Russian wife, Canadian permanent resident, American visa

[Misha]

Hello,

As you may know, I am Canadian an my wife is now a Canadian permanent resident. I wanted to travel to the United States with my wife, and, of course, she needs a visa. Last week, my wife and I went to Vancouver to apply for an American visa so she could travel to the USA with me this summer. We got her passport back yesterday: she was granted a ten-year, multiple entry B1/B2 visa. This will be very convenient for us as you can get cheaper flight leaving from Seattle and there are buses that go from downtown Vancouver to the SEATAC airport in Washington State, and we will be able to travel to the United States from time to time in the coming years without the hassle of applying for a visa each and every time.

In any case, if anybody is interested in knowing more, just let me know.

Misha

[UTRO]

This is very good information Misha. Thank-you for passing this along Lana and I will more than likely be be travelling to the USA to see my Dad in the future. You say your Wife is a Permanent Resident.. Is this not Automatic once the Canadian Government recognizes her as your wife and allows her entry to be with you?

[docetae]

Since how long does she get her permanent residence in Canada ? We will be soon in same case ...(US border is just 100km from Montreal and Vermont one of my favorite destination for long week ends)

[Misha]

This is very good information Misha. Thank-you for passing this along Lana and I will more than likely be be travelling to the USA to see my Dad in the future. You say your Wife is a Permanent Resident.. Is this not Automatic once the Canadian Government recognizes her as your wife and allows her entry to be with you?

Nope. This is from the United States State Department web site: "Permanent residents (aka landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program." (see: http://tinyurl.com/3x98la). Russia does not fall under one of the participating VWP countries, so a Russian citizen, even if she is a Canadian permanent resident, still needs a visa to visit the USA.

The countries that fall under the Visa Waiver Program:

Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei   
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Italy   
Japan
Liechtenstein    
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom

[Misha]

Since how long does she get her permanent residence in Canada ? We will be soon in same case ...(US border is just 100km from Montreal and Vermont one of my favorite destination for long week ends)

The interview went by very quickly. We were asked why we were going to the United States, how long we had known each other. The officer wanted some clarification as to why my wife arrived in Canada before getting her PR (we showed him photocopies of my wife's Canadian temporary residence visas) and finally he asked where I worked. The whole thing took less than a minute.

My wife and I have been together for close to 2 years in Canada and she received her permanent residence this January.

[AnastassiaAsh]

Congrats Misha, that's good news! Tim is Canadian too and we used to travel Seattle - Vancouver - Calgary  pretty often.  Our situation is a littel different, but it's just nice to see some Canadian members here in this thread. Great. 

I sometimes think that one day our kids will have a triple citizenship!   

[UTRO]

and why wouldn't they Anastasia? It's in your hands............ and Tim's

[Rick1234]

This is very good information Misha. Thank-you for passing this along Lana and I will more than likely be be travelling to the USA to see my Dad in the future. You say your Wife is a Permanent Resident.. Is this not Automatic once the Canadian Government recognizes her as your wife and allows her entry to be with you?

    Yes I think so, when her visa is issued, it is a visa for Permanent Resident, after she enters in Canada, she is entitled to have a PR card. But there are some conditions, she has to stay in Canada for at least a certain time ( I don't remember exactly) in the first 5 years, otherwise she would lose the PR. In this time if she want to go to the US she has to apply for visa with the passport of her original country. Of course having PR Canadian will help and usually the US visa is granted. 

[Misha]

Yes I think so, when her visa is issued, it is a visa for Permanent Resident, after she enters in Canada, she is entitled to have a PR card. But there are some conditions, she has to stay in Canada for at least a certain time ( I don't remember exactly) in the first 5 years, otherwise she would lose the PR. In this time if she want to go to the US she has to apply for visa with the passport of her original country. Of course having PR Canadian will help and usually the US visa is granted. 

Yes, the permanent residence is a visa (comparable to the American "green card") that allows you to live in Canada and benefit from most of the rights of Canadian citizens and there is no end date to permanent residence if you satisfy the residency requirements: to keep your status as a permanent resident, you must live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period. The permanent residence cards expire after five years, but can be renewed. I expect that my wife will have her citizenship before her card expires and at that point she won't need to renew her PR card.

To apply for Canadian citizenship, you have to accumulate three years worth of residence in Canada before applying. To qualify for citizenship you have to take a citizenship test if you are between the ages of 18 and 54 and this test  will evaluate you your knowledge of Canada and your language abilities in either English or French.
 
