Can a U.S. Citizen married to a Canadian Citizen work and live in Canada?

Question

I recently went to the U.S. to be with my boyfriend, for 6 months. We got married in the U.S, and now wish to move to Canada. He is a U.S. citizen, and I am a Canadian citizen. Will he be able to work and live there? We plan to live with my mom for a couple months before moving out onto our own. Any insight on this will be welcome, past experiences, etc. Would we be able to bring some of our home-things with us in a car?

Thanks!

Answer 1

No, he does not acquire any Canadian rights by marrying a Canadian.  He will have to go through an immigration process and you will have to sponsor him to get his permanent resident status.  In other words you have to agree to support him financially, pay for any medical bills, etc. until he gets a work permit or his permanent resident status.  Because he is married to a Canadian citizen, the process is somewhat faster and a little easier.  However, he cannot work in Canada until he has acquired either a work permit or his permanent resident status.  And it is very important that he not accept work "under the table" during this waiting time, as it would seriously jeopardize his chances of becoming a permanent resident.  Canadian immigration is very serious about that.  Be prepared for it to take months for  him to be able to work in Canada.  Others have already given you the link to the Canadian immigration site.  Read it carefully.  It has lots of information.  When you get back to Canada go to one of the organizations for new Canadians or to an immigration office and get a copy of the book that is published by Canadian Immigration about the process - it is easier to find the information you need there than on the site.

In terms of what you can bring back to Canada, you will be able to bring back up to &750 worth of merchandise purchased in the US without paying duty on it.  You can bring back all the items you brought to the US with you.  Your husband can bring personal items such as clothing, camping equipment, computer, cameras, etc., the sorts of things any visitor would bring, which can be quite a lot of stuff really, especially if he is declaring that he is staying for 6 months (the term of a typical visitor's visa).

Here is another link you need to examine.  It is the site of the Canadian Border Services Agency, which explains in detail what visitors and returning Canadians can bring back to Canada.  Best of luck with your plans.  It will all work out.  It will just take a little time and a little patience and attention to details.

Answer 2

No your husband can not work in Canada legally without a work permit .He will need to be sponsored by you and must apply to become a permanent resident.In most cases, he must apply at a Canadian visa office outside of Canada. In some cases,he can apply to become a permanent resident after arriving in Canada.If he want to immigrate to Canada, there are a few different ways to apply.He will need to decide which immigration program will work best for him.Check out the link below for more information

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp

Answer 3

I am American, wife is Canadian. He will have to become a Permanent Resident of Canada before he can work here. The immigration process isn't that bad but have him while still in US to get a abstract of his US drivers license,insurance,marriage & death certificates, go to FBI and get finger printed with a background check and a copy of all education transcripts. If you have any other questions

let me know. I moved here 2 years ago.

Answer 4

He must apply for a work visa, or go ahead and apply to immigrate...marriage to aCanadian citizen is a tiny help, but he still needs a visa  to work and stay there more than 6 months , and needs to go through the immigration process.

Answer 5

I think he has to wait six months before he can get a job.