Hey all, I applied in April of 2015 through the inland spousal application. Thought I'd share the story to compare timelines and such.
Application sent in on April 10, 2015
Application received by CIC on April 14, 2015
On June 16th 2016, my lawyer got an email from CIC requesting a valid passport.
Medical exam requested on July 8, 2016 via email, did it the week after, and on the "check the status" website has been showing as medical exam results received in mid August 2016 after clicking the status as "application received". Lawyer says it is unusual for it to request a medical without first stage approval, as the letter only says "the application has been processed to the stage where medical exam results are required." (Also find it strange as it doesn't say "application in process", only "application received")
Lawyer submitted response to the passport request on Aug 2, 2016.
On August 30th, 2016, my lawyer got an email from CIC Mississauga saying that my Sponsor is eligible and they are asking for Right to Permanent Residence Fee (which I paid the day after), but it doesn't say that our application is being transferred elsewhere or that I should apply for open work permit... etc. The "Check the status" website still says my application is "Application received".
Got an email from CIC Missisauga on Sep 13, 2016, passport requirement is exempt!
Here's a quick background of myself. I am a Taiwanese citizen who has been in Canada since 2003 when I started grade 11. I've been on student visas until 2011, then a post-graduate work permit until December of 2014. In September of 2014 was when I suddenly found out I was unable to renew my Taiwanese passport (expiring in Sep, 2014) since I haven't served in the Taiwanese military (conscription is mandatory), and they even confiscated the expiring passport. I had planned to submit my immigration through Canadian Experience class in October of 2014 (part-time BC Ambulance paramedic/full-time union filmmaker by trade), but without a valid passport, it was no longer an option. My partner (a Canadian citizen) and I had already gotten engaged at that point after being together for 2 years, we were married by January of 2015, and filed for inland spousal in April of 2015. I've included in my application the letter from Taiwan stating that because I have not served in the military, I cannot apply for a new Taiwanese passport. After the receiving the email from CIC requesting for a valid passport, I attempted to apply for a valid passport again and was refused as expected, and my lawyer submitted all related correspondence with the Taiwanese passport office in response, which he believes should satisfy waiving of the passport requirement. Other than that, I'm healthy, having committed no crimes, and hold a bunch of different licenses from various Canadian government branches to prove my identity.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the "Application Received" verses "In Process"? Is the timeline of my application relatively normal for the inland spousal application?
P.S. I have a friend who is of Chinese nationality and applied through Inland Spousal as well, and she received her final approval within the same week of first stage approval the end of 2015 to her utmost surprise.... I don't understand the methods and the process of CIC ...