IMM sent email requesting evidence of sponsor's return to establish in canada

[naphelge]

Hi gang,

It's been just about 8 months or so since I sponsored my Thai wife's visa application. I live in Thai atm with her and our two kids at her home in BKK. My sponsor application was initially approved by Mississauga when we sent in our application, confirmed via email along with a follow up confirmation from the Singapore office accepting responsibility for the applicant portion of the application. That all occurred within 4-5 weeks after sending our application to Mississauga instilling a good deal of confidence that things might well be smooth sailing from there as I was most worried about my status temporarily living abroad, sponsoring my wife's application.

So I am a little caught off guard now that the Singapore office sent my wife, copying myself, an email requesting:

The following additional supporting documentations are required from your sponsor in 30 days:-

þ evidence of his return to Canada

þ evidence of his establishment there like job offer, employment letter, etc

Included with my sponsor application was a 2 page detailed letter explaining my situation and intentions. Other than that, and a letter from my mother inviting us to live with her at her house for as long as it takes for us to get our bearings, I have nothing more I can provide to satisfy the reqyest quoted above.

The questions I am specifically wondering answers about include:

1) Why is Singapore concerning themselves with the sponsor, 8 months after the Mississauga approved the sponsor application? I am under the impression the sponsor's ability to adequately sponsor is dealt with immediately to better determine, both for the applicant-sponsor as well as IMM-CA, whether or not the applicant's more complex application need be forwarded to the appropriate office for what is the more time consuming process. Although I would not have met sponsor rejection by Mississauga with a smile 8 months ago, at least we would have made our decision for me to return at that point to Canada, as my wife and I had already discussed contingency plans in somewhat lengthy detail, rather than make what is sure to be a lengthy process even longer.

2) So I basically read the above request as: provide the requested support in 30 days or less or risk application rejection. If rejected based on the sponsor is the applicant's (lion's share) portion of the application fee refunded? I would sure hope so.

3) If I cannot satisfy the request quoted above and do not foresee realistically being able to do so, which was all explained and acknowledged in my 2 page declaration to begin with, so there should be no surprises here, except me wondering why this is being requested now, could a declaration on my part within 30 days to return to Canada to begin re-establishing myself keep the application in play, or do you think it will be rejected anyway?

4) If the application is rejected on sponsor details that I was under the impression were already acceptable to IMM-CA, otherwise why send confirmation approving sponsorship, is there any recourse that might be worth considering. Although I am inclined to think not, it couldn't hurt to throw it out there just in case.

5) Can we (my wife and I) respond via email with questions for further clarification, or does this sort of response need to be done via snail mail, or is there some other avenue. And should my wife respond for both of us since it is to her the email was addressed as I was only cc'd? I would certainly like to inquire, with a great deal of diplomatic restraint, as to why the sponsor portion of the application is being re-reviewed for reasons expressed above. I feel IMM-CA should be able to tell explain the basis for their concern regarding my sponsorship when Mississauga has already approved my sponsor application, hopefully without stepping on any toes or making matters worse.

Any advice or related, similar experience would be welcome reading before I respond to IMM-CA, especially if it could somehow help to allay my disappointed reaction.

 

[scylla]

Based on other posts to this forum, the timing of this request is expected / in alignment with the experiences of others. Mississauga does perform a check of the sponsor to ensure that they meet the basic criteria to be a sponsor. However the intent to return to Canada bit usually doesn't come up until the file is with the local visa office (this is examined as part of the review of the relationship). Also, just because the Mississauga portion was approved doesn't mean the sponsor is 100% approved. CIC can re-visit the sponsor at any time during the process. So unfortunately I don't think you have any realistic basis to question the timing of this request.

I would forget about emailing the visa office to request more clarity (I don't see what this will accomplish - it's a lost cause and you'll just be wasting time) and focus on gathering and sending additional evidence. Did you include a letter from your mother in your original application stating she's giving you a place to live? If not, this is definitely something you should do. Have you been in touch with any potential employers in Canada and can you provide email evidence? Do you have any emails sent to friends / family that talk about your plans to move to Canada once PR is approved? Do you have any existing bank accounts in Canada for which you can provide statements?

 

[tink23]

Above what Scylla recommended, you can maybe show evidence of you looking into the schools your wife's children will be attending. If they are indeed coming, perhaps you can show proof of an email you have sent to the school(s) inquiring about the schools and how they would help the kids to feel comfortable in a new country with a different culture.

 

[naphelge]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies so far.

I would forget about emailing the visa office to request more clarity (I don't see what this will accomplish - it's a lost cause and you'll just be wasting time) and focus on gathering and sending additional evidence.

