Havana, Cuba

[shuster2210]

Why did you get new marriage certificates? I've told Juan to go the ministry of transportation for the letter. I believe he has his liberation letter already as he was part of the major layoffs in Jan. 2011. Since then he's done contract work at different resorts.

Was there any addition fees once the visa is issued? I was told another $500 cuc for police and medical? Also does he have to fly "Cubanair? or can he flew a canadian airline?

To receive the PRE they need a new marriage certificate, they don't accept them if the are older than 6 months.
The cost of the exit visa is around $550 cuc. People are quotes different prices, but it's around that price, that is for the carta Blanca and the PRE. They say there is a "medical" but it never actually happens, try just pay the money for the stamp and that's it.
They can fly any airline that will issue a one way ticket, it doesn't have to be Cubana.
I was tryin to get a one way ticket for myself with Sunwing, and try wont don't it.
But westjet and air Canada will. Cubana does however have very reasonable ticket prices.

 

[veradis]

To receive the PRE they need a new marriage certificate, they don't accept them if the are older than 6 months.
The cost of the exit visa is around $550 cuc. People are quotes different prices, but it's around that price, that is for the carta Blanca and the PRE. They say there is a "medical" but it never actually happens, try just pay the money for the stamp and that's it.
They can fly any airline that will issue a one way ticket, it doesn't have to be Cubana.
I was tryin to get a one way ticket for myself with Sunwing, and try wont don't it.
But westjet and air Canada will. Cubana does however have very reasonable ticket prices.

The marriage certificates actually have to be well under 3 months. If he gets a PVE (150CUC), he needs a new marriage certificate for that as well as a new one for Canada when he applies for the PRE here. The one my husband brought was 2 months old when he arrived and he had to get his brother to go get a new one and send it with a friend cause they needed it to be even newer. It gets sent back to Cuba so needs to be under 3 months old by the time it arrives there.

My husband arrived Aug 18 which is why I went AWOL from here. The first few weeks are kind of like having someone land from outer space...but it evens out fast.

 

[veradis]

They can fly any airline that will issue a one way ticket, it doesn't have to be Cubana.
I was tryin to get a one way ticket for myself with Sunwing, and try wont don't it.
But westjet and air Canada will. Cubana does however have very reasonable ticket prices.

The 'they can only fly Cubana' myth drives me crazy. You are totally right, they can fly any airline that will issue one-way tickets. It is nothing about leaving the country for the first time...it is just about who will sell them a ticket and none of the charters will do a one-way out of Cuba. Cubana would have been perfect for my husband since the others don't fly out of Camaguey. But they were sold out over the summer. So we got him a reasonable WestJet ticket from Cayo Coco. Which turned out to be the best move because his PVE kept not being ready when they said it would so I had to change the flight twice. WestJet has a $50 change fee that they can waive at their discretion. They waived it when they heard my sob story so I could keep changing the ticket for free.

 

[OhCanadiana]

The 'they can only fly Cubana' myth drives me crazy. You are totally right, they can fly any airline that will issue one-way tickets. It is nothing about leaving the country for the first time...it is just about who will sell them a ticket and none of the charters will do a one-way out of Cuba. Cubana would have been perfect for my husband since the others don't fly out of Camaguey. But they were sold out over the summer. So we got him a reasonable WestJet ticket from Cayo Coco. Which turned out to be the best move because his PVE kept not being ready when they said it would so I had to change the flight twice. WestJet has a $50 change fee that they can waive at their discretion. They waived it when they heard my sob story so I could keep changing the ticket for free.

Hello! Good to see you pop in

 

[DDG]

Congratulations KJG. You must be so excited.

My husband received a call Friday and his interview is October 25, 2012. They have asked for more documentation of time together since I submitted my application in May. I've sent him the flights information from August and September when I was there. We've been together over 5 years; been there over 25 times; so hopefully there won't be any issues. I'm nervous and excited..I read you ordered the GCMS notes; but since his interview is less than 3 weeks I didn't order.

Yay!! Happy for you.. I haven't been to Cuba since May. Will be 7 months by the time I get there in December, but I'm going for a month and only coming home a few weeks to take care of business then go back. So I hope this OK. 7 months was a long stretch, but I have a ton of communication bc he has internet in his house (legally) and lots of phone calls. I just couldn't afford the Aug-Sept trip this year because of all the application fees and my son was depressed and came home for a while. He's going to back to school in December. I hope they understand this!! I can't stand this constant worry. haha once I feel better about one thing, I think about another!!