When it comes to applying for an American temporary residence visa as a Canadian PR, it all comes down to proving that the person is motivated to return. If the consular officials have no doubt as the fact that the Canadian permanent resident will return to Canada, then the odds of getting an American visa are quite good. The nice part is that she got a ten-year multiple entry visa, which seems standard for Canadian permanent residents who get a visa to go to the United States (I have a friend who is an immigrant living in Canada who is gainfully employed but not married to a Canadian citizen who also got a 10 year visa).

[UTRO]

Great information! Thank-you both Rick and Misha
Funny, my ex wife's parents came from Scotland in the 60s and their two children were born in Canada as Canadians. But, neither the Mum or Dad have ever bothered to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
Talk about wanting the benefits of something but refusing to be part of it.... They have both collected unemployment insurance, welfare, workman's compensation, OHIP benefits, Canada Pension and now Canada Old Age Pension!! I once asked them why, after over 40 years in Canada, they hadn't applied for Citizenship. I was told to, "mind my own F**n business", by the '280lb Ogre, Case a Beer a day, Alcoholic, Unemployed Father-in-Law'! It isn't as if they'd have to rescind their UK Citizenship!?! I guess our government doesn't care so why should I, eh? 

[Misha]

One final point: Russian citizens in Russia seem to have to pay a "reciprocity" fee to get a one-year or two-year multiple entry visa when they are applying in Russia (if I understood the American site properly). If they are applying as Canadian permanent residents in Canada, they don't seem to have to pay (or at least I wasn't asked to pay any other fee other than the $131 application fee).

[docetae]

Great information! Thank-you both Rick and Misha
Funny, my ex wife's parents came from Scotland in the 60s and their two children were born in Canada as Canadians. But, neither the Mum or Dad have ever bothered to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
Talk about wanting the benefits of something but refusing to be part of it.... They have both collected unemployment insurance, welfare, workman's compensation, OHIP benefits, Canada Pension and now Canada Old Age Pension!! I once asked them why, after over 40 years in Canada, they hadn't applied for Citizenship. I was told to, "mind my own F**n business", by the '280lb Ogre, Case a Beer a day, Alcoholic, Unemployed Father-in-Law'! It isn't as if they'd have to rescind their UK Citizenship!?! I guess our government doesn't care so why should I, eh? 

The more difficult point when you become Canadian is to swear allegiance to the queen ...

[msmoby_ru]

Funny, my ex wife's parents came from Scotland in the 60s and their two children were born in Canada as Canadians. But, neither the Mum or Dad have ever bothered to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
Talk about wanting the benefits of something but refusing to be part of it.... They have both collected unemployment insurance, welfare, workman's compensation, OHIP benefits, Canada Pension and now Canada Old Age Pension!! I once asked them why, after over 40 years in Canada, they hadn't applied for Citizenship. It isn't as if they'd have to rescind their UK Citizenship!?! I guess our government doesn't care so why should I, eh? 

Hmm.. I thought about this.. I live in a third country and *I* pay tax there - I don't NEED to become a citizen - Does it make a difference..? In Europe ..no .. we SHOULD be able to move between EU countries with ease.
*I* don't expect a Pole or an Italian to become British / Irish - if they come to live here and contribute ... should they expect me to become a citizen of their nation .. NAW..

Canada and Britain had a closer relationship back then - before the UK joined the EEC ( later EU) ...

Interesting question .. did your ex-wife ever become a UK citizen?!

[Rvrwind]

I guess our government doesn't care so why should I, eh? 

You should care its our bloody taxes paying for it.
Typical Canadian attitude, bury your head up your ass & don't make waves. No frigging wonder this country is going to hell in a handbasket.
Welcome to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Canada!!!

[UTRO]

You should care its our bloody taxes paying for it.
Typical Canadian attitude, bury your head up your ass & don't make waves. No frigging wonder this country is going to hell in a handbasket.
Welcome to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Canada!!!

Having a bad day are we?

[steviej]

Having a bad day are we?

... Utro ... Funny !!... 

By the way, you're back? I think you said you were going to be away for a while, right?

[UTRO]

Stevie... Yes! I got back from a 12 day trip, two weeks ago this Wednesday and I've been working ever since Had a great time!! Non stop activity wise Temps ranged between 28C and 34C with Zero clouds or rain, except for the day I arrived. Met up with Lee08 and his Lady, completely by chance(!) in Red Square. I'll write more on that tomorrow on Lee's Report Thread.
Svetlana and I are ready to make a life together in Canada. In fact we looked at engagement rings while in Kirov Can someone tell me what it is about Russian Engagement Rings..... why are the diamonds so small and uninspiring?!? Is it a reflection of the personal economic situation in her region? Regardless, Lana wants a Gemstone rather than a Diamond!?! Go Figure?! I Love this Girl!!