Canadian Immigration and Social Assistance...

[Verojoon]

I'm in a really tough spot.. I am a single parent and cannot make ends meet. I have been getting further and further into debt every month... I have some good things going on for me, and this situation should be temporary, but I'm getting to a point where I can't wait anymore... My youngest daughter finally was supposed to start school this year and I planned to go job seeking (and focus on my writing since I have a novel on contract that is due!) but she is not adjusting to school. After one week, the teachers said they couldn't handle her anymore and she should just do half days until she adjusts, but today (2 weeks in) I was told she is not ready for school and I should take her out of school completely...

If I do this, I may have no choice but to go on social assistance... but my sister who has gone through the immigration process for her husband warned me that if I go on social assistance I may not be able to sponsor my SO to come to Canada (even if we have no plan to do this for at least 3 years, by which time my life should have gotten back in order...)

Anyone know how long being on social assistance works against you when you want to sponsor someone? I may not have a choice, but for now, should I just increase my credit card limit and hope that it only takes a few months before I can sort out my financial stuff?

Anyone have experience with this?

[mllebamako]

Sorry, I don't have any experience with this but I can see what you sister is saying.

I am more curious about your daughter's school situation. How old is she? If she's in a public school, at the right age, then don't they have to take her? Even if it's a bit difficult? I mean, it's only been two weeks! Some kids take longer to adjust.

[Verojoon]

yes, she is in public school in Jr Kindergarten... at the appropriate age.. actually she is right in the middle of the age group, with many kids younger than her... they say we have to have a meeting to discuss that she is not ready and to try again in January... They said they just can't keep on having days like this.. they can't deal with her... She's been sent to the principle's office twice already... It's strange, because at home she is the better behaved one... albeit she is having a rough day with me today too... but that might also be because she feels my stress..

[Zephii]

I have never sponsored someone to live in Canada (instead I took a Canadian out of there) but on my forms for sponsoring there was a question about social assistance. They asked if I'd been on it in the last two years, and at the time I had to say yes - but only barely. I listed what kind of assistance I had and all that, and in the end it didn't work against me.

I think if you can show you've held down steady employment for over a year and either you or him has significant savings it wont stop you. They are more afraid you will go on benefits in the future than what you've done in the past (in my experience anyway. I spent most of my adult life on benefits.)