Interview coming up: Not sure what originals of documents should be brought!

[bobshynoswife]

My husband has an interview on August 24 in Accra, Ghana. The letter they send says:

If you have not already submitted originals of all the required documents with your application, you may bring them to the interview. If you are being sponsored by a person in Canada, please bring any additional proof of contact that you have not submitted with your application.

So first of all, the 'you may bring them' throws me a bit, since it seems it's not required. Anyways, I fedexed our marriage certificate to him today, figuring that would be a definite original to bring. Of course he will also bring his birth certificate and passport and educational certificates.

What about all of our communication evidence? I sent in photocopies of cards, letters, postcards, phone bills. Should he have the originals? Many of those things are here in Canada with me, although he does have all the cards and letters I sent him.

He will also bring in phone/skype records which show our communication since we applied.

We want to ensure he brings enough, but not too much...know what I mean? We don't want them taking all the evidence and then feeling they have to go through it which will add time onto the process.

Any advice is appreciated!!

Laura

 

[canadianwoman]

If you have not already submitted originals of all the required documents with your application, you may bring them to the interview. If you are being sponsored by a person in Canada, please bring any additional proof of contact that you have not submitted with your application.

OK, this is just from my own experience with the Accra office.
My husband got the same letter. He took in the originals of our marriage certificate and his statutory declaration of age (he doesn't have a birth certificate.) The visa officer took these originals, and we have not yet gotten them back. The interview was in May 2009. The appeal was on Tuesday. I spent several hours today on the phone with CIC, Canada Border Services, and the Immigration Appeal Board, trying to find out where my marriage certificate is and how to get it back. No one knew, and they kept on telling me to phone some other office. One woman at Canada Border Services said that they keep original documents and don't give them back. I asked how this could be true - surely they don't keep people's birth certificates and marriage certificates? But she said they do, but then said they confiscate them from people because they're in Canada illegally. I told her my husband is not in Canada illegally, and has never been in Canada. She then wanted to know if that was true, how they managed to conduct his appeal hearing. Uh, by phone?

So my advice is to tell your husband to ask the visa officer if he can just show him/her the originals. If the visa officer insists on taking the originals, definitely say you want them back and ask when and how you can get them back.

I want my marriage certificate for sentimental reasons, but I also need it. When trying to open a joint bank account, for example, they asked for it. They want it at the embassy when applying for TRVs.

 

[bobshynoswife]

Very good to know! Although I can't see my husband easily surrendering our marriage certificate or birth certificate. As you know, it's not like Canada where you can just order another one. Those documents are irreplaceable! I can't believe they still have your marriage certificate. I hope you find out where it is soon.

Any advice on the other stuff? Cards, letters, phone bills? Do I need the originals of any of that stuff that I submitted in the app? I am leaning towards no, as ideally he will get his visa that day, and we don't want to bog them down with too much stuff. (Lord knows I sent enough of it to begin with!)

Again, with all you are going through it means a lot that you take the time to respond to my posts.

 

[canadianwoman]

Very good to know! Although I can't see my husband easily surrendering our marriage certificate or birth certificate. As you know, it's not like Canada where you can just order another one. Those documents are irreplaceable! I can't believe they still have your marriage certificate. I hope you find out where it is soon.

Any advice on the other stuff? Cards, letters, phone bills? Do I need the originals of any of that stuff that I submitted in the app? I am leaning towards no, as ideally he will get his visa that day, and we don't want to bog them down with too much stuff. (Lord knows I sent enough of it to begin with!)

Again, with all you are going through it means a lot that you take the time to respond to my posts.

Thanks. If I can help someone else, I'm happy too.
I think you don't need the originals of the relationship evidence. The letter says the originals of the required documents, so I took that to mean only official documents.
However, I'd have him take in proof of contact since your application - the originals and photocopies of it. That way he can give them the photocopies if the visa officer wants it, but he/she can also see the originals.

 

[RealBrilla]

Hello Bobshynoswife,

from what i'v heard so far, an interview date is more like the day he gets his Immi-Visa. so, congrats in advance

I also have an interview this month and my wife read to me the same thing you wrote out.

One, Your husband may not get his letter on time...i'm yet to get mine. so my wife scanned and sent to me.

Tell your husband to get a call history from his network service provider.
I'm getting mine from Zain....I spend about NGN30k/month on calls and she calls me too. so the call history will go a looooong way.

All the best

 

[bobshynoswife]

Thanks RealBrilla

The letter was actually emailed to both my husband and me, so we have the copy incase the real letter doesn't get there by post.

Yes, he is going to get his history from Zain and MTN as well as my calls to him and a log of our daily emails and skype conversations too.

When is your interview? What's your timeline? I'm looking forward to reading your good news!

Laura

 

[SCsquare]

I have my interview in less than two weeks time.. but my visa office is Buffalo.. I am taking all my originals (Birth certificate, Educational credidentials , marraige certificate etc) and a copy of them along with it.. If they want to keep the copies of the same they can keep it.. although they already have the copies when we originally submitted the application..
I m taking all cards and letters in original from him n from me.. loads of chats, emails, phone records, bank record statments, travel history together.. I am taking every possible thing that could show our relationship is genuine.. Don't want to leave any stone unturned for them to say that u r not able to provide this doc or that doc..

 

[canadianwoman]

[quote author=""]

Yes, he is going to get his history from Zain and MTN
[/quote]
Did your husband manage to get his call history from phone calls he made in Nigeria? My husband uses a cell phone and prepaid cards (I have never seen a land line in Najia) to call me, so has no record of his calls. He asked at the company if it was possible to get a call history, and they said no.

 

[bobshynoswife]

He has a Nigerian 'landline' which is a wireless phone line that is stuck in the house. It's through StarCom, and he will be able to get records for this line. Not sure about Zain and MTN, but he can download the outgoing calls from his iPhone, so we'll have record of them one way or another.

Since I left in early May, I have called him 3 or 4 times a week for 45min-hour (I pay $.15 per min), and we skype for 2-3 hours each day. Plus text messages. I'm sure we will have adequate proof of our communication since our application went in.

 

[bobshynoswife]

Hello Bobshynoswife,

from what i'v heard so far, an interview date is more like the day he gets his Immi-Visa. so, congrats in advance

I also have an interview this month and my wife read to me the same thing you wrote out.

One, Your husband may not get his letter on time...i'm yet to get mine. so my wife scanned and sent to me.

Tell your husband to get a call history from his network service provider.
I'm getting mine from Zain....I spend about NGN30k/month on calls and she calls me too. so the call history will go a looooong way.

All the best

how did your interview go? i have tried to send you a message but your inbox is full. i am hoping you have your visa and are on your way to canada!

 

[HoneyBird]

take originals and have certified copies available.
that is what we did in the submission. everything was certified. no originals included. the officer should accept the certified.

 

[iarblue]

Originals ,certificates,passport,any certificate you had copied and notorