Hong Kong timeline

[mobeyk]

We stick around a bit. Yes, we can do that.
The time lines are posted roughly in our profile under our names. I can post later dates and days between steps, so others get a feel how long something takes. Amazingly, the registered mail from HK to Zhuhai took only 3 days. China post had it for 2 days before they sent the mail man. So on average it takes 1 week for the passport to get from HK back. It was the right decision to wait to book a plane ticket as the expiry date of the visa is on the date we had intended to book the flight first. Now we take a slightly higher priced flight on nov. 10th. With enough buffer for unexpected delays. More later.

 

[Marty11]

Bang, my wife got the registered mail notice from the mail man. Just as you said FS, one week after status change. She is getting her package from the post office. I am sleepless and full of expectation. This Journey comes now to an end. ;D

Congratulation mobeyk. You done it !

So happy for you and your wife. We have to get together sometime soon.
Marty

 

[Fencesitter]

I'll stick around for a while...my wife still has to get through the citizenship test!!

I'll post more details later on when I have a bit more time.

All I can say is that I was really scared in the beginning when I learned that HK has an average (at the time) of 19 months. I was prepared for the worst, so the super fast processing has definitely made me a less cynical person when it comes to dealing with governments.

Like mobeyk said, the wait has an end...so don't give up, even when you're having 'one of those days'...

FS

 

[Marty11]

Just to inform about my wife's status, she has redone her medical examinations for herself and her son again, on Oct.13, and today she sent back to HK the re-confirmation of her home address on the instructions provided in the envelope from HK.

On the inital letter from HK it says that after the medicals are redone, it takes at least 8 weeks to process the results, as they are sent first to Beijing Canadian Embassy and from there they will inform HK VO about the results.
My wife spoke with some memebers of her QQ group and some say that after medicals were redone, they received the Passport with the visa as early as after 2 weeks.

Now, just wait and hope !

Cheers, Marty

 

[Fencesitter]

I doubt it will take 8 weeks. That's probably the standard line they give, but in reality it's probably a couple of weeks. Your wife will have her visa by the end of November, at the latest.

FS

 

[mobeyk]

Here the promised detailed timeline of our application from first moment we had contact to CIC to receiving the visa:
July 2011, One month after marriage, TRV applied and denied. Reason: No outside country experience, not enough financial background.
Medical done Nov. 15th 2011 in Guangzhou
09. April. 2012, Application sent to CIC Missisauga
10. April. CIC receives Application, no AOR from Missisauga but courier tracking confirmed CIC received Application
10. July. 2012 Sponsorship Approval, I received email from Ottawa Pilot and file transfer ( after 91 days)
25. July. 2012 AOR Hong Kong Visa Office via email to wife in China( after 15 days )
29.Aug. 2012 Additional Doc. and Passport request via snail mail ( after 35 days )
26. Sept. 2012 Doc. and passport sent ( after 28 days )
03. Oct. 2012 Call from VO Hong Kong if landing before medical expiry on Nov. 15th is possible, we answered yes, possible via return email.
05. Oct. 2012 Visa issued ( only found out later on visa in passport ) 6 days after receiving passport and additional document
05. Oct. 2012 Address change to Canadian Address on e-cas
08. Oct. 2012 ecas status changes to decision made
15. Oct. 2012 Passport and visa arrived via registered mail ( after 1 week). Email and chat records as well as photos were not returned. Remarkable is that 15th of October was our anniversary. It was exactly 2 years after the day we found each other.
10. Nov. 2012 will be landed

I was 4 times in 2 years in China. 1) 6 weeks, 2) 4 weeks, 3) 8 weeks, 4) 2.5 weeks ( I am lucky as I do not work in winter months and can get off when I need it.
We had 13.5 lbs of evidence, over 300 pictures ( with family, friends, from our trips and our application gathering in a paper mess ), over 500 pages of uncensored chat records ( QQ and MSN ), 300 pages of uncensored emails, 10 page love story ordered as a timeline written both from my and my wife's view separately ( we did not shy away from being emotional) . Original Marriage guest book, flight, bus and train tickets, hotel receipts, letters and cards from and to family, hand drawings from my kids for my wife, one showing entire family including my wife. Financial support evidence including statements and letter for a Canadian visa card in my wife's name. List of friends, print out of Facebook timeline and comments on marriage and times in China.

We had expected a long wait of at least 12 months and ended up having the visa in 6 months and 5 days.
The sponsorship part of the process is unnecessarily lengthy and without any correspondence. Especially it should not take that long with a decent income, a clean sponsorship history ( I sponsored my parents in 2003) and a clean record overall.
Good luck to all and a big thank you to the Hong Kong Visa Office for a super fast and professional process.
Maybe a advice for all who are waiting: If you did a good job in the application prep, if your case has no areas of doubt, if you have tonns of evidence and if you focus on visualizing a positive outcome, things will fall in place and your patience will be worthwhile. Living in Canada is a privilege and we should honor it with patience.

