Canadian visa quandry

[brucen36]

Ok here is my problem.  I have girlfriend in Belarus.  The options for bringing her to canada are:
1) Visitor Visa - almost impossible for single women (she's 29), who has no high paying job (or stable job) and very little property or money in bank.
2) Student Visa - have to register for a course for a minimum of 6 months, would cost tens of thousands, not feasible and even so visa would be difficult to get.
3) Skilled worker program - applying for this but could take a very long time and likely unsuccessful given her specialty in languages and not something Canada "desires"
4) Au pair visa - can't find any families in Canada that will reply to her - presumably don't want to deal with a russian person and visa hassles.
5) Marriage - neither of us are ready and even so could take a long time at least 8 months.

Also thought about #1 in conjunction with a study period of say 2 months which does not require a student visa but just a visitor visa.  The school says they won't issue acceptance until they get confirmation from Belarus that a visa will be issued, and consulate won't even attempt to issue a visa until a letter of acceptance is present - so catch-22.  This latter option costs about $5000, a lot, but doable.

What can I do to get her here at least for a visit in the next few months?  Any ideas anyone?  Kinda desperate here.

[GoodOlBoy]

Ok here is my problem.  I have girlfriend in Belarus.  The options for bringing her to canada are:
1) Visitor Visa - almost impossible for single women (she's 29), who has no high paying job (or stable job) and very little property or money in bank.
2) Student Visa - have to register for a course for a minimum of 6 months, would cost tens of thousands, not feasible and even so visa would be difficult to get.
3) Skilled worker program - applying for this but could take a very long time and likely unsuccessful given her specialty in languages and not something Canada "desires"
4) Au pair visa - can't find any families in Canada that will reply to her - presumably don't want to deal with a russian person and visa hassles.
5) Marriage - neither of us are ready and even so could take a long time at least 8 months.
Also thought about #1 in conjunction with a study period of say 2 months which does not require a student visa but just a visitor visa.  The school says they won't issue acceptance until they get confirmation from Belarus that a visa will be issued, and consulate won't even attempt to issue a visa until a letter of acceptance is present - so catch-22.  This latter option costs about $5000, a lot, but doable.

What can I do to get her here at least for a visit in the next few months?  Any ideas anyone?  Kinda desperate here.

Hello Brucen36.

Have you ever actually gotten on a plane and met this woman? 

Do you just want to "shack up" with her for a "test drive"?  :evil:


GOB

[brucen36]

Hello Brucen36.

Have you ever actually gotten on a plane and met this woman? 

Do you just want to "shack up" with her for a "test drive"?  :evil:


GOB

I went there, met her, met her family and friends, stayed at her place.  We both want this and want to proceed cautiously hence we are hesitant on the marriage option.

[Misha]

I went there, met her, met her family and friends, stayed at her place.  We both want this and want to proceed cautiously hence we are hesitant on the marriage option.

Can't you visit her? Realistically, it is the easiest option.

[brucen36]

Can't you visit her? Realistically, it is the easiest option.

No I can't go very often because of my job here.  I will go to see her again maybe in summer, but it can only be a week or so.  It's not enough.  We want to be together, live together, see how it feels and then maybe proceed with marriage.  I know I'm grasping at straws here, I just wanted to see if someone had some radical idea.

[GoodOlBoy]

....radical idea

Get married. 


GOB

[Misha]

No I can't go very often because of my job here.  I will go to see her again maybe in summer, but it can only be a week or so.  It's not enough.  We want to be together, live together, see how it feels and then maybe proceed with marriage.  I know I'm grasping at straws here, I just wanted to see if someone had some radical idea.

How much time have you spend with your g/f to date?

[brucen36]

How much time have you spend with your g/f to date?

Well everyday for about 3 months, average about 3 hours/day on skype with voice and webcam.  I went to Belarus for about 7 days and spent every hour of every day with her there since we stayed together at her mother's/her's apartment.

[Faux Pas]

brucen, it sounds a bit like you want to run the race first to see if you can win it or bow out. I really don't know anything about Canada's immigration laws. But, from your description, my advice wouldn't be any different than if she had visa already in hand. That would be to slow down. Visit her more, develop a relationship and when/if you decide you do want to marry her, then fight tooth and nail to get her with you. You likely won't be so scared of a fiance visa by then.

You mentioned it was difficult to go see her. It is difficult for most all of us, yet we do it. When it is important to you, you will too.

[Misha]

You likely won't be so scared of a fiance visa by then.

Canada doesn't have a fiance visa. His only choice is to get married. However, given the limited time spent in person with her, the odds are pretty good that her application for permanent residence would be rejected.

[BC]

Anything worthwhile is worth sacrifice.. and that's a two way street in international relationships.

