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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:49 am Post subject: For those who married Koreans and... |
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...have gone back to Canada and started your spouse's permanent residency process. I need to ask you some questions.
We're not married yet, but will be marrying in Canada. We have the following concerns:
1. She's going to be applying for her 6 month tourist visa in Canada(doesn't qualify for the working vacation visa). Is it helpful or a hindrance for us to tell the Canadian immigration official at the airport, that we have plans to marry while in Canada and apply for her permanent residency visa?
2. If indicating that we have plans to marry doesn't necessarily help benefit her get a 6 mnth tourist visa, then to ensure that she gets approved for a full 6 months on that tourist visa and avoid getting poorly assessed and stamped for a shorter period, what does she need to prepare for a favorable assessment for a full 6 mnth term? Proof of funds to live/travel on for 6 months, such as traveller's checks exceeding $5000? Say that she's coming over to travel for 6 mnths, while also visiting/checking out universities to later apply for a student visa, etc..? Or is my concern for her not qualifying for a full 6 months visa, not necessary?
3. Once we are married and we apply for her PR visa while in Canada, what happens to her tourist visa when it comes up for expiration? Can we extend that on the grounds that we are married and she is awaiting approval of the PR visa? Or will she need to do a visa run and if so, will having the marriage cert and PR application started, be helpful in getting the next 6 mnth visa?
4. I will need to sponsor her for the PR visa, but given that I haven't been in Canada for the past 5 years, what might I need to help make my sponsorship case look more solid? I have a job offer over there and will have been working in Canada for at least 3 months before we are married and have applied for her PR visa. Will 3 months work be enough? As I've read elsewhere that they say you ideally need 12 mnths on the job to make a solid case for PR sponsorship. Or to expedite the PR process, anyways.
Thanks heaps for any advice on this.
Last edited by chronicpride on Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:56 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Imrahil
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Location: On the other side of the world.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| My honest advice to you is stay up late one night and make that long distance phone call to the Immigration offices in Canada and ask all of those questions to them. If you live in Seoul you can go to the Canadian Embassy there and ask them in person. YOU CAN NOT PHONE THE EMBASSY IN SEOUL AND ASK THEM THESE QUESTIONS OVER THE PHONE. THEY WILL NOT ASK ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING IMMAGRATION TO CANADA OVER THE PHONE. I know that from experience. If you want to save on the phone bill just look up Canada Immigration email address on their webpage and send them an email. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:23 am Post subject: |
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I could have sworn the peeps at the embassy told me NOT to do what you're planing - but my memory isn't so good of late man.
Go in and ask 'em. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:08 am Post subject: Re: For those who married Koreans and... |
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| chronicpride wrote: |
...have gone back to Canada and started your spouse's permanent residency process. I need to ask you some questions.
We're not married yet, but will be marrying in Canada. We have the following concerns:
1. She's going to be applying for her 6 month tourist visa in Canada(doesn't qualify for the working vacation visa). Is it helpful or a hindrance for us to tell the Canadian immigration official at the airport, that we have plans to marry while in Canada and apply for her permanent residency visa?
2. If indicating that we have plans to marry doesn't necessarily help benefit her get a 6 mnth tourist visa, then to ensure that she gets approved for a full 6 months on that tourist visa and avoid getting poorly assessed and stamped for a shorter period, what does she need to prepare for a favorable assessment for a full 6 mnth term? Proof of funds to live/travel on for 6 months, such as traveller's checks exceeding $5000? Say that she's coming over to travel for 6 mnths, while also visiting/checking out universities to later apply for a student visa, etc..? Or is my concern for her not qualifying for a full 6 months visa, not necessary?
3. Once we are married and we apply for her PR visa while in Canada, what happens to her tourist visa when it comes up for expiration? Can we extend that on the grounds that we are married and she is awaiting approval of the PR visa? Or will she need to do a visa run and if so, will having the marriage cert and PR application started, be helpful in getting the next 6 mnth visa?
4. I will need to sponsor her for the PR visa, but given that I haven't been in Canada for the past 5 years, what might I need to help make my sponsorship case look more solid? I have a job offer over there and will have been working in Canada for at least 3 months before we are married and have applied for her PR visa. Will 3 months work be enough? As I've read elsewhere that they say you ideally need 12 mnths on the job to make a solid case for PR sponsorship. Or to expedite the PR process, anyways.
Thanks heaps for any advice on this. |
If she is from Korea (Korean passport) she does NOT need to apply for a visa to enter Canada as a "tourist". She can enter as long as she has a contact address and a return ticket or proof of funds.
National KOREA (REPUBLIC) (KR)
Embarkation KOREA (REPUBLIC) (KR)
Destination CANADA (CA)
Passport (must be valid for period of intended stay) required.
Visa not required, generally for a max. stay of 6 months.
Recommended to hold:
- return/onward ticket and all documents required for next destination; and
- sufficient funds.
AFTER you are married you will apply to be her sponsor.
AFTER that is approved she will apply for her permanent residence visa as an INLAND applicant. This process can take up to 2 years.
(applying as an outside applicant (from here) can take as little as 3-6 months).
AFTER she has made her application she will need to visit immigration before her 6 months expires and get an extension based on her application for residence as a family (spousal) applicant.
