USA to Canada or Canada to USA

[kaylamcquaig]

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong category.

My SO is from Indiana, United States and I'm from Ontario, Canada. We have yet to meet, as we're both 17 and he's in high school with one year left. Next summer he's planning on visiting while his family moves further away from me, then he's going to college in his new state. Our original plan was for him to move in with me once he's done with college, though recently we thought about him going to college here. Would that be a good idea, or should we stick with our original plan? We'd have more time to plan, get organized, even though it may be four 4 years until he can live with me. If he were planning on him going to college here, how could we make that possible? What forms would we need to get him, to make him eligible to go to college in Canada? Once he's done with college, he would want to start a career. Would he be able to have a job outside his country? These thoughts are running through my head at the moment, as I don't want him to put his life on hold just to live here. Now, I'm thinking of living there once he's in or done college. As I'm a drop out of high school, and I don't plan on going to college I wouldn't be jeopardizing my life as much as he would be doing. What would it take to become eligible for me to relocate and work in USA? He and I are planning on getting married. If we were to, how would that effect us if I was living there? I apologize for the questions in advance. I'm just worrying about our future, and what it'll lead to. I don't want him to regret going to college in Canada, or may not being able to find work once he's done.

- kaylamcquaig

[jiynx]

Before thinking about visas and things, you might want to consider your original plan a little more. I am turning 20 here pretty quick and I changed a lot from age 16 until now. Since you're still young, you might want to wait a little before making a big of a life decision as moving to a different country (for both of you).

That being said, I've found that moving to Canada is a lot easier. My SO is from the US and I'm in Canada, like you two. We've been doing the research for a while now, and as far as schooling is concerned, you can go either way but it's easier to come to Canada. I'm pretty sure all you need is an acceptance letter from the school, a valid passport, and enough money to support you for at least 6 months (he can apply for a work permit after 6 months of studying here and can work on campus right away.. if he doesn't have the money to support himself from the get-go). Study visas last as long as the program goes for. Once he's graduated, he can get apply for a work visa and stay in the country. If he plans on staying here for the long run, he has to live here for 3 years before he can apply for permanent residency.

This is all just to my understanding of course. I've found all the info on the internet. A great place to start is the Canadian immigration site:

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

His options of coming here is under the "Come to Canada" section.

Either way, I hope everything works out between you two. And remember, you have a LOT of life to live so don't feel like you have to rush things. Best wishes!

[kymckenna]

I'm in the same situation. I live in the US, he lives in Canada. He just got an amazing job offer to own a company but it can only work out if I move up there. Although, we both agreed it'd be easier for him to come here because I'd have to learn French (he lives in montreal). His family has a duel citizenship. Let me know what you do. (:

[kaitycat]

jiynx is right, it is much, much much easier to move to Canada than to go from Canada to the US. My SO is from the US and I'm currently trying to get back there permanently (because it's better for me for work, really, not so much for him, haha!) but I can tell you right now it's very expensive, and a huge hassle. To be blunt, without a college degree you will not be eligible for a US work visa and therefore you won't be able to work, so if you plan on moving there I hope you have some savings.

That being said, immigrating anywhere is a lot of work. Even though coming to Canada is technically easier, your SO still needs a visa to do it. A student visa requires him to be accepted to a university that offers visas (not all programs are qualified to do so). He probably won't be eligible for financial aid for his tuition. What happens if he wants to go say U of Toronto or Concordia or something? That's still a hike from where you may be. If you want him close to where you live you may be restricting him to schools that arn't right for him...
I don't mean to be negative, but the bottom line is the University you choose to attend and deciding to immigrate are huge choices, and I don't think it's right for anyone to choose these things based on a SO alone regardless of how long you've been dating.

Sorry if that's harsh- i understand you're frustration. It's really annoying that an imaginary line on a map can cause so many complications.

[kaylamcquaig]

I'm sorry for the late reply to your responses! We've decided for him to go to school in the states, as we found a cheaper way to visit in the mean time. We have yet to plan on who's moving where when that time comes, though. Thank you for the replies! They're much appreciated.