canadian citizen marrying a singapore citizen (insurance, legal, land)

[papasmurf187]

My girlfriend from singapore will be visiting me in the very near future. I plan to ask her to marry me here in canada and do so before she returns to singapore. We have talked about getting married for so long so i would like to surprise her with it when she gets to Canada. She will be coming on a visitor visa and i am a canadian citizen. i know we are able to get married here but i am curious to as how we would go about getting her canadian citizenship. what is the process involved. how long does it take for her to get citizenship. She is a professional teacher so would she have to quit her job in singapore right away or would she be able to return to work after our marriage and application for citizenship (do i apply for canadian citizenship or for PR ...i am very confused on this part) so she may tie up any loose ends. any help that you may provide will be greatly appreciated. thank you and HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Cornerguy1]

As always, the best ource of information is Citizenship and Immigration Canada's web site: Welcome Page | Page d'accueil

Here's a quick overview of what your options are.

Once you're married and your wife is legally in Canada on a visitor visa, you have the option of applying for Permanent Resident's status from either inside Canada or from abroad.

To apply from abroad, your wife would return to Singapore and make the application from there. She would remain in Singapore until such time as a decision is reached on her case. If she is accepted for PR status, she'll be notified and given a certain time frame to land in Canada.

If you decide to apply from within Canada, the two of you will need to fill out the appropriate forms and file them, along with the fees, with CIC. Time frames for processing of applications are available at CIC's site

Because your wife will have entered the country on a visitor visa, she will not be allowed to legally work until she has been accepted as a PR. Depending on your province of residence she may not be eligible for provincial health coverage while on a visitor visa. CIC makes it very clear that if a person with a PR application in process leaves Canada, there is no legal guarantee that they will be allowed to re-enter.

It is very important that a person with a PR application in process makes sure to keep their visa valid. This means she'll likely have to apply for at least one extension for her visitor visa. Be sure to allow plenty of time for extension application to be processed.

After all the hoops have been jumped through, a decison is rendered regarding the application. If she is accepted, she'll be issued a Social Insurance Number and be permitted to work. If for some reason she is rejected, she will be required to leave Canada.

Please take the time to plow through the various bulletins and forms available on CIC's site. The process isn't overly difficult, but it's important that yoou fully understand all the requirements and file all the paperwork correctly. Incorrect information can lead to the application being sent back for correction and then being returned to the starting point of the process.

[papasmurf187]

thank u for ur help...do u know of the time frames it usually takes and wat is usually involved in the processes of applying for PR...what types of information they ask

[Cornerguy1]

Originally Posted by papasmurf187

thank u for ur help...do u know of the time frames it usually takes and wat is usually involved in the processes of applying for PR...what types of information they ask

Time frames change depending on whether the application is made from outside the country or from within. Current waiting periods are available of the CIC web site: Welcome Page | Page d'accueil

While your at the site, it's easy to download the actual application forms. Reading through them will give you a better idea of the process.

Keep in mind that there is often more to it than just filling out a few forms; it can often take time to obtain certain supporting documentation like marriage licences and criminal record checks.

Good luck