Name changes

As long as the police check and medical are still in date, I would have thought that a copy of your old and new passport and perhaps a copy of your birth certificate along with a note to the IO would have been sufficient?

hguilding wrote: Hi everyone! I am new and trying to get my head around everything!My boyfriend is canadian and we are planning on getting married ont the 30th of January in the UK. The plan is to fly back to canada at the end of feb and send our application from there. i want to get my medical and police checks done while i am still in the UK but these will be in my madien name as will my passport. Can someone advise about name changes and if this will cause issues   Thanks

It makes no difference if the medical and/or criminal clearances are done in your maiden name.  It does make a difference whether your passport is in your maiden name, or changed to your married name - but only because you are instructed in the application to apply using the name that is on your passport.  So, if you don't get your passport changed first, then apply using your maiden name and update the processing office after you get a new passport.  That way your PR will be issued in your married name.  

That said, I'm confused about the rest of your plan because you don't really say why you intend to wait a month, and until you're in Canada, to apply for PR.  You need to be aware that there is no guarantee that you'll even be admitted to Canada when you fly here in February with your new husband . . . and you need to be aware that, if you are thinking that it's somehow preferable (or necessary) to apply via the inland process once you're in Canada, you're mistaken.  It's always preferable to apply via the outland process, even if you hope/intend to stay in Canada with your new husband during processing.  

My suggestion would be that you get everything completed (including the medical and the criminal clearances) and pay the fees before your wedding.  That way, as soon as you're legally married and you have the document that proves it, you can submit an outland PR application - even if it's the day after your wedding.  That gets it in process.  Then you can start making plans for when and how you will come to Canada, and for getting your name changed on your passport.  You need to find out whether you can do that by mail from Canada, or if you need to change it before you leave the UK.  Also, you need to be aware that you can not bring all of your belongings to Canada with you until after you have PR.  You will be admitted to Canada only as a visitor until you get PR.  That's the same whether you come to Canada before submitting a PR ap, whether you file an inland or outland application, or whether you already have an outland PR ap in process when you arrive.  The only difference is how long it will be that you're in Canada without permanent status.  The inland process takes 12-18 months to finalize.  The outland process, through London, takes from 2-8 months . . . and if you include everything with your initial submission (including sufficient proof of your "genuine relationship") and you have no "issues" (like an arrest record) that make you inadmissible, you can expect to be finalized at the shorter end of that timeline. 

The one thing to be aware of with an outland application is that, if you don't include sufficient proof that your relationship is not just about getting into Canada ("genuine relationship"), you could be required to attend an interview - and that will happen not too long after the application reaches the visa office in London.  The Case Processing Office in Mississauga, Ontario will first assess your new husband's eligibility to sponsor.  (I'm assuming he's just visiting you in the UK and still has a home, job, etc, in Canada so he's not required to provide proof of his intent to re-settle in Canada?) Assessment of the sponsor takes about a month, and then the ap will be transferred to London and you'll get confirmation from them that they've received the ap and that the initial assessment has been done.  Typically, if they have determined that no interview will be required, they'll say so in that letter.  At that point, you can leave for Canada without having to worry that you'll be called back home for an interview.  You can remain in Canada (depending on the temporary status you're issued - normally at least six months) and you can send your passport back to London to receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence by mail or courier - IF you want to - and CIC will send it back and you only have to leave Canada and enter the States, and turn around and come back to land and finalize your PR.  (There's also new accomodations being made to "land" at a local CIC office when you're an outland applicant - but I don't know how long it would take to get an appointment to do that, so going to the border might be faster.)

Anyway, there's a lot to be considered - including how you get into Canada once you're married and you have a PR ap in process.  There's more information on this page of the US2Canada website about visa-exempt nationals accompanying spouse/sponsors back to Canada before PR is finalized.  It will tell you about Visitor Records, which is what they'll typically document you on.   


Edited by RobsLuv - 11 Dec 2009 at 6:14pm