Anyone want to join a thread for people applying in the near future?

[fumbler1983]

Hey that's actually a question we have now that we're looking at getting police checks. She lives in South Carolina and their website says processing time is 22 days. Once we receive the police check from FBI is there a certain time that we have to submit it with our application before it expires? I think I read that there was somewhere but just want to clarify.

I just got my FBI clearance back a few weeks ago. It's good for three months but I heard from a few on here as long as they receive your application within those three months you should be ok.

 

[DJC_06]

Applying very very soon. I'm a Canadian living in Japan with my Japanese wife.

Quick query:

So far, I plan to split the application into 4 sections. Sponsor, Sponsor's Supporting Documents, Applicant, Applicant's Supporting Documents.

IMM5540 (part of the sponsor's set of forms)and IMM5490 (part of the applicant's set) both ask for additional proof of the relationship at the end of their respective forms. We have plenty of material to supply, but I am perplexed as to how I should reference the material because both parts of the application reference what we are going to submit. For example, IMM5490 asks for a history of the relationship. My wife and I wrote up a 13 page history of our relationship, referencing photographs and e-mails that we are going to include (all attachments in order of the questions on the form). I still want these materials to be considered evidence for both parts of the application, but referencing one within the other seems quite messy and referencing them all at the end, in a scrambled order due to how the sponsor and applicant package form questions are ordered, seems confusing. What's a good way to get all this evidence organized in a coherent way? Any advice appreciated.

 

[lleahdoll]

I glad the thread exists,

My Canadian wife and I (U.S. citizen) plan to send in the application next month, we're just waiting for confirmation on her new, higher-paying job so we can list that on the application (just in case).

Aside from living apart, the hardest part of the application so far was waiting for the FBI to send my official background check document. It took about 8 weeks for them to return a one-page letter (which cannot be photocopied, by the way) indicating that I have no record. That said, the folks at the FBI taking phone calls from worried people like me were very nice and helpful.

Does anything else think it's funny that Canada rents space on Australia's e-medical database for medical records? ;D

Yay! Welcome! I will be sending mine soon to get my background check. I hope it doesn't take long!

We mail the application package to the Mississauga office then they forward our application to Ottawa. =) remember to right down CPC -Ottawa as the visa office and not NY or LA. I remember I was also confused about that when I first started on this thread.

Oh yes! Thank you kcorbin ^_^

Gosh, my flight is in 2 nights!! <3

Eek! Yay

 

[lleahdoll]

Hi,
Thank you verym much for your information. I want to apply in few months. your post was so clear and useful.
I just wanted to know some more detailes.1- in the first stage, the whole package is " sponsorship application forms and documents" in the immigration site which we send to Canada government Mississauga? then they give the AOR letter plus CSQ to us? how long it takes time?
2- the second step, we send the "undertaking application, plus AOR and CSQ to the Government of Québec" right? how long it takes time usually to get AIP with inland quebec?
3-should we send background check with the first pacage to canada governement? when is better to do that also medicals?
4- I have student visa. Can I apply for open work permit while I have still study permit?
Thank you again for your help

1)I believe approving the sponsor takes between 1-3 months..?

2)I'm not sure how long Quebec takes! Can someone jump in on this one?

3) Most recommend sending everything in one package so nothing is delayed.

4) I've no idea about this. Anyone?

 

[amop]

Hi Everyone.

Rite now I am totally disgusted ..

I have a question to ask ..was a student in canada and then on post grad work permit and now I am back in home country due my stoopidity for leaving canada due personal issues.

Do i require police clearance from RCMP ?

Please someone help ...really...im loosing it now !!!

Thanks in advance if someone can answer me..

 

[teamduckie]

I just got my FBI clearance back a few weeks ago. It's good for three months but I heard from a few on here as long as they receive your application within those three months you should be ok.

Hey so I just need some help confirming our timeline.
We're getting married April 30 in Toronto so certificate will probably be around two months after that so June or July.
If she gets police check now and it is done in around a month and we receive it around end of April or early May. We still wait for our certificate but if it's only allowed three months then it'll be tight.
Is this correct and should we therefore wait on the police check for now?

 

[chrisqui]

Well, for those who are confused about applying as Common-Law Partners, feel free to ask me anything.

What are the legal requirements to say and show that your partner and you are common-law partners?

 

[fumbler1983]

Hey so I just need some help confirming our timeline.
We're getting married April 30 in Toronto so certificate will probably be around two months after that so June or July.
If she gets police check now and it is done in around a month and we receive it around end of April or early May. We still wait for our certificate but if it's only allowed three months then it'll be tight.
Is this correct and should we therefore wait on the police check for now?

I sent my fingerprints in the last week of January and received my clearance the first week of March. We planned on sending our application then but now we are waiting for the option c printout. It's going on three weeks for that ugh. If I had to do it again I would send my prints six weeks before I want to apply and have my spouse request the printout the same day. I had my medical a in Canada and that was a breeze.

