immigration office requested for processing this application?

[bankerguy]

Hi guys,

My Common-law partner is from Japan. She has been living with me in Canada for 6 years. We are going to be applying for common-law so that she can have PR.

On the Generic Application form for Canada - question 4 asks us which Immigration office we want it processed at.

I went on to the canada offices website and it said this:

Family Class Applications

Using the map below, find your country of nationality or country/territory where you have been legally admitted for one year.
Select the information bubble for your country/territory to find out which visa office is responsible for processing your application.
Indicate this visa office in your application.
Mail your application to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.


I looked at the map to see which is the right office for us... .. but the only two offices i can see on the map (in Canada) is for paris, new york etc.?

what am i missing here guys?

Thanks,

 

[frege]

Hi guys,

My Common-law partner is from Japan. She has been living with me in Canada for 6 years. We are going to be applying for common-law so that she can have PR.

On the Generic Application form for Canada - question 4 asks us which Immigration office we want it processed at.

I went on to the canada offices website and it said this:

Family Class Applications

Using the map below, find your country of nationality or country/territory where you have been legally admitted for one year.
Select the information bubble for your country/territory to find out which visa office is responsible for processing your application.
Indicate this visa office in your application.
Mail your application to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.


I looked at the map to see which is the right office for us... .. but the only two offices i can see on the map (in Canada) is for paris, new york etc.?

what am i missing here guys?

Thanks,

Hi Bankerguy,

There are two different kinds of applications you can submit. One is called inland and the other "outland" (even if it's not a word). Since you live together in Canada, you have a choice between the two.

As she's a Japanese citizen, you would apply outland through the Manila office (even though you mail the application to Mississauga). But you would mail an inland application to Vegreville, Alberta.

Applications through Manila are taking about 7 to 14 months. Inland applications are taking about 10 months for Stage 1 (AIP, approval in principle), and another 8 months for Stage 2.

AIP gives you many of the same rights as a full PR (an open work permit, health care, etc.) With an outland application you have to wait for full PR for some of these things, depending on your province.

You can read more about the differences between inland and outland applications here:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html (read the first post).

 

[Rob_TO]

what am i missing here guys?

Basically,

Option 1 - apply inland. The package is here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp
Inland apps are processed in Vegreville, Alberta.
This is probably NOT recommended to you, since it usually takes longer than outland, and she would be advised not to leave Canada for the entire processing time.

Option 2 - apply outland. Package is here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp
And list of visa offices is here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp
Don't use the map feature, just look up Japan in the chart and you'll see Manila is the processing office. So this is the office you would choose.
However assuming she's been admitted to Canada for at least another full year, I believe you could also choose to apply outland through the Ottawa (CPP-O) office (but not certain). I'm not sure which office is quicker.

Outland is probably the preferred choice for you, since it's usually quicker, she can stay in Canada during the process with any tourist/work/study permits she may have, and you are allowed to leave/re-enter Canada anytime during processing.

 

[bankerguy]

Hi

I had no idea,

Me and my Girlfriend have been following the link you sent out for INLAND....the checklist on there etc.
It is the application for PR within Canada... i thought we HAD to do this since she is currently IN canada.

I looked at the checklist and all the documents that we have to complete. I noticed that SOME of the documents are the same ..but there are some differences as well - such as the spouce/common-law questionaire.

Since we have been following the inalnd application..i'm curious ..how long IS the wait?
Does it make a big difference if we do inalnd? would it be a mistake?

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi

I had no idea,

Me and my Girlfriend have been following the link you sent out for INLAND....the checklist on there etc.
It is the application for PR within Canada... i thought we HAD to do this since she is currently IN canada.

I looked at the checklist and all the documents that we have to complete. I noticed that SOME of the documents are the same ..but there are some differences as well - such as the spouce/common-law questionaire.

Since we have been following the inalnd application..i'm curious ..how long IS the wait?
Does it make a big difference if we do inalnd? would it be a mistake?

If you read the inland instruction guide, it actually encourages you to apply outland if you are able to.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5289ETOC.asp

Before you fill out the forms, read the following important information:

- The family class is aimed at faster processing of spouse or common‑law partner applications from applicants outside Canada.

Processing times for spouses or common‑law partners in Canada are generally longer.

The person being sponsored can apply to a visa office outside Canada to take advantage of the family class processing standard. Processing times for applications processed in Canada are posted on our Web site.

In general, the inland process is designed for those who want implied status in Canada in order to live together with their spouse here during the application time. For people that require special applications for visitor TRVs to come to Canada, this is a preferred method. For those that are visa-exempt to Canada, having implied status is not as important since they can generally come/go as they please, so outland is preferred even though there is no implied status with outland.

As frege mentioned above, for inland you are looking at around 18 months for full PR, and outland through Manila it's 7-14 months. It's best to check in the threads dedicated to Manila processing, to see what current people's experiences with processing times are.

In your case with your spouse being visa-exempt, and with a valid work or study permit already here...I would recommend outland. But this is really up to you.

