INLAND APPLICATIONS 2014

[annakrystyna13]

I have a question for those who have done inland applications

A bit of background about us - I am Canadian and my wife is German. We met back in 2009 when we were both doing a MSc. degree in Europe. I came back to Canada in early 2011 and she came summer or 2011 to start a PhD in Calgary. I got a job in Edmonton and drove back and forth every weekend. I have since been transferred to Calgary at the end of 2013, and we have lived together since. We got married in October 2014 in Germany and we are now applying inland.

We have filled out the inland forms but have also looked at the outland forms. For the outland forms at the end of a couple of the forms it says to provide additional pages showing evidence of your relationship and that it is continuing (or something to that effect), but for the inland forms, it never says this. I read a lot in the forums about people providing 200 or 300 photos, story/account of their entire relationship in detail, bills, bank statements, plane tickets, etc. as evidence of relationship, but I am not sure if they are applying as outland or inland. It seems from the inland forms, it does not ask for such details (it does ask for some extra details such as bills and joint bank accounts if you are applying as common-law or conjugal).

From what we can tell, the only form that asks for any sort of detail about our relationship is the spouse/common-law questionnaire form. My wife filled in the spouse/common-law questionnaire form, and added on a separate sheet the details that they asked:

Explain the type of outings you go on - she wrote about a paragraph about how we go on dinner takes, hang out with friends, have dinner with friends, go hiking together and with friends, and take vacations together (usually back to Germany to visit her family during christmas). She then included about 2 photos per year of trips or hikes we went on together for a total of around 10 photos.

Dates of when I met my wife's close friends and family - this is just like 7 or 8 lines

Date of our wedding, how many people attended, who gave the ceremony - she answered these questions, and attached about 5 pictures from our wedding and reception.

Other than that, there isn't anywhere in any of the application forms or the checklist that asks for more proof about our relationship.

Is that pretty much all you guys are including for inland applications where you are married? Or did I miss a document/checklist item that says to provide more proof (like the 100-200 or so photos, detailed account of relationship, bills, family/friend testimonials, visa stamps, plane tickets, etc.)

thanks, and hope all of your applications are going smoothly!
Andrew

On one of the forms is says something like "on a separate sheet of paper provide any addition information that prove your relationship is genuine and continuing. So you are not required to send 100 photos, but it is in your best interest to convince the officer that your relationship is genuine and this is not marriage of convenience. Here are the things that I included with my application:
- letters from friends stating that they know both of us and prove that we are a true couple
- invitations we received for weddings, birthdays etc
- any mail that was addressed to us (to prove we actually live together)
- about 40-50 pictures (make sure there are other people in the pictures too)
- wedding cards
- bank statements showing joint account

Again, this is not required for inland, but the easier you make it for the officer to determine whether your relationship is genuine or not, the better your chances of your application being processed quickly and problem-free.

I also submitted copies of my new documents after I changed my last name.
Hope this helps

 

[ckash16]

Hey folks,
Completed medical and submitted requested documents after 1st stage approval end of May and haven't heard back from CIC yet. Officer LE specifically.
Anyone else around the same timeline hear back from CIC about a decision on their app/landing. CIC seems to have slowed down yet again.

 

[kma]

I got the landing appointment (17 August) from Montreal office by mail after 6 weeks of getting the DM.

 

[Ponga]

On one of the forms is says something like "on a separate sheet of paper provide any addition information that prove your relationship is genuine and continuing. So you are not required to send 100 photos, but it is in your best interest to convince the officer that your relationship is genuine and this is not marriage of convenience. Here are the things that I included with my application:
- letters from friends stating that they know both of us and prove that we are a true couple
- invitations we received for weddings, birthdays etc
- any mail that was addressed to us (to prove we actually live together)
- about 40-50 pictures (make sure there are other people in the pictures too)
- wedding cards
- bank statements showing joint account

Again, this is not required for inland, but the easier you make it for the officer to determine whether your relationship is genuine or not, the better your chances of your application being processed quickly and problem-free.

I also submitted copies of my new documents after I changed my last name.
Hope this helps

The requirements to include proof is the same for Inland applicants.

