Hong Kong timeline

[mobeyk]

I am not a immigration officer but I think if there is tonns of evidence and a good time of stretch together in a relationship and married it will be much easier and the probability of a interview lesser. Although it depends really on the individual case as its too different from case to case.
I am certain that the super visa for parents application will free up resources for other family sponsorship applications. As it looks like with Marty 11 they went fairly quick through the first part. Their interview seem to come from the shorter time and the closeness of the application to the marriage date. 80% of the applications are being processed within 19 months. Chances are that with a lot of evidence of genuine relationship and sufficient length of relationship the application will be processed in a shorter time. I am shooting for 1 year to 13 month with my application which I send at the same time like you Fencesitter. Lets hope that things go well and we can welcome our wifes before summer 2013. Good to know there are others that dive in the same time we do.
I just read a bit of your posts Fencesitter. Your Application will go through quickly as you guys are so long together. Be positive and hopefull. I would have no doubts. Your timeline is not out of reach and realistic.

 

[Fencesitter]

Thanks, Mobeyk.

Yes, we lived together for 3 years, then got married, and have been living together as husband and wife for almost 3 years. We also have a son together. Loads and loads of pictures, plus so much other evidence. I hope our application falls within the 20%!!!

I have found my time in China very enriching, but at the end of the day, I want my son to grow up in Canada. The pollution in China is horrible. The education system is in shambles, not to mention the amount of homework the kids get...they don't have time to be kids!! I also worry about the political stability here...who knows what will happen...things change here so quickly...and without notice or public voice...these factors, along with several others, are all reason to leave. I have a job waiting for me...excellent starting salary...it just makes sense to go...even though I know my wife will miss her family, they all agree that this is the best thing for our family...especially our son. So, we can only hope that the VO processes our application as quickly as they are able so that we can get on with our lives...

Anyway, we both wish you the best of luck. Like someone said on another thread, if the relationship is real, the truth will prevail...

We should keep in touch to update on our progress!!!

Cheers,
FS

 

[mobeyk]

Yes, I have seen and heard about education. many of our friends applied as Investors and one couple actually will land this month with their kid. One is for sure, your application will be done before mine is, as you have a longer relationship. The wait will be easy for you too as you both live together. I thought being 6 months apart is hard but I think it is nothing compared to some who have to wait 24 months and see each other only once a year. Yes, we can track our progress. I hope my Option C arrives this week and I can send things off before April 1st.

 

[Marty11]

mobeyk, I read in another thread a post of yours, which now I can not find, regarding the original Police Certificate for your wife, which the Chinese authorities do not provide, only the translated notarized copy.
I was in the same situation, I knew I needed the original, per CIC requirements, but we could not get it. We went back to Police station, they said that they alreday submitted the certificate to the notary office, and the notary office keep the original and give the notarized and translated copy. This copy has the power of an original document, but in China. I explained the requirement to the notary as well, and they said that they always do things like this and they had never had a request like mine before, and people immigrated to Canada with no problems. I was the only one until that time to make such a request from them, but I told them I just wanted to comply with my country requirements regarding immigration, that was all. Anyway, long story short, we did not get it.
So, when I came back home, I called CIC in Mississauga and talk to an officer what to do in this situation as I do not have the original, and he advised me to write a cover letter explaining the situation and attach it to the Notarized and translated Police Certificate for my wife. I just did that, and till now I think they were ok, since they did not request anything else.
If you want the cover letter, I can send it to you, you just have to change names and dates, as I understand that you are almost ready to send your application to CIC. I am not sure how e-mail works on this site.
Please let me know.

 

[mobeyk]

Thanks Marty11. My wife was persistent and got one from the police authorities. She did mail it off to me, which will be here any day. I wait for the police certificate. Every extra effort that shows them our determination is good. Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I will tell my wife as she is the one who is nervous and fears that they reject our application, which would be ridiculous give the evidence we provide but one never knows. I put extra effort in the tidiness and completeness of our documents as I am sure they judge the presentation of the documents, maybe not consciously but in their subconscious mind it makes a better impression.
My goal is to send off everything by beginning next week and relax after that as preparing the documents is more stress than the waiting. I have sponsored my parents 10 years ago and did my own application when I immigrated from Germany to Canada 13 years ago. Of course this gives me confidence. Thanks again for your offer.

