Intent of returning to Canada (sponsor)

[Avadava]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has any insight on this matter. My husband is a Canadian citizen by birth. He has also German citizenship passed onto him by his father. In the year 2008, he came to Germany for work purposes (he had previously attended university here from 2000-2004). That makes him a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada at the moment.
We filed our application a month ago and he has been approved as a sponsor. We didn't have much proof showing his intent of returning to Canada. We got a letter from his mom, stating that she is aware of his intention to resume residency in Canada and she will provide housing and financial support for us, until we can establish ourselves. My husband also included a 2 page letter, explaining our plans for employment when we arrive in Canada and explaining why he doesn't have a job offer there yet. (it's because we don't know at this point when my visa will be ready and we wish to be together in Germany for the whole duration of the process.)

I don't know if this will help, but here is some more info: we've been married since June, 2009 and we don't have any children. We've known each other since 1999, but started dating in April 2008 and we've been living together since Feb. 2009.

My question is: If he was already approved as a sponsor (in the document it states that he has "met all the requirements for eligibility as a sponsor), does that mean they are satisfied with the explanations he provided concerning his intent of resuming residency in Canada? Is there a possibility that this will be further scrutinized by the VO?

 

[scylla]

Hopefully they are satisfied - but you won't know until you are approved for PR. We certainly have seen a few cases here where the VO has raised concerns about the "relocating to Canada" bit well after the sponsor approval step. Long story short - the VO could still ask for more proof. But again, hopefully you're good.

 

[Avadava]

Thanks for your reply. I also have read in other threads that the VO requested more proof about "relocating to Canada", that is why I am still concerned. What throws me off a bit, is the IMM1344 form, where under the "Sponsor Eligibility Assessment" section, question 4 states:

Do you reside in Canada and in no other country?, with the note above: If you answer NO to any question from 1 to 4, you are not eligible to be a sponsor. You should not submit your application.
In our case, the answer was "no".
Also, it goes on to say: "If you answered "no", but are a Canadan citizen living exclusively outside Canada, you may still be eligible to sponsor."

So in the end, only Canadian citizens can sponsor while living outside Canada, but of course, because of the word "may", it means they have to meet certain requirements, which I believe to be the ability to show proof of their intention of resuming residency.

This form (IMM1344) gets processed in the first stage in Missisauga, from my understanding. So if they were not satisfied with his answers, would they still approve him to be a sponsor?

I know there is nothing I can do, but worry. In any case, if someone in our situation was successful, I would greatly appreciate some insight.

 

[SenoritaBella]

CPC Missisauga focuses on whether the Canadian sponsor is eligible. They could make recommendations but the overseas visa officer makes the final call. So they could still ask for more proof as deemed necessary. I suggest you try to relax and wait.

 

[mr.peace]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has any insight on this matter. My husband is a Canadian citizen by birth. He has also German citizenship passed onto him by his father. In the year 2008, he came to Germany for work purposes (he had previously attended university here from 2000-2004). That makes him a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada at the moment.
We filed our application a month ago and he has been approved as a sponsor. We didn't have much proof showing his intent of returning to Canada. We got a letter from his mom, stating that she is aware of his intention to resume residency in Canada and she will provide housing and financial support for us, until we can establish ourselves. My husband also included a 2 page letter, explaining our plans for employment when we arrive in Canada and explaining why he doesn't have a job offer there yet. (it's because we don't know at this point when my visa will be ready and we wish to be together in Germany for the whole duration of the process.)

I don't know if this will help, but here is some more info: we've been married since June, 2009 and we don't have any children. We've known each other since 1999, but started dating in April 2008 and we've been living together since Feb. 2009.

My question is: If he was already approved as a sponsor (in the document it states that he has "met all the requirements for eligibility as a sponsor), does that mean they are satisfied with the explanations he provided concerning his intent of resuming residency in Canada? Is there a possibility that this will be further scrutinized by the VO?

Visa Officers are unpredictable. My wife was approved as a sponsor and after around 6 months, the Visa Officer emailed me that he is not satisfied that my wife will return to Canada during or after my permanent resident status is approved. The VO then asked for additional documents to prove that my wife is really returning to Canada.

