Applying to Sponsor Spouse! Need Some Help Please!

[Shayreef]

Hello,

I am interested in applying to have my fiance sponsored as my spouse (we plan on getting married relatively soon) and had a few important questions I am hoping can be answered to assist me in applying the proper way.

First, my wife currently resides in Cairo, Egypt but was born in London, England. She has dual citizenship and has resided in Cairo for 2 years now. Prior to that she went to school in Dubai, UAE and after finishing school she started working in Dubai for a few years before moving to Cairo. This is my first issue -- given all this information, is it possible to deal with the UK Office as opposed to the Cairo office in terms of applying? From contacting Immigration, I have learned that it would be far easier to have the application documents go through the UK then to go through Egypt. How do I go about ensuring that the application forms go from Mississauga to the UK? Is there anything I can do to ensure this becomes a possibility?

In regards to some of the documents that we need to acquire -- If my fiance has lived in 2 countries since she was 18, is she required to gather all necessary documents from BOTH countries? Or just the country she resides in? In particular, the document stating that she has never been married before -- does she need to obtain these documents from both the UAE and Cairo? Or just the country she is residing in (Cairo)? In regards to Police certificates, is there a way to obtain these documents without being in the country itself? In other words, is it possible to have the Police Certificates completed in Dubai without having to actually go there? (online, phone, mail, etc.)

Also, who can certify copies of documents (or authenticate/notarize) in Cairo? I know that all the documents coming from both Cairo and Dubai need to be certified, authenticated and translated ... is there an organization that can assist with this process in Cairo?

I truly appreciate any answers or assistance that you can provide and look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you

Shayreef

 

[wilson]

Welcome Shayreef to this Forum and congratulate you in advance for your marriage. It is good decision that you have started research about sponsoring your spouse after marriage.

In order to sponsor your spouse from outside Canada, please review the CIC website explaining the procedure. The guide is very clear and easy to follow.

Read carefully and download the forms.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp

As your spouse will be residing in Egypt :

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/

Post your questions again in case you need any help and guidance.

 

[Shayreef]

Hello,

I appreciate the response -- I have already begun accumulating all the necessary documents and have reviewed the site thoroughly as well as spoke with a friend of mine who works for an Immigration firm.

As I stated in my initial post, I have a few questions that I would like to have answered if anyone has dealt with a similar situation.

1. My wife has dual citizenship (UK/Egypt) where she was born in the UK and raised in the middle East but also had Egyptian Citizenship. She currently resides in Cairo where she is working -- Is there a way to ensure that the Sponsorship application is sent to the UK instead of Egypt? If so, how do I go about ensuring this?

2. In regards to the documents we need to obtain, is my fiance required to gather documents from BOTH countries that she has resided in since she was 18? In other words, she resided and attended school in Dubai, UAE and worked there for a few years following her education. She has never been married (in either Dubai or Egypt) but is it necessary to get documents from EACH country stating that she is currently not married?

3. In regards to Police Certificates, is there a way to obtain these without being physically present in the country itself? Is there a way to get the Police Certificate by applying online, through the mail or by phone?

4. Finally, is anyone familiar with the process in having documents legalized, authenticated & translated in Cairo?


These are the main questions I have at the moment -- I appreciate any assistance.

Thank you

 

[Rob_TO]

1. It's on one of the forms you will fill out: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM0008ENU_2D.pdf
4th question on the form, you would enter in UK visa office (London) for your requested processing. However in some cases I've read here CIC has ignored this and sends your application to another VO.. but I think in most cases they follow your request if you qualify.

2. You need to get police checks from EVERY country the applicant has lived in at least 6 months, since turning 18 years old. I'm not sure about documents saying you aren't married as I've never heard of this before, is this a special country-specific requirement?

3,4 - Not sure...

 

[MadeInCanada]

Just a heads up, You will have the choice of Cairo or London on one of the forms. Go with London. Better processing time for one, and I am sure since she has lived there that long she is fully aware how is goes...(just re-read your post so you know what I mean) You can put London on the form.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office will stamp all your documents from Egypt.

You will have to write a letter stating that you are free to marry, then get it stamped at the ministry in Lahouzly(spelling) then take it back to the Canadian Embassy. If you go and ask they have a paper that explains there and can give you instructions. It is not from each country. She is considered Egyptian, she is not the one that needs that, it will be for you.

Take a look at the Cairo Visa Office thread, there are some great pointers there as well as the contact for a translation office, Happy International I believe is the name.


Your getting married before applying right?

Take Care
MadeInCanada

 

[Shayreef]

Thank you both so much for the assistance ..

