I join the queue of lengthy applications...

[mikeathome]

Hi fellows,
I felt sharing our info will contribute to your database.

Background:
We are German citizen. I came here with the company exchange program in 2007 following an expat assignment in the US. I am working 20+ years for the company now and took a local Canadian contract when we relocated here. I applied with my son for Canadian citizenship (see below timeline). My wife didn't apply, since Germany is among the countries where you need a special permission to retain citizenship while obtaining an add'l. I got the permission, my wife didn't. She can apply when we are Canadians. Strange burocrazy in Germany as well. In the meantime my permission expired, so, in case I cannot renew it, well, I will abandon my application for Canadian citizenship. I don't agree that I have to loose my 'born-into-citizenship' to take on the citizenship of the country I choose to live the rest of my live (my personal opinion though).
I guess our local office is Kingston, ON, since we live in Belleville.


Citizenship Application Information
Receipt Number: R0xxxxxxxx

Work Permit:	- Jun 02, 2007 - Jan 07, 2009 (ext. Jul 21, 2008 - Jun 02, 2010)
Lengthy FSW PR application...
Landed:	- Feb 07, 2009
Application sent:	- May 24, 2011
Acknowledge Letter:	- May 30, 2011 (1w)
Processing started:	- Jan 24, 2012 (8m)
Today:	- Dec 12, 2012 (10.5m) - Processing... (whatever that means, they said background check has been completed
Test Date:	- someday in the future
Oath Date:	- when you don't expect it

All the best for your applications!

mike

 

[Leon]

In the meantime my permission expired, so, in case I cannot renew it, well, I will abandon my application for Canadian citizenship. I don't agree that I have to loose my 'born-into-citizenship' to take on the citizenship of the country I choose to live the rest of my live (my personal opinion though).

I suppose if they accepted your reasons to keep your German citizenship when you applied for permission, they should accept them again and renew it. In your situation, I can understand why you wouldn't want to lose your home country citizenship. Things can change. Your parents or your wife's parents will get old and at some point you may decide you want to spend their last years with them in Germany or when you yourself get old, you may decide you want to go back. If you had lost your citizenship, it would be very hard for you to do that. You can live in Canada pretty much forever with just a PR too. The only problem is if you have a problem with the law, if it is bad, you could lose your PR and be deported, even if you have been a PR for 40 or 50 yrs.

 

[mikeathome]

Yeah, absolutely, it's just a pain in the a... to renew it and who would guaranty that the process of PR renewal won't change in the future; require you e.g. to be a proud taxpayer to maintain it...

Germany is voting next year, so, there's opportunity for surprises as well.

Right now I am a good taxpayer in Canada and hardly receive anything in return but that's not different in most countries so nothing to complain about, really. One thing what bothers me though, is the slightly increasing feeling I get: That you, as a skilled person, are not welcome. Maybe just a feeling, anyway it hurts...

mike

 

[Leon]

As a skilled person, you are welcome if you have the right skills. The old skilled worker program basically allowed anybody to immigrate as long as they had enough points, regardless of what they did for a job and if there was any need for people in those positions in Canada. Recipe for disaster in my opinion. That is why they changed it to take the needs of the job market into account, to limit the allowed occupations and otherwise ask prospective immigrants to show they have a job offer before they process them.

Germany has no direct way of getting PR as far as I know. If a Canadian wants to go to Germany, he better have the right skills. Otherwise, he can't get a work permit.

 

[Msafiri]

Mike hang in there the journey will be over...you've been in the process to be Canadian de-facto since 2007.

How long is the Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (permission from the German authorities) valid for when issued and how long is the process to get it?

 

[mikeathome]

(...)
How long is the Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (permission from the German authorities) valid for when issued and how long is the process to get it?

The Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (what a word is valid for 2 years. You need to be in possession of a valid one prior to obtaining an add'l citizenship. To be safe prior to the oath date. If you don't hold a valid one, you automatically loose German citizenship. If you don't tell and it'll be discovered -which in our computerized world is just a matter of time- your passport will be collected the next time you enter the EU.
In the past it took about 90 days to get one. With the new government -Christian Democratic / Liberal- they have become very reluctant in giving them out. You need to show very strong ties into both countries. That's why my wife didn't got one. I was sent by the company she's just accompanying me. My son is dependent, so he qualifies. The good thing, since they are so reluctant, they have less todo. Just decline 80% of the applications and the rest get done in 4 weeks (actual status). Also they contact you when your permission is close to expire and you didn't send the proof of new citizenship in the meantime. If nothing has changed on your status, usually there's no issue extending. Believe it or not, the service in Germany is great. You pay for the application -less than in Canada- and you receive a good service.

