Does my (future) wife have to be in Canada when applying for sponsorship for me?

[cautiousjon]

Hi,

My Canadian girlfriend and I (British citizen) are looking to get married sometime towards the end of this year and are looking at marriage and residency options.

We'd like to settle in Canada eventually, but once we get married, we are not keen on being apart for too long. We are thinking about getting married in Canada and then bring her over to the UK to live on a tourist visa for six months. If the Canadian visa doesn't come in six months, we could apply for a UK visa to let her stay in the UK with me. However, we intend to apply for a Canadian permanent residency visa for me as soon as we get married. Am I right to assume that my girlfriend won't need to physically be in Canada in order to make the residency application?

Many thanks
Jon

 

[steerpike]

"Sponsorship eligibility
In order to sponsor, you must…
•live in Canada or provide evidence, if you are a Canadian citizen living outside of Canada, that you will live in Canada once the person you are sponsoring becomes a permanent resident."

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3900ETOC.asp

So yes its doable.

Wait time for the outland app from UK is currently 10 months

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp

 

[fandv]

Am I right to assume that my girlfriend won't need to physically be in Canada in order to make the residency application?

Yes that's correct, your gf won't need to be physically in Canada during the sponsorship application process (that's assuming she's a Canadian citizen, not a PR). However she'll have to demonstrate/show proofs to the CIC that she will return to Canada once you've got your PR.

 

[*Siren*]

She can apply to sponsor you even if she is not in Canada. She must provide proof that she intends to return to Canada with you (ie. proof of a job offer, lease for an apartment or offer on a home, etc.). It makes things a bit more complicated, but it is doable.