 

[bankerguy]

Hmm i see what you mean.

One more thing,
what if we apply outland and there is a required interview.

My girlfriend would have to fly from Canada to Manilla, to do an interview for Canadian immigration!? that doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

 

[MilesAway]

Unfortunately, yes. For an outland application, the applicant would indeed have to go to the VO for an interview if one is requested.

Interviews are not usually required for people from visa-exempt countries, and those with a high standard of living (Japan is one of those). As well, you mentioned that she's been in Canada for 6 years. Have you been together for those 6 years? Do you have any proof to support that? If so, then the odds of her being asked to attend an interview are quite slim.

Edit: as long as they're aren't any "red flags" (quick relationship, huge age difference, other big differences such as language or education), she is unlikely to need an interview.

 

[bankerguy]

GREAT INFO.

THANK YOU!

she has been with me almost 3 years, living together for 2 years, we have tons of pictures of us together that we're submitting. Trips to Seattle, Las vegas etc. Joint bank accounts. We both have really good jobs. I work in finance and she's a teacher for special education (still wont qualify her as a skilled worker though!! lol crazy). We will submit close to 80 pictures and testimonials, apartment lease co-signed application etc.

So yes, i dont think we'll set off any reg flags.... so i do agree that the chance that we would have to have an interview is very slim.


BUT..i just learned (literally 10 minutes ago) that apparently, applying through the Manilla office (you apply through here if the applicant is from japan) is getting very difficult because there is a strike or something like that. she still has a year left on her post grad work visa, we will apply to extend it...and she's already in Canada, so waiting potentially 6 months longer by applying WITHIN canada as opposed to outside of Canada doesn't matter so much

 

[Rob_TO]

One more thing,
what if we apply outland and there is a required interview.

My girlfriend would have to fly from Canada to Manilla, to do an interview for Canadian immigration!? that doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

The interview (if needed, it probably wouldn't be for a long relationship) would be in Japan.

so waiting potentially 6 months longer by applying WITHIN canada as opposed to outside of Canada doesn't matter so much

The biggest drawback to applying Inland, is that the applicant is advised not to leave Canada at all during the entire processing time... be it for work, school, vacations, visiting back home etc etc. There is the risk that is the applicant is denied for any reason back to Canada or is out of the country too long, they risk having their entire application terminated and being forced to start from scratch again.

 

[frege]

As frege mentioned above, for inland you are looking at around 18 months for full PR, and outland through Manila it's 7-14 months. It's best to check in the threads dedicated to Manila processing, to see what current people's experiences with processing times are.

I'd say the appropriate comparison is not full PR after 18 months, but AIP at 10 months (which used to be 6 months, and could change in either direction). That's because having AIP is almost as good as having PR.

 

[bankerguy]

I"m sorry

AIP is approval in place correct?

and how is that as good as having full PR?

 

[MilesAway]

Approval in Principle.

I believe it's because when you apply Inland, AIP is when you would receive the open work permit (if you applied for one) and it's also when you can qualify for health care. So you have all the perks of being a PR, without actually being a PR. All you need to do at that point is wait for the landing formalities.

 

[bankerguy]

Approval in Principle.

I believe it's because when you apply Inland, AIP is when you would receive the open work permit (if you applied for one) and it's also when you can qualify for health care. So you have all the perks of being a PR, without actually being a PR. All you need to do at that point is wait for the landing formalities.

Ahh i understand..thats great. Thank you

 

[Rob_TO]

I'd say the appropriate comparison is not full PR after 18 months, but AIP at 10 months (which used to be 6 months, and could change in either direction). That's because having AIP is almost as good as having PR.

Yes. But of course the biggest drawback is that the applicant should still continue to stay in Canada and not leave during inland process, until the final stage is completed. For this reason alone many will choose outland.

Plus for many outland offices people can get full PR in around the same time it takes for just stage 1 inland (though this may have changed recently due to strike).

 

[frege]

Yes. But of course the biggest drawback is that the applicant should still continue to stay in Canada and not leave during inland process, until the final stage is completed. For this reason alone many will choose outland.

Plus for many outland offices people can get full PR in around the same time it takes for just stage 1 inland (though this may have changed recently due to strike).

The manuals say that people with AIP should generally be allowed to re-enter Canada if there are no problems with their PR application. Once you get AIP, the risk of being denied entry is supposed to be low. The danger is that if you are denied entry and not let back in quickly, then you lose your application, because the requirement to live with your spouse in Canada until PR is granted can't be met if you can't even get into the country. In that situation, you'd have to re-apply outland.

"Implied status" is another thing you get only when you apply inland - even if your work permit expires, you can automatically keep working under the same conditions until a decision is made on your PR (provided you submitted an OWP application with the PR application). There are some exceptions to this, it seems, so you'd have to check whether this is applicable to a postgrad work permit. If so, she'd be able to continue to work in Canada until a decision was made on the PR.