Hi,
I am a Canadian citizen currently living in Canada and my girlfriend is from Thailand. I met her 2 years ago during a trip there. Since that time, I have been going back and forth to Thailand to come visit her. Three months ago, we decided to start the procedures the get her a TRV visa so she could visit Canada.
She had already tried to get a TRV visa to Canada three times before and always got rejected, something about 4 years ago. During that time she was with her ex boyfriend also from Canada. We got our hands on CAIPS notes and the first rejection was because her application was incomplete (she was missing her bank statements). Second denial was because she was lacking sufficient funds. Third one was because they lied about being her fiancee. The IO found out because they did not mention it in the last application, and her boyfriend at that time had not been coming back to Thailand between second and third application, so the story just was not working. Someone advised them to pretend she was her fiancee, bad decision.
So this time we decided to hire an immigration consultant to help us with the application. It took him a month and a half to build up a file for the embassy and it was packed with everything the embassy would need: every documents about my and her financial situation (which are good), every details about my and her employment (which are good), every details about my and her residence, every details about my and her travel history, etc. Now I know that from what I have read here it's a bad idea to mention about a boyfriend in Canada. However, I really am the only person that can sponsor her with a story that can be backed up. So our consultant made me sign a statement stipulating that I will now marry her during her stay in Canada (among other points, such as I will pay for her lodging and her expenses, that I have enough cash, etc.). I got this letter notarized. She asked for 3 months. I think her file was neat.
She got her visa denied without an interview, with the usual generic reasons (history of travel, proposed length of stay, family ties in Canada and/or in Thailand, insufficient documentation about her or my financial assets). She traveled many times in Asia, she asked for 3 months of stay, she does not know anyone in Canada and has all her family in Thailand, she has a good job in Thailand, she has more than 20k$ in her bank account (for about 2 months now) and I have more than this in mine. So of course we asked the consultant to request her CAIPS notes because I have troubles finding out what was wrong with her request.
The consultant was convinced that she would see her visa declined without having an interview, so he thinks that the IO only checked her past applications and based his/her decision on that. He said that depending on what there is in the CAIPS notes, she might never be able to obtain a TRV to Canada. So what he offered us as a solution is to go to Thailand, marry her and then apply for a PR visa. He assured me that she could be in Canada during the whole process (which he said takes about 18 months, even if the government website states 26 months for the office in Singapore). Now I think he meant with a TRV visa, but I can't understand how because from what I read here, first it is very unlikely to obtain a TRV visa when you have a PR visa in process, and second if we request the TRV visa before the PR visa, it is really hard to justify the fact that you will leave Canada once you go there to visit your spouse. So I don't think that getting married (even though I wouldn't mind doing it because it would only be anticipating it, I know it will happen anyway) will help getting her in Canada at all.
So my question is: what are my options here? I really only want her to visit me. I know the maximum is 12 months (6 months on arrival + 6 months extension). Now we have been apart for too long now and have been in the process for months. I want her to come here because I cannot go back to Thailand now because of my employment. If I could I would, and I most probably will in a year, so if she can come about that it's perfect. That's why we asked for a TRV. So whether we need to get married or not, ask for a PR or not, the point is that she needs to be here as soon as possible. Should she reapply for a TRV based on the CAIPS? Should we get married? Should we apply for something else? How could we heighten her application? Really except having a house there, I don't know what she would need more to show the IO...
Thanks for your advice.
I am a Canadian citizen currently living in Canada and my girlfriend is from Thailand. I met her 2 years ago during a trip there. Since that time, I have been going back and forth to Thailand to come visit her. Three months ago, we decided to start the procedures the get her a TRV visa so she could visit Canada.
She had already tried to get a TRV visa to Canada three times before and always got rejected, something about 4 years ago. During that time she was with her ex boyfriend also from Canada. We got our hands on CAIPS notes and the first rejection was because her application was incomplete (she was missing her bank statements). Second denial was because she was lacking sufficient funds. Third one was because they lied about being her fiancee. The IO found out because they did not mention it in the last application, and her boyfriend at that time had not been coming back to Thailand between second and third application, so the story just was not working. Someone advised them to pretend she was her fiancee, bad decision.
So this time we decided to hire an immigration consultant to help us with the application. It took him a month and a half to build up a file for the embassy and it was packed with everything the embassy would need: every documents about my and her financial situation (which are good), every details about my and her employment (which are good), every details about my and her residence, every details about my and her travel history, etc. Now I know that from what I have read here it's a bad idea to mention about a boyfriend in Canada. However, I really am the only person that can sponsor her with a story that can be backed up. So our consultant made me sign a statement stipulating that I will now marry her during her stay in Canada (among other points, such as I will pay for her lodging and her expenses, that I have enough cash, etc.). I got this letter notarized. She asked for 3 months. I think her file was neat.
She got her visa denied without an interview, with the usual generic reasons (history of travel, proposed length of stay, family ties in Canada and/or in Thailand, insufficient documentation about her or my financial assets). She traveled many times in Asia, she asked for 3 months of stay, she does not know anyone in Canada and has all her family in Thailand, she has a good job in Thailand, she has more than 20k$ in her bank account (for about 2 months now) and I have more than this in mine. So of course we asked the consultant to request her CAIPS notes because I have troubles finding out what was wrong with her request.
The consultant was convinced that she would see her visa declined without having an interview, so he thinks that the IO only checked her past applications and based his/her decision on that. He said that depending on what there is in the CAIPS notes, she might never be able to obtain a TRV to Canada. So what he offered us as a solution is to go to Thailand, marry her and then apply for a PR visa. He assured me that she could be in Canada during the whole process (which he said takes about 18 months, even if the government website states 26 months for the office in Singapore). Now I think he meant with a TRV visa, but I can't understand how because from what I read here, first it is very unlikely to obtain a TRV visa when you have a PR visa in process, and second if we request the TRV visa before the PR visa, it is really hard to justify the fact that you will leave Canada once you go there to visit your spouse. So I don't think that getting married (even though I wouldn't mind doing it because it would only be anticipating it, I know it will happen anyway) will help getting her in Canada at all.
So my question is: what are my options here? I really only want her to visit me. I know the maximum is 12 months (6 months on arrival + 6 months extension). Now we have been apart for too long now and have been in the process for months. I want her to come here because I cannot go back to Thailand now because of my employment. If I could I would, and I most probably will in a year, so if she can come about that it's perfect. That's why we asked for a TRV. So whether we need to get married or not, ask for a PR or not, the point is that she needs to be here as soon as possible. Should she reapply for a TRV based on the CAIPS? Should we get married? Should we apply for something else? How could we heighten her application? Really except having a house there, I don't know what she would need more to show the IO...
Thanks for your advice.