Family Class Sponsorship - Germany/Canada

[crazydancerlady]

I am a canadian citizen living abroad in Berlin, Germany and sponsoring my German husband.
Plans are to live in Canada by Sept. 2015.


Looking for answers to the following questions:

1)If our sponsoring and permanent resident applications are accepted, how long is the permanent residency valid?

2)Will we be forced to come to Canada on a certain date? Sometime before Sept 2015?

3)Should we pay the Permanent resident fee and Principal applicant fee at same time to save processing times?

4)What is an Option C printout from Canada Revenue Agency? Do I need one? Currently living and paying taxes in Germany. German equivalent?

5) We don’t have an UCI number yet and they wont allow a medical exam in Germany until my husband has an UCI!! Does he have to do the exam later? will we get an UCI number eventually?

6) Are college acceptance papers enough proof of intent to live in Canada?

7) does my husband/principal applicant send originals or certified photocopies of national ID, birth certificate and passport

8 ) Is it better to use email address or postal address for correspondence? its automatic if we put an email address on some forms



Form specific questions:

IMM1344

1. If you are found ineligible to sponsor – what is the best answer for this question? Which box should we check?

3. Is there a co-signer on this agreement? - I am sponsoring my spouse



IMM5481

5. Number of persons in box of current undertaking? One (spouse) or two (Sponsor + spouse who is principal applicant)



IMM0008

Application details
3. Is it two family members? Sponsor + Principal Applicant = 2

4. Is it Mississauga or is it Vienna? We currently live in Berlin, Germany

5. Language preference for interview – is German ok? Translator needed/necessary?

Personal details
3. UCI is blank? We don’t have one yet, No medical exam allowed in Germany until my husband has an UCI!!

Education/Occupation Detail

1. What is the north american equivalent of the german 1st and 2nd "Staatsexam" for teachers and education?



IMM5669

Who fills out the application? Principal Applicant only? or sponsor as well. I am sponsoring my spouse....


IMM5490
Maintaining contact

We are married and living together, so we dont have to visit each other. what do we answer for questions 24 & 25


IMM5406

who fills out the application?


We appreciate any answers or suggestions but prefer answers from knowedgeable sources like those from Immigration and Visa, or Canadian Embassy in Vienna

 

[truesmile]

Welcome! Here goes:

1) The initial PR card is valid for 5 years. However your PR status will remain valid so long as you maintain PR residency obligation.

2) Your visa will expire the same date as your medical, one year from the date of it's issuance. So potentially, "yes".

3) Yes.

4) It's similar to but not the same as a "Notice of Assessment". Provide proof of foreign income in it's place.

5) Yes, upon "sponsorship approval" you will. Sounds like you may not want your medical done before September 2014.

6) College acceptance for whom? What about the other's (sponsor or applicant) situation?

7) Check your 'regional guide', it varies. We received NO originals back of anything so if it's not required, just send copies. Our photocopies were not certified nor notarized, again this varies regionally.

8. We used email and are glad that we did.

IMM1344
Check the box "Not to proceed" with the application if sponsorship is not approved.
No, that is for sponsorships other than spousal.

IMM5481 (how we did it, unless the form has changed since)
Current undertaking = 1
Question #7) Total # of persons in 4, 5, and 6 = 2

IMM0008
No, it's 1.
Vienna.
We chose English, if it's your preference that should be fine.
Yes, it's blank.
Put your qualifications down as you call them there.

IMM5669
The applicant only.

IMM5490
Tell them just that, "you are married and living together".

IMM5406
The applicant only.

We appreciate any answers or suggestions but prefer answers from knowedgeable sources like those from Immigration and Visa, or Canadian Embassy in Vienna

LMAO ! ! !

 

[crazydancerlady]

Hi "Truesmile",

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! (It was a lot i know!)

Would you mind responding to the following "Follow up" questions to your answers?

1)
crazydancerlady: 1)If our sponsoring and permanent resident applications are accepted, how long is the permanent residency valid?
truesmile: The initial PR card is valid for 5 years. However your PR status will remain valid so long as you maintain PR residency obligation.
Question: How does one maintain PR status after 5 years?