 

[Marty11]

Ok Mobeyk, you are welcome.
For the site admin, I could send this document to be taken as an example of justification of the missing original Police Certificate and have instead a notarized, translated copy. Maybe there are other countries/jusrisdictions out there that use the same method as China does, and so people have an example how to do it.

 

[Fencesitter]

Thanks Marty11. My wife was persistent and got one from the police authorities. She did mail it off to me, which will be here any day. I wait for the police certificate. Every extra effort that shows them our determination is good. Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I will tell my wife as she is the one who is nervous and fears that they reject our application, which would be ridiculous give the evidence we provide but one never knows. I put extra effort in the tidiness and completeness of our documents as I am sure they judge the presentation of the documents, maybe not consciously but in their subconscious mind it makes a better impression.
My goal is to send off everything by beginning next week and relax after that as preparing the documents is more stress than the waiting. I have sponsored my parents 10 years ago and did my own application when I immigrated from Germany to Canada 13 years ago. Of course this gives me confidence. Thanks again for your offer.

I don't understand??? The police check that my wife received from the police station is a notarized document. They did not actually give us the original. Why would I need an explanation? Since it is notarized, isn't that just like the original??? I don't get it!!

 

[mobeyk]

They specifically ask for the original and as the original is in chinese and not english it has to be translated and the copy notarized. The notary in Zhuhai offers notarization and translation of the copy at the same time. Only the Medical Report and Police certificate are requested in original, everything else is allowed as notarized copy and if its in chinese it has to be translated. Just read in the country specific additional documents checklist.

 

[mobeyk]

Here the text from IMM3903 for China: "•Send originals of the police certificates and forms listed in items 1 to 7 below.
•Send photocopies only of all other documents, unless instructed otherwise.
•If your documents are not in English or French, include an accurate translation with a copy of the originals. Failure to do so could result in substantial processing delays." Further down in the Checklist it says for Police Certificate "You must submit original police certificates of good conduct or clearances from each country in which you and each of your family members aged 18 years or over have resided six continuous months or more since reaching 18 years of age. You must attach the original police certificate(s) to the application. If the original certificate is neither in English nor in French, submit both, the certificate and the original copy of a translation prepared by an accredited translator."


That makes it very clear. We advised the Notary to hand us the original and they did not, so we did go back to the police office and got after long talks them to give us one dated the same as before. It is strange as the notary always handed us our originals for other documents back. We did not get any explanation, just that they do not give them out.
Of course I got everything that is a copy notarized and documents from Canada are certified copies, certified through a commissioner of Oath ( cheaper than the notary public).

 

[Fencesitter]

What does the original police cert look like?

We went to the notary office in Guangzhou attached to the police station where they do the police check. When my wife went back to collect it a week later, she received a booklet with a cover page "Guangzhou Notary Public Office" ...inside is a Chinese document in Chinese characters with a number in purple at the bottom left corner...it's stamped and embossed...then the next page is the English translation stating my wife has no criminal record. Is this the original police cert??? Or is it something else?

My wife asked for the original but the person working at the notary office said they do not give the originals. I have been in China long enough to know that it will not be easy to get this if this is their policy....so how the hell can we get it??? I can take a half day off work to go with my wife...I can take the document checklist...but will that make any difference???

My wife is checking a similar website to this in Chinese...and people said that what we have is fine...and that the police station will NEVER give the original certificate...

This is very annoying because we are ready to send our application...now this pops up!!!!

What should we do????

