Can I sponsor my spouse if we're both living in Canada?

[umjorge2]

Hello,
I am a Canadian/American duel citizen, and have an Canadian husband, and we both live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I would like to apply to sponsor him as my spouse, so we can one day move to the USA permanently. Can I apply to sponsor him while I still live in Canada? How can I show that I will support him financially when we move to the USA, if I obviously do not have a job in USA to prove that? And is it a possibility that if he gets his PR, then when we move to the USA, he will also be able to work any job immediately?

I have no current US home address. Will this be an issue? We wouldn't really look to get one unless the possibility was there that we could live down there providing he could get a green card to work down there.

 

[parker24]

Hello,
I am a Canadian/American duel citizen, and have an Canadian husband, and we both live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I would like to apply to sponsor him as my spouse, so we can one day move to the USA permanently. Can I apply to sponsor him while I still live in Canada? How can I show that I will support him financially when we move to the USA, if I obviously do not have a job in USA to prove that? And is it a possibility that if he gets his PR, then when we move to the USA, he will also be able to work any job immediately?

I have no current US home address. Will this be an issue? We wouldn't really look to get one unless the possibility was there that we could live down there providing he could get a green card to work down there.

This is for Canadians sponsoring their spouses to Canada. You would need to ask that question on a different site.

 

[truesmile]

While I agree this belongs on another forum, as I scrolled down 'Parker' I actually thought you were going to answer the question. I was curious so I looked and found this in all of about 20 seconds by using Google (to be crystal clear it's American, so married in Canada qualifies as "abroad"):

If you marry abroad
Complete the following steps, in order:

•File Form I-130 for your spouse with USCIS
•Your spouse applies for a K-3 visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate
•Your spouse can enter the country as a permanent resident

 

[amikety]

While I agree this belongs on another forum, as I scrolled down 'Parker' I actually thought you were going to answer the question. I was curious so I looked and found this in all of about 20 seconds by using Google (to be crystal clear it's American, so married in Canada qualifies as "abroad"):

If you marry abroad
Complete the following steps, in order:

•File Form I-130 for your spouse with USCIS
•Your spouse applies for a K-3 visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate
•Your spouse can enter the country as a permanent resident

I'm under the impression the processing is very fast too. My brother (an American) sponsored his wife (Thai citizen) and got her Green card in under a year. I'd have to dig through my Facebook to be sure, but it seems like it was around 6 months.

Google search. I wish more people used it.

 

[parker24]

I'm under the impression the processing is very fast too. My brother (an American) sponsored his wife (Thai citizen) and got her Green card in under a year. I'd have to dig through my Facebook to be sure, but it seems like it was around 6 months.

Google search. I wish more people used it.

I was actually just heading out the door to Bible Study and didn't have time to google search.

Anyway, it's faster for some. Hubby was friends with a Canadian who is still waiting after 5-6 years. Another family we know has been waiting 3 years. I think it's like the Canadian system, sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow.

 

[amikety]

I was actually just heading out the door to Bible Study and didn't have time to google search.

Anyway, it's faster for some. Hubby was friends with a Canadian who is still waiting after 5-6 years. Another family we know has been waiting 3 years. I think it's like the Canadian system, sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow.

I didn't mean you

But I can't say what I mean without looking like a B...

 

[tuyen]

Anyway, it's faster for some. Hubby was friends with a Canadian who is still waiting after 5-6 years. Another family we know has been waiting 3 years. I think it's like the Canadian system, sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow.

That doesn't sound right to me.
If somebody is waiting 5-6 years, something is obviously wrong with the application, OR there was missing information in the application, or suspicious activity that flagged the application.
You didn't provide any details, but I find it really hard to believe that your friend submitted a totally legit application, and after 5 or 6 years, he still hasn't heard anything as to what's happening or why there's a delay.

 

[parker24]

That doesn't sound right to me.
If somebody is waiting 5-6 years, something is obviously wrong with the application, OR there was missing information in the application, or suspicious activity that flagged the application.
You didn't provide any details, but I find it really hard to believe that your friend submitted a totally legit application, and after 5 or 6 years, he still hasn't heard anything as to what's happening or why there's a delay.