 

[Avadava]

Visa Officers are unpredictable. My wife was approved as a sponsor and after around 6 months, the Visa Officer emailed me that he is not satisfied that my wife will return to Canada during or after my permanent resident status is approved. The VO then asked for additional documents to prove that my wife is really returning to Canada.

May I ask which additional proof you guys submitted after receiving that email?

 

[wowsers]

Dear Avadava, You worry too much. You appear to have an excellent case. Things can go wrong but you can I am sure tackle them if they go wrong. What has happened once or twice to members of the forum is that VOs get mixed up or have got overwhelmed with the backlog after their strike and either forget that the sponsor is a Canadian and so entitled to sponsor when not in Canada, or by mistake fill up a standard form of letter intended for sponsors who are themselves PRs and so have to be in Canada to sponsor, with the result that Canadian sponsors living outside Canada get panic-stricken and confused about what is required of them. So far as I recollect none of these unusual events has emanated from the Vienna office where I think your case is being processed. So far as I am aware these cases have all been successfully dealt with by writing to the VO to point out that the sponsor is a Canadian and entitled to sponsor when living outside Canada and sending whatever further documentation is requested to reinforce the evidence of an intention to return; at least no one facing such a problem in my time as a member of the forum has come back to say that the application has been rejected. In my own case (London VO) my sponsor has been living outside Canada, with two brief episodes of living in Canada, for over 50 years. The application said that she wanted to retire to live near the rest of her family but would only do so if and when I was granted pr status and could go with her. So far no problems at all. For the sake of peace of mind you have to assume that the VOs are reasonable people and properly weigh the evidence presented to them; otherwise you go crazy with worry!

 

[JRPW]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has any insight on this matter. My husband is a Canadian citizen by birth. He has also German citizenship passed onto him by his father. In the year 2008, he came to Germany for work purposes (he had previously attended university here from 2000-2004). That makes him a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada at the moment.
We filed our application a month ago and he has been approved as a sponsor. We didn't have much proof showing his intent of returning to Canada. We got a letter from his mom, stating that she is aware of his intention to resume residency in Canada and she will provide housing and financial support for us, until we can establish ourselves. My husband also included a 2 page letter, explaining our plans for employment when we arrive in Canada and explaining why he doesn't have a job offer there yet. (it's because we don't know at this point when my visa will be ready and we wish to be together in Germany for the whole duration of the process.)

I don't know if this will help, but here is some more info: we've been married since June, 2009 and we don't have any children. We've known each other since 1999, but started dating in April 2008 and we've been living together since Feb. 2009.

My question is: If he was already approved as a sponsor (in the document it states that he has "met all the requirements for eligibility as a sponsor), does that mean they are satisfied with the explanations he provided concerning his intent of resuming residency in Canada? Is there a possibility that this will be further scrutinized by the VO?

Maybe I can help. I had the same issue as your husband. I am a Canadian citizen by birth. I went to Japan in 2005 to work and live exclusively as a translator. I married my Japanese wife in May 2009 after dating for 1.5 years. When we applied for her PR in October 2012, I mentioned our plans to relocate to Canada together after my wife received her PR. I mentioned that I was going to work for an oil company that needs individuals who possess a business degree and can speak foreign languages. I also included two (2) letters from family members (mother & sister) stating our intentions of returning to Canada, and that we were going to live with my parents until the COPR arrived. However, about six (6) months later, Manila contacted my wife requesting additional docs about my intent of returning to Canada. This time I sent five (5) letters from family member (parents & two cousins, friends (friend in Japan) and neighbors (a lady I babysat for in Canada), who stated that I was going to relocate to Canada, an email exchange between my Mother and our travel agent about flights back to Canada (I mentioned to the VO that we haven't booked any flight as we didn't know when my wife would receive her PR), a copy of a letter I received regarding the renewal of my Alberta driver's license and a letter I received from CIBC regarding my new Visa Card (Canadian address written on both letters). I also mentioned that we are, and want, to leave Japan as soon as my wife received her PR. We heard from Manila again on December 3, 2013 about my wife's re-medical. Currently my wife's application is "queued for finalization review by the Visa Officer."

Hope this helps.

