April 2012 applicants, join here.

[mobeyk]

I see this Thursday as the day we get the first Aprilicant getting approved. Who pitches in and visualizes the first hurray among us? It is our time. Lets fill the spreadsheet with approvals. We are almost there friends.

 

[BCgirl2012]

I see this Thursday as the day we get the first Aprilicant getting approved. Who pitches in and visualizes the first hurray among us? It is our time. Lets fill the spreadsheet with approvals. We are almost there friends.

Yippppeee Then a month later maybe the first Mapplicant

 

[Fencesitter]

I really hope you're right, mobeyk. I have a suspicion that it will be next Thursday for Aprilicants. There are still a whole bunch of apps for March still waiting for approval. Unless they moved our apps to Ottawa, it might be a bit longer...though I am still very hopeful!!

For me, I just hope to get approval before the end of July. All I want is for my wife's file to be in HK by the end of August. That gives us exactly 6 months for HK to issue the visa!!

Do most of you guys plan to leave ASAP after receiving the visa? Or do you prefer to wait until it gets closer to the one-year anniversary of the medical? I have mixed feelings. We could land and then come back so that we could save more money, but I'm guessing it will be very hard to turn around and come back to China. Not only that, but it would be expensive!!!

FS

 

[mobeyk]

My target is March April 2013. If we get through with stage 1 by beginning July or 1st week it gives us 10 months and that lies right in the middle of the projected Hong Kong approval time line. We will be anyways over our medical validity and have to redo it. Ideally we would get approval between February and April, which would mean immediate leaving and landing. I will be in China the whole January and February. We would leave most of my wifes stuff in the apartment as it supposed to be our vacation spot and we could get stuff later on. You will need more stuff to send to Canada as you will be leaving for good FS.

 

[Fencesitter]

We only plan to ship my golf clubs and our son's highchair. Everything else will be sold or given away. We have enough saved up to buy all new furniture etc. We're basically going to start again. Shipping all our stuff from China would be too expensive and not worth it.

As for 10 months, don't forget you need to account for the 3 weeks it will take for your app to be received in HK...or does that time count??

But yeah, I'm guessing you will have the visa within that time frame.

Did you see that the latest quarterly update shows HK at 18 months for 80%? At least it went down, and hopefully if the case is strong enough, they will issue the visa ASAP!

Anyways, let's just hope CIC moves quickly and we start getting approvals for Aprilicants!

FS

 

[mobeyk]

Right on FS. You will be anyways shocked how much stuff is from china when you buy your new things here. Move to Markham and you think you are right in China. I almost ran into another car when i saw that Scotiabank had a chinese Sign only. I said to my wife that she will adapt quick. I will take her to Toronto whenever she feels like going back home. Thats the great benefit of living in Canada.

 

[Fencesitter]

That's cool about the sign being in Chinese. I like that Canada is so culturally integrated.

Yeah, I told my wife that we can visit China town in Toronto whenever we need to stock up on Chinese cooking ingredients. I wonder if the prices will be jacked up??!! For my wife, she wants to experience different and new things, so I think she will be more interested in western food, at least initially. Being from Guangzhou, she'll definitely want to make soup...perfect for those cold winter nights!!

I lived in Toronto for just under a year, so at least I know my way around.

It will be fun having friends and family over to try 'real' Chinese food. I think my wife will be shocked with the Americanized version, though it's still delicious!

Right...let's go CIC!!! We need to start April ASAP!!!

FS

 

[newlywed]

My contract in Korea ends in February so we´re really hoping to have processing times go back down in Seoul. Initially, we thought we´d go hang out in Thailand for a month and go back to Canada as soon as the Visa was approved. Then we realized that we might not have been asked for passports yet, or Seoul may still have my husband´s passport and we won´t be able to travel. We dont really want to sign another contract because if we get the answer back right before my husband´s medical exam expires the way I understand it is we will have to leave right away or go through the entire process again.

Can anyone confirm if I have that right?

We really want to be back in Canada as soon as possible. I really wish there were clear timelines on everything.

 

[Fencesitter]

I signed a new contract which will expire in August of 2013. The contract has an early release clause, so no problem getting out of the contract. Yes, some may say you should finish the contract, but in this kind of situation (immigration), I think this is definitely one of those times where you need to look out for yourself and put your family ahead of everything else. So, you could sign a new contract as long as it has an early release clause.

As for the medical question, yes, you are correct. If the visa is issued right before the medical is due to expire, you must land in Canada before the expiration date. If you don't, you'll have to start the process all over again...something I am sure you do not want to have to do!

I wouldn't be travelling if I were you...too many uncertainties...maybe travelling in Korea would be worthwhile before you go back to Canada?

FS

 

[kaede1977]

Hey did I read somewhere on another thread that even if the medical expires, they have extended the deadline so you have up to another year to land? I could be totally wrong but Im sure I read it recently on another link, that they have changed...Can someone please confirm this??

 

[Fencesitter]

Yes, that's true, but the other member's question was different. In that scenario, the visa has already been issued.

FS

 

[Sunshine87]

Hey did I read somewhere on another thread that even if the medical expires, they have extended the deadline so you have up to another year to land? I could be totally wrong but Im sure I read it recently on another link, that they have changed...Can someone please confirm this??

You're right kaede. But the medical could only be extended if the medical expiration is the only thing stopping the application from being approved, so everything else needs to already have been processed. And it's entirely up to the discretion of the visa officer if a medical extension is deemed necessary, or whether it'll have to be redone.

 

[kaede1977]

Thanks Fencesitter and Sunshine...havent been on much lately, but fingers crossed April applicants are approved for sponsorship by July!!! Can't wait to get back and get on with things now...best of luck to both of ya!!

 

[Emhub]

Hello,

Could we please be added to the April spreadsheet? Spousal sponsorship application sent April 16th, received in Mississauga April 19th. Applying outland, London VO. Destination Québec. Medical 3/12/2011.

Thanks!

 

[Sunshine87]

Welcome Emhub, you've been added

I just got off the phone with CIC. Why do I even bother calling.. they just frustrate me. I called to see if I was able to update my address yet but my application hasn't been opened yet (I wasn't really expecting it to be, but I just thought there might be a chance). He told me to call back in a MONTH.. but then when I said the processing time is 82 days and my application is at 76 days, he went on about how it's only an estimation and blah blah blah. I'll call back after 82 days and see what they say