The only thing I know of, is she had been married before, the guy is in the army and she was in the army as well. Which I'm sure has some sort of bearing on the fact it's taking so long. Like I said, it all depends on the situation etc. I was told mine was very straightforward, but ours is taking a little longer than people who have applied after us. We're patient, but it's disheartening to see this after being told ours would be quick. *shrug* I just don't want anyone else to feel like I do when they are told "Oh yeah it'll be fast" and then they get stuck waiting for quite a while. (This is just my two cents)

Anywho, like I said, of course it depends on the situation and circumstances.

 

[simb]

yes. i depends upon the situation and circumstances and would say your luck too.
one of my friends got married to US citizen and she came to US in less than one year.. (i mean she got her greencard)

and the other case is other friend got married an year before and he applied for his wife and she is still waiting for her interview.
so it really depends on the officer.

let it be CIC or USCIS.. it all depends on the officer who has your file...

 

[umjorge2]

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't be here if google answered all my questions so I wish people would help me out instead of telling me to use google which I already tried. I did many google searches and couldn't really come up with a clear answer pertaining to my unique situation with me being a duel Canadian/US citizen and sponsoring him, a Canadian with both of us living in Canada with no US address so I was just wanting to know if the procedures were similar to how it would be if we were wanting to come to Canada after living in the USA with me still having duel citizenship but him being American instead. As far as using a different site to answer this question, is there a US equivalent you know of that's as good as this one for these types of questions? I couldn't really find any. Since I thought the procedure was maybe similar to an American coming to Canada and that maybe somebody from this forum has a similar situation as mine, that somebody could answer. Only asking a question, like everybody else who comes to this forum I assume.

 

[parker24]

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't be here if google answered all my questions so I wish people would help me out instead of telling me to use google which I already tried. I did many google searches and couldn't really come up with a clear answer pertaining to my unique situation with me being a duel Canadian/US citizen and sponsoring him, a Canadian with both of us living in Canada with no US address so I was just wanting to know if the procedures were similar to how it would be if we were wanting to come to Canada after living in the USA with me still having duel citizenship but him being American instead. As far as using a different site to answer this question, is there a US equivalent you know of that's as good as this one for these types of questions? I couldn't really find any. Since I thought the procedure was maybe similar to an American coming to Canada and that maybe somebody from this forum has a similar situation as mine, that somebody could answer. Only asking a question, like everybody else who comes to this forum I assume.

It's sort of similar but isn't. I know that doesn't make sense haha. We had looked at maybe me going to the US (before I ran into a bunch of medical problems). I'll try to find the info I had, but here's a forum in the meantime that I found:

http://forums.immigration.com/forum.php?s=c89ad163abea91edded10ff5c2e8160b

 

[canadianwoman]

Since I thought the procedure was maybe similar to an American coming to Canada and that maybe somebody from this forum has a similar situation as mine, that somebody could answer. Only asking a question, like everybody else who comes to this forum I assume.

There are some couples on this forum where the Canadian sponsored the American to Canada, and either before or after the American also sponsored the Canadian to America. So they could give you some first-hand advice.

 

[lunas]

I would recommend contacting your U.S consul. Believe it or not, consuls are very helpful (They have been so far when I was in other countries)
I know there is a way to sponsor your spouse through the US Embassy. If you call or email with specific questions, they might guide you in the right direction. I have friends who have obtained US PR while living in other countries. Processing times vary.
If you are planning to sponsor after you move to the US the financial requirements might change. Sorry not much help.

Are you in Winipeg?
http://winnipeg.usconsulate.gov/about-us/consul.html

 

[parker24]

Okay here are the links I had bookmarked:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=9c8aa6c515083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9c8aa6c515083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c67c7f9ded54d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3faf2c1a6855d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b70f8875d714d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=7d316c0b4c3bf110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=dd346d26d17df110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=dd346d26d17df110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD


I hope that helped

 

[umjorge2]

Thanks that helps a lot! I would contact the Consulate here in Winnipeg but they say they do not normally provide services to the general public but emergencies to citizens residing here. We use to have an embassy that closed in 1986 with just a diplomatic post now. They do provide a number that I could call and ask I guess.