I am just not sure where to look for answers please help

[thecanadianb]

Hey everyone!

I have tried to look for answer everywhere but I am have not been able to find any answers and as such I decided to get an account and ask you guys for your help.

Me and my wife married in October 2013 here in Thailand. None of us are from Thaiand. I am from Canada and my wife is from Ukraine. I submitted the Sponsorship application in Jan 2014 and 2 days ago I received email from CIC that our file has been processed and the office in singapore will be processing our application.

The application was filled and submitted by a lawyer I hired back home in Canada.

I did some search today and I found a link about processing time in Singapore at CIC website and it states it can take 28 months (for 80% of the cases thats been the average time).

However, we have a situation here:

1. We do not have Thai visa for that long. Our visa expires in next few months.
2. The only way to keep getting visa is for me to go back to Canada and apply for new 6 months visa and for my wife to go back to Ukraine and apply for visa. Which is not cost effective at all.

Return Tickets costs about $3500
Visas will cost about $240

Plus the whole trip of going back and fourth in order to get the visa is so long. It takes at least 30hrs to go from Thailand to Canada.

So we are sort of lost now.

How are we supposed to go about this?

Should we just go live in Ukraine and then again pay for ticket to go to Singapore for Interview?

Its financially very taxing to keep going back and fourth as we are very limited on funds.

Should I email the Singapore Office to move our file to Kiev, Visa Office in Ukraine?

Thanks

 

[zardoz]

You are misunderstanding the 80% statistic.

That is the time taken for 80% of all complete applications to have been processed by.
Some will be much faster than this. The remaining 20% of applications might take much longer.

 

[TLSD]

Why didn't your lawyer tell you about this prior? Also if u are Canadian and u are sponsoring your wife , I think you need to be in canada ? Please consult a decent lawyer about this ! I will PM you .

 

[scylla]

Also if u are Canadian and u are sponsoring your wife , I think you need to be in canada ? Please consult a decent lawyer about this ! I will PM you .

No - not true.

PRs need to be in Canada to sponsor. Citizens don't.

 

[scylla]

Should we just go live in Ukraine and then again pay for ticket to go to Singapore for Interview?

Should I email the Singapore Office to move our file to Kiev, Visa Office in Ukraine?

1) Interviews are not always required. It's entirely possible your wife may be approved without an interview.
2) Yes - you can request that the file be moved to Kiev. However it's entirely up to CIC if they move the file or keep processing it through Singapore.

 

[thecanadianb]

@Zardoz

Thank you so very much for prompt response in the thread. We are just worried because of the whole Thai Visa issue. I thought moving the case to Kiev, Ukraine would be much better as we can live at my wife's house while it gets processed.

Plus I read the "Singapore Visa Forum" here on this forum and it seems like its not going good for a lot of people and the process in the visa office is very slow.

One of our friends that moved to Canada from Kiev recently go her work done within 6 months.


@TLSD

I reckon that is for PRs no? I am a citizen. I have been in touch with my lawyer however it seems she was not aware of this whole 28 months thing.

@Scylla

1. If they dont take interview then what happens? They will just let me know? I am just concerned about the 28 months time which means multiple visa renews for us.

2. I was told by my lawyer that if I request my file to be moved then it will be moved. However you state that its based on their decision. Do I email the Singapore Office about it or CIC directly?

Thank you everyone for answering greatly appreciated.

 

[scylla]

1. Yes - at some point later on in the process they will let you know that no interview is required. However it may take many months to find out.
2. Your lawyer is wrong. CIC may or may not transfer the file. See the following quote from one of their operational bulletins:

File Transfers
There is an existing file transfer policy. Please review OP 1 sections 5.19 and 5.20.
Processing offices may transfer files at any stage for reasons of program integrity.

Program integrity includes issues related to local knowledge, such as the ability to effectively evaluate documents: knowledge of local security and criminality environments; or familiarity with business practices and procedures.