 

[veradis]

Yay!! Happy for you.. I haven't been to Cuba since May. Will be 7 months by the time I get there in December, but I'm going for a month and only coming home a few weeks to take care of business then go back. So I hope this OK. 7 months was a long stretch, but I have a ton of communication bc he has internet in his house (legally) and lots of phone calls. I just couldn't afford the Aug-Sept trip this year because of all the application fees and my son was depressed and came home for a while. He's going to back to school in December. I hope they understand this!! I can't stand this constant worry. haha once I feel better about one thing, I think about another!!

I'm pretty good at worrying about most things but really never considered the possibility that my husband would be denied or worried about that part of the process. Maybe cause I have a cousin who is an immigration officer and happen to have a few IO friends, they are all nice, caring people and not out to destroy lives and rip apart families. I've always just seen the process as long and annoying but well-intentioned. The spousal/family sponsorship process is intended to reunite families, not keep them apart. There's always going to be 'red flag' circumstances for every couple (ours was that we didn't have a wedding...I don't like weddings and just explained that in the application). As long as you can explain yours in your application and in the interview, there shouldn't be a problem. When they deny it is usually because they have some sort of evidence that there is fraud or the interviewed spouse knows nothing about the Canadian spouse and is very robotic in their responses. I know at least 15 Cuban-Canadian couples who've gone through the process in the past 2 years and every single one has been approved (even the one or two that were obviously fraud!!). I would dial back the worries a bit if you can, rejection is rare!

 

[DDG]

I'm pretty good at worrying about most things but really never considered the possibility that my husband would be denied or worried about that part of the process. Maybe cause I have a cousin who is an immigration officer and happen to have a few IO friends, they are all nice, caring people and not out to destroy lives and rip apart families. I've always just seen the process as long and annoying but well-intentioned. The spousal/family sponsorship process is intended to reunite families, not keep them apart. There's always going to be 'red flag' circumstances for every couple (ours was that we didn't have a wedding...I don't like weddings and just explained that in the application). As long as you can explain yours in your application and in the interview, there shouldn't be a problem. When they deny it is usually because they have some sort of evidence that there is fraud or the interviewed spouse knows nothing about the Canadian spouse and is very robotic in their responses. I know at least 15 Cuban-Canadian couples who've gone through the process in the past 2 years and every single one has been approved (even the one or two that were obviously fraud!!). I would dial back the worries a bit if you can, rejection is rare!

Thanks so much for this post. I needed to get back in perspective. I honesty had not been worried about this part until I joined the forum. I know my relationship is genuine. We've actually been told in our local immigration office that they have not met another couple they think is more is genuine than us. My husband told me not to worry, worst case scenario is I live there. I honestly wouldn't mind that but I really get sick of rice and beans! I am missing Avacado season this year

 

[sassylassie]

WOW!!! I am been off the forum for only a couple days!!! So much!

KJG Welcome back!!!!! And Congrats! I am sooo excited for you guys!! He is almost here!

DDG, I read your story...and I think as someone else said...we all have a redflag for some reason or another. The point is to reunite families. So I will take a lesson in that too and stop stressing

Avana....any news on your birthday trip?

Ok now for my open questions...please anyone answer:
I had the package ready to go. Got it down to 2 vertical and 2 horizontal elastics over a file folder. Use only 1 lg binder clip and 2 sm binderclips. Included a table of contents, and organized by the check list.
Made two sets of copies...one to keep here and one to bring to Cuba to stay at our house there ($70 in photocopying CHECK!) lol
Walk up to Purolator counter with a print our of the mailing address for Mississaua. And I am informed Purolator does not send to P.O Boxes ?!?! Ok that makes sense. Then I notice a courier addy at the bottom. But you know I just did not want to make a mistake...so I came home to ask you ladies...which address?! LOL
Spouses, common-law or conjugal partner and dependent children:
CPC Mississauga
P.O. Box 3000, Station A
Mississauga, ON
L5A 4N6
or
Courier address (no public drop-offs)
2 Robert Speck Parkway,
Suite 1200
Mississauga, ON
L4Z 1H8
Fax: 905-803-7392

lastly.....I just read somewhere else on the form that something was to be put on the back of the 8 recent photos we are to submit. The person who wrote this was going through the Manila Embassy. But do we need to do this too? I had to do this for the Visitors Visa App. But there was nothing in the "Country Specific" instructions for the perm resident app that says to write anything on the back of the pictures. What has to be written? And is it on all 8 pics?

OK lassies!!! Have a great day.....hope to hear back soon....as I REALLY want to break out the Ginger Ale in a Champagne glass ASAP! Actually I will have one tonight anyways...for KJG and the others who have been called for an interview : )

 

[Luvcuba]

Hi Sassylassie; I sent my package through Purolator to the Courier Drop off. It was send May 22 and they acknowledge receipt in July of May 23.

