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Havana, Cuba

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
waiting patiently for my GCMS notes.....hoping they will be here by Friday!!!!!!
 

Avana

Hero Member
Sep 9, 2012
396
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-06-2012
AOR Received.
none, approved on 30-08-2012
File Transfer...
30-08-2012
Med's Done....
02-06-2012
Interview........
24-12-2012
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2012
LANDED..........
03-01-2013
Positivity!! They will!! ;D you must be sooo excited!! Still trying to finalize my trip so no confirmation yet :( waiting for a call back from the travel agent then Ill be booking today!! Cant get too excited until the credit card charge! lol
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
Avana said:
Positivity!! They will!! ;D you must be sooo excited!! Still trying to finalize my trip so no confirmation yet :( waiting for a call back from the travel agent then Ill be booking today!! Cant get too excited until the credit card charge! lol
yes....that will be awesome when it is booked......feels so much better that is for sure when it has been set in stone...LOL....it is so cold and miserable here today I can't wait to get to Cuba!!!! :)
 

sassylassie

Hero Member
Sep 18, 2012
285
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-10-2012
AOR Received.
none
File Transfer...
19-11-2012
Med's Done....
29-05-2012
Weee so excited for you ladies! One is leaving in a week and the other is booking for 2.5 weeks from now! I second the weather thing. What I could use right now is a great big dose of Cuba weather!

Avana....thank you for the book suggestion I am going to find it.
KJG What are those GCMS notes you are waiting on? I am so lost when it comes to some of the acronyms you guys use on here. Like AOR?! I am guessing that is sponsorship approval date?
Have a great day and stay warm!
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
sassylassie said:
Weee so excited for you ladies! One is leaving in a week and the other is booking for 2.5 weeks from now! I second the weather thing. What I could use right now is a great big dose of Cuba weather!

Avana....thank you for the book suggestion I am going to find it.
KJG What are those GCMS notes you are waiting on? I am so lost when it comes to some of the acronyms you guys use on here. Like AOR?! I am guessing that is sponsorship approval date?
Have a great day and stay warm!
hey sassylassie.....aor = acknowledgement of receipt - it is an email from CIC advising that they are in receipt of your package...some people get them and others don't but it is always an email......sponsorship approval letters are sometimes emails and sometimes snail mail.......i.e. I received an AOR on June 14th.....on June 20th they mailed me my approval letter.

GCMS notes - global case management system.....these are notes made on your file by the VO.....so since my husband was called for an interview I requested them to see if there are any flags raised on our file or is it just Cuba being Cuba.
 

shuster2210

Hero Member
Jan 18, 2012
261
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
03-04-2012
AOR Received.
Never
File Transfer...
July 9th 2012
Med's Done....
January 31st 2012
Interview........
Waived
VISA ISSUED...
Nov-1-2012
LANDED..........
Hopefully December 3rd
So excited for you ladies, and still just waiting to hear something grrrrrr...
I'll prob be going down for a few day at the end of October!!
 

sassylassie

Hero Member
Sep 18, 2012
285
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-10-2012
AOR Received.
none
File Transfer...
19-11-2012
Med's Done....
29-05-2012
KJG said:
hey sassylassie.....aor = acknowledgement of receipt - it is an email from CIC advising that they are in receipt of your package...some people get them and others don't but it is always an email......sponsorship approval letters are sometimes emails and sometimes snail mail.......i.e. I received an AOR on June 14th.....on June 20th they mailed me my approval letter.

GCMS notes - global case management system.....these are notes made on your file by the VO.....so since my husband was called for an interview I requested them to see if there are any flags raised on our file or is it just Cuba being Cuba.
Ahhh ok thank you for that! Ok so now I am putting my positive thoughts towards you getting those notes before you go!!! I want everything to be super easy for the two of you. How far in advance did you need to request these? And my thought is that it is just Cuba being Cuba : )

BTW I just read on the Gov of Canada Travel page as a Canadian born Canadian citizen (i Know that sounds funny but it is different if you were not actually born in Canada) I can actully stay in Cuba for 180 days!! Holy S***! That is 6 months! That makes me really excited. But also nervous. Can I survive Cuban life for 6 months?!?

Anyways....I should just focus on finishing the application first and worry about length of stay later DOH! And KJG you are right....putting off the work to clean the toilet is so much more appealing right now. I am TIRED every day after work, and trying to motivate myself to attack the paperwork is hard.

I commit this: When you return from Cuba after having the most positive interview and easiest visa issued. You will see my post saying I SENT IT!!!!
:)
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
Hey sassylassie....I found it easier to do on the weekend.....just my brain was so tired from the normal work day......but if you commit to a time frame get up early on a saturday get your coffee or tea and get to the computer and start.....the thing is start right away before other things get in the way ...like toilets or post here--and if you can do that for two weekends in a row should be good to go!! You can organize pictures and photocopy cards, tickets etc. during the week....nothing that takes alot of brain power!!! Once you are done you will feel so good and then by the time you reach your car 5 minutes later the worry sets in...is everything signed....did I put all the translated marriage certificate in....is my passport photocoy in.....hehehe......then that fades and you wait!!!!! See how much you have to look forward to..... :p
 

DDG

Star Member
Sep 26, 2012
119
1
Category........
Visa Office......
HAV
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
July 24/12
File Transfer...
Oct 02/12
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
January 14/13
VISA ISSUED...
January 24/13
Hi. I am from Halifax. I have an application submitted which they recieved July 24. I should hear something soon. I wish everyone the best!! I didn't join one of these before because I found comparing your process to other people's only causes more stress!! However there have been a few things mentioned I hope to learn more about!!
 