So, why don't I stay over there, well, I love my job. Since I came over here I created 50+ more jobs for Canadians through my project work. Right now we are employing another 50+. Our plant is one of the fastes growing in the whole company. I work with colleagues from 10 nationalities -some of them share my experience with immigrations. I absolutely love hunting and I like to live in a safe environment. 40km close to Lake Ontario with snowmobile trails all the way to the artic circle...

I hate sending piles of paper, and just another 20 photos around the world...

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

mike

P.S.
Germany does not claim to be an immigration country that's why there's no way to get PR w/o arranged employment or marriage. Right now they are looking big time for people who are qualified in caregiving for the elderly. Be warned though, it can be a 'cold' country, people are much friendlier over here, at least above the skin.

 

[mikeathome]

I thought I put an update here in case somebody from good old Germany is interested. I got a 'Verlängerung der Beibehaltungsgenehmigung' free of charge for another two years. I hope nobody from CIC reads this here and delays our application another two years . The document will be mailed to me through courier, so overall cost $26. Good news, good service in Germany!
In the meantime my wife completed her language test with excellence, GJ! We decided to put her application for citizenship in. Getting the 'Beibehaltungsgenehmigung' for her will be years faster. Remember Germany handles these permission on an individual basis, strong cases required. Since she's only accompanying me while I was send by the company, she does not qualify in the first place. Once we, my son and me, are Canadians, she qualifies. Bureaucracy all over the place everywhere...

Meanwhile I have 21 month application time w/o even a test date. I guess Kingston, ON office lacks a citizenship judge since a colleague of mine goes through the same timeline. Unless something improves I still have the feeling that we are NOT welcome, sorry...

Mike

 

[mikeathome]

Update:
Citizenship Application Information
Receipt Number: R0xxxxxxxx

Work Permit:	- Jun 02, 2007 - Jan 07, 2009 (ext. Jul 21, 2008 - Jun 02, 2010)
Lengthy FSW PR application...
Landed:	- Feb 07, 2009
Application sent:	- May 26, 2011
Acknowledge Letter:	- May 30, 2011 (<1w)
Processing started:	- Jan 24, 2012 (8m)
Test Date (Ottawa):	- Mar 1, 2013 (~13m)
Oath Date:	- ...

All the best for your applications!

mike

 

[cocosyr]

Update:
Citizenship Application Information
Receipt Number: R0xxxxxxxx

Work Permit:	- Jun 02, 2007 - Jan 07, 2009 (ext. Jul 21, 2008 - Jun 02, 2010)
Lengthy FSW PR application...
Landed:	- Feb 07, 2009
Application sent:	- May 26, 2011
Acknowledge Letter:	- May 30, 2011 (<1w)
Processing started:	- Jan 24, 2012 (8m)
Test Date (Ottawa):	- Mar 1, 2013 (~13m)
Oath Date:	- ...

All the best for your applications!

mike

Do you have any idea why it took 13 mo to get a test date after CIC started processing your file?

 

[Canadian2007]

he should be feeling lucky that he didnt get RQ. I am sure if he was from another part of the world he would'be subject to RQ.. to the

 

[mikeathome]

Do you have any idea why it took 13 mo to get a test date after CIC started processing your file?

Yes, I know. Because the government did reduce the budget of CIC and there is no office between Toronto east towards Ottawa. There was an office in Kingston before (this used to be our CIC office). Kingston is closed, so we were all moved to Ottawa. There are a bunch of people (some of them are my colleagues) who all have their test and oath ceremony now 230km away in Ottawa. People from China and South America among them. So, your comment, Canadian2007 is, with all due respect, BS.

To Canadian2007:
We, my family and me, live in Canada since 2007. We live here, we work here, we pay tax here, we have our property here. Same for half a dozen of my colleagues, they are from all over the world. None of them, not a single, received a RQ, yet. Some of us traveling heavy, to US, Far East, Europe and most of us applied with exactly 1095 days in. Actually it was a 'race' for us to be first . None of us cheated!
I am not responsible for CIC scrutiny. There have been a lot people abusing the system and there still a lot doing it right now. Somebody implied I hate the PCP, not true either. Actually for me there's no alternative. But that's my personal decision. And when you live in a democracy than you are able to influence in which direction a society is moving. A few people in this forum still need to learn this. At least that's what I 'smell' when I read a few comments. I am glad that they are not in power and represent a minority. I can understand all the frustration, I am going through it myself from time to time, but lets not forget how far we have made it. We have the privilege to live here for the well being of our children, no discrimination, no racism, freedom to express your opinion freedom of religion, you name it.

Don't you ever think that you be able to find one single country in the world where everything is perfect! When you know one, why aren't you there...

Mike