How many pages in Submissions?

[cicconfused]

Hi all! I am an avid reader of this forum...I have gotten excellent advice! Thanks!

So, I just got married and am preparing the application to submit for spousal sponsorship. It will be going through Mexico.

I am writing up my submissions in a Word document...detailing the development of our relationship, explaining evidence, etc...I am already at 8 pages and I am only halfway through!! Is this too many??? How many pages did others submit? Should I do a MAJOR edit? I am scared I will miss an important point! Are too many details bad or good? Err on the side of too much? Or will I just put the visa officer to sleep??

On top of this, I have all the letters of support, communication records, pictures, etc.

What an intense process! :'( Any thoughts are highly appreciated!!

 

[marsiangal]

Hi there,
I am almost done my processing now landing date next week. yaay. lol.
Anyways I just wanted to share that because I didn't send a lot of proof probably 10-15 pages, the front was a letter of how our relationship came to be, how we met, how it grew into a relationship, how the wedding was our honeymoon. etc.

I only attached pictures of the wedding, honeymoon, us with relatives and friends. Us with the person through we met. Trips and stuff like that. No declaration letters anymore that I originally had when we were planning to do it as common law but got married instead. I think some bank statement and bills proving that we live together and pay for stuff together etc.

Anyways, I have always been told that Excessive proof is only for people who has a lot of major red flags. for example, The girl is half the guys age, or the guy has 2 kids from another woman or was someone was recently divorced stuff like that. (These are only examples.)
And sometimes putting too much may seem like someone is trying hard.

I guess even if I did not send a lot of stuff it worked for us.

And putting in a lot of unimportant stuff will only take the officer longer to review everything in your file/application.

there is no set of number of pages that you are allowed to send, it is up to you.

 

[keesio]

We (wife and I) only had about 3-4 pages detailing our relationship. We had no red flags so we didn't think they needed much more.

 

[orly]

Mine was about 2 pages. This fully covered a 5 year relationship.

They don't want a novel - just facts.

 

[Rob_TO]

We had zero pages for an essay as we didn't include one. For relationship development we just answered the questions and stuck to the lines provided right on the application forms.

How much you write or if you need an essay in the first place, really depends how strong you think all your other proofs and application as a whole is. I would include the essay if you feel you need to explain things that may be considered red flags to CIC (i.e. big age gap, different religious backgrounds, quick time in relationship before marriage, not many friends/family at wedding etc etc).

 

[cicconfused]

Thanks all! We have a couple of red flags, my husband is a failed refugee claimant and we have a 4 year age gap between us (I, the wife, am older). But we have been together for 2.5 years, tons of family and friend support, years of pictures, communication records, legally married in a small wedding (but with important guests like closest friends, both sets of parents, siblings).

Listening to your advice, I think I will simplify things. The evidence will mostly speak for itself.

The whole process is intimidating!! What if I make a mistake!?

Thanks again!

 

[orly]

my husband is a failed refugee claimant

Expect a lengthy processing time.

 

[cicconfused]

I am expecting a minimum of one year. totally sucks! :-[ That's why I am hoping I don't mess things up and make the process take longer than it needs to!

 

[marsiangal]

You should probably expect longer, you know plan for the worse. Not that this will happen but just a back up plan.
Mine was basically a routine application it took exactly a year, except in the middle of the application I decided to use my husband's last name and changed every document and my last name in the application. Which held me up a month compared to other people that applied about the same time I did. (Which I did not mind because I now have successfully changed everything rather than later.) Anyways, yes because he was a refused refugee claimant, your application might take longer but then again who knows! Goodluck,

 

[keesio]

Mine was basically a routine application it took exactly a year, except in the middle of the application I decided to use my husband's last name and changed every document and my last name in the application. Which held me up a month compared to other people that applied about the same time I did. (Which I did not mind because I now have successfully changed everything rather than later.)

Did you change it after you sent in the application or just before (and and to update the application)? My wife changed her name afterwards and we had to update CIC about the change. I'm wondering if that is delaying us.

 

[cicconfused]

That's interesting to know about the name change. I was going to change my name as well, but if it's going to delay things even further, maybe I will wait until after the process.

I sure hope it is not more than a year! I have myself mentally prepared for that. But you are right, you never know with these things!

 

[marsiangal]

That's interesting to know about the name change. I was going to change my name as well, but if it's going to delay things even further, maybe I will wait until after the process.

I sure hope it is not more than a year! I have myself mentally prepared for that. But you are right, you never know with these things!

Did you change it after you sent in the application or just before (and and to update the application)? My wife changed her name afterwards and we had to update CIC about the change. I'm wondering if that is delaying us.

I will try to answer both your statements together lol. I sent CIC a notice that I have changed my last name like 7 or 8 months in.(Because the nearest consulate was too far from me (plane ride far) so I waited for their outreach for passport renewal to come to my city. I was able to change everything else besides my passport because it took 2 months for them (my consulate) to send me the new passport. Anyways, with the notice I sent a copy of my updated IDs (SIN, Health card, driver's license.) And told them that I will send a copy of the new passport as soon as it arrives. So 2 months later I got the new passport and sent them a new copy the next day. To my surprise 2 weeks or so later I got my DM. So I was thinking I delayed my own application.lol. cause I didn't have the passport earlier and they were just waiting for me to send the copy. So answering your question, if this may be delaying you, I do not think it will delay the process just because of the name change in itself, there might be other factors too. (like how slow CIC is right now) What stage are you on now and why do you think it's delayed any other non routine stuff besides name change?

As for changing the last name like I said it's as if they were just waiting for my new passport cause I got the results soon after I sent the copy.

So if you can have the updated name on the passport in time I don't think it can affect the processing time that much.

Before I changed my last name I was being advised by other forumers not to go through with it because they said it will complicate my application, (probably has happened before.) but based from my experience there was no confusion at all and on the contrary it was fairly easy. I was eager to change my name because I was not keen on having to change it again to my married name after I landed. You know the waiting again for the updated PR card, instead of just relaxing and waiting for the time to apply citizenship, So I was like I'd rather have all the trouble all together now. And It all paid off eventually. Landing next week.

But like I have said in my other posts about name change it is a personal preference, I chose to go through the trouble of doing it and risking a longer processing time, but in the end it was worth it for me cause after landing I can just wait for the PR card with my married name.

These are my thoughts. lol. Thanks guys.

 

[keesio]

(like how slow CIC is right now) What stage are you on now and why do you think it's delayed any other non routine stuff besides name change?

My wife received PPR a month ago and we sent in a copy of her new passport, which has her new last name. We explained in the e-mail that she updated her passport with her new married last name. I've been told that case officers are used to this and it shouldn't cause any issues.

 

[cicconfused]

As the sponsor, do you think changing my name would delay things? Once they approve me as a sponsor, I imagine it wouldn't be a big deal. But who knows?

 

[keesio]

As the sponsor, do you think changing my name would delay things? Once they approve me as a sponsor, I imagine it wouldn't be a big deal. But who knows?

From what I understand, there are no issues if you are the sponsor. Any potential delays regarding a name change are for the spouse who is being sponsored.