you do decide to get married, I would suggest going to Canada as well. It sounds like your boyfriend has a pretty good job and once you got yourself settled you could get a job to help him get through trade school. Alberta has tons of jobs that pay well and are entry level. The economy in the US isn't as forgiving right now. I'm terrified of trying to find a job once I get authorization to work (I'm in California and it has almost 12% unemployment!)... I also wish I stayed in Canada because of the healthcare (I want babies like, yesterday!). Now I have to wait until we're in a stable situation.

Ugh sorry to ramble! I think you sound like you're weighing your options and I'm sure you and your boyfriend will make the right decision for your future

[SapphireDreams 71]

It sounds like you are at the point now were you've been doing the long distance thing for awhile and it's probably getting really difficult. I know the feeling and it sucks. It does sounds like, based on your situation and his work situation that you might be better off moving to Canada. There would be a lot of perks to moving to Canada, healthcare for one, a better employment rate second and it sounds like your bf might have friends and family that could be a nice support system for you guys, as opposed to moving to Florida where you say you don't have a ton of people. School would probably be a lot more affordable for your bf too and he might even qualify for government student loans.

Have you considered maybe saving up some money and then flying to Edmonton for a few months just to visit? You could spend some more time together, and you could get a feel for the city and lifestyle. Another option would be moving somewhere closer to him, but still in the US so you could visit each other more often? I was going to suggest maybe enrolling in a college close to the Canadian border but still the US. That would be easier on the NY/Ontario or WA/BC border.

I wish you the best of luck. I always used to remind myself that if it was meant to be it would be.

[awkwardsoul 20]

My fiance and I chose me to go to the USA, mostly on my fiance having the better job and stuff and the process being cheaper in the long run and faster. At first, I was thinking of going to go to school in the USA, but the tuition is INSANE + international student fees. Then I tried to get a practicum there, but again, costly. A year later we felt ready for marriage.

If you want a marriagey visa - going to the USA is faster. If you could get a job in Canada that would be faster than marriage. US likes to unite families, Canada likes skilled workers. Immigration into Canada is a slower process.

I know 3 people who decided to go from USA and Brazil to Canada via marriage visas and the downside was it took 1-2 years to process and all of them had to wait 1 year after that until they were able to work. Then another 3-6 months to get status to leave Canada to visit family. So my one friend from Brazil has been stuck without seeing his home country for 2+ years (and he went crazy because he couldn't work for a year and was stuck volunteering). With that said, your partner will need to be able to support you for that year, verses immigrating to US is a couple months of support until he gets his EAD (or sooner for CR-1 visa if I'm not mistaken). Of course, there is also a chunk of time without canadian medical coverage (but I know in Vancouver there's ways to get around it, as there are some funded clinics that would take non-MSP holders for free).

But yeah, long distance relationships suck, most of us here have been through it. Whatever you do, it's not completely permanent. You both could always move back to the USA or Canada (once paperwork/etc is done so you don't have to re-do the whole process!).

[Ashley & Mac 0]

Thanks everyone! I think I've decided on going to Edmonton. Everyone I've spoken with believes it's the best option for me and I'm starting to realize it too! Now, I'll just have to figure out which route is best for me! Thanks again.

[Krikit 1,165]

I know 3 people who decided to go from USA and Brazil to Canada via marriage visas and the downside was it took 1-2 years to process and all of them had to wait 1 year after that until they were able to work. Then another 3-6 months to get status to leave Canada to visit family. So my one friend from Brazil has been stuck without seeing his home country for 2+ years (and he went crazy because he couldn't work for a year and was stuck volunteering).

I'm not quite as familiar with the Canadian process as I am with the American but I think you must be referring to when they enter Canada as a tourist and then applying? Because I know that way takes a very long time.

I believe it only takes a few months (2-3?) when applying from outside of Canada.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Thanks everyone! I think I've decided on going to Edmonton. Everyone I've spoken with believes it's the best option for me and I'm starting to realize it too! Now, I'll just have to figure out which route is best for me! Thanks again.

If had met my husband 15 years ago before kids, two divorces and a mortgage, I'd been in Calgary in a heart beat.