Well as part of my sponsor application I included, as I think I mentioned in my OP, a detailed summary of my situation that stated my intention to remain with my family, continuing to look after our children as have been doing for the past couple of years. I did include a letter from my mother in which she expressed her invitation to have us stay with her at her home for as a long as we need to establish ourselves.

As for possible letters of intent from possible employers, this as far as I can tell are an unrealistic request, since I can not imagine any employer offering me employment, first, without my ability to interview, and perhaps more obviously, second, because I cannot provide any sense of an accurate time frame for when I can expect to return to Canada, ready to work except, other than it might hopefully be within the (average) 24 month period following the date our visa application was acknowledged after being submitted (Singapore average processing time, just to be clear). I did make this point in my letter included with my sponsor application in addition to the fact I am fortunate enough to have enough savings/investments to live off of comfortably for several years yet, but not so fortunate that remaining away from Canada indefinitely without working is a virtual impossible risk that need not be felt.

I did include some email correspondences between myself and my financial investor that outlined the basis of my investment portfolio to support my claim, but perhaps a more formal letter might be in order? Also, I did include Canadian bank statement as part of my proof for having the ability to support myself for the past few years abroad, showing money transfer amounts to my wife's Thai bank account. Finally I explained that although leaving her family behind to move to Canada has been a tough decision for my wife the same is not true whatsoever for myself as Thailand is no great place to raise kids for multiple reasons I touched upon in my letter, at least when compared with Canada. For me, staying in Thai, raising our kids thus far has been a stressful experience from which I can hardly wait to unburden myself. Could re-emphasizing this fact help do you think, as I was somewhat sensitive in my original description about my overwhelming desire to return to Canada to raise our kids, with my desire to remain with my wife and kids until my wife gets her visa (kids already have their Canadian certificates of birth) slightly greater.

Anyway, am I likely correct assuming the Singapore office should have all the original documentation I sent in with my sponsor application (letter of intent, bank statements, support of investment portfolio, and letter from my mother inviting us to live with her upon our arrival in Canada). That is, I imagine there is little chance any of the documentation I originally provided might have been left behind in the Mississauga office, thus motivating the Singapore office's request, and so sending copies of the same in response to their recent request for further details on my, the sponsor's part, would not likely do much good, except I could add a few minor details, including my willingness to return to Canada right away if they are still not convinced with my intention to return to Canada, especially if it will prevent the application process from being rejected.

Now if what I have already provided and what precious little else I may be able to provide in addition is indeed not enough, which appears to be quite possibly the case, does that mean within 30 days the application will be formally rejected? If so, do you think my expressing an intent me to move back to Canada pronto, ASAP, first on my own, or perhaps with our oldest child, who will be 3 in January, in order to help ease my wife's burden since she still works and it has been me who has stayed at home with the kids, to begin re-establishing myself by starting to look for work while taking my mother up on her offer to stay with her, would be enough to keep the application in play?

Thanks in advance for any further advice and opinion.

 

[Kayaker]

Proving the Canadian sponsor's intent to return to Canada seems to be as tough as proving the relationship, apparently. I've seen several couples of this forum who otherwise have nothing wrong with their application (no doubt about the relationship, no criminality or medical issues) who are waiting far longer than other couples where the sponsor is in Canada. It's unfortunate.

I think you can assume that Singapore has the things you already sent. However, if you want to be triply sure, you can send them all again. Or, at least a list of the documents you have already sent, saying that if they cannot find them, you can send them again.

But I do think it's safe to assume that they do want More proof that you are planning to move back to Canada.

What other people on this forum have done is email potential employers asking about jobs and contact a real estate agent in the place where the family or couple plans to live and discuss renting/buying a home. Your discussion with the real estate agent should probably contain some concrete facts, such as are you renting or buying, what your budget is, what amenities you are looking for close by (such as schools for you kids, etc.) what you are looking for in a home (criteria such as size, number of rooms etc.). I think the more concrete the better. Perhaps you could also contact a bank or mortgage broker about a mortgage, if that applies to you. Anything to show that you are already actively trying to pave the way for your return to Canada. As for timeframes for the house/mortgage/job, I guess you can write that it may be as soon as your wife gets PR, possibly in x months. (Doesn't really matter if it's accurate or not. As long as it is sooner rather than later.) Perhaps you can also ask your mother to write a more detailed letter outlining how she plans to accommodate you and your family when they arrive in Canada.

I have it on good authority that if you send something or communicate with your VO well within your deadline, they will waive the deadline. If you Don't communicate to them the reason for the delay, they will close your case on the deadline. (I was also told that they may still reject the case if you don't say anything for 29 days then suddenly on the date of the deadline you come out and say "i don't know what to do, please wait a bit more.") Essentially, they want to see that you're working on it. You could send them whatever proofs you can gather now, and add a letter emphasizing that if required by CIC, you are willing and able to go back to Canada by yourself (or with one of your kids), or provide any other proof they wish to see.

