HELP PLEASE explain letter from Canadian High Commission in New Delhi

[ariell]

Hello

I am sponsoring my husband who lives in New Delhi. I received confirmation that I am approved as his sponsor at the end of October. My husband just received a letter from the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi requesting his passport! We are so thrilled!! It says that a request for his passport is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued. But it is a good sign, right?!!! But what I am wondering is: Does this mean that an interview is not required? What is the typical order -- do they do the interview and THEN ask for your passport, or do they ask for your passport and THEN do the interview??? Or does it mean that an interview is not required? Someone with experience, please tell me what this means.

Also, included with the letter was a form entitled "Details of Foreign Travel" that he is asked to complete. The instructions only say "please provide full details of all foreign travel undertaken by you and your family members, including transit through another country". So does this mean within the past year?? Or in his whole life?

Also, on the form is my husband's immigration file number (B + 9 digits). After the 9 digits is "[FC1]". Can someone decipher-- what does this notation mean??

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

 

[RobsLuv]

FC1 = Family Class 1 (spousal/common-law). I would say the foreign travel would be since age 18, but I could be wrong. Hopefully someone else with more experience with that form will know for sure. As far as the passport request, some visa offices simply request the passport early on during processing - it isn't an indication that the visa is ready to be issued and doesn't mean anything about the interview. However, he should carefully read the letter he received about the passport and the travel details form again . . . I got an "initial assessment letter" from my visa office pretty early on in our process that asked for additional documents and, on first reading, I completely missed the part where they said they had waived the requirement for an interview. So, that info could be there - just hiding amidst the more "obvious" information like "send your passport". Fingers crossed.

 

[ariell]

Thanks RobsLuv for clarifying about the notation! I was worried it meant something bad.

Oh that's too bad. I was hoping that the request for his passport meant that the visa was ready to be issued. My husband scanned and sent the letter to me and it doesn't mention anything about the interview. The letter is entitled "Document Request letter". It just says "This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada. In order to continue the processing of your application, please send the following documents: 1. original passport along with any old expired passport for yourself 2: please complete the Foreign Travel Form" Then it goes on to say that request for a passport is not a guarantee of a visa and that "passports are requested so that we can hold them on your file and issue your visas as soon as possible after all requirements have been made." They say that he has 30 days to do this and to make sure to send it by mail, not in person and then to update his address if needed. That's pretty much it.

Then the foreign travel form says "Please provide details of all foreign travel undertaken by you and your family members including transit through another country. Please sign the form as well. This information must be provided for any child over the age of 18 who has travelled abroad as well". So it sounds like they only want to know about travel that he's done over the age of 18, but it's really not clear.

As an added note, my husband only just got his passport today!!! We sent our sponsorship application before he got his passport after our MP's office advised us to do so. I contacted them to see if there was anyway for them to intervene on our behalf since my husband has had such a hard time getting a passport.So the fact that he was able to show it to me on the webcam was AMAZING! I was in tears. I'm just hoping the rest of the process is not so difficult.

 

[RPM]

Ariell,

Congratulations. The long wait is now over. My application was processed through Delhi and I recieved this exact information. I sent them the details of my travel since the age of 18 (including transits). Use additional sheets if necessary.
I got my passport back (with the VISA) along with the original documents initially submitted. After I sent them the passport it took exactly 22 days to get it back with the visa. But make sure to send it through DHL/FEDEX. They sent it back in India Speed Post.

 

[ariell]

Thank you so much RPM. Wow, you got your visa fast! I hope it's the same for us.

Do you mind if I ask you: are you Indian? Did you still have to do an interview after they asked for your passport? And sorry, maybe this is a stupid question but once you get the visa, is there anything else to do? Or are you free to then get a plane ticket and come to Canada??

 

[ariell]

Please does anyone have any thoughts on the foreign travel form???

We would like to send it in ASAP but don't want to fill it in wrong. I tried calling CIC but they didn't know for sure. They directed me the Cnd. High Commission in Delhi. I sent them an email but don't know if I'll get a response.