Cheers,
FS

 

[mobeyk]

I did not pay attention when we picked the certificate from the police station up. My wife was all over it. What you describe is what I have already in my hand here in Canada and its obviously not the original police certificate as it comes from the notary. In Zhuhai we had to go to 2 different locations, Police and notary. Maybe in Guangzhou the offices are side by side. I do not know how my wife got the original from the police office. She is a determined woman and she told me that it needed convincing. It is no doubt that what we have is not the original police certificate. The question is if what we have is enough and as Marty 11 stated his application went through to a interview appointment without them being asked about a original. I personally wait for the original because my wife has sent it off 3 weeks ago and it should arrive any day. I take no risks. Maybe a written explanation that the document you got is all you received as police certificate from the authorities is enough explanation. I can let you know how the original looks like once I receive it.

 

[Fencesitter]

The question that bothers me the most is WHY would the Chinese authorities not give the original???? What is the problem? If that is what is requested from CIC, then I cannot understand why they would refuse to hand it over. My wife had to pay for it!! I guess this is par for the course when dealing with the Chinese government, but this seriously pisses me off! It's just one more reason why I have to get out of here before I go totally nuts!!

I will go to the police station either this afternoon or tomorrow and demand they hand over the original! (in a nice way, of course). I will not take NO for an answer!

We need it...they must give it...that's all there is to it.

FS

P.S. I don't want to write another explanation...I just want to comply with the requirements...but the Chinese police are being difficult...no surprise there...

 

[mobeyk]

Good luck. Sorry that I have opened a can of worms. I was shocked myself when my wife said that what I have is not the original and she is going to get the original. She did and got it. Thats why I had to wait till now with all documents. They could have been done 2 weeks ago.
Be careful though, I remember that the police can be irritated, like my first time around when I extended my tourist visa and we were not married. That police lady did not even speak to me in English and was strict to my wife telling her that she lies as she told her we are engaged. I stepped in after 5 minutes of heated mandarin arguing between the officer and my wife as I thought they would charge her and all a sudden that police lady talked fluently English to me. Weird. It is what it is.

 

[Marty11]

Hi Fencesitter, my wife is from Gungzhou as well. What you have is the notarized translated police Certificate. Hers looked the same as I remember. We went together to the police station and she argued with them about 15 minutes in a heated discussion but they would not get her anoher one. What they usually do (see mobeyk exception) is they send the Police Certificate directly to the notary office. Why they do not hand the original ? Beyond me, local laws, I do not know. Then we went to the notary office to request that original, and again, they would not give it to us, saying that according to chinese law, a notarized copy has the same power in China as the original and they have to keep the original for their records. I told them that I need the original per Canadian Government requirements for my wife's immigration file, but they still would not give it to us. It is what it is. That is why when I came back I called CIC before submitting the whole file to Mississauga. If you go there, do not get into a heated argument, you do not want to be charged there. You are in a foreign country and that country has different laws than ours and totally different way of life and doing things. That is all. You have to do your best to combine both, I guess.
Good luck to you.

 

[Fencesitter]

Hey Marty,

Thanks for your post. I was planning to go with my wife tomorrow, but seeing how you failed to get the original, I guess there is no point. The thing that gets me is that the original police cert was paid for...so it is not theirs to keep....why they cannot simply make two copies of the original, one for us, one for them, is beyond me...and probably the folks at the notary office. Backwards would be the biggest understatement of all time!

So I guess I am going to have to write an explanation stating that the police and notary office would not give an original. The best I can do is submit the notarized copy. What did CIC say to you? Didn't they ask "Why the hell won't they give you the police certificate??" I'm sure there are a lot of Chinese who are in the same position, so surely CIC is aware of this issue, no??

Seriously, and I don't mean to offend any mainland Chinese, but come on...this is the stupidest, most bizarre "rule" I have ever heard of...

Even to borrow a paper clip from the swimming place where we take our son was met with the usual BS "What do you need it for?" Am I MacGyver? Am I going to make it into a bomb and blow the place up? Seriously...I have to get out of here soon...I'm going crazy here!!!

Cheers,
FS

P.S. Marty, could you do me a big favour and send me the cover letter you used???