I’m looking for up to date information on bringing my family back to Canada. I am a Canadian citizen and am married to a Thai national for 5 years now.
 

We have 2 children together who have already been granted their Canadian citizenship already. I’d like to bring my family back to Canada. 

My wife is 41 years old, has a degree, but doesn’t have a real job. She sells food at the market. Her bank account is pretty much empty. She has 3 children from a previous marriage. She has travelled to Japan before. 

 

What are some challenges that we should expect?

 

Can anyone who has recently taken their family to Canada give me some information?
 

ie. Step 1: 

Step 2:

etc

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

As a fellow Canadian living in Thailand that had success bringing my wife to Canada I can tell you firstly, without any money in her account you have no chance. As your kids are Canadian citizens they can enter Canada at free will. Forget about hiring a lawyer or visa specialist as they wont work with the Canadian embassy due them being very strict on requirements.

 

Your best chances are to put some money in your wife's account.Buy return airplane tickets as you will only be able to get her a 1 month tourist visa if its her first time visiting Canada. If she owns land in her name it helps. Basically they will want to know that she has a reason to return to Thailand. Canada is one of those countries that takes pride in letting  millions of refugees and asylum seekers in every year but make it extremely difficult to bring in spouses of Canadian nationals from development countries..

16 minutes ago, nightfox said:

As a fellow Canadian living in Thailand that had success bringing my wife to Canada I can tell you firstly, without any money in her account you have no chance. As your kids are Canadian citizens they can enter Canada at free will. Forget about hiring a lawyer or visa specialist as they wont work with the Canadian embassy due them being very strict on requirements.

 

Your best chances are to put some money in your wife's account...Buy return airplane tickets to Canada as you will only be able to get her a 1 month tourist visa if its her first time. If she owns land in her name helps. Basically they will want to know that she has a reason to return to Thailand. Canada is one of those countries that takes pride in letting of millions of refugees and asylum seekers in every year but make it extremely difficult to bring in spouses of Canadian nationals from development countries..

my wife received permanent residency after almost 2 years of waiting on the embassy in Singapore. After residing in Canada for a while we went back to Thailand when a family member of hers got ill (and later died). By then her card ran out (only good for 5 years) and then it took me another 13 months to get a 'travel document' which is used to travel back to Canada so that a new permanent residence card could be issued. Couldn't get the travel  document issued till I complained to a MP (then it arrived a week later). We then staued in Canada for another 8 months waiting on a new card till she had to return again (with no card) when her sister had a very difficult pregnancy You're correct about the refugees, and hey, I'm glad someone is helping the desperate, but to treat your own citizenry this way is substandard especially considering we were married there, she was issued a social insurance number and also paid taxes herself.. 

I am exactly in the process of bringing my wife to Canada as PR. She does have a degree and good job + money in the bank, but in my experience the process is nothing like UK system. Canada can't refuse her on income only as long as you are legally married.  

 

We actually hired a lawyer (3000k plus HST) for this process, but the only reason we did that is because I don't want any papers being returned and waste time sending documents back and forth. They do a pretty good job reviewing all the details before submitting, so it is just less headache to deal with and in the end you can do this yourself.

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Its very similar in the UK

The lawyers that I employed were special " Home Office Approved lawyers " of which at the time there were only 2 in the entire UK

Every Country has their own way of vetting, but everything with them all is about the Money.

UK Immigration / Asylum seekers no problem

Wife ? and its all out War

So true. I don’t even want to go back to Canada to be honest. I’ve been in Thailand for 8 years. However, for financial reasons I think it would be best to go back to Canada. Education is paid for at least. That’s 20,000baht/month we can save. Also, Canada has some decent family support that we could get for our kids. 
 

Due to Thailand becoming more and more difficult for foreigners to stay here, and not being able to maintain 400,000baht a year we need to find another option for us to stay together.

33 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

you applied for permanent residence for her?

We haven’t started anything yet. I was reading that we would need to go to the Canadian embassy in Singapore to get her visa, but after calling the bangkok embassy it seems we don’t need to. I was just hoping for like a checklist and steps that we need to follow. I feel overwhelmed. 

3 minutes ago, LeatFingies said:

 We haven’t started anything yet. I was reading that we would need to go to the Canadian embassy in Singapore to get her visa, but after calling the bangkok embassy it seems we don’t need to. I was just hoping for like a checklist and steps that we need to follow. I feel overwhelmed. 

 

No. The first think you need to do is download the documents, read through them and start your application. You will have to do a lot of things before submitting.... police clearance, her resume, your income/employment for the past 5 years, translated marriage documents, translated divorce documents, police clearance (this is tricky because TIT), her family history, your family history.... once submitted and approved, biometrics, health check... just the stuff I can remember

 

Application

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5289-sponsor-your-spouse-common-law-partner-conjugal-partner-dependent-child-complete-guide.html

35 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

No. The first think you need to do is download the documents, read through them and start your application. You will have to do a lot of things before submitting.... police clearance, her resume, your income/employment for the past 5 years, translated marriage documents, translated divorce documents, police clearance (this is tricky because TIT), her family history, your family history.... once submitted and approved, biometrics, health check... just the stuff I can remember

 

Application

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5289-sponsor-your-spouse-common-law-partner-conjugal-partner-dependent-child-complete-guide.html

Her income/employment is pretty much non existent. She was married to a wealthy Thai man who became physically abusive and was cheating on her. I think this might make it difficult for her application. 