I have just spoken with my friend who works for an Immigration firm and he informed me that my fiance does not need a certificate stating that she isn't married -- You were right in saying that she just needs to write a letter stating she is free to marry & have that document legalized ...

In regards to the Police Certificate, I did find out that she will need to obtain these certificates from both Dubai & Cairo (as she has lived there for 6+ months since turning 18) -- Has anyone ever dealt with Police Certificates in Dubai? It would be very costly and nearly impossible for my fiance to travel to Dubai strictly for the purpose of obtaining this one document ... I have tried to search online but there is limited information.

And thank you Rob, I was unaware that I am able to choose which Visa office the application gets sent to -- Obviously with her British Citizenship I would hope they would accept it and send the application there.

And yes MIC, I am getting married prior to sending the application -- it would be hard to apply as a sponsor for a spouse if we are not married. I am hoping that she can come with me to Canada and we can have a civil ceremony here -- I feel like that would strengthen the legitimacy of our relationship and prove that she is not doing this for the Citizenship.

Again, thank you for all your support.

If anyone has any idea about the Police Certificates in Dubai, or who I would be able to contact by phone or email, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[zardoz]

See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/mid-east/united-arab-emirates.asp

Non-Resident Requests:
Applicants may send applications by courier with a pre-paid airway bill to the relevant office listed below. You must submit with your application the following:

a set of fingerprints certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in your country of current residence;
a copy of your passport;
a copy of your former residence visa; and
applicable fees

Dubai
Criminal Investigation Department
Dubai Police General Headquarters
P.O. Box 1493, Dubai, UAE
Telephone: 971-4-2013471

Website: www.dubaipolice.gov.ae

 

[MadeInCanada]

I asked about the getting married part because if you have lived together for 12 months plus, you can sponsor her as a spouse.

You will also need to get the same document stating you are free to marry as well if you are not Egyptian and getting married in Egypt. I am not sure it is her that needs it as she currently holds Citizenship.

 

[Shayreef]

If I plan on sending all documents to the Visa Office in the UK (as opposed to Cairo) should her documents be authenticated & legalized in the UK?

She currently resides in Cairo and has been working for 2 years -- Should I be getting her documents legalized, certified, etc. and sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Egypt? Or Should her documents be getting approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the UK?

It is far more convenient to have her do everything in Egypt but I really do not want the Application going through Cairo -- will the Sponsorship process be delayed if the documents she sends are legalized to standard in Egypt and not the UK?

Thanks for your advice. Appreciate all the assistance and feedback, really helping me out.

Shayreef

 

[Shayreef]

Sorry, one more question ...

As I'm scanning through the documents I notice a part stating (found in the Country Specific Instructions -- Appendix A, Point #7)

7. Identity and Civil Status Documents

Provide the following documents:
• birth certificates,
• baptismal certificates or,
• other official document confirming relationship (including all pages of Household Registries) for you and each of your family members.

What is meant by "...including all pages of Household Registries?"

Thank you ...

 

[MadeInCanada]

Firstly, you will send all the documents and forms to Mississauga ON Canada, not the UK.

There they will assess you as a sponsor. Then they forward the application to the UK for processing of the applicant.

It is not a sending them in thing, she or you will have to go there and stand in a line and wait and pay the fees and get them stamped. It is better to get EVERYTHING in Arabic stamped in Egypt. It will authenticate them as well and legalize them for use out of Egypt.

The household registries part I am unsure of, I did not have any. I would guess that it is if sponsoring a different person under the family class though, to prove how you are related.

I think you might be misunderstanding with regards to the UK office and Cairo office. Getting documents from Cairo has no bearing on whether or not the application will be done there. She hold dual Citizenship therefore has the right in choosing the UK office.

As long as you get all the documents legalized/translated/authenticated there will be no delays caused from them being done in Egypt.

For the marriage to be legal in Canada, it needs to be legal in Egypt. You might need blood work, she might need a virginity test, as I have heard you should be able to pay your way out of those.

I suggest you go to the Canadian Embassy, get the latest procedures list from there and go about collecting everything it asks for.

Take Care
MadeInCanada

 

[MadeInCanada]

Um, just food for thought, but you can avoid the entire process of getting married in Egypt by coming here to have the civil ceremony, then going to Egypt for the reception/wedding party. She is visa exempt since she holds UK Citizenship. The hassle of getting married there and getting all the papers to do so in the first place. makes it worth thinking about. (imo)

I Don't know if it is a possibility, but it would be much easier! (I got married in Egypt) If I had that option I would have grabbed it up in a second!