Extending open work permit, while being sponsored by my parnter.

[Cinda]

Hi,
Was wondering is someone can help me with some information. I've been doing a lot of reading and all seems a lot to understand but i just need advice on the time frame to apply.

I've been in Canada on an open work permit which expires in April (i'm from New Zealand). i have been in a relationship with my Canadian boyfriend starting November (first year of visa) and have decided that he will sponsor me (common-law) to get my PR. As it states we have to be in a relationship for a year and prove it, we would only have been living together for a year in March, a month before my permit expires (we were only able to move into together in March after we met, even though we have been in a relationship since November).

i want to extend my work permit while we wait for the sponsorship PR to be processed. I read that i can't reapply for a new IEC visa so can only extend it or apply for a different visa. From my understanding i apply to extend my work permit on the same application as the sponsorship or would i do them separately?

when would be a good time to apply for sponsored PR and extending work permit due to the time frame of our relationship?
i read that to extend or change your current visa must be done 30 days before expiry. And that it takes another year to process the application of sponsorship. would my extended work permit cover this process time?

 

[Riley Haas]

You need to submit the sponsorship application before your status expires. So if you're got a new IEC work permit by then, you have more flexibility.

If you want to apply for an open work permit for a sponsored spouse (which will take a long time to be approved) you have to submit that particular application at the same time as sponsorship. In that case you'll have to submit it after your are officially common law but before your current IEC permit expires (i.e. in March or early April if your permit expires later in March).

Off the top of my head, I don't know how early you can apply to renew IEC (provided you are eligible to do so) but I would think that would be the easier and safer way to do this.

 

[Cinda]

Thanks for the response!
So best to have everything prepared for when the time comes to submit after we have officially become a common-law relationship for a year but before my current open work permit expires in April. I will look more into renewing my current IEC and likely-hood of it being accepted (who knows who this COVID stuff how it effects everything beside processing times.

 

[Riley Haas]

We just wrote something about it, though it doesn't apply to IEC as far as I know: https://www.immigroup.com/news/stay-canada-legally-during-pandemic