 

[teamduckie]

I sent my fingerprints in the last week of January and received my clearance the first week of March. We planned on sending our application then but now we are waiting for the option c printout. It's going on three weeks for that ugh. If I had to do it again I would send my prints six weeks before I want to apply and have my spouse request the printout the same day. I had my medical a in Canada and that was a breeze.

Ok so going by this, since our marriage certificate won't arrive until maybe June or July, we shouldn't send the prints in just yet?

Thanks

 

[Ellasg]

You have to prove you've been living together for 12 uninterrupted months

- Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Relationship (IMM 5409)
- Joint rental lease
- Joint bank account
- Joint purchases
- Mail addressed to both of you at the same address
- Letters from friends/family/neighbours acknowledging your common-law relationship
- Health insurance naming each other as beneficiaries
- Joint utilities bills
- Anything that shows you've been doing daily activities together, like gym membership, Costco membership
- Important documents from both of you showing the same address, etc.
- Change the marital status with CRA

You don't have to submit all of the above, but it would only help you.

 

[kcorbin]

Hey so I just need some help confirming our timeline.
We're getting married April 30 in Toronto so certificate will probably be around two months after that so June or July.
If she gets police check now and it is done in around a month and we receive it around end of April or early May. We still wait for our certificate but if it's only allowed three months then it'll be tight.
Is this correct and should we therefore wait on the police check for now?

I'm just right behind you! We'll be getting married on May 2! =) We're getting married in BC and what I know that it takes around 3 weeks for them to issue the mariage cert. I suggest you determine how long it takes for your marriage certificate to come out in Toronto then maybe you can request that they rush your cert because you're applying for sponsorship. We'll never know, it might work!

What I did, I sent in my fingerprints to the FBI around 3 weeks ago. Hopefully I get it just right after the wedding.

 

[kcorbin]

Applying very very soon. I'm a Canadian living in Japan with my Japanese wife.

Quick query:

So far, I plan to split the application into 4 sections. Sponsor, Sponsor's Supporting Documents, Applicant, Applicant's Supporting Documents.

IMM5540 (part of the sponsor's set of forms)and IMM5490 (part of the applicant's set) both ask for additional proof of the relationship at the end of their respective forms. We have plenty of material to supply, but I am perplexed as to how I should reference the material because both parts of the application reference what we are going to submit. For example, IMM5490 asks for a history of the relationship. My wife and I wrote up a 13 page history of our relationship, referencing photographs and e-mails that we are going to include (all attachments in order of the questions on the form). I still want these materials to be considered evidence for both parts of the application, but referencing one within the other seems quite messy and referencing them all at the end, in a scrambled order due to how the sponsor and applicant package form questions are ordered, seems confusing. What's a good way to get all this evidence organized in a coherent way? Any advice appreciated.

I haven't compiled our application yet, but I will be following the tips from the thread here: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t92449.0.html =)

Hope this helps!

 

[kcorbin]

Hi,
Thank you verym much for your information. I want to apply in few months. your post was so clear and useful.
I just wanted to know some more detailes.1- in the first stage, the whole package is " sponsorship application forms and documents" in the immigration site which we send to Canada government Mississauga? then they give the AOR letter plus CSQ to us? how long it takes time?
2- the second step, we send the "undertaking application, plus AOR and CSQ to the Government of Québec" right? how long it takes time usually to get AIP with inland quebec?
3-should we send background check with the first pacage to canada governement? when is better to do that also medicals?
4- I have student visa. Can I apply for open work permit while I have still study permit?
Thank you again for your help

I have no idea at all with how different Quebec applications are from the rest of Canada. =\ I think you better send a private message to MaxLet to get your questions answered. =)

 

[kcorbin]

Hi Everyone.

Rite now I am totally disgusted ..

I have a question to ask ..was a student in canada and then on post grad work permit and now I am back in home country due my stoopidity for leaving canada due personal issues.

Do i require police clearance from RCMP ?

Please someone help ...really...im loosing it now !!!

Thanks in advance if someone can answer me..

If you stayed in Canada for more than 6 months, I believe you need to supply a police clearance from RCMP. But I hope others can chime in on this one coz I'm not 100% sure.

Well, I've heard of other applicants who didnt send in their police checks with their application because the CIC will ask you to do the police checks down the process if you didnt include it in. It will delay your application. I suggest sending everything in, but make sure to take note of the 3 months validity of the police checks. I believe they have to receive it within the 3 months or else you have to redo your police certs.

 

[Ponga]

Great thread!

My apologies for not reading through all 6 pages of posts, but I'd like to offer a tip:

Print out all of the forms now and complete them by hand (in pencil if possible, since you WILL make mistakes).

Do NOT expect to submit the forms that you have today, as CIC is notorious for updating forms without telling `us'. LOL!
If you submit a form months from now that has been updated, there's a chance that your entire application could be returned.

So, use the paper forms that you have now as a template to compile your information. A couple of days before you plan to mail your application, transfer your hand written answers to the electronic forms that you will download THEN...which would likely be the most current revisions of the forms.

There are only a few forms that have a validation feature, but it's still advisable to complete all forms on your computer, for continuity.

Good luck everyone! I hope that by the time you submit your applications, the processing times are substantially less!