I have mailed my sponsorship application (spouse sponsorship), what's next?

[extreme001]

My wife is my sponsor and we are now living in the United States (she's a Canadian citizen with H1-B worker status in the US while I am a Chinese citizen with F-1 student status in the US) for about 3 years. So we are doing outland sponsor applications.

We have prepared everything (including medical examination and CA$ 1040 payment) for the sponsorship and mailed them (a packet of 5lb) yesterday using Fedex to the address of 2 Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 300 Mississauga, ON L4Z 1H8 Canada. We see the packet has already signed by "Dave" in CIC-Mississauga today (05/19/2015).

So what's next?

I've seen lots of "argots" from different Canadian immigration forums, like "AR", "DM", "FN", "AOR", etc. What exactly do they mean? I know "AR" probably means "application received", is that some kind of mail-based document containing my UCI (I have UCI before because I still have a valid multiple-entry TRV now) that will send to our address in the US? We can only check our status once after the AR has been issued to us, right?

How long do you estimate will they assess our case, including her sponsorship capability and my immigration? Which visa office will take care of our case? Ottawa (US resident cases)? Los Angeles (US resident cases)? Beijing (Chinese citizen cases)?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Your next step is to wait. After that, you'll wait some more. Then you'll worry about waiting so long while waiting some more.

You should expect SA, Sponsor Approval, in about 2 months.

No one can tell you which VO, Visa Office, will end up with your app. I believe that Beijing is no longer accepting Family Class apps and they are now going to Hong Kong.

It's a good idea to plan for around a year for the entire process.

 

[extreme001]

Your next step is to wait. After that, you'll wait some more. Then you'll worry about waiting so long while waiting some more.

You should expect SA, Sponsor Approval, in about 2 months.

No one can tell you which VO, Visa Office, will end up with your app. I believe that Beijing is no longer accepting Family Class apps and they are now going to Hong Kong.

It's a good idea to plan for around a year for the entire process.

Yes. We know waiting is something we have to endure.

But when exactly can we start to check our status from CIC website? After receiving AR by mail? Or just in a few days later by our number of online payment receipt?

Within the application status system of CIC, which name should I use for application status check? My name or sponsor's name, or both (sponsor's name for SA and my name for immigration)?

 

[brucem]

As Canuck said welcome to the waiting game. Just in addition to the above info....

Once your wife receives SA you will most likely get an email confirming this and what office is processing your part of the application. The email will include the UCI number and file number which will allow you to log on to ECAS to view the current status of the application. I didn't get an AOR but if you do I think it contains the UCI number as well.

For me we used the UCI number and my wife (sponsor) details to check ECAS and the file number with my details to check my part of the application. As you already have a UCI number you may be able to use that. I know it seems a great idea to check your application status but you will learn to hate seeing the term 'application received' and nothing else for months once they start processing your part.

SA = sponsorship approval
AR = application received (by CIC)
DM = decision made - you will see this when CIC have come to a decision firstly about your wife as a sponsor and then eventually you as the applicant.
AOR = Acknowledgement of receipt - CIC contacting you to advise they have received your application.
FN = file number (I think) as I described above.

Hopefully that helps a bit.

 

[DanSlh]

Maybe it can be useful too:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/immigration-acronyms-t3007.0.html

 

[extreme001]

As Canuck said welcome to the waiting game. Just in addition to the above info....

Once your wife receives SA you will most likely get an email confirming this and what office is processing your part of the application. The email will include the UCI number and file number which will allow you to log on to ECAS to view the current status of the application. I didn't get an AOR but if you do I think it contains the UCI number as well.

For me we used the UCI number and my wife (sponsor) details to check ECAS and the file number with my details to check my part of the application. As you already have a UCI number you may be able to use that. I know it seems a great idea to check your application status but you will learn to hate seeing the term 'application received' and nothing else for months once they start processing your part.

SA = sponsorship approval
AR = application received (by CIC)
DM = decision made - you will see this when CIC have come to a decision firstly about your wife as a sponsor and then eventually you as the applicant.
AOR = Acknowledgement of receipt - CIC contacting you to advise they have received your application.
FN = file number (I think) as I described above.

Hopefully that helps a bit.

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation!

What's the difference between AR and AOR? Looks like they mean very similar according to my understanding that CIC acknowledges to us that they have received our application. So which one would come first? AR or AOR? Or SA actually comes first without giving us a notice of AR or AOR?

Or does AOR only mean CIC has received the documents they would have requested later?

 

[DanSlh]

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation!

