Story of an international student in US and his Canadian girlfriend (health insurance, how much)

[kraus]

So the story goes like this...we have known each other for a while now (around 5 years). I am an international student studying in the US and we met when she came here to work temporarily. We kept in touch after she went back. I didn't see her for a while as she was travelling and working in different parts of the world. All this time we were keeping in touch through emails and phone calls. We finally met after she came back this year and we have been meeting a bit more regularly since then (I'll be visiting her parents for Christmas really excited!!). We would like to get married and be together (coz this "being apart" thing is driving us crazy).
I have read some of the other threads here and it seems like we can get married in Canada. I am finishing up my studies in US soon so I could move to Canada in order to get married. I don't want us to remain apart after getting married so coming back to US is not really an option. I have a multiple entry visa for Canada which is valid till 3 years from now so waiting for the PR processing should be ok, right? If the helpful folks here could advise me on the things we need to do and pay attention to, I would be grateful. Also, is there some way I can work while waiting for the PR process? I haven't seen that question answered in any threads so far.

Thx

[Northbound81]

You might want to consult an immigration attorney for advice, because what you get from a web forum could be correct or it could be wrong.

[Cornerguy1]

You could consult an immigration attorney if you wished, but I'd suggest a very careful read of the material at www.cic.gc.ca as a first step.

It's very unlikely you'll be able to work while awaiting a decision on your PR application -- depending on the province you reside in, you may also not qualify for government health insurance until after your PR decision is rendered.

[kraus]

Thank you both for replying. I did read the information on the website mentioned by cornerguy1 and it seems like the procedure goes as follows. After marriage, we need to gather the required documents and submit applications for the sponsor and the spouse (being sponsored). The documents include criminal checks (in all countries where the person being sponsored has lived for more than six months in the past 10 years: from the guide), medical checkups and those for proof of relationship. The two applications are sent together to Vegreville, Alberta if the spouse is in Canada. It seems like there is a long wait if applying inside Canada (8-9 months). But as I said, I really don't want to be living apart after marriage. I didn't really see anything that says I can work while PR application is being processed. I know it is not as simple as the procedure I laid out but if I missed something, please let me know.

Also, in the page "Who can Apply" in "Sponsoring your family: Spouses and dependent children", I saw under "Relationships that are not eligible"
- You cannot be sponsored as a spouse if you have lived apart from your sponsor for at least one year
Is that before marriage or after marriage? Since we are living apart from each other right now, does this apply to us? I was also thinking if I'm going there to get married, what do you say to the immigration officials? Is there a chance they might deny entry if I say I'm going there to get married?

I guess an immigration attorney would be helpful. I don't know how much they charge though.

Thx