 

[Avadava]

Thank you so much for your posts, it is very helpful. My husband has many friends back in Canada and needs be, we could get a job offer from one of them (two of his friends run their own business in real estate). We didn't ask any of them to write such a letter, because it would be a lie. My husband has no intention of working in real estate, instead he is very confident he will be getting a job in his own field, which is web development/design.

If Vienna asks for more proof, all we have at this point is email conversations between us and family members about our intentions of moving to Canada. It is frustrating for me to have to "fabricate" proof. I do not want to lie and get a job offer that isn't real, just so we can convince them we will be moving to Canada.

The main reason we are moving is because my mother in law, who is 68 years old, is increasingly in need of assistance. Her health is getting worse each year, she suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, and just last year she had an accident where she slipped and fell in the bathroom. She broke two teeth and dislocated her arm. She is alone since my father in law passed away and my brother in law lives in the States with his wife. We told CIC this in our letter.

We are doing quite well in Germany, have great jobs and we've established ourselves here. But my mother in law is more important, we want to be able to take care of her. She refuses to move to Germany though.

I guess what I'm saying is, that is hard for to me understand why a Canadian citizen born and raised in Canada would need a reason, or even proof of going back to his own country.

 

[JRPW]

Thank you so much for your posts, it is very helpful. My husband has many friends back in Canada and needs be, we could get a job offer from one of them (two of his friends run their own business in real estate). We didn't ask any of them to write such a letter, because it would be a lie. My husband has no intention of working in real estate, instead he is very confident he will be getting a job in his own field, which is web development/design.

If Vienna asks for more proof, all we have at this point is email conversations between us and family members about our intentions of moving to Canada. It is frustrating for me to have to "fabricate" proof. I do not want to lie and get a job offer that isn't real, just so we can convince them we will be moving to Canada.

The main reason we are moving is because my mother in law, who is 68 years old, is increasingly in need of assistance. Her health is getting worse each year, she suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, and just last year she had an accident where she slipped and fell in the bathroom. She broke two teeth and dislocated her arm. She is alone since my father in law passed away and my brother in law lived in the states with his wife. We told CIC this in our letter.

We are doing quite well in Germany, have great jobs and we've established ourselves here. But my mother in law is more important, we want to be able to take care of her. She refuses to move to Germany though.

I guess what I'm saying is, that is hard for me understand why a Canadian citizen born and raised in Canada would need a reason, or even proof of going back to his own country.

I totally agree with you. My wife and I are exasperated beyond words. My wife quit her job as we thought our application would take about a year (CIC stated nine (9) months for visa processing for Manila when Manila received our application). Two months later, processing time increased to 14 months. Then, there was the VO strike from April - September 2013 (more or less) where no spousal applications were being worked on. FINALLY, Typhoon Haiyan! Filipinos with applications in the affected area are getting priority. My wife and I got fed up with putting our life on hold. We decided to go to Canada and wait it out. We arrived in Calgary on December 4, 2013. We explained to the border/immigration agent our situation, providing proof that we had applied for a PR, and we are, in fact, married. The agent looked up our file on the system and told us that we (wife & I) have a better understanding of what is going on with our application than she does. I think she took pity on us as she gave my wife a 1.5 year visitors visa. I have been in contact with my MP's office, and the two assistants, who have made enquiries to Manila on our behalf, have been very helpful. So, we HOPE my wife's COPR arrives in the near future. However, knowing the government, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Avadava]

I totally agree with you. My wife and I are exasperated beyond words. My wife quit her job as we thought our application would take about a year (CIC stated nine (9) months for visa processing for Manila when Manila received our application). Two months later, processing time increased to 14 months. Then, there was the VO strike from April - September 2013 (more or less) where no spousal applications were being worked on. FINALLY, Typhoon Haiyan! Filipinos with applications in the affected area are getting priority. My wife and I got fed up with putting our life on hold. We decided to go to Canada and wait it out. We arrived in Calgary on December 4, 2013. We explained to the border/immigration agent our situation, providing proof that we had applied for a PR, and we are, in fact, married. The agent looked up our file on the system and told us that we (wife & I) have a better understanding of what is going on with our application than she does. I think she took pity on us as she gave my wife a 1.5 year visitors visa. I have been in contact with my MP's office, and the two assistants, who have made enquiries to Manila on our behalf, have been very helpful. So, we HOPE my wife's COPR arrives in the near future. However, knowing the government, I'm not holding my breath.

