Question- Sponsoring Egyptian spouse living in Qatar

[Nadster85]

Hello,

I am a Canadian citizen and was born and raised here in Canada. I work here in Canada and have a decent job that I do not want to leave. As an Egyptian citizen, my husband cannot just visit Canada any time he wants. My husband has lived in and worked in Qatar since 2014. We are living apart but I will keep visiting him in the meantime. I am applying for him as OUTLAND permanent residency.

I met my husband online in 2016. We were friends on social media since July of 2016. We met in person December of 2018 and married in Qatar in March 2019. My mother came with me to meet him in December of 2018, and my sister and mother accompanied me in March of 2019 for the wedding.

I have a few questions as I am getting ready to submit my documents and application to CIC.

I would appreciate some opinions from fellow forum members as I am not incredibly experienced in this matter.

Most of my questions are about evidence of proof of relationship.

I have included the following:

Pictures of our first meeting and small engagement ceremony in December 2018, including pictures of me and my mother with his parents and himself and his brother.

Plane ticket itineraries, hotel reservations, stamps/visas in passports for me my mother and my sister are included as well.

Pictures of our wedding in Qatar, including our Islamic marriage (not really pictures of the ceremony because we were not allowed to take pictures inside the court, but outside of the courthouse.) The wedding reception photos include me in a white dress dancing (LOL) us smiling, his uncles, his cousins, my mother, my sister, his parents, etc.

Pictures of our honeymoon in the Maldives. Also our passport stamps and itineraries showing travel together.

Our marriage certificate with a certified translation, receipts of gifts we sent to each other, our pre marriage medical check with a paid receipt (this is a requirement in Qatar), a rental agreement with both of our names on it for our month of cohabitation in Qatar, a Western Union money transfer to him in Qatar for wedding expenses from me.

Do you all think I should include letters from family? I can easily get my relatives ( mom, dad, sisters) to write letters for me and then have them certified. I am just wondering if you all think the proof of relationship looks solid from the outside. Also, do you think i should include a future itinerary for my intended travels to him this fall? I don't know if this is a bit pre-emptive.

Any opinions are appreciated! Thank you in advance and good luck to all!

 

[Nadster85]

Also,
Should I include more than 30 pages of WhatsApp conversations? I have over 1200 pages, but the lawyer's assistant I spoke with said we needed to be at around 20-30pages showing constant contact, which I have done.

 

[canuck78]

Hello,

I am a Canadian citizen and was born and raised here in Canada. I work here in Canada and have a decent job that I do not want to leave. As an Egyptian citizen, my husband cannot just visit Canada any time he wants. My husband has lived in and worked in Qatar since 2014. We are living apart but I will keep visiting him in the meantime. I am applying for him as OUTLAND permanent residency.

I met my husband online in 2016. We were friends on social media since July of 2016. We met in person December of 2018 and married in Qatar in March 2019. My mother came with me to meet him in December of 2018, and my sister and mother accompanied me in March of 2019 for the wedding.

I have a few questions as I am getting ready to submit my documents and application to CIC.

I would appreciate some opinions from fellow forum members as I am not incredibly experienced in this matter.

Most of my questions are about evidence of proof of relationship.

I have included the following:

Pictures of our first meeting and small engagement ceremony in December 2018, including pictures of me and my mother with his parents and himself and his brother.

Plane ticket itineraries, hotel reservations, stamps/visas in passports for me my mother and my sister are included as well.

Pictures of our wedding in Qatar, including our Islamic marriage (not really pictures of the ceremony because we were not allowed to take pictures inside the court, but outside of the courthouse.) The wedding reception photos include me in a white dress dancing (LOL) us smiling, his uncles, his cousins, my mother, my sister, his parents, etc.

Pictures of our honeymoon in the Maldives. Also our passport stamps and itineraries showing travel together.

Our marriage certificate with a certified translation, receipts of gifts we sent to each other, our pre marriage medical check with a paid receipt (this is a requirement in Qatar), a rental agreement with both of our names on it for our month of cohabitation in Qatar, a Western Union money transfer to him in Qatar for wedding expenses from me.

Do you all think I should include letters from family? I can easily get my relatives ( mom, dad, sisters) to write letters for me and then have them certified. I am just wondering if you all think the proof of relationship looks solid from the outside. Also, do you think i should include a future itinerary for my intended travels to him this fall? I don't know if this is a bit pre-emptive.

Any opinions are appreciated! Thank you in advance and good luck to all!

Yes letters from friends and family members are good to include. If you have any plane tickets already booked for future visits I would include your travel receipt and itinerary.

 

[Nadster85]

Yes letters from friends and family members are good to include. If you have any plane tickets already booked for future visits I would include your travel receipt and itinerary.

Thank you so much for the response.
I will do so! I just want to make it clear that even though we did live together for a short time, this is a genuine marriage with a clear and traceable relationship.

