Havana, Cuba

[Avana]

Thats great, right? Well its great that they sent something to you for you to know something from the papers!!

So according to your timeline,

your papers were transferred from CIC June 20th,
They arrived in Havana on July 11th (3 weeks)
they mailed this letter August 22nd (6 wks after receiving ur package)
You get an interview call August 29th (was that it??)
You receive the letter Sept 17th
Interview Oct 4th

but you cant contact them till January?? ??? in a way that sucks, but im sure he will already be here by then considering your interview is 3 months before then!! At least theyre estimating 6 months (based on their no-contact order) processing instead of 8 I guess?

Im just trying to guesstimate when i will hear smthg on my end!! were 10 wks apart from transfer dates from CIC!! My papers would only arrive there on thursday based on this... still seems like such a long way... lol

Just had like a 2 hr convo with hubby about all these things we want to do when he gets here and i got all jittery and excited!

 

[KJG]

Thats great, right? Well its great that they sent something to you for you to know something from the papers!!

So according to your timeline,

your papers were transferred from CIC June 14th, no AOR recieved June 14/12 - approval & transfer June 20th..
They arrived in Havana on July 11th (3 weeks)
they mailed this letter August 22nd (6 wks after receiving ur package)
You get an interview call August 29th (was that it??)
You receive the letter Sept 17th
Interview Oct 4th

but you cant contact them till January?? ??? in a way that sucks, but im sure he will already be here by then considering your interview is 3 months before then!! At least theyre estimating 6 months (based on their no-contact order) processing instead of 8 I guess?

Im just trying to guesstimate when i will hear smthg on my end!! were 10 wks apart from transfer dates from CIC!! My papers would only arrive there on thursday based on this... still seems like such a long way... lol

Just had like a 2 hr convo with hubby about all these things we want to do when he gets here and i got all jittery and excited!

well I think we are suppose to get the letter before the phone call but since the letter came from Havana...to CIC and then posted out it takes alot longer....because it is about 3 pages and goes on about procedures and how frequent interviews are....etc...so my thoughts are when they did the letter they started processing the file and then the phone call!!!

oh and there is a new file number that starts with a "B" now!

 

[Avana]

OOOH great a new number to obsess about checking!! lol UUGGHHH.

Just out of curiosity, whats there explanation as to how often interviews are conducted?

 

[KJG]

Avana.....when I asked my husband what he wanted to do first when he got to Canada he goes " I want to walk through that door"....and then I will figure it out.....he says he is to scared to think much further ahead cause he doesn't want to jinx it!!!

 

[Avana]

It must be the Cuban way... my husband too says lets just see how it goes, but still managed to discuss, mont-tremblant and skiing and niagara falls and valentines day (hopefully)... lol so he entertained it, but still wont plan

ps: things that freaks him out the most--Limos, and drive-throughs! hahahhaha

 

[Avana]

KJG- what did they give you in regards to info about Interviews? Percentages?

 

[KJG]

KJG- what did they give you in regards to info about Interviews? Percentages?

Hi Avana...sorry I went to answer you and my internet went haywife for a bit....they gave no percentages but this is what the letter said verbatim:

Interviews
Section 15 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act authorizes an officer to proceed with an examination where a person makes an application for permanent residence in Canada for the purpose of determining whether the person and all his or her accompanying family members, appear to be persons who may be granted entry into Canada. To proceed with examination, a personal interview is frequently required......

then it goes on to say you must speak the truth...etc.

Interviews are quite common in Cuba so it did not alarm us that one was requested. Sure it would have been sweet not to have one...but all my friends and Yoani's friends have been called for interviews......I think shuster2210 might know some who weren't but I can't remember for sure and I don't want to search earlier posts!!! Put it this way....when my husband got the call for the interview he was so damn happy......so that is good!!

 

[Avana]

Ya for sure, as he should be!!!

Ive also heard cuba has lots of interviews.. bring it on! were good to go! lol The only part of it that annoys me is that it makes.it.longer. If it was shorter i would be like interrogate us! whatever, i understand their reasons for doing it, and if it stops the bad apples from coming in then fine. let the good ones through this way and thats all...

 

[sassylassie]

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to introduce myself....since I have been creeping your forum for information. I thought it would be appropriate to join : )

I am in the final stages of preparing my sponsorship package to send in soon. I am a Canadian girl hoping to sponsor my Cuban Husband. We were married in June 2012 and we are expecting our first baby girl in early December.

We started preparing the Perm Resident Sponsorship app in July after we got married, and had it almost ready to go when my Dr. and the lawyer who was doing translations for me suggested that I try for a visitor’s visa to get my husband here to help with the birth our daughter as I have no family who lives close to me. I was not going to even try this route since I have read so many stories about so many Cubans being refused a visitor’s visa. But they convinced me to try so I submitted a very thick application with lots of supporting documents and my husband made the 5 hour trip there last Monday. Yesterday, they gave him the letter saying no. We are very disappointed. He is heartbroken to not be with me during the birth. But we would be delusional to think we may have been the exception to the rule : ) We decided then the best thing is to continue with the application we prepared for Perm Residence. Our daughter and I will go in January to stay with him for the 90 days (I think) I am allowed to stay with him so he can have as much contact as possible.