5 minutes ago, LeatFingies said:

Her income/employment is pretty much non existent. She was married to a wealthy Thai man who became physically abusive and was cheating on her. I think this might make it difficult for her application. 

 

It shouldn't. There is no minimum income requirement for Canada. It's nothing like UK.

 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, LeatFingies said:

Her income/employment is pretty much non existent. She was married to a wealthy Thai man who became physically abusive and was cheating on her. I think this might make it difficult for her application. 

I've done 2 visitor visas for my now ex-wife.

 

She also couldn't show any income/employment, so as a work around I deposited 100K baht into her account and this was accepted by the embassy as sufficient funds to support herself. Along with a return ticket back to Thailand. That's what they're looking for, worst case scenario if you abandon her in Canada.

 

The information as posted by @Pravda is all there, it's a long slog but get yourself a checklist and systematically start checking thing off the list

A number of off topic posts removed, the OP is seeking advice for Canada, anecdotal evidence in respect of other countries just muddies the water.

On 7/6/2021 at 4:53 PM, LeatFingies said:

 

So true. I don’t even want to go back to Canada to be honest. I’ve been in Thailand for 8 years. However, for financial reasons I think it would be best to go back to Canada. Education is paid for at least. That’s 20,000baht/month we can save. Also, Canada has some decent family support that we could get for our kids. 
 

Due to Thailand becoming more and more difficult for foreigners to stay here, and not being able to maintain 400,000baht a year we need to find another option for us to stay together.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if you do not have a means of income when you arrive in Canada it will be almost impossible.  

Also if you are looking at enrolling your kids in school that will be a strike against your wife as that will put up the staying longer than visa flag.

 

I always thought that you had to have a means of income before you could sponsor anyone in Canada.

 

BTW the costs of school is not that much cheaper when you look at the extras that are needed and the prices in Canadian stores.

In 2019 I took my Thai wife to Canada on a six month visitor visa, which began when the her passport was stamped in Bangkok. Not too much of a hastle (Thrifty Tower office), not done at the embassy. I found the downloaded paperwork baffling - probably my old eyes. We stayed 10 weeks but hope to stay 7 or 8 months the next trip but the longer visa has many more requirements. I’m positive she will need a record of Moderna/Pfizer vaccine shots.

 

Good luck.

On 7/6/2021 at 7:26 PM, LeatFingies said:

We haven’t started anything yet. I was reading that we would need to go to the Canadian embassy in Singapore to get her visa, but after calling the bangkok embassy it seems we don’t need to. I was just hoping for like a checklist and steps that we need to follow. I feel overwhelmed. 

 

You will feel far less so if you have the (financial) resources to begin and complete the entire process. Potentially becoming a public charge (someone primarily dependent on the government for subsistence) is what will almost always compel the embassy to refuse the visa.

 

OMG.  I'm Canadian.  I was shocked when I read your query.  It's unimaginable to me that you'd face anything but a warm welcome from Cdn immigration considering that you've been legally married for so many years.  Yes, as another said, Canada welcomes any person who can make it to the border, whose completely undocumented and peniless but here you are having to struggle.  I'll say a prayer for you and your loved ones tonight.  Best of luck.

I read an article in the press not too long that say, that PR seeker are experiencing long delay because of the covid, but your only way to get your wife in Canada is to ask for PR, no matters about the money or job you sponsor her for 3 years, the fact that you have children with her that are Canadian citizen should help....My wife live here in Canada since 2010 and every 5 years she renew her PR card.......Good luck

 

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. After reading all them, I feel more confident about bringing my family back. 
 

Another question. If I was to go back to Canada first with my 2 kids to secure employment/housing, would she be able to get a visa alone? Or is this something we both need to be present in Thailand for?

7 hours ago, NewGuy said:

I’m positive she will need a record of Moderna/Pfizer vaccine shots.

 

Good luck.

AstraZeneca is accepted by Canada. They started with AZ.

unblocktheplane, I read somewhere that AZ from the states, the UK and Europe have been okayed for Canadian use; they have not tested the vaccines made here. Would love to be proved wrong.

Read and follow guide IMM5289. Spousal immigration to Canada. Straight forward but a fair amount of work. And lengthly time for approval. You sponsor her and are responsible for her care and expenses.

20 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

BTW the costs of school is not that much cheaper when you look at the extras that are needed and the prices in Canadian stores.

Education is provided free in Canada in public schools. I pay 20,000/month (nearly $800CAD/month) here.

 

Looking at rental prices in British Columbia have nearly doubled since last year though. So because of this, you’re most likely right…