Progam integrity also includes improving program efficiencies. For example missions may be asked by National Headquarters to transfer files in order to improve processing times where there are insufficient capacities to process the volume of applications at the mission or in the event of special circumstances (political instability, natural disaster, etc) . This not only helps the department in reaching its objectives but the applicant also benefits from faster processing times. Other factors may be taken into account when evaluating the impact of a file transfer on program integrity.

Processing offices are not required to transfer files for any other reasons. Such reasons include cases of applicants who comply with subsection R11(1) for the specified visa office, at the time the application is received at the CIO, but subsequently leave the territory of the specified visa office. In these cases, the original visa office should proceed and process the application as usual.. Leaving a visa office’s territory alone, may not warrant a file transfer. In this case, if an applicant requests a file transfer, the visa office should inform them that the application will not be transferred.

 

[Rob_TO]

You should have requested the Ukraine office from the very beginning, based on citizenship. Was it your lawyer who suggested Singapore office?

Also due to recent political issues in Ukraine the visa office there was temporarily shut down. Just make sure it has actually re-opened again, before requesting any transfer.

 

[fandv]

2. The only way to keep getting visa is for me to go back to Canada and apply for new 6 months visa and for my wife to go back to Ukraine and apply for visa. Which is not cost effective at all.

Can't you go to a neighbouring Asian country to get the Thai visa? You can for instance go to Singapore (which is a lot cheaper), no...? I don't think going to Canada is the only way to get a Thai visa.... =)

 

[TLSD]

No - not true.

PRs need to be in Canada to sponsor. Citizens don't.

Ok thanks , and sorry for mis-info

 

[thecanadianb]

@Scylla

Thank you so very much for providing the information. I am much more informed now about the office changes.

The time frame is critical to me because of the visa and also house rent. If I sign a contract for 1year in a condo I can get a much better offer than doing a short term contract here in Bangkok (Thailand).

However, given that she may not be called for interview may be we can just go live in Ukraine and wait for the process to be done.

@Rob_TO

My lawyer suggested Singapore office and I am shocked she didn't tell me or may be she didnt know the process time. She keeps telling me that she asked me however I never knew that it can take such long time. I would have gladly waited 13 months which is about a year compared to 28 months. Which is a whole different thing 2x of the actual time that it could have been done.

Situation is not that well in Ukraine either so we are not sure what to do.

@Fandv

In order to get 6 months (multiple entry visa)? You have to go outside Asia I believe. May be Japan/Korea are different cases but overall they don't give you 6 months visa from countries close to Thailand.

Most people do 2 months visa run but its a headache to keep going back and fourth from Bangkok to Penang (Malaysia) or Vietnam and in both cases it can cost approx $300 per person with visa and travel costs included plus you have to stay somewhere until you get your visa not fun at all.

Lets see what happens.

Thank you everyone for answering to my questions. Greatly appreciated.

 

[fandv]

@ Scylla

Thank you so very much for providing the information. I am much more informed now about the office changes.

The time frame is critical to me because of the visa and also house rent. If I sign a contract for 1year in a condo I can get a much better offer than doing a short term contract here in Bangkok (Thailand).

However, given that she may not be called for interview may be we can just go live in Ukraine and wait for the process to be done.

@ Rob_TO

My lawyer suggested Singapore office and I am shocked she didn't tell me or may be she didnt know the process time. She keeps telling me that she asked me however I never knew that it can take such long time. I would have gladly waited 13 months which is about a year compared to 28 months. Which is a whole different thing 2x of the actual time that it could have been done.

Situation is not that well in Ukraine either so we are not sure what to do.

@ Fandv

In order to get 6 months (multiple entry visa)? You have to go outside Asia I believe. May be Japan/Korea are different cases but overall they don't give you 6 months visa from countries close to Thailand.

Most people do 2 months visa run but its a headache to keep going back and fourth from Bangkok to Penang (Malaysia) or Vietnam and in both cases it can cost approx $300 per person with visa and travel costs included plus you have to stay somewhere until you get your visa not fun at all.

Lets see what happens.

Thank you everyone for answering to my questions. Greatly appreciated.

Oh I see....now that's a different story...I didn't realise that if you get the Thai visa from another Asian country, then you're only gonna get it for 2 months..... that really sucks....I feel your pain...!!