So again, here I am looking for suggestions before I send off the application. I know there are just too many things for you to suggest I include to help the application. But if you have a tip or two of something to include that is not the standard I would appreciate it!

I wish you all good luck with your upcoming interviews...and travels!

 

[KJG]

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to introduce myself....since I have been creeping your forum for information. I thought it would be appropriate to join : )

I am in the final stages of preparing my sponsorship package to send in soon. I am a Canadian girl hoping to sponsor my Cuban Husband. We were married in June 2012 and we are expecting our first baby girl in early December.

We started preparing the Perm Resident Sponsorship app in July after we got married, and had it almost ready to go when my Dr. and the lawyer who was doing translations for me suggested that I try for a visitor's visa to get my husband here to help with the birth our daughter as I have no family who lives close to me. I was not going to even try this route since I have read so many stories about so many Cubans being refused a visitor's visa. But they convinced me to try so I submitted a very thick application with lots of supporting documents and my husband made the 5 hour trip there last Monday. Yesterday, they gave him the letter saying no. We are very disappointed. He is heartbroken to not be with me during the birth. But we would be delusional to think we may have been the exception to the rule : ) We decided then the best thing is to continue with the application we prepared for Perm Residence. Our daughter and I will go in January to stay with him for the 90 days (I think) I am allowed to stay with him so he can have as much contact as possible.

So again, here I am looking for suggestions before I send off the application. I know there are just too many things for you to suggest I include to help the application. But if you have a tip or two of something to include that is not the standard I would appreciate it!

I wish you all good luck with your upcoming interviews...and travels!

Hey sassielassie.....welcome to our forum. So very sad to hear about the visitor's visa but not surprises. Congratulations on your pregnancy....such a wonderful time in ones life. So what would you like to know about the application?? Many people have different opinions on how much proof to send or how much not to send.....in the end there is no right or wrong it boils down to personal preference and what you are comfortable with.

Basically with my application I clipped all the forms together....clipped all the emails together....clipped texts together...clipped travel receipts/postal receipts that sort of thing together...clipped cards and notes together....and for our pictures I sent 4 x6 photos separated into different visits and put them in separate envelopes with date and place on the outstide and the names of people in the photos........some people have a photo program and can put 4 or 6 pictures to a page and a caption underneath which is good as well.....just ensure the photos are not bound!!!

Hope this helps and please come back often with questions or updates or whatever!!!!!!

 

[TSauretBaxter]

Yayy the Cuba thread is growing!!

 

[Avana]

Hi SassyLassie and welcome to the forum!

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on all the new and exciting news!

The paperwork can be very overwhelming, and I can only imagine the pregnancy does not make it easier...
The best thing you can do is double and triple check everything. I did. The first time we did the paperwork and we reviewed it I later checked it over and realized a signature was missing, which was a close call on getting everything returned back. My other piece of advice would be to collect every single shred of evidence to prove that your relationship is genuine, that will help a lot once your package has arrived in Havana for processing. Certainly planning to go there for 90 days is good proof and I would find a way to incorporate and demonstrate that plan as well. Any letters, cards, e-mails, phone calls, flight itineraries, photos and the likes should be included. I myself made a cover letter for each type of proof giving an explanation about it and included details of parts of our relationship. If there would be any "red flags" make sure you explain them clearly instead of avoiding them (ie: age difference, short courtship...)

Please feel free to ask more specific questions or just vent your paperwork frustration with us whenever you want. Since I found this forum it has really helped me get through the hard times!

Also on another note, do you and your husband have frequent correspondence? If not, I have a blackberry (you would need one as well for this), and I gave my husband my old blackberry with an international data plan with a Montreal number. This phone is only used for data but this way we can BBM all day long, and keep in constant communication. It certainly has helped big time during this hard time. We have been together 4 years and have been communicating this way for almost 2 years now, much easier and more reliable (and cheaper) than phone or e-mail.

Good luck on getting everything done!

 

[Avana]

PS: KJG: literally sounds like our apps were identical, except i put 2 pics per page and printed them on word! lol

I hope for our case that great minds think alike! ;D

 

[KJG]

PS: KJG: literally sounds like our apps were identical, except i put 2 pics per page and printed them on word! lol

I hope for our case that great minds think alike! ;D

well in 2 weeks and 2 days we will know if our great minds did good....well I will know and you guys will know when I get back home
I get back at 12:30 am on the 8th....2 hour drive home...so about 2:30am when I get and then I will probably get on my computer right away!!! I am sure are they want those banker boxes out of their offices!!!!!

 

[Avana]

haha... im sure you will do fine!! but i have to admit i cant wait for you to give some news about it! I feel like because our apps were so similar that we`ll end up going through a similar process... ill be gone till the 8th anyways too, so ill be checking upon my return for sure!! Im so excited for you!