2)
crazydancerlady:What is an Option C printout from Canada Revenue Agency? Do I need one? Currently living and paying taxes in Germany. German equivalent?
truesmile: It's similar to but not the same as a "Notice of Assessment". Provide proof of foreign income in it's place.
Question: If i provide copies of foreign income pay stubs would i have to get them translated and certified?! Thats a lot of money!!

3)
crazydancerlady: We don't have an UCI number yet and they wont allow a medical exam in Germany until my husband has an UCI!! Does he have to do the exam later? will we get an UCI number eventually?
truesmile: Yes, upon "sponsorship approval" you will. Sounds like you may not want your medical done before September 2014.
Question: so we dont have to send the medical exam with the initial application? we can do it afterwards once we receive "sponsorship approval" from Mississauga a few months later and correspond the medical exam to our times of arrival in Canada (sept 2015)?

4)
crazydancerlady: Are college acceptance papers enough proof of intent to live in Canada?
truesmile:College acceptance for whom? What about the other's (sponsor or applicant) situation?
Question: My college acceptance forms (The sponsor/Canadian citizen) Is that enough proof for me? . The Principal applicant/German citizen will be looking for work upon arrival or before if possible.

5)
crazydancerlady: does my husband/principal applicant send originals or certified photocopies of national ID, birth certificate and passport
truesmile:Check your 'regional guide', it varies. We received NO originals back of anything so if it's not required, just send copies. Our photocopies were not certified nor notarized, again this varies regionally.
Question: Guide for Germany writes: IDENTITY AND CIVIL STATUS DOCUMENTS: "Provide national identity cards, birth certificates or other official documents confirming relationship to you"
They dont specify therefore i am assuming its a certified copy of each plus translation. Passport requires certified copies only

6) IMM0008
crazydancerlady: #5. Language preference for interview – is German ok? Translator needed/necessary?
truesmile: We chose English, if it's your preference that should be fine.
Question: my husbands preference would be his first language german. do we still need an interpreter in Vienna where the offical language is german? if we have to pay for an interpreter then we will choose english. its cheaper!!
NEW QUESTION!!: do we have to put myself down as a dependent? I am assuming not but would like to confirm! Thanx!

7)
Questions:
- How are you so well informed about the Family Class Sponsoring?! just through your own personal experiences?
- Did you ever get professional help filling out the forms? We are condsidering someone to look through our applications once we have completed them but they are charging a $500 fee for it!! Just wondering if you think that is necessary? If something is lacking in our application the people in Mississauga/Vienna will let us know via email right? and then we could just send it in afterwards.

Thank you again so much for your time! It is so helpful and greatly appreciated!

 

[Kopje]

Hi,

I'm from Germany too. Maybe I can answer a few of your questions.

1. To maintain the PR status your husband has to live on Canadian soil for 2 out of 5 years. (If he lives outside of Canada the days might count towards these 2 years as long as you are living at the same address).

2. My wife moved to Germany directly after she graduated from University. Since she declared herself a non resident she never filed taxes in Canada. We called CRA and where told that she can't obtain an Option C printout. We simply wrote a short explanation on an why she cannot provide an Option C printout. We did not include any German tax printout and my wife was approved as a sponsor so I guess that it was enough. We just supplied a letter from her current employer stating her monthly income etc.

3. This information is not correct. I did the medicals without a UCI. Just make sure when you call the doctors office to mention that your husband is applying under the Family Class Sponsorship. At the end of the medical exam he will get a printout with a barcode on it which you will send with your initial application.

4. I would assume that college acceptance letter is enough. However it cannot hurt to also put in one or two letters from your family and friends stating that they know about your plans to move back once your husband gets his PR.

5. Your husband only has to send in photocopies of those documents. If originals are requested the guide explicitly asks for originals. To safe money your husband can request an international birth certificate. This way you don't have to get the german birth certificate translated which is way more expensive than the international birth certificate. If I recall correctly its about 10 Euros.