 

[RPM]

I am an Indian. And no, you wouldnt want to wait for Delhi immigration to respond to your email, it will take 30 days minimum and you will miss the deadline for sending the info on travel documents and passport.
They will not call for an interview after the passport is requested, at least I never heard of anyone else being called after they request for passport in India.
Just send them details of travel including transits and you will do just fine. Dont worry.

 

[ariell]

Thanks very much RPM! We were very confused whether we should put travel that he did as a child on the form. In the end, we decided that they only wanted travel he has done since the age of 18 which is none so that's how we filled it in. He's already mailed in the form and the passport. I hope you are right about not requesting an interview once they request his passport!! That would be ammmmmazing. But I have heard of someone who was asked for an interview after his passport was requested so I don't want to count on not having the interview. But I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

 

[RPM]

I hope he doesnt need to attend an interview.

 

[ariell]

RPM, sorry, can you please clarify what you mean by that? Do mean it would be great if he doesn't have to do an interview. Or do you saying that there will be some problem with interview??

 

[RPM]

Ariell, I meant that he doesnt have to attent the interview (it would be great if he doesn't have to do an interview.). After they requested my passport I was not called for an interview. I hope its the same case with your husband as well.

 

[ariell]

Oh great!!! Thank you. You had me worried for a minute!!

Wow, that is really good to hear another person who didn't have to do an interview after their passport was requested! That would be an amazing Christmas present if my husband gets his visa soon. WAs your application also processed thru New Delhi? How long did it take once you sent them your passport to get the visa? And once you get the visa is that it?? Do you just get a plane ticket or is there something else to do??

 

[RPM]

Yes! It will be a perfect Christmas/New year gift!
My application was also processed through New Delhi and it took exactly 22 days (including the postal delays, I was in Bangalore) to get back the passport with the Visa and all the documents we submitted. But keep in mind, I sent my passport to them in May and you are sending them during Christmas holidays. I wouldn't be suprised if it takes longer in your case. I heard that quite a lot of staff would be away during this season. Just make sure that you are sending them the passport through DHL/Fedex. And I got it back from India Speed post.

Apart from the ticket, the one major thing which he will need to bring is his reference letters from his former employers (If he is a student..letters from professors). This will really help speed the process in securing a job when he lands here. Does he have any un-accompanied baggage coming to Canada? If yes, let me know as there are a few things he needs to be careful about.

 

[ariell]

Thank you so much RPM!! He's already sent the passport with Speedpost. I hope that's ok. He wanted to use that vs. DHL because he said SpeedPost has a guarantee which DHL doesn't. I really don't know but I figured he was better able to judge than me.

Thank you for the tip about letters from employers. We hadn't thought of that. I really don't know at this point if he will have unaccompanied baggage. Maybe. What is it that he needs to know about this?

 

[RPM]

If he has any un-accompanied baggage, he needs to get at least 4 copies of all the items he is shipping including the value for each item. You will need a Bill of Lading and the reciept that you have paid the bill. Since you will be going through a shipping agent, I am positive they will also tell you what exactly you need to get. Make sure you take photo copies and keep them ready (Since i didnt have 4 copies I ended up paying $30 for 10 pages at the Pearson airport).

Is he going to drive here any time soon? When i was applying for my driving license here I came to know that I will be first given a G1 license (after the written test) with which I cannot drive by myself or take highways for 1 full year. They will make an exemption if you have an authorised letter from the "Road Transport Authority" from India stating that he had been driving from "so and so date" in India. I gave them my India driving license, which the authorities didnt accept here. So, ask him to get the letter while he is still in India. I sent the RTA a request in July and I "still" didnt recieve the letter!!! Can you believe it!!

Another thing is the health Insurance. Unless we complete 3 full months of our stay we cannot apply for a Health card. Its cheaper to get an insurance for 3 months from India itself.