 

[naphelge]

Fantastically helpful reply Kayaker thanks for that. Just the kind of positively helpful response I hoping might get posted.

What other people on this forum have done is email potential employers asking about jobs

I have not done any of this kind of legwork yet, not thinking it was pertinent to do so, but if I go ahead now and do so, sending out resumes and follow up letters in the next week or two, will such support not appear somewhat contrived to the VO that I only got busy on these details this after they requested them?

We have every intention of staying with my mother to begin with until we get our bearings, based pretty much on where my wife might best find suitable work in her field. The letter my mother originally wrote expressed a genuine invitation to us for as long as we need, so what else might we include in a follow-up letter to more clearly convey our intention to establish ourselves from that location when we arrive in Canada? It's kind of win-win, with my mother getting to spend long-overdue time with her grandkids and we benefit from live in babysitter freeing us up to do what I am sure will be a lot of running around. Actually, maybe something along these lines, about the added benefits of why "staying with mom" will prove most beneficial for aiding the establishment of our new life in Canada, might help provide the kind of support being requested.

So here's what I am sure is a n00ber question: the correspondence from the VO (visa officer I assume?) did not say how to respond, whether an email reply with attachments would be acceptable or perhaps snail mail is more preferable? Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

 

[Kayaker]

I agree with you that producing these additional proofs only after they requested it may look contrived. But bureaucracy is so often a ticking the boxes thing. They probably want to see certain things, or a certain number of things, to tick the box and approve you. I think, they also want to see you making the effort to comply. Case in point - they requested a second Russian Police Certificate from us, because they were not satisfied with the first one I sent, which was valid. They claimed they didn't like it because it didn't have a letterhead. Anyway they told us to go get another one. We pointed out to them that the Russian government has a right to issue documents according to their own rules, and CIC or I can't tell them what kind of fancy schmancy letterhead they should use. Anyway we got another one. No letterhead, of course. (I did ask the Russian consulate for a letterhead. They told me they'll do what they want and I can take it or leave it.) Essentially, the second PC I got was, in essence, almost identical to the first one I sent them. But I sent it to Manila and after that they approved my case. So I think a part of this PR procedure is about playing along with their game (rules and demands), so to speak.

Maybe your mother could write another letter basically saying what you said about her looking forward to spending time with the grandkids, and that she's willing to babysit while you two look for jobs, etc. She could mention anything else related to that - details would probably help.

Did they provide an address to send it to?

I don't have the answer, I don't know what's best, but if I were in your shoes, (because I like to cover my bases) I would send it all by snail mail (because I assume you'll have a lot of printed emails, letters, whatnot, probably too many to attach to an email) and send them an email (respond to their email) saying what you sent, and when you sent it, and a tracking number if you have one.

I ordered my GCMS notes at the end of our procedure, and saw that even when they did not respond to my emails, my message did make it into the system and they entered comments such as "applicants says sent police certificate dd/mm/yyyy and will arrive in a week" or something like that.

The frustrating thing about this whole thing is, it's mostly a one way conversation. So I think we were a little excessive, but you do want to cover your bases and send as much proof as you can scrape together. (Since the second PC took 2 months to obtain and they only gave us 45 days to send it, I even sent them proof of applying for that PC - copies of all the application forms for the PC, copy of payment for the PC, even the envelope I sent it to the Russian Consulate in... yes, we were very paranoid by that point!)

So anyway... I know it's mildly irritating and all, but scrape together all the evidence you can, fire off resumes to potential employers, contact a real estate agent (I think that's an important part, or so I've heard on this forum) and print out those emails! Good luck You're closer to the finish line!

 

[rhcohen2014]

So here's what I am sure is a n00ber question: the correspondence from the VO (visa officer I assume?) did not say how to respond, whether an email reply with attachments would be acceptable or perhaps snail mail is more preferable? Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

if the visa office sent the request by email and they are not requiring original copies of documents, it's generally better to send the request by directly responding to the email sent. it's far easier and faster. plus, there's a bigger chance of something getting "lost" through regular mail. another option is to send it by both email and regular mail - that way you cover all your bases.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Do you have siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends? Get them all to write letters confirming your intent to return.

Have you not communicated with any family or friends about your return on Facebook, in emails, Skype chat, texts etc.? You've not messaged anyone in Canada about your return?

How about any letters from her family?

Are you working in Thailand and can get a letter from your employer confirming you are leaving?