6. Interview language can only be English or French. The interview is not happening in "Austria". It is in the Canadian embassy which is technically Canadian soil. If your husband needs an interpreter he has to pay for a certified interpreter and bring him along for the interview. The Canadian embassy does not provide an interpreter as long as I know.

7. I read a lot in this forum and on CIC's website ever since we decided to relocate to Canada before we have kids. Personally I do not think it is necessary to get someone to look over your application. Just take your time filling it out and go over them multiple times to avoid errors.

Hope this helps ...

 

[SenoritaBella]

1. A permanent resident (PR) has to spend at least 730 days in Canada within any rolling 5 year period to maintain their PR status. e.g. if you apply to renew your PR card today, they will expect that between March 2009 - March 2014 you would have spent at least 730 days inside Canada or spent that same amount of time "accompanying your canadian citizen spouse" abroad. This is called the "residency obligation".

2. Yes. Any document not in English or French has to be translated and certified.

3. The panel physician who does the exam will give you a document which serves as proof of having completed the medical exam. This has to be submitted with the initial application. It is a requirement on the document checklist for the spouse being sponsored.

For family sponsorships the medicals have to be done upfront and submitted with the initial application, which is the reason you do not need a client ID#. Any panel physician should know this.

4. That is some proof but not very strong. You can still decide not to attend college. Better proof would be a mortgage/lease or contacts with leasing agents/brokers looking for a house, email exchange with family/friends that shows they are aware you are coming, if they will be providing you accomodation before you get your own place, etc. A job offer in Canada or evidence of looking for jobs.

If you are working in Germany, chances are as they get closer to finalising your application, they may ask for additional proof of your intent to relocate to Canada. At that point, they may want to see that you closing accounts in Germany, have submitted your notice to resign at your job, selling property or house you own in Germany, etc. Basically, normal stuff people do when they are really relocating.

5. Look at "Appendix A - Document Checklist - Immigrant" of IMM 3901(the guide for Germany). It says at the top, "Send originals of the immigration forms (items 1 through 5) and police certificates. Send photocopies of all other documents, unless instructed otherwise."

6. I don't know about translators, sorry. About whether to list you as dependent, see below. The part in red is key. You are a Canadian citizen, so no, you would not be listed as a dependent.

On IMM 0008, just above "dependents", it says, "you must provide details about each of your family members, whether they will be accompanying you to Canada or not. You must include your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable, and all of your dependent children, and those of your spouse or common-law partner, who are not already permanent residents or citizens of Canada."

7. I'll leave that for Truesmile.

If something is lacking in your application like a signature, they will return the entire application. If you are missing a form(which doesn't require a signature), the officer could ask for it by email or return the entire application. The key to minimize delays is to submit a complete and thorough application the first time around.

The decision to retain a lawyer is a personal one. We retained a lawyer just because we wanted someone who could review our application and evidence and tell us if there were any areas we had not addressed at all or sufficiently enough. It's cost us a lot but we look at it as an investment in our future.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

2)
If i provide copies of foreign income pay stubs would i have to get them translated and certified?! Thats a lot of money!!

3)
so we dont have to send the medical exam with the initial application? we can do it afterwards once we receive "sponsorship approval" from Mississauga a few months later and correspond the medical exam to our times of arrival in Canada (sept 2015)?

4)
My college acceptance forms (The sponsor/Canadian citizen) Is that enough proof for me? . The Principal applicant/German citizen will be looking for work upon arrival or before if possible.

5)
Guide for Germany writes: IDENTITY AND CIVIL STATUS DOCUMENTS: "Provide national identity cards, birth certificates or other official documents confirming relationship to you"
They dont specify therefore i am assuming its a certified copy of each plus translation. Passport requires certified copies only

Some good advice from the others. I'll add my 2 cents on a few things.

2) Official documents (PCCs, birth certificate, passport etc.) not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation. Unofficial documents, such as your pay stubs and any supporting evidence you submit that is in German, can be translated by yourself. Attach a copy of the German version to the translation.

