Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum, and I was searching for something like this with hopes that people who have gone through this process within the last maybe 5 or so years could shed some light for me.
My husband is a Jamaican resident. I am Canadian. We have been together for 3 years via long distance relationship. We also have a beautiful 1.5 year old daughter together.
I officially sent in our immigration paperwork on September 28, 2012 (our daughter's birthday coincidentally enough ). I found out in early November that I had been approved as the sponsor from Mississauga, Ontario.
I keep trying to look up to see if our case has at least been started. All I have heard since the sponsor approval was that our file would be sent to Kingston, JA. I have no idea if it is actually there right now (I would hope so as we are now into March of 2013!) and it states online that I cannot contact them expecting a response if it is "within the estimated time frame for processing." When I went to see how long that exactly is, it states 18 months!!!!
Please tell me that this is a huge overshot that they just put up to cover their butts and it is not actually another year and a half that we will be waiting at this point! Our daughter would be almost 3 years old by that time.
Under other circumstances, I would just honestly live in Jamaica while we waited this out. However, I have a son who is a grade 1 student here in Canada. Obviously I could not pull him from school (unless he can attend school in Jamaica? Anyone have any info on that?). So uprooting for even a temporary period of time is not optional.
I am incredibly depressed about this. We have gone through this for now 3 years and have somehow managed to tough that out. The reason for a late submission of the application was because I suffered huge post-partum depression once Emily was born and felt all kinds of crazy. Just such a total mess this is (or feels like).
My question to you lovely folks is, does it truly take 18 months? Has anyone actually experienced such a HUGE period of time to wait for their spouse from Jamaica?
I am just reaching out here because I do not know what to do or how to cope with another year apart. This is hurting our daughter the most which is what is breaking my heart.
Another thing I should mention: prior to our marriage in June 2011, we applied for a visitors visa for him. We did that around the beginning of May 2011. He has no criminal record, no past transgressions, etc. He was denied a visitors visa on October 16, 2011. Now that we are married and have an actual application sent in, and being that our income should be considered combined now, would we stand a shot at obtaining the visitors visa? He would have to go home unfortunately because he needs to be in Jamaica for immigration purposes and whatnot (this is our guarantee that he will NOT stay in Canada, he will return at the end of his visit). But it is incredibly easier for him to travel and visit us here, then it is for me to take my daughter (who is now walking and incredibly uninterested in sitting for a 4 hour flight) to Jamaica all the time. I can't even do that anymore because my son is in school and I am both kid's primary care giver. So what if I wrote a letter, submitted my bank statements to compliment his to show our income and stated our case....do you think we would still wind up denied? What are your thoughts on that?
Please, any advice would be truly appreciated!! Thank you so much for reading. I wish anyone who is going through these trials all the love and luck in the world!
I am new to this forum, and I was searching for something like this with hopes that people who have gone through this process within the last maybe 5 or so years could shed some light for me.
My husband is a Jamaican resident. I am Canadian. We have been together for 3 years via long distance relationship. We also have a beautiful 1.5 year old daughter together.
I officially sent in our immigration paperwork on September 28, 2012 (our daughter's birthday coincidentally enough ). I found out in early November that I had been approved as the sponsor from Mississauga, Ontario.
I keep trying to look up to see if our case has at least been started. All I have heard since the sponsor approval was that our file would be sent to Kingston, JA. I have no idea if it is actually there right now (I would hope so as we are now into March of 2013!) and it states online that I cannot contact them expecting a response if it is "within the estimated time frame for processing." When I went to see how long that exactly is, it states 18 months!!!!
Please tell me that this is a huge overshot that they just put up to cover their butts and it is not actually another year and a half that we will be waiting at this point! Our daughter would be almost 3 years old by that time.
Under other circumstances, I would just honestly live in Jamaica while we waited this out. However, I have a son who is a grade 1 student here in Canada. Obviously I could not pull him from school (unless he can attend school in Jamaica? Anyone have any info on that?). So uprooting for even a temporary period of time is not optional.
I am incredibly depressed about this. We have gone through this for now 3 years and have somehow managed to tough that out. The reason for a late submission of the application was because I suffered huge post-partum depression once Emily was born and felt all kinds of crazy. Just such a total mess this is (or feels like).
My question to you lovely folks is, does it truly take 18 months? Has anyone actually experienced such a HUGE period of time to wait for their spouse from Jamaica?
I am just reaching out here because I do not know what to do or how to cope with another year apart. This is hurting our daughter the most which is what is breaking my heart.
Another thing I should mention: prior to our marriage in June 2011, we applied for a visitors visa for him. We did that around the beginning of May 2011. He has no criminal record, no past transgressions, etc. He was denied a visitors visa on October 16, 2011. Now that we are married and have an actual application sent in, and being that our income should be considered combined now, would we stand a shot at obtaining the visitors visa? He would have to go home unfortunately because he needs to be in Jamaica for immigration purposes and whatnot (this is our guarantee that he will NOT stay in Canada, he will return at the end of his visit). But it is incredibly easier for him to travel and visit us here, then it is for me to take my daughter (who is now walking and incredibly uninterested in sitting for a 4 hour flight) to Jamaica all the time. I can't even do that anymore because my son is in school and I am both kid's primary care giver. So what if I wrote a letter, submitted my bank statements to compliment his to show our income and stated our case....do you think we would still wind up denied? What are your thoughts on that?
Please, any advice would be truly appreciated!! Thank you so much for reading. I wish anyone who is going through these trials all the love and luck in the world!