A Mess, A Police Certificate and an involved MP

[yumeryuu]

Hi again,
Just a recap on the story.
I am a Canadian and my husband is Japanese. We applied for his permanent residence while still living in Japan in 2012. We applied outland through Manila, Philippines. I was accepted as his sponsor in November of 2012.. Here is the update on his CIC page:

Permanent Residence
We received your application for permanent residence on September 14, 2012.

We started processing your application on November 21, 2013.

Medical results have been received.


Due to family matters, I returned to Canada with my husband in April of 2013 with him on a visitor visa.

We heard no word from immigration, except for having to REDO our medical exam because a year had passed. I became pregnant in August on 2013 and was only able to work a few more months before I had to stop work in November, 2013. My husband is also unable to work. We are actually right on the poverty line now because of that. I can't apply for Employment Insurance because I haven't worked 600 hours and I cannot apply for Unemployment because the government has told me that if I do, my husband's visa application will be declined because I am his sponsor. Basically now my husband and I are living on about $50 a week to pay for groceries (and I am pregnant too).

I stopped hearing from immigration with no updates. Until in December, 2013 they wrote and told me that the Police Certificate from New Zealand wasn't the correct certificate. I was quite upset as they had taken a full year to tell me this.
So I resent the correct info they required and again never heard back. I began to get worried. Out of the suggestion someone gave to me on this board, I contacted my local MP who in turn contacted Immigration, discovering that they had received and subsequently LOST the new info I sent but didn't let me know. I resent all the info to that MP and they contacted Ottawa to let them know the situation and also to Immigration Canada (Inland) and then Immigration Canada (Outland in Manila).

How much longer? Does anyone know how long it takes to process the Police Certificate from New Zealand? Its a different process than normal police certificates in which I sent a form to Immigration, they sent it on to Aussie and process it, resend it back to Immigration with the results. With an MP involved will it go faster?? I am so desperate and scared. And my husband and I are running out of options.

 

[steerpike]

Do you have AIP? Your husband will be able to apply for the OWP and start working.

 

[Dragoon]

Wow, that is devastating to hear. I am sorry for all the things you are going through right now. How do they manage to lose your documents once they have it in their hands.

 

[yumeryuu]

No we don't.

 

[scylla]

Do you have AIP? Your husband will be able to apply for the OWP and start working.

They applied outland (through Manila). So he doesn't qualify for an open work permit.

 

[JRPW]

Hi again,
Just a recap on the story.
I am a Canadian and my husband is Japanese. We applied for his permanent residence while still living in Japan in 2012. We applied outland through Manila, Philippines. I was accepted as his sponsor in November of 2012.. Here is the update on his CIC page:

Permanent Residence
We received your application for permanent residence on September 14, 2012.

We started processing your application on November 21, 2013.

Medical results have been received.


Due to family matters, I returned to Canada with my husband in April of 2013 with him on a visitor visa.

We heard no word from immigration, except for having to REDO our medical exam because a year had passed. I became pregnant in August on 2013 and was only able to work a few more months before I had to stop work in November, 2013. My husband is also unable to work. We are actually right on the poverty line now because of that. I can't apply for Employment Insurance because I haven't worked 600 hours and I cannot apply for Unemployment because the government has told me that if I do, my husband's visa application will be declined because I am his sponsor. Basically now my husband and I are living on about $50 a week to pay for groceries (and I am pregnant too).

I stopped hearing from immigration with no updates. Until in December, 2013 they wrote and told me that the Police Certificate from New Zealand wasn't the correct certificate. I was quite upset as they had taken a full year to tell me this.
So I resent the correct info they required and again never heard back. I began to get worried. Out of the suggestion someone gave to me on this board, I contacted my local MP who in turn contacted Immigration, discovering that they had received and subsequently LOST the new info I sent but didn't let me know. I resent all the info to that MP and they contacted Ottawa to let them know the situation and also to Immigration Canada (Inland) and then Immigration Canada (Outland in Manila).

How much longer? Does anyone know how long it takes to process the Police Certificate from New Zealand? Its a different process than normal police certificates in which I sent a form to Immigration, they sent it on to Aussie and process it, resend it back to Immigration with the results. With an MP involved will it go faster?? I am so desperate and scared. And my husband and I are running out of options.

I know how you feel. My Japanese wife and I moved back to Canada in December 2013 as we could no longer afford live in Japan (wife quit her job as we THOUGHT she would have received her PR within 12 months). We are still waiting (applied October 2012). I got a request from Manila in May 2013 that asked for more proof of my intent of re-establishing in Canada, even though I SENT proof with the original application. Manila NEVER responded to any emails I sent to them for an update. I got pissed off and mailed my MP, telling them what I thought of the whole process. I also ordered my wife's GCMS notes (I got them last week). According to her notes, Manila LOST my intent to re-establish documents that I originally sent. However, I think my wife has been approved (eligibly approved was written on the notes), but we now have to WAIT for a "finalization review", whatever the hell that means. There have been MANY Canadians with Japanese spouses on this forum that have been waiting more than 14 months. The incompetence of Manila knows no bounds. PR Filipinos sponsoring their spouses are getting approval in 9 months while Canadian citizens have to wait. Pathetic.

 

[steerpike]

They applied outland (through Manila). So he doesn't qualify for an open work permit.

Oh okay, i missed that part.

 

[Sweden]

How much longer? Does anyone know how long it takes to process the Police Certificate from New Zealand? Its a different process than normal police certificates in which I sent a form to Immigration, they sent it on to Aussie and process it, resend it back to Immigration with the results. With an MP involved will it go faster?? I am so desperate and scared. And my husband and I are running out of options.

Sorry to hear about that, I hope the PR is approved soon so your husband can look for work.
I'm not sure about the NZ police certificate process, but if you post in the Sydney thread, you might get a better idea, as most likely Kiwis would be going through Sydney. here is the thread - try posting your question there and see if you can get at least an estimate - so you can ask your MP to get involved again when the Police Certificate should come in, and hopefully he can help move things along a little faster for your husband.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[yumeryuu]

I hope he receives it too. It's been so stressful. I check the CIC website everyday praying for an update but nothing. =(