I am Canadian..My wife is not...we are looking to immigrate.

[bakin]

to Canada.

I am a Canadian citizen, living as a Perm Res. in the USA, and I have an American wife, and together we have a DUAL Citizen son.

I want to return home and get the immigration papers going.

But I keep getting the run around on the consulate page and their phone system.

I'm not sure if I need to 'sponsor' my wife, if that's the easiest way.

But I just want to get the paperwork done.so that if we move back, my wife is eligible to work.

Can anyone help!?!?!

Thanks much.

[Reba]

http://roadtocanada.com

Yes, you'll have to sponsor her. It'll take maybe 6 months, give or take a couple.

[bakin]

oN THE SPONSORSHIP PAGES, CAN MY WIFE (WHO I AM SPONSORING) BE THE CO-SIGNER?
THANKS! (sorry for yelling!)

[Steven]

Bear in mind you will lose your PR status in the US if you do this. There's no way of maintaining it if you leave the US to live in Canada, unless you want to pay taxes twice. (Although you will still pay some taxes twice if you are a dual citizen and your income is over US$85,700).

My usual advice is to wait until you've got citizenship first. Or at least applied for it, you can take the oath at the US consulate when they have a citizenship ceremony.

As to the paperwork, forget the consulate, phone the CIC directly in Mississauga or wherever it is. I think on their website they say only to call that number from inside Canada but it might work from the US.

[Reba]

As a spouse you do not need a co-sponsor, there is no minimum income requirement for sponsorship of spouses in Canada.

[bakin]

So is sponsorship the best way to do this?
Isn't this an extra step rather than just Immigration or seeking permanent resident status?
Is it a lot easier for people to immigrate to Canada with a sponsor, or is that the only way?
Thanks in advance for all your help.

[Steven]

Yes you have to sponsor her for family-based immigration. http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/immigrate/ ... ly-who.asp

[Reba]

Sponsorship of a spouse is the best and easiest way to go about it, hands down. Trying to immigrate independently could take several years, and is based on a points system. If she's married to a Canadian, there's no reason whatsoever to have to endure all that crap. Spousal sponsorship takes about 6 months if you apply "out-land".