 

[canuck78]

Also,
Should I include more than 30 pages of WhatsApp conversations? I have over 1200 pages, but the lawyer's assistant I spoke with said we needed to be at around 20-30pages showing constant contact, which I have done.

Follow the guidelines in the application when it comes to things like pictures and communication between you two. It is best to include pictures and communication throughout your relationship/marriage not just at your wedding. In a situation where there is very little physical interaction before marriage it is always best to show how long the relationship has been going on.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you so much for the response.
I will do so! I just want to make it clear that even though we did live together for a short time, this is a genuine marriage with a clear and traceable relationship.

In a situation where there is so little time physically together there will always be concerns that it isn’t a genuine relationship that is why couples are often asked to attend an interview. Just warning you that a pregnancy does not speed up processing (or guarantee an approval). Not sure what your plans are but many women get pregnant right away and then are disappointed when their husband’s can’t get a visa to attend the birth of their child. Would anticipate that your case may take a little more than 12 months so don’t count on your husband being approved at 12 months. He could be but we see many disappointed spouses so it is worth mentioning.

 

[Nadster85]

In a situation where there is so little time physically together there will always be concerns that it isn’t a genuine relationship that is why couples are often asked to attend an interview. Just warning you that a pregnancy does not speed up processing (or guarantee an approval). Not sure what your plans are but many women get pregnant right away and then are disappointed when their husband’s can’t get a visa to attend the birth of their child. Would anticipate that your case may take a little more than 12 months so don’t count on your husband being approved at 12 months. He could be but we see many disappointed spouses so it is worth mentioning.

Oh I have no plans to be getting pregnant that soon. I would prefer waiting until he is here and we have a stable life.

I also included chats from July of 2016 and even first contact just so it's clear that we have been friends and then became more later into the relationship.

The problem is we FIRST met in December of 2018. We are Muslim so it's not unusual that we would get married 4 months after engaging, but I was more concerned if any of you with experience think I should add more.

My concern was the chats are very long and it might upset the immigration officer/assessor. 1200 pages might be just plain ridiculous but if anyone thinks this sounds normal, please let me know, lol.

 

[Nadster85]

Follow the guidelines in the application when it comes to things like pictures and communication between you two. It is best to include pictures and communication throughout your relationship/marriage not just at your wedding. In a situation where there is very little physical interaction before marriage it is always best to show how long the relationship has been going on.

Btw, thank you! I appreciate the time you take to answer me!
I agree with you on the showing how long the relationship has been going on. It has to be clear to CIC. I think I will be going overboard with information but I'd rather have plenty than nothing.

 

[Nadster85]

Any success stories or suggestions for outland couples who did not live together are also welcome

 

[canuck78]

Any success stories or suggestions for outland couples who did not live together are also welcome

Would look at specific threads from other countries in the region. Do not go overboard with the information. Follow the guidelines. If you send 100 pictures and you have been asked to include 20 it is not viewed as a good thing.

 

[Nadster85]

Would look at specific threads from other countries in the region. Do not go overboard with the information. Follow the guidelines. If you send 100 pictures and you have been asked to include 20 it is not viewed as a good thing.

Oh ok. I will just include the 20. I compiled like 30 because I thought 20 was not enough to show the whole relationship but thank you for the advice. I'll stick to the 20 pictures.

 

[canuck78]

Oh ok. I will just include the 20. I compiled like 30 because I thought 20 was not enough to show the whole relationship but thank you for the advice. I'll stick to the 20 pictures.

Follow the guidelines. CIC has somehow figured out how much information is needed. Too much information can get overwhelming for a visa officer. As I mentioned before just make sure the pictures cover the longest time period possible. Some just include their wedding day which may have nicer pictures but does not help to prove a genuine relationship

 

[Nadster85]

Follow the guidelines. CIC has somehow figured out how much information is needed. Too much information can get overwhelming for a visa officer. As I mentioned before just make sure the pictures cover the longest time period possible. Some just include their wedding day which may have nicer pictures but does not help to prove a genuine relationship

Oh yes... I get what you mean! i tried to include from several different times we were together, so hoping for the best.

One more question- do you think letters from family members attesting to the marriage should be notarized? I cannot find information as to whether this is a requirement for these types of letters.

Thanks again!

 

[Nadster85]

Oh yes... I get what you mean! i tried to include from several different times we were together, so hoping for the best.

One more question- do you think letters from family members attesting to the marriage should be notarized? I cannot find information as to whether this is a requirement for these types of letters.

Thanks again!

Or even certified only rather than notarized.... anyone? Thanks!

 

[canuck78]

Oh yes... I get what you mean! i tried to include from several different times we were together, so hoping for the best.

One more question- do you think letters from family members attesting to the marriage should be notarized? I cannot find information as to whether this is a requirement for these types of letters.

Thanks again!

No don’t believe so. Would have friends and family include information on when they became aware of your relationship. When they met you or your husband and share an activity you did together or a memory related to you as a couple. It obviously shouldn’t be in point form but this is a basic suggestion of what to include.