 

[inland2014]

So.. they updated processing time... 17 months + 10 months

 

[Maciej]

Hi Group!!!
Im 04.04.2014 applicant. Just came back from landing appointment in Vancouver, which was nice short and sweet!!!!!Hooray!
This great experience opened a little pandora's box , that caught me by suprise.
My work involves lots of travelling.
Knowing that I will have my residence approved today, and craving work after 16 months of being house pet, I vigourosly aligned whole bunch of contracts in Europe...... to my suprise this great success put me in bit of immigration limbo for another potentally 90days!!!
My work permit was void at the meeting ,I cant enter as a visitor cause I'm landed resident, but I dont have my resident card
Hmmm... so did anyone had experience with organising traveling documents while waiting for pr card, timelines, locations??
Probably easiest thing todo would be to wait it out, but as all of you probably understand real well, I just cant wait to go on with my life, so every day of setback feels like month!!!
Thanks.Appreciate sharing your experiences

 

[Ponga]

Hi Group!!!
Im 04.04.2014 applicant. Just came back from landing appointment in Vancouver, which was nice short and sweet!!!!!Hooray!
This great experience opened a little pandora's box , that caught me by suprise.
My work involves lots of travelling.
Knowing that I will have my residence approved today, and craving work after 16 months of being house pet, I vigourosly aligned whole bunch of contracts in Europe...... to my suprise this great success put me in bit of immigration limbo for another potentally 90days!!!
My work permit was void at the meeting ,I cant enter as a visitor cause I'm landed resident, but I dont have my resident card
Hmmm... so did anyone had experience with organising traveling documents while waiting for pr card, timelines, locations??
Probably easiest thing todo would be to wait it out, but as all of you probably understand real well, I just cant wait to go on with my life, so every day of setback feels like month!!!
Thanks.Appreciate sharing your experiences

Congratulations!

FWIW, your OWP wouldn't have guaranteed your re-entry into Canada anyway...but your CoPR does (if you also hold a passport from a visa exempt country and are traveling via a commercial carrier).

It's not CBSA that needs to see the PR Card, but the airline (or other commercial carrier) that needs it. If you are from a visa exempt country, you should be fine.

Good luck!

 

[Maciej]

Confussed now.
I'm from visa exempt country, but during interview I've been pointed to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

 

[annakrystyna13]

The requirements to include proof is the same for Inland applicants.

Sorry, what I meant to say is that it is not required if you are married versus common-law. In both cases you need proof, but it's much less if you are married. Obviously, it is always better to include as much as you can.

 

[Ponga]

Confussed now.
I'm from visa exempt country, but during interview I've been pointed to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

Hmmm...Either that's only for those that are NOT visa exempt, or...the rules have changed. I do see that the page was updated (or created) 18 Jun 2015.

I know that people in the past, that held passports from visa-exempt countries, didn't even tell the airline that they were a PR of Canada. They were traveling as a `visitor', so there was no need to produce a PR Card.

*shrug*

Hopefully, someone else will chime in and let us know what's really going on here. Lol!

 

[malaoxiao]

I got the landing appointment (17 August) from Montreal office by mail after 6 weeks of getting the DM.

Congrats! I am waiting Calgary office's landing email/mail. I got DM on July 21st. Hopefully I can hear something soon. I am a student and I need PR card to reduce my fee for university!!!

 

[GustavesF]

So.. they updated processing time... 17 months + 10 months

Par for the course. I hate CIC so much.

 

[kma]

Hello all,
I need your help regarding my situation.

I am not from a visa exempt country. I have a valid study permit and a valid visa till 2016. I am landing on 17th of this month at Montreal office. However, I need to attend a conference in Europe in next month. I will not get the PR card in this short time.

Will my current visa be valid after my landing? Thus, I can enter in Canada after my visit from Europe?

Thank you. I appreciate any suggestion and help.

 

[Ponga]

Hello all,
I need your help regarding my situation.

I am not from a visa exempt country. I have a valid study permit and a valid visa till 2016. I am landing on 17th of this month at Montreal office. However, I need to attend a conference in Europe in next month. I will not get the PR card in this short time.

Will my current visa be valid after my landing? Thus, I can enter in Canada after my visit from Europe?

Thank you. I appreciate any suggestion and help.

You will not be able to board a commercial flight without your PR Card. When you land as a PR of Canada, any existing permits (work or study) will be void from that point...because you'll be a PR and wouldn't need them anymore.

It's not that you need the card to enter Canada; you need the card to travel via a commercial carrier.

 

[ottawahd]

Congrats! I am waiting Calgary office's landing email/mail. I got DM on July 21st. Hopefully I can hear something soon. I am a student and I need PR card to reduce my fee for university!!!

Hi,

As mentioned earlier, depending on your province's rules you may not need your landing to pay domestic fee. In Ontario, married or common law partners of Canadian/PRs automatically pay domestic tuition fee (as we had).