Go spend a few months with her.

Yeah the job might be a problem, but heck.. it will be anyway sooner or later.

[Faux Pas]

Canada doesn't have a fiance visa. His only choice is to get married. However, given the limited time spent in person with her, the odds are pretty good that her application for permanent residence would be rejected.

So how does that work? He marries her in Belarus and Canada is happy to issue her a visa? I'm not being facetious, just really know nothing about Canada's immigration laws.

[brucen36]

Canada doesn't have a fiance visa. His only choice is to get married. However, given the limited time spent in person with her, the odds are pretty good that her application for permanent residence would be rejected.

Wait, even if I married her tomorrow, there's still a chance she can't come here??? 

[Misha]

So how does that work? He marries her in Belarus and Canada is happy to issue her a visa? I'm not being facetious, just really know nothing about Canada's immigration laws.

These are the steps:

1. He marries her (or has been living more than a year with her continuously so they quality as common-law);
2. He applies to sponsor her;
3. If approved, she applies for permanent residence. Part of the requirement is that they demonstrate a legitimate and ongoing relationship. You must submit documentation demonstrating that you have a stable and ongoing relationship. You will have to explain how you met, where you got married, provide photos, and as much documentation as you can to substantiate your documentation. If the immigration officer suspects it is a marriage of convenience or is not satisfied that it is not a serious relationship (i.e. little time spent together), the application can be rejected.

[Misha]

Wait, even if I married her tomorrow, there's still a chance she can't come here??? 

Yes. I do encourage you to visit the cic.gc.ca website and look at the documentation you and potentially future wife will have to fill out when you apply to sponsor her and she applies for permanent residence.

[brucen36]

Yes. I do encourage you to visit the cic.gc.ca website and look at the documentation you and potentially future wife will have to fill out when you apply to sponsor her and she applies for permanent residence.

Ok thanks for the comments.  I knew I should have taken that job in the states!

[BC]

Ok thanks for the comments.  I knew I should have taken that job in the states!

Might not have helped that much..

in EU you might have fared better.

[UTRO]

Bruce, somehow... someway you have to figure out how to spend some more time with your Girlfriend. Within the last 14 months I have visited my Fiancee in Russia 4 times and have seen her twice more in the Dominican. This has allowed me to see her in a variety of  environments.... to see the real her. There is no stress in a Dominican vacation... at her flat there is! We have both passed each other's tests! Oh and yes we argue like any other couple!
Our Canadian Government really Sucks. On one hand they will accept married spouses into Canada, which is good. On the other hand the rules are forcing some couples, who are not yet ready to marry for very obvious reasons, to marry someone they know little about. Is this smart? I don't think so. This is the advantage our American cousins have with their K Visas. God Bless America!
I would say that of all the options, other than marriage, the Student Visa is your best hope to allow your GF into Canada (85%) and get to know her better. Costly, yep.... $2300+ for a 7 week 'English as a Second Language' course http://www.georgianc.on.ca/international/forms/GEORGIAN_ESL_English_june2008.pdf and proof she has the funds for rent and feed herself while she's in Canada. You will have to deposit $$$ into her Ruskie bank account, if she doesn't have any herself, to prove she has the means to pay for everything...
Expensive yes, but it is probably less than I have spent in 14 months
p.s. Visitor Visa, even with a great job, money and property is a losing proposition! Also, with a Student Visa... she'd better not even suggest a Canadian Boyfriend... go back to Start
Oh, and if after her course you determine she's 'The One', marry her. She can remain in Canada until your Sponsorship has been approved

[brucen36]

Bruce, somehow... someway you have to figure out how to spend some more time with your Girlfriend. Within the last 14 months I have visited my Fiancee in Russia 4 times and have seen her twice more in the Dominican. This has allowed me to see her in a variety of  environments.... to see the real her. There is no stress in a Dominican vacation... at her flat there is! We have both passed each other's tests! Oh and yes we argue like any other couple!
Our Canadian Government really Sucks. On one hand they will accept married spouses into Canada, which is good. On the other hand the rules are forcing some couples, who are not yet ready to marry for very obvious reasons, to marry someone they know little about. Is this smart? I don't think so. This is the advantage our American cousins have with their K Visas. God Bless America!
I would say that of all the options, other than marriage, the Student Visa is your best hope to allow your GF into Canada (85%) and get to know her better. Costly, yep.... $2300+ for a 7 week 'English as a Second Language' course http://www.georgianc.on.ca/international/forms/GEORGIAN_ESL_English_june2008.pdf and proof she has the funds for rent and feed herself while she's in Canada. You will have to deposit $$$ into her Ruskie bank account, if she doesn't have any herself, to prove she has the means to pay for everything...
Expensive yes, but it is probably less than I have spent in 14 months
p.s. Visitor Via, even with a great job, money and property is a losing proposition! Also, with a Student Visa... she'd better not even suggest a Canadian Boyfriend... go back to Start
Oh, and if after her course you determine she's 'The One', marry her. She can remain in Canada until your Sponsorship has been approved

Thank you, this was helpful.