Avana

Hero Member
Sep 9, 2012
396
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-06-2012
AOR Received.
none, approved on 30-08-2012
File Transfer...
30-08-2012
Med's Done....
02-06-2012
Interview........
24-12-2012
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2012
LANDED..........
03-01-2013
Sassy- I agree with KJG dedicate a cpl wknds to it and you'll feel better!! After work work just makes things more stressful!

KJG-- so soon till you leave and sooo soon for interview! yay! and therefore soo soon for visa!! even more yay!! haha

Ive been fighting to get a flight back. looks like its gonna be a pain.... fly to varadero, travel to holguin together, then fly back to toronto, then fly toronto montreal. but anything is worth it at this point!!

Hi DDG- welcome! :) I know but having no info makes the wait even more painstakingly worst I think! ATa least people here are super supportive and can help guide you a bit with your expectations. For me, living in the unknown is worst! Buuut, not that its not unknown because im a part of this forum either.... lol

Is your spouse from Cuba? You really should get your approval soon and now you'll have a whole bunch of people who know exactly how exciting that is!!:D
 

Avana

Hero Member
Sep 9, 2012
396
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-06-2012
AOR Received.
none, approved on 30-08-2012
File Transfer...
30-08-2012
Med's Done....
02-06-2012
Interview........
24-12-2012
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2012
LANDED..........
03-01-2013
Hey Schuster! Hope youre able to make it for a quick visit too!! Certainly makes the time go by (a tiny bit) faster... lol ;D Where are you in the process? Is anyone here from quebec and had to send in a CSQ app?
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
DDG said:
Hi. I am from Halifax. I have an application submitted which they recieved July 24. I should hear something soon. I wish everyone the best!! I didn't join one of these before because I found comparing your process to other people's only causes more stress!! However there have been a few things mentioned I hope to learn more about!!
Hey DDG....welcome to our thread!!! The are currently working on July 12th......so they say so I would venture to say in the next two weeks you should have an aor and/or approval........yes everyone's process is unique but sometimes it helps to see similar VO timelines so you can kinda know what to expect! This is an awesome group of people here and everyone's timing is a bit different so hopefully anything you need to know we can help!!! :)
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
Hi Avana.....I have to say since the phone call today is the most excited I have been.....I think it is because I got my holiday pay!!!!! :p

I have the "gift" suitcase all packed and ready to go.....I have the "extra evidence/proof" all packed and ready to go - this I am carrying on the plane because it is better to go naked to the interview and have my extra evidence then go with clothes and empty handed......kidding....my "interview" outfit is packed in the carryon as well......tee hee....

Tomorrow night I will pack my clothes for the week and all the other stuff.....so two of my friends who just came back from Varadero had taken extra suitcases and no problems.... whew......so much easier!!

Thanks for all you happy thoughts they are so nice !!!!! <insert hugs> :D
 

DDG

Star Member
Sep 26, 2012
119
1
Category........
Visa Office......
HAV
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
July 24/12
File Transfer...
Oct 02/12
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
January 14/13
VISA ISSUED...
January 24/13
it is a comfort knowing there are others out there waiting and checking the processing times every week like me!! changes every thurday!! ;)
 

DDG

Star Member
Sep 26, 2012
119
1
Category........
Visa Office......
HAV
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
July 24/12
File Transfer...
Oct 02/12
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
January 14/13
VISA ISSUED...
January 24/13
KJG said:
Hey DDG....welcome to our thread!!! The are currently working on July 12th......so they say so I would venture to say in the next two weeks you should have an aor and/or approval........yes everyone's process is unique but sometimes it helps to see similar VO timelines so you can kinda know what to expect! This is an awesome group of people here and everyone's timing is a bit different so hopefully anything you need to know we can help!!! :)
Thanks KJG!! My husband is in Cuba. We have been married a year last April. It took us so long to file the application because our papers for authentication in Cuba were lost in transition for 6 months. I have lived there a total of 7 months off and on, returning home to work, save money and go back. Been a rough 2 years!! Can't wait to know that I can sponsor him. It's been agonizing. Glad I joined to meet other people who know how I feel. Family and friends say they understand, but they have no idea really what it's like having politics hold your destiny in the palm of thier hands. We have begun building a life there too, for worst case scenarios. Congrats on your interview!! When you get back you will have to prep me for whats to come. Thanks again!!! I too am worried about luggage. I heard they are charging in the Cuban airports, your last post about your friend going with no problems eased my mind, but definatly let me know! There is a rumor they are starting to charge over 66 lbs... I saw an article in the New York TImes. mMy husband is investigating it now.