 

[motorcyclerider]

Very thorough and informative write up mobeyk, thank you. I feel that our application was well organized so hopefully will go as smoothly as yours, but there will always be that doubt in our minds until we have the COPR in hand. Again, best of luck and congrats.

 

[Fencesitter]

My timeline is pretty much the same as mobeyk's except we received the visa about a week earlier because no additional documents were requested at the time of the PPR.

Don't worry, HK is very professional and they know how to get things done quickly.

FS

 

[Robyn]

Hi everyone

Hope you are all well. So I just checked my husbands ecas in the home address has changed to North Vancouver, BC Canada- Yeah!!!! So seeing the pattern of everyone else next step it will change to decision made and then we will recieve his passport back soon. We are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[computergeek]

Hi everyone

Hope you are all well. So I just checked my husbands ecas in the home address has changed to North Vancouver, BC Canada- Yeah!!!! So seeing the pattern of everyone else next step it will change to decision made and then we will recieve his passport back soon. We are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

So despite the dreary weather today (I'm looking out at English Bay) it sounds like it's still a great one for you.

 

[zeushk]

Hi everyone

Hope you are all well. So I just checked my husbands ecas in the home address has changed to North Vancouver, BC Canada- Yeah!!!! So seeing the pattern of everyone else next step it will change to decision made and then we will recieve his passport back soon. We are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Smooth sailings from now on for you and your family!

 

[claudiakee]

Hi guys,

I have been reading some of the posts here before submitting my application and they have been great help in terms of preparing my application. Now that I have my application sent, I have a few questions regarding the Hong kong police Certificate and the prospective processing time.


Before I proceed to my questions, I should tell u guys about my case.

I submitted my application in June 2012, my file was transferred to the Hong Kong Office in September 13. Nothing further until a few days ago, when I received a letter from CIC telling me to apply for my Hong Kong police certificate.

I am a Hong Kong citizen married to a Canadian, whom is a also from Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada over 15 years ago. We are in our mid-twenties, been living together for 3 years and married for over 1 and a half years. This is our first marriage, no kids. We are residing in Canada now and pretty much have been living here since our cohabitation. Currently I am staying in Canada as a holder of study permit as well as a off campus work permit.

I believe we have a strong case and we included countless evidence of our outings,trips, family dinners, communication during long distance relationship period etc.

So my questions are,

1. On the letter from CIC, it stated that I am required to apply for the police certificate within 30 days form the date of the letter. Since I am living in Canada right now, the issue date of the letter is 10 days before the date I received it. I mailed the application for my police certificate on the same day i received the letter.

I am wondering is there anyone received a similar letter like mine before, the one that asks for their HK police certificate? If there is, would you kindly share your experience with me?

Information that I am interested in includes:

- How long does it take for CIC HK to issue another letter notifying further progress in your case?

- Which stage were you in when you received the police certificate?

2. Upon reception of the letter, does that mean they have started processing my case? I checked my e-status online and it is still saying ' application received'. This is why I am confused as the online status doesn't seem to match the actual progress.

3. Does anybody know why does it have to be within 30 days? could that be they are prepared to issue me a Visa within that 30 days? Or it is just a disciplinary rule to make sure that applicants prioritize their application or sth?

Thank you for reading my case and I hope those questions won't sound too silly.
I am quite anxious these days as I read so many good news form this forum. I really hope that my case can be processed as soon as many of you guy's case. Cuz if it does, it would definitely help me by boosting our family plan to start sooner

Thanks again and hope you all have a great day!

 

[zeushk]

- How long does it take for CIC HK to issue another letter notifying further progress in your case?

They actually won't tell you to much, the next thing that will happen is the e-cas will probably say "in progress", and when you click that, it will say when they (HK Visa Office) received your application.

- Which stage were you in when you received the police certificate?

The Hong Kong Visa Office issues the police request after it receives the case.

3. Does anybody know why does it have to be within 30 days? could that be they are prepared to issue me a Visa within that 30 days? Or it is just a disciplinary rule to make sure that applicants prioritize their application or sth?

30 days are the norm.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

 

[claudiakee]

Thank you so much Zeushk for your prompt response.

 

[Gatca]

I have submitted my passport to HK VO in mid Sept and I inquired about the process and they said it is still pending for admissibility review? Does anyone what admissibility review they are doing? I check my hk police check was sent to the consulate in late sept. I have already been 2 months...I am currently in Canada , without the passport, I dont have any identity proof and can go nowhere....

Anyone has submitted the passport and having the similar situation ? Pls share..