Hi guys, just come back from my interview. How have you been doing ?
The interview letter had asked me for practically everything, from additional documentation for my stated work and education histories, language skills, to my eligibility as an OINP, to materials demonstrating my employability in Canada, to proof of relationships. So the last two weeks had been an uphill fight---I was driving aross the city , ransacking papers needed; I was persuading people hard into giving me proofs they considered strange;I was doing clerical work around-the-clock. And this is the content of my final,142-page document:
Documents for Interview
● Additional documents for stated
Work histories
Notarized contracts ...........................................................Page3
Notarized bank statements...............................................Page 30
Notarized e
mployment separation certificates................Page50
Education histories
T
ranscripts.....................................................................Page60
Syllabus..........................................................................Page72
Pharmacist certificate...................................................Page80
Language skills in English
Scanning of original IElts transcripts (G & A)..................Page82
Award certificate for translation competition................Page84
Working as a translator
Contract............................................................................Page85
C
lient’s feedback .............................................................Page89
●
Documents that support CathyKellyChen’s ability to become economically established in Canada
A hiring intention from University of Ottawa..........................Page90
On my way to becoming a Canadian pharmacist
Correspondence reflecting my application for PEBC’s document evaluation ( and hence the exam).......................................................................Page91
Admission letter for evaluation examination of PEBC(Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada).....................................................................................Page92
A working friend in Ottawa who is willing to help.......................Page93
●
Original passports for CathyKellyChen and her husband
....................................................................................................Page94
●
Two passport-size photos of CathyKellyChen and her husband
....................................................................................................Page95
●
Notarized Hukou for CathyKellyChen and her husband
....................................................................................................Page96
●
Proof of relationships between CathyKellyChen and her husband
Joint purchase of vehicle...........................................................Page116
Joint management of household expenses..............................Page118
Evidence of communication........................................................Page119
Joint receipts and joint house leases................................ ........Page120
Statutory declarations from
Former roommate and alumna....................................................Page132
Colleague and former landlady.....................................................Page134
Current landlady.............................................................................Page136
Old friend........................................................................................Page139
Photos.............................................................................................Page134
Our interview was scheduled at 9:00 AM19th.Compressing a document of 40+M has been a royal pain in the neck. It took us hours to get it done on 17th, when I was told the IRCC website was down ! So we headed for the train station helter-skelter and finally uploaded the document in the wee hours of 18th! Close call was the only phrase I could think of!
I suffered from insomnia the night before our big day---answers to all possible questions kept occuring to me. I got up at six and bought some bread and coffee at the nearest general store; I came back and sychronized statements with my husband. The Consulate is only 10 minutes' walk from our hotel and we set off at about 7:50.
We were early in the lobby of Bershire House and still busy sychronizing...our interpreter showed up 30 minutes later and led us to the 9th floor, where we queued after ID confirmation and security check.
Now comes the centrepiece!
--- Good morning.
----Good morning!
----We are already sastified with your eligibility as an OINP, and the purpose for today's interview is to clarify your relationship. Do you have any paper materials to show me ?
---- Materials regarding our relationship ?
-----Yes.
(passing documents through the window)
----Can you explain what's this ?
----As you can see from the photo, my husband owns a Mercedes-Benz, and this is the invoice of that car. I tried to prove that I paid for the deposit, so this could constitute a joint purchase.
----And this is your landlady(pointing to a group photo with my husband, me, and landlady in it)?
----Yes, she's living in the flat opposite to ours. We invite her to our dinner parties sometimes.
-----Is this your wedding(pointing to another)?
-----No, it's the wedding of a friend, which my husband and I attended together.
-----When was that ?
------May 1st 2018.
------XXX(my husband's name), please wait outside, I'd like to talk to CathyKellyChen first( I thought she wanted to ask my husband in and me out latter on, but it didn't dawn on me until the end that she asked him out simply to expedite the process----he doesn't speak English, and the interpreter had to chime in every few seconds as long as he was in the room.)
As expected, she combed through the timeline and geography of my husband's upbringing and education and our love relationship(thanks to my synchronizing !). And then came the big question:
----Apparently you have been in a long-term relationship, why did you apply for OINP as single？
----Because back then my husband had been travelling around as a salesperson to develop his clients, and every travel took one month or two . Since there were many interruptions during the cohabiting, this doesn't fit into a common-law relationship, which requires at least 12 months' continuous shacking-up.
-----What did he sell?
-----Routers. That's why each travel took a long time. He had to persuade people into buying his products, and there were also things to follow up.
-----Why did you get married immediately after your application was finalised ?
-----If I didn't do that, I had to land first and then apply for family sponsorship. According to the data on your website, that stream will take an average processing time of 13 months, whilst it took only weeks or months, as I was told by my peer applicants, to process marriage before landing. So I did what did for the sake of efficiency--if I succeed in getting my permament residence, it won't be a problem for my husband to gain his regardless to the timing of our marriage, as long as our relationship is bona fide. Besides, I have a deep attachment to him, I don't want to leave him even for a short time---I hate being away from him; the notion of parting with him pains me to my core.
-----We are sastified with your intended job, but your husband, I get the sense he doesn't speak English, what's his plan for working in Canada?
-----He knows computer backwards and forwards thanks to his education back in trade school. In the field of computer science, language doesn't matter that much. And I have a friend who's been working as a mobile application developer in Ottawa for more than a year, and she's willing to help us adapt to the new environment and take the initiative to introduce job opportunities to us if she knows any through her own network.
(the VO smiled approvingly)
Please call your husband in.
----And I have to go outside ?
----No, you can stay here.
----If you application is approved, when will you land ?
----By the end of this year, maybe before Nov, coz' his medical expires by Oct.
----That's the end of today's interview. I have to do some crosscheck before I draw the conclusion and I haven't got time to look at the documents you submitted yesterday.
-----How long would it take before the final decision is made ?
-----You'll be hearing from us within two weeks. And we'll send you a message if we need further information, including new medicals.
(outside the Consulate)
Interpreter: You are doing great today, your statement sounds logical and even more convincing than my interpretation.I think things will work out well for you two---the VO has bought into your words, coz' she didn't raise any doubt. Your English is so good , making my work effortless today! I wish I could have more clients like you.
Me: Haha, I'm flattered.
Interpreter: We shall part here, coz' I'm going somewhere faraway. You have my blessing.
Me: Thank you very much. Bye.
It is remarkable that the GCMS note I read last night says:
1. The PA played a leading role in her first company as a chemical technician, and she has Master's degree in pharmacology. She's likely to become economically successful in Canada.
2. The PA married new spouse after application for permanent residence is finalised.No formal wedding held. Disparate levels of education. Different socio-economic backgrounds. Limited evidence of relationship. Interview required to assess BFs of relationship.
And the interviewer has asked me an interesting question: your husband comes from a small village, doesn't he ?