I found compiling the package was the most stressful. After it was done a couple of my friends and I had a "burning of the paperwork party". I used rough copies. It was such a relief when it was sent

 

[OhCanadiana]

Ok now for my open questions...please anyone answer:
I had the package ready to go. Got it down to 2 vertical and 2 horizontal elastics over a file folder. Use only 1 lg binder clip and 2 sm binderclips. Included a table of contents, and organized by the check list.
Made two sets of copies...one to keep here and one to bring to Cuba to stay at our house there ($70 in photocopying CHECK!) lol
Walk up to Purolator counter with a print our of the mailing address for Mississaua. And I am informed Purolator does not send to P.O Boxes ?!?! Ok that makes sense. Then I notice a courier addy at the bottom. But you know I just did not want to make a mistake...so I came home to ask you ladies...which address?! LOL
Spouses, common-law or conjugal partner and dependent children:
CPC Mississauga
P.O. Box 3000, Station A
Mississauga, ON
L5A 4N6
or
Courier address (no public drop-offs)
2 Robert Speck Parkway,
Suite 1200
Mississauga, ON
L4Z 1H8
Fax: 905-803-7392

lastly.....I just read somewhere else on the form that something was to be put on the back of the 8 recent photos we are to submit. The person who wrote this was going through the Manila Embassy. But do we need to do this too? I had to do this for the Visitors Visa App. But there was nothing in the "Country Specific" instructions for the perm resident app that says to write anything on the back of the pictures. What has to be written? And is it on all 8 pics?

OK lassies!!! Have a great day.....hope to hear back soon....as I REALLY want to break out the Ginger Ale in a Champagne glass ASAP! Actually I will have one tonight anyways...for KJG and the others who have been called for an interview : )

Hello!

Use the Robert Speck address and either their fax or your phone number as contact number.

For the photos, you don't need to write anything on the back. You can compare it to the Philippines instructions that do ask for name, DOB and signature on the back (see item 14 of IMM3905e for the Philippines vs item 13 of IMM3909e for the Caribbean). Other VO's require it only on one of the photos so it really does vary.

Go, mail it and break out the Ginger Ale *happy dance*

 

[TSauretBaxter]

Congrats KJG!! You must be sooo happy and relieved!! I don't think you realize just how stressful the process is until the wave of relief hits you when you get the visa! Good luck on the big move!

 

[sassylassie]

Hi Sassylassie; I sent my package through Purolator to the Courier Drop off. It was send May 22 and they acknowledge receipt in July of May 23.

I found compiling the package was the most stressful. After it was done a couple of my friends and I had a "burning of the paperwork party". I used rough copies. It was such a relief when it was sent

Weeeee! Burn the paperwork!!!! LOL Great idea. This was such a stressful task Thanks for confirming where you sent it! And congrats on getting your interview!!!

 

[KJG]

Congratulations KJG. You must be so excited.

My husband received a call Friday and his interview is October 25, 2012. They have asked for more documentation of time together since I submitted my application in May. I've sent him the flights information from August and September when I was there. We've been together over 5 years; been there over 25 times; so hopefully there won't be any issues. I'm nervous and excited..I read you ordered the GCMS notes; but since his interview is less than 3 weeks I didn't order.

Luvcuba....yippee....yahooo......an interview date that is so exciting!!! Congrats to you guys!!!! We brought in more pictures.....more emails, texts, cards...etc. Being together 5 years is awesome so have no worries....we were just shy of 3 years!!!!

There was nothing in my notes at all....said almost 3 years of communication everyday...phone bills.....lots of pictures....wedding and reception with family & friends......there was absolutely nothing in there that helped our interview....or that raised any flags.....so I would not worry about it at all........sounds like October might just be a great month for many of us!!!

 

[KJG]

Congrats to you guys....makes me angry though because I submitted a month before you....
Grrrrrr cic.... Wtf????????

shuster2210.....maybe you will be one of the lucky ones with a waived interview......!!! I am sure you will hear something shortly for sure.......I will keep sending positive thoughts to you........they tend to make calls in the afternoon..........Yoani almost didn't answer it because he did not recognize the number.......it's like duh!!!!!!

 

[sassylassie]

Hello!

Use the Robert Speck address and either their fax or your phone number as contact number.

For the photos, you don't need to write anything on the back. You can compare it to the Philippines instructions that do ask for name, DOB and signature on the back (see item 14 of IMM3905e for the Philippines vs item 13 of IMM3909e for the Caribbean). Other VO's require it only on one of the photos so it really does vary.

Go, mail it and break out the Ginger Ale *happy dance*

THANK YOU!!! Extra kind of you to add the evidence of the different instructions for the different countries!!! I know that maybe it was a DUH question because it say Courier Address lol But to be honest I never even noticed the courier address till I got home. And I thought before I go out again....I will just check with you guys what address you used : ) Ok I will be right back then.......