[brucen36]

brucen36 the student visa route is the easiest and fastest route to get your g/f into Canada.  You haven't mentioned what province you are in but I'm sure wherever you live that there is a community college.  Community colleges are generally very easy for foreign students to get accepted into.  If she started the process of applying to a few colleges in your area now there is a possibility that she could be here for the summer semester in May.  

Just because she has to register in a program lasting 6 months or more doesn't mean she has to stay 6 months or more.  If you two don't hit it off or she wants or has to go home, she can withdraw and leave the country prior to 6 months.  

Cost for a student visa and registering in a local community college is cheap.  Plane fare is the same as any other option and community colleges are the cheapest form of education, generally under $1,500 - 2,000 per semester for a full course load.  Check your local community college's website for what constitutes a full course load, some colleges will allow students, even foreign students, to take 3 or 4 courses and this is considered a full course load, this means tuition will be only about 60% of a full load.  Costs for tuition for foreign students will vary amongst colleges so it might pay to check out a few colleges to determine the tuition rates.  
  
Even for citizens of the FSU, student visas are easy to get to study in Canada.  Canada admits more than 100,000 foreign students each year to study in Canada she shouldn't have any problem getting a student visa.  

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp

Thank you for this too, quite helpful.  I'll keep you posted.  I'm in Quebec by the way.

[UTRO]

Thank you for this too, quite helpful.  I'll keep you posted.  I'm in Quebec by the way.

well, if you are in Montreal check out CEGEP Dawson or Vanier then

[Misha]

Cost for a student visa and registering in a local community college is cheap.  Plane fare is the same as any other option and community colleges are the cheapest form of education, generally under $1,500 - 2,000 per semester for a full course load.

Keep in mind that she will have to demonstrate to the Canadian Consulate that she has enough money to support herself while studying in Canada. This will mean tuition plus IIRC $1,000 per month she plans to stay in Canada, plus of course airfare and the like. In other words, we are talking close to 10 grand she will likely have to have in her bank account. Can she come up with the case? Bruce, would you feel comfortable handing over that much money to a woman you have known in reality for a week?

[brucen36]

Keep in mind that she will have to demonstrate to the Canadian Consulate that she has enough money to support herself while studying in Canada. This will mean tuition plus IIRC $1,000 per month she plans to stay in Canada, plus of course airfare and the like. In other words, we are talking close to 10 grand she will likely have to have in her bank account. Can she come up with the case? Bruce, would you feel comfortable handing over that much money to a woman you have known in reality for a week?

Well I hear what you are saying and understand it.  The thing is this, I have been searching online and analyzing for quite some time (years).  I've spoken to hundreds of girls (if not more) and by now I have a pretty good sense of who is who and when someone is real.  I usually know within a few lines of conversation, someone's true character and their true intentions.  First off I never met this girl on a bride site or anything like that.  She did not contact me, it was a completely random encounter online.  She just happens to be from Belarus but she is so not "russian" at all.  I've spoken to 100s of russian/all other FSU girls.  Her english is as good as a native speaker's. 

I'm not saying I can't be fooled, I can, it's just extremely unlikely.  And to answer your question then, yes I do trust her, I just know her.  And I realize I may sound like a fool now, god knows I've read all of the reports of so many other guys on forums like this one who find a russian woman marry her, etc etc, sound just like me with regards to trust and she ends up leaving them.  What can I say, I'm different and I know it.   

[Misha]

I'm not saying I can't be fooled, I can, it's just extremely unlikely.  

Okay, but remember that one should not send money unless one would not mind losing it

[Misha]

She can check to see if her country offers any scholarships or other awards for studying abroad.  Some organizations offer scholarships/awards to foreign students to study in Canada.

This might be difficult. I don't believe there would be much for students who are going to a college to do some short term studies (ESL studies for example).

The situation in Quebec regarding foreign students studying in Canada is slightly different than in English Canada.

If she is going to an English-language college, it won't be an issue.

Another positive is that she can work while studying in Canada.  If she remains here for a long period of time this will help with the financial support.  

IIRC, as student is only entitled to work on a student visa after 6-months. Before then, it is quite difficult. A foreign student can work on campus in the first six months IIRC, but there wouldn't be many jobs for a student at a college if a student is studying English or in a very short-term program IMHO. In other words, it is possible, but I wouldn't bank on it.