Btw I took the time to reread your post again. I don't understand why your lawyer suggested your wife to apply through Singapore....wow...! Where's your lawyer from? Canada or Thailand? I agree with the other posters....your wife should've applied through Kiev instead.

I don't even understand why CPC-Mississauga agreed to submit your paperwork to Singapore. Ok let me tell you how it works: a sponsored person can apply through another country (other than their country of origin or the country responsible for processing applications from their country of origin) as long as they've been legally admitted to that country for at least 1 year.

In other words, your wife is eligible to apply through Singapore (which is responsible for handling Thai applications) only if she's been legally admitted to Thailand for at least 1 year. So my question is: has your wife in fact been legally admitted to Thailand for at least 1 year? If the answer is yes, then I can understand why CPC-M forwarded the application to Singapore.

Okay so you guys got married in Thailand in October 2013, but I was just wondering why you both remained there? Are you guys working there, or...?

Here's a little comfort: the Singapore 28 months thing, that's pretty much the worst case scenario (i.e.: that's only if the sponsor is required to attend an interview (the interview queue itself is about 12 months)). If your wife didn't have to attend an interview, then the processing time would be a little over a year......usually 13 to 15 months. If you guys have no red flags, and if you submitted tons of relationship proofs, then I don't think your wife will have to attend an interview...*fingers crossed*

(Plus the political situation is not good in Kiev anyway, so in hindsight, it's good that your application is in Singapore, right?! ;D )

 

[amjad1002]

Hey everyone!

I have tried to look for answer everywhere but I am have not been able to find any answers and as such I decided to get an account and ask you guys for your help.

Me and my wife married in October 2013 here in Thailand. None of us are from Thaiand. I am from Canada and my wife is from Ukraine. I submitted the Sponsorship application in Jan 2014 and 2 days ago I received email from CIC that our file has been processed and the office in singapore will be processing our application.

The application was filled and submitted by a lawyer I hired back home in Canada.

I did some search today and I found a link about processing time in Singapore at CIC website and it states it can take 28 months (for 80% of the cases thats been the average time).

However, we have a situation here:

1. We do not have Thai visa for that long. Our visa expires in next few months.
2. The only way to keep getting visa is for me to go back to Canada and apply for new 6 months visa and for my wife to go back to Ukraine and apply for visa. Which is not cost effective at all.

Return Tickets costs about $3500
Visas will cost about $240

Plus the whole trip of going back and fourth in order to get the visa is so long. It takes at least 30hrs to go from Thailand to Canada.

So we are sort of lost now.

How are we supposed to go about this?

Should we just go live in Ukraine and then again pay for ticket to go to Singapore for Interview?

Its financially very taxing to keep going back and fourth as we are very limited on funds.

Should I email the Singapore Office to move our file to Kiev, Visa Office in Ukraine?

Thanks

if cic already send your file to singapore vo so you must call to CiC about transfer your case to your wife home country and change your online malling address thailand to your wife home country address.

 

[thecanadianb]

@fandv

My representative that did our paper made a grave mistake. And there is no turning back.

I requested CIC to change the office to Kiev (through their online submission form) however it seems like the situation in Kiev is getting worst. So not sure what is going to happen.

We live in Thailand because this is the place where my wife has been able to get 6 months visa. For Kiev I was only able to get 90 days I think? I was there for about a month only.

I am just wondering should I call CIC and ask what happens in a situation as such where canadian visa offices has been closed in Kiev? Even though we requested to change the visa office? Will it remain Singapore?

We are worried how it will all turn out.

Thanks everyone for help.

 

[Soleil2020]

wow...your situation is heartwrenching!! I'm so sorry! Can you try to get a new atty that can help you sort thing out? Can you change your application to an inland, spousal sponsorship IN CANADA? Can you appeal to the Canadian gov.to allow you to bring in your wife ..maybe as a refugee status with the way thing are getting worse there.

I would say, yes, call CIC and see if you can talk to someone. Your case sounds so desperate, it pains me to think of it.

I wish I knew what else to suggest.