3) The medical should be done BEFORE sending the application, as close to the submission date as you can. It is a required item on the checklist and you risk having your app returned as incomplete or being delayed when they have to request the medical. Tell the panel physician's office that you are doing an UPFRONT medical for a Family Class Application. Direct them to this page http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/medical/medexams-perm.asp.

4) I had next to no proof, only letters from family and friends saying I was coming back and statements from my Canadian bank account and credit card, which I'd maintained while I was out of Canada for many years. I explained in the app that there was no way I could get any other proof; I couldn't apply for jobs, apply to schools, sign a lease or make any official arrangements until I knew 100% that my partner was going to be approved and we could actually move to Canada. It was enough for the visa officer.

5) If they don't specify, then it doesn't need to be a certified copy. The passport is in German and English, so a plain photocopy is fine. Even if it were only in German, you would still only need a plain photocopy but it would have to be accompanied by the certified translation.

 

[Rob_TO]

5) If they don't specify, then it doesn't need to be a certified copy. The passport is in German and English, so a plain photocopy is fine. Even if it were only in German, you would still only need a plain photocopy but it would have to be accompanied by the certified translation.

Just one small correction, if ANY document needs to be translated, then the photocopy of document (if not submitting the original) needs to be a "certified true" copy.

 

[crazydancerlady]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer these questions! It's been such a big help getting everything organised and put together.

I have a question regarding the UCI number and the medical exam.

FACTS
- My husband and I are planning to move to Canada around Sept. 2015
- we have to send the medical exam results which are apparently only valid for 1 year with the initial application (hopefully around April 2014)
- which means we would have to move within that 1 year (till April 2015) which is waaaaay to early for us.
- My husband is a highschool teacher and can only leave for Canada once the school year is over in Germany

HOW DO WE TIME OUR APPLICATION TO MEET OUR TRAVEL PLANS?!
I have heard the application process takes up to 15 months which is why I am starting now!!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Just one small correction, if ANY document needs to be translated, then the photocopy of document (if not submitting the original) needs to be a "certified true" copy.

We never had to get anything translated, so no personal experience with it.

Just going by what it says in the West Europe country-specific guide, If your documents are not in English or French, send a notarized (certified) translation with a copy of the originals.

I take that to mean that the translation must be certified but the copy doesn't need to be, as I imagine they would specify "with a certified copy of the originals".

No?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

HOW DO WE TIME OUR APPLICATION TO MEET OUR TRAVEL PLANS?!
I have heard the application process takes up to 15 months which is why I am starting now!!

You don't have to.

You guys aren't in any way required to MOVE to Canada when the application is approved. Your husband would have to land in Canada prior to the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) expiring but he could complete his landing and fly back to Germany the same day if he wanted. You don't even have to go with him, as he can do the landing on his own. You can then move to Canada whenever you are ready.

 

[Rob_TO]

We never had to get anything translated, so no personal experience with it.

Just going by what it says in the West Europe country-specific guide, If your documents are not in English or French, send a notarized (certified) translation with a copy of the originals.

I take that to mean that the translation must be certified but the copy doesn't need to be, as I imagine they would specify "with a certified copy of the originals".

No?

This is from the general guide, so I assume applies to all situations: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3999Etoc.asp
Translation of documents
Any document that is not in English or French must be accompanied by:
-the English or French translation; and
-an affidavit from the person who completed the translation; and
-a certified copy of the original document.

But with some CIC docs contradicting the others, who really knows!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

This is from the general guide, so I assume applies to all situations: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3999Etoc.asp
Translation of documents
Any document that is not in English or French must be accompanied by:
-the English or French translation; and
-an affidavit from the person who completed the translation; and
-a certified copy of the original document.

But with some CIC docs contradicting the others, who really knows!

Ah. Best to follow those exact instructions then. As I said, we didn't have anything that needed to be translated, so it's not something I paid much attention to. There are so many things on CIC's website that are unclear or contradictory; I would love to get in there and fix it!