Moving form UK to Calgary , Canada.... advice needed please

[Nicki1209]

Hi,

Im hoping you can give me some advice or even reassurance maybe is what im looking for that the information i have been given is correct.

My boyfriend has been offerred a job with Alta Telecom in Calgary, Canada. This is to start in July. Im hoping to follow him over with my daughter (from a previous relationship) once i have sold my property here in the UK.

My BF has been advised that i will be able to come over and apply for a visa as part of his. Apparently something along the lines that once he actually enters the country he will need to fill in forms reference whom will be following him in the future.

Is this correct? The reason i have asked is i have been kind of put off by a friend whom claims to have looked into this and seems to think this information is not correct.

As im literally selling up and leaving everything i have here, i need some kind of advice................ Can you help please? Thanks Nicki

All I know is we had a family visa at the same time and all travelled into Canada together. It was organised by the company. I would suggest you rent out your house for the time being, until it's clear that,

a) you can get into Canada easily with your DP, and
b) that your stay in Canada will be long term.

If it doesn't work out, it would beneficial for you and your DD to have a home/assets to return to.

I really don't think you should sell your property to follow your boyfriend. What happens if his job doesn't work out? If you break up?
Keep your property and rent it out.

I have considered this however ............ i have to sell in a completely seperate issue as it is jointly owned with my ex husband and he is forcing me to sell , this would happen regardless of canada

Only one thing to do: get on to the Canadian High Commission and ask. I would find it pretty amazing that you could go to Canada intending to stay permanently with no visa. Canadian immigration are strict and they scrutinize people very closely at the airport. If they ask you why you are coming to Canada you would have to lie, which is a bad plan!

Start here but find out what type of visa your partner is being offered.

It a working visa and the company have advised that they will give me visa as his partner..... he will arrange when he gets out there apparently???

www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/work/work-faq06.asp

Also, do you qualify as his "common law spouse" in the eyes of CIC? i.e. Can you prove that you have lived together (joint utility bills, etc) for a minimum of 12 months? Not sure how it would work with your daughter, too, as the potential spousal work permit, to which you might be entitled, would likely not extend to a child from another relationship (i.e. the system is set up to allow spouses and dependent children to accompany temporary foreign workers, and I assume she wouldn't be considered his dependent... If that isn't an issue (i.e. if she can be exclusively your dependent and still qualify for entry) the you would definitely need permission from your daughter's father to take her to Canada - Canada are very strict about that and I've heard of people's applications failing on that point, even if they have informed CIC that they are totally estranged from the other biological parent and have no way of tracking them down to get their permission!

what lazydog said. with bells on.

are you even co-habiting at the mo?

it doesn't sound as though you qualify under common-law to be honest, and there will definitely be additional legal hoops to jump through wrt bio father. as lazydog says, you have to be able to prove 12 months of co-habiting etc etc etc.

i would not travel at all, or sell anything, until you actually have the stamp in your passport.

twp will be for two years, with no absolute guarantee of extension. (it could happen, but you can't rely on it)

but calgary is great. we live an hour out of town x

There is also no reason why your visa couldn't be arranged in advance, with his....assuming you meet all the relationship criteria.