Wow, that is a long time indeed. And I know what you mean about putting your lives on hold. I can't make any plans for the near future because of this application. All we can do is wait, and wait some more, pray and hope for the best.

It looks though that you guys are getting close to an end, so I really wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[ireney]

Thank you so much for your posts, it is very helpful. My husband has many friends back in Canada and needs be, we could get a job offer from one of them (two of his friends run their own business in real estate). We didn't ask any of them to write such a letter, because it would be a lie. My husband has no intention of working in real estate, instead he is very confident he will be getting a job in his own field, which is web development/design.

If Vienna asks for more proof, all we have at this point is email conversations between us and family members about our intentions of moving to Canada. It is frustrating for me to have to "fabricate" proof. I do not want to lie and get a job offer that isn't real, just so we can convince them we will be moving to Canada.

The main reason we are moving is because my mother in law, who is 68 years old, is increasingly in need of assistance. Her health is getting worse each year, she suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, and just last year she had an accident where she slipped and fell in the bathroom. She broke two teeth and dislocated her arm. She is alone since my father in law passed away and my brother in law lives in the States with his wife. We told CIC this in our letter.

We are doing quite well in Germany, have great jobs and we've established ourselves here. But my mother in law is more important, we want to be able to take care of her. She refuses to move to Germany though.

I guess what I'm saying is, that is hard for to me understand why a Canadian citizen born and raised in Canada would need a reason, or even proof of going back to his own country.

I agree with you "that is hard for to me understand why a Canadian citizen born and raised in Canada would need a reason, or even proof of going back to his own country."

 

[MofC2014]

Especially since as soon as your spouse received the PR you can leave again...anddddddddddddddd if a new PR is residing abroad with a Canadian Citizen spouse each day away from Canada counts towards the PR residency obligation for the new PR spouse. haha

 

[angryrectangle]

Hello!

I have the same issue, I'm living outside of Canada with my husband with no job offer or other "official proof" to show that I'm returning.

However, we live in a war-zone (Syria) so I wrote a letter explaining that we don't want to be living where we are now, and there's no way I would stay here alone without my husband. I explained our situation in DETAIL giving arguments for all the reasons I WILL be leaving.

That, and a letter from my father saying he's expecting us (and will support us) + some printouts of emails discussing our plans to move back.

We haven't submitted our application yet, but this is what we'll be including!

Good luck!

 

[Marticus]

Same-same over here.

I was 100% honest, so I didn't include any extra stuff that might not be 100% true. I only provided what I had on hand (about 10 months before we intend to move)

Since I'm living overseas, it's tough to "prove" your intent, and of show a rental agreement / job offer etc, because of many factors. Most of them being that it's super early to be applying for jobs online, from Korea (where I have recently filed our family class PR / sponsorship package for my wife) who is Korea. I'm a Canadian, living and working in Korea since 2007. It's just my wife, we have no other dependants. We will be leaving regardless of the process in September this year. Fingers crossed it will all be done by then, but if not, my wife will just wait out the outland process, in Canada

I provided:

1.) A scanned letter from my parents stating, basically, they "got our back" for finances & accomodation until we get settled (I kept the original as it said on the document checklist "don't provide originals unless requested on form)
2.) A 2 page "relocation strategy" explaining what we are doing during the PR process, what will do when we land, and what are our long-terms goals once we are settled
3.) various job websites & jobs (printed off the internet) that I'm looking at, and/or that are relevant to my degree
4.) email correspondence for courier companies I've been having over the least year for our pets (we are also landing our pets, luckily they don't require an PR card

From what I've been told, that 'should' be good to go, but if not, they'll ask for a little more proof closer to to approval (which actually might not be a bad thing, because by that time, we'll probably have tickets, etc to show as further proof, if they so desire)



However, all that being said, how to you tell the VO this:

"listen bro, I wouldn't have paid 1800 dollars, and put myself through this crazy stressful waiting period if we weren't moving!"

haha.

So, hopefully it helps that you aren't alone in this!

marticus