Inland Spousal Sponsorship Concerns/Questions

[canuck_in_uk]

I had to pay a work permit fee, alongside the open work permit holder fee? When I put in what we were applying for I wasn't given that in my list of fees?

You should have paid:

Work Permit fee: $155
Open Work Permit Holder fee: $100
Restoration: $200

So what happens if they return my application, my status has been out for more than 90 days (because I'm assuming it'll take that long to even hear back) but my application is rejected due to incorrect fees? If it takes longer than the 90days to hear whether my status has been restored, what do I do?

Would I have the whole thing sent back to me within the 90 days & I'd have to send it all again?

Well, you'll have left Canada anyways, so the discussion is moot. When you leave, restoration/extension apps are essentially void and status resets.

And there's no physical place I can visit to speak to someone and be advised? Honestly it's like they don't want anyone to move here, the website is so unclear and confusing to navigate and the call centre is clearly useless!

No, there is nowhere that you can go see someone from IRCC.

The document checklist states: "If you (the sponsor) are a Canadian Citizen who is sponsoring your common-law partner, and you both have a child together, your child may be a Canadian citizen. The official way to confirm your child is a Canadian citizen is to apply for a proof of citizenship." I've been trawling the website too but I can't find where I read that a birth certificate was not appropriate proof of citizenship. It said we could send a copy of her Canadian passport & that would be proof but didn't want to hold up the application even longer until her passport came through.

You won't find anywhere that says a Canadian birth certificate isn't appropriate, as it is the most accepted proof of citizenship that there is.

The checklist is referring to children without any proof of citizenship, where citizenship is not a certainty. Your child has a Canadian birth certificate, so of course that would not apply to you. It also does state that you can send the app without any proof.



At this point, since you are leaving in December anyways, I don't really see any point in applying for anything else. When you return, you will be granted new visitor status upon entry. You could then try sending a new OWP app, as you will have valid status.

 

[WeegieInOttawa]

@rmurray How did this go for you? Did you manage to enter back into Canada after your Christmas trip back to Scotland?

 

[rmurray]

@rmurray How did this go for you? Did you manage to enter back into Canada after your Christmas trip back to Scotland?

I'm actually touched you remembered my situation & reached out to check in.

I'm currently in my bed, in Calgary, happy as a clam. I was pretty anxious before travelling, even spoke to an immigration lawyer my Dad (also British & already PR in Canada) worked with, and he soothed my worries. I received a letter with my application number for our spousal sponsorship application not long before we left & managed to link to my online account a few days later - which was a HUGE relief. I was honestly waiting for the whole thing to arrive back in the post.

My application for OWP arrived back stating insufficient funds, but my main spousal sponsorship app is being processed & requested my police certificates etc.

I was armed with documents for border control at the airport; payment receipts, emails with application numbers, emails to my boyfriend about the app, request letters for police checks - pretty much everything I had.

Our agent started unfolding my old visa in my passport, I told him it was my old visa which expired in September, but we had an application for Inland Spousal Sponsorship being processed (while clutching my documents getting ready to be grilled, fight my case etc) & he said "so you're waiting for that to come through?" I said yes, and he said "ok, welcome home then, have a nice day."

We were giddy with relief at baggage claim, haha. I was fully prepared to be grilled a little, questioned, but he didn't ask to see any paper work & just let us go right though! At the window with him for all of 2 minutes. Phew.

We got home on Monday, so still reeling from jet lag & a day's worth of travelling, but my next move is re-sending my OWP application with the correct fees & getting that all sorted out. But now I'm in Canada with legal status as a visitor so everything is easier.

 

[WeegieInOttawa]

I'm actually touched you remembered my situation & reached out to check in.

I'm currently in my bed, in Calgary, happy as a clam. I was pretty anxious before travelling, even spoke to an immigration lawyer my Dad (also British & already PR in Canada) worked with, and he soothed my worries. I received a letter with my application number for our spousal sponsorship application not long before we left & managed to link to my online account a few days later - which was a HUGE relief. I was honestly waiting for the whole thing to arrive back in the post.

My application for OWP arrived back stating insufficient funds, but my main spousal sponsorship app is being processed & requested my police certificates etc.

I was armed with documents for border control at the airport; payment receipts, emails with application numbers, emails to my boyfriend about the app, request letters for police checks - pretty much everything I had.

Our agent started unfolding my old visa in my passport, I told him it was my old visa which expired in September, but we had an application for Inland Spousal Sponsorship being processed (while clutching my documents getting ready to be grilled, fight my case etc) & he said "so you're waiting for that to come through?" I said yes, and he said "ok, welcome home then, have a nice day."

We were giddy with relief at baggage claim, haha. I was fully prepared to be grilled a little, questioned, but he didn't ask to see any paper work & just let us go right though! At the window with him for all of 2 minutes. Phew.

We got home on Monday, so still reeling from jet lag & a day's worth of travelling, but my next move is re-sending my OWP application with the correct fees & getting that all sorted out. But now I'm in Canada with legal status as a visitor so everything is easier.

Oh that's awesome....so pleased for you! Well you know, some cases just stick with you and i thought about you over the holidays then checked back on the 3rd or so but saw that you wouldn't have been home yet.

I can only imagine the stress that it must have caused you and i only hope that it didn't weigh too much on your mind over Christmas at home in good old Scotland!

Crossing my fingers for you that the rest of the process goes smoothly (and quickly!) for you.