Dear Canjobs,

My internet searches are giving me conflicting information. Can you Please help me clear up some questions. My circumstances are as follows:

I am a USA citizen that would like to move to, and work in, Winnipeg,MB. I have a Temporary Resident Permit yet my goals are permanent. I have a two year plus relationship with a woman and her children there. Even though I have a place to live there, finances make it impossible for me to move there until I can work. I am not a professional and am seeking a warehouse job(management at best). I have heard that I can get a work permit in a day, or that it could take a month or better. The type of job I want more than likely will not wait a month to go through this process.

What will it take to get employment? Any suggestions or help you can offer would be appreciated.

Signed,

Frustrated

Canjobs responds:

Thanks Frustrated for your question. We have enlisted the help of Kyle Hyndman, B.A,LL.B, for McCrea & Associates who are Canadian Immigration & Citizenship Lawyers. Here is his response:

"It sounds like your situation is somewhat unusual.

If you have a Temporary Resident Permit that is valid for more than six months and have no other means of support in Canada, you may be eligible for an "open" Work Permit which would allow you to work for almost any employer. Normally, such an application would be made to a case processing centre in Canada and would take about 60 days. However, in some circumstances you may be able to apply for a Work Permit at a port of entry (airport or land border, for example) in which case the application would likely only take a few minutes, provided you had documentation showing that you met all the requirements.

If you are in a long-term conjugal relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may also be able to apply for permanent residence on the basis of a sponsorship. This process takes a bit longer (perhaps eight to 12 months for most US applicants), but becoming a permanent resident will allow you to do almost anything that a Canadian citizen can do including working for most employers, as well as coming and going from Canada with few restrictions. While applying for permanent residence is not a quick fix to your situation, it will probably meet your long-term goals.

If you are unable to apply for permanent residence right now because you are inadmissible to Canada, then you may need to rely on your Temporary Resident Permit for now. The regulations allow most people in this situation to apply for permanent residence after residing in Canada continuously for three to five years even if they are inadmissible.

Of course, every person's situation is different and I urge you to seek professional advice before embarking on any of these courses of action. Most provinces have lawyer referral services that can provide you with names of immigration lawyers in your area. Otherwise, I would be please to assist. You can obtain my contact information from the operators of this website."

Regards,

Kyle Hyndman
McCrea & Associates
Canadian Immigration & Citizenship Lawyers

For more information, please go to:

www.mccrealaw.ca