The process is VERY DIFFERENT from that in the states. Do not confuse the two. It is also very easy to accomplish yourself. Just take your time, dot the i's and cross the t's.
There is a very good yahoo group for people like you:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canadian_immigration/ |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks, that site is helpful. |
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Hobophobic
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Location: Sinjeong negorie mokdong oh ga ri samgyup sal fighting
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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Started the residency with my wife in November, 2006 from Canada...just got word she has an interview last week....from the first day the only word they will give you is PROCESSING - and tell you to be patient...which you can check online with her temporary number...
It is a bit of an ordeal....especially with the 6 month tourist visa, and not knowing what is going on with the application. You may extend the visa, which you should send in atleast a month before the tourist visa expires, and they usually grant a year extension.
We had to make a photo journal chronicalling our relationship - trips, dates, marriage,...had to describe how we fell in love, tell where she worked, schooled, and lived for the past 10 years,do all the medical testing for her by appointed doctors, proof of funds...and on and on....
I am not trying to discourage you at all, but we met a married couple who started the residency process in Korea and then went to Canada had a much faster processing time ( 10 months if I remember correctly)...maybe you could consider just getting married on paper only first here in Korea, and doing the ceremony back home...congrats in any case.
By the way, we are now back in Korea...she still doesn't have her residency visa.... |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: Re: For those who married Koreans and... |
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| chronicpride wrote: |
...have gone back to Canada and started your spouse's permanent residency process. I need to ask you some questions.
We're not married yet, but will be marrying in Canada. We have the following concerns:
1. She's going to be applying for her 6 month tourist visa in Canada(doesn't qualify for the working vacation visa). Is it helpful or a hindrance for us to tell the Canadian immigration official at the airport, that we have plans to marry while in Canada and apply for her permanent residency visa?
She doesn't need a 6 visa, she gets 6 months automattically.
2. If indicating that we have plans to marry doesn't necessarily help benefit her get a 6 mnth tourist visa, then to ensure that she gets approved for a full 6 months on that tourist visa and avoid getting poorly assessed and stamped for a shorter period, what does she need to prepare for a favorable assessment for a full 6 mnth term? Proof of funds to live/travel on for 6 months, such as traveller's checks exceeding $5000? Say that she's coming over to travel for 6 mnths, while also visiting/checking out universities to later apply for a student visa, etc..? Or is my concern for her not qualifying for a full 6 months visa, not necessary?
Again, she doesn't need to do anything or say anything. They might expect she is going to have a return ticket though...she will get an automatic 6 months when they stamp her passport
3. Once we are married and we apply for her PR visa while in Canada, what happens to her tourist visa when it comes up for expiration? Can we extend that on the grounds that we are married and she is awaiting approval of the PR visa? Or will she need to do a visa run and if so, will having the marriage cert and PR application started, be helpful in getting the next 6 mnth visa?
You have to leave the country to get that visa extended. I suggest you get her a US visa too so all you have to do is drive across the border and back again. When you come back she will get another 6 months. At that time they will ask why she needs a 2nd 6 month visa and you can say you are married and waiting for PR status
4. I will need to sponsor her for the PR visa, but given that I haven't been in Canada for the past 5 years, what might I need to help make my sponsorship case look more solid? I have a job offer over there and will have been working in Canada for at least 3 months before we are married and have applied for her PR visa. Will 3 months work be enough? As I've read elsewhere that they say you ideally need 12 months on the job to make a solid case for PR sponsorship. Or to expedite the PR process, anyways.
This is where I see you running into the most trouble. Honestly, I would say you are going to run into walls in this regard. You do not need 12 months of work. Having a job at the time you apply is all you need. You will also have to detail exactly how you hope to support your new wife. You will be financially responsible for her for her first 3 years in Canada. That means no welfare etc. for her.
You have to prove that you are really married and not just doing this for a card for her. That means they will ask you questions on the forms about who knows your wife. How long have they known her. You have to submit photos to show proof of your relationship...wedding photos are a must.
What you really should be worried about is:
- it is going to be harder to get sponsored in Canada than if you were in Korea.
- if you mess up the forms just one little bit, they send them back to you and you have to start up all over again.
- the process can take longer than a year if you are applying within Canada because of the backlog. In Korea it took me 6-7 months to get the approval and some of that was because we didn't do 1 form like they asked and they sent it back to us and we had to resend it to them.
- I am not sure how it will work with your wife in Canada, but my wife had to get forms from the Korean government after her application was approved but before she got the card. The forms say that the Korean government knows she is immigrating: they gave her a new ID number (took away her citizenship card) and a new passport. If they do that Canada side, that means you need to live near a Korean consulate or embassy for getting that stuff done in a timely manner.
- Your wife to be will have to do a criminal background check from Korea...again this is much easier to do within the country rather than from Canada. This form also has to be translated and notarized. It was one of the biggest pains for us and we did this from Korea. I expect it to be a bigger pain doing it from Canada. There is a date limit on how old it can be, it has to be within x months of your application so getting one first probably won't work.
- She will have to do a health check either way.
Lastly, if you haven't known her for very long, there could be a chance they deny your application.
Thanks heaps for any advice on this. |
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