What's the difference between AR and AOR? Looks like they mean very similar according to my understanding that CIC acknowledges to us that they have received our application. So which one would come first? AR or AOR? Or SA actually comes first without giving us a notice of AR or AOR?

Or does AOR only mean CIC has received the documents they would have requested later?

AR means that they received your package per courier tracking system.
AoR means that CIC really opened your package already and (probably) started to work on it.

 

[extreme001]

AR means that they received your package per courier tracking system.
AoR means that CIC really opened your package already and (probably) started to work on it.

I see. The package was delivered to CPC-M today and signed by someone called Dave. I checked the status from ECAS system today with the online payment receipt number and my wife's information (name, birthday and birth country) but I haven't seen any AR status until now. ECAS says: We were not able to identify you using the information you provided. I tried my information with my UCI as well, the result is the same, not able to identify now.

Is it too early to find an AR? How long after someone signed the Fedex package can we find an AR from the ECAS? 3 days? one week? What about this time period in your case?

Thank you very much!

 

[DanSlh]

I see. The package was delivered to CPC-M today and signed by someone called Dave. I checked the status from ECAS system today with the online payment receipt number and my wife's information (name, birthday and birth country) but I haven't seen any AR status until now. ECAS says: We were not able to identify you using the information you provided. I tried my information with my UCI as well, the result is the same, not able to identify now.

Is it too early to find an AR? How long after someone signed the Fedex package can we find an AR from the ECAS? 3 days? one week? What about this time period in your case?

Thank you very much!

You'll be able to access Ecas a few days after you receive your AoR, which contains your file number and UCI.
Until there you'll be in the system.
Now all you have to do is -try to- relax and wait.

 

[extreme001]

You'll be able to access Ecas a few days after you receive your AoR, which contains your file number and UCI.
Until there you'll be in the system.
Now all you have to do is -try to- relax and wait.

Well, I am a little confused, you said:

AR means that they received your package per courier tracking system.
AoR means that CIC really opened your package already and (probably) started to work on it.

It seems to me that AR would always come earlier than AoR because package shall always be received first, prior to its opening.

But you just told me AoR is something I will see before I can check online. So where is AR?

If AoR is the thing I can see right after I mailed my package to CPC-M, is it in the form of paper mail, or email?

Thanks~

 

[rugrat907]

Well, I am a little confused, you said:It seems to me that AR would always come earlier than AoR because package shall always be received first, prior to its opening.

But you just told me AoR is something I will see before I can check online. So where is AR?

If AoR is the thing I can see right after I mailed my package to CPC-M, is it in the form of paper mail, or email?

Thanks~

Forget about AR. That is just something people use to make sure their package arrived OK, but until you get AOR, it's pretty meaningless, aside from knowing whether your package is lost or not - it's not anything CIC sends. You will probably get AOR in about 35-45 days...that seems to be about the pace they are working on things now. When your sponsor gets that (it will be by email assuming you provided an email address on the application), that will contain the information needed to access the online system. Also don't bother with the receipt number either...my experience was that until they actually start processing the application (meaning after AOR) it won't show up in the system.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Well, I am a little confused, you said:It seems to me that AR would always come earlier than AoR because package shall always be received first, prior to its opening.

As said above, forget about "AR", it means nothing.

You may or may not get AOR. Some people hear nothing until sponsor approval.

You may or may not be able to log in to ECAS if you get AOR.

Once you are able to log in to ECAS (which is usually a week or so after SA), you will see "Application Recieved", which really means nothing besides the fact that your app is in the system.

 

[extreme001]

As said above, forget about "AR", it means nothing.

You may or may not get AOR. Some people hear nothing until sponsor approval.

You may or may not be able to log in to ECAS if you get AOR.

Once you are able to log in to ECAS (which is usually a week or so after SA), you will see "Application Recieved", which really means nothing besides the fact that your app is in the system.

so I will be notified by every single update, like AR or AoR (if I can get them...) and the more importantly, the SA, by email and/or paper mail, right? or by email only? or by paper mail only?

 

[DanSlh]

so I will be notified by every single update, like AR or AoR (if I can get them...) and the more importantly, the SA, by email and/or paper mail, right? or by email only? or by paper mail only?

You will receive one or another.
Most likely by email if you stated one on your application.
As mentioned before, not everyone receive aor and go straight to SA.
No one can answer for sure

 

[extreme001]

You will receive one or another.
Most likely by email if you stated one on your application.
As mentioned before, not everyone receive aor and go straight to SA.
No one can answer for sure

Yes of course I put emails on sponsor and applicant forms, as well as our physical address in the US.

Thanks so much for your patience and time! It seems that I need to wait... until anyone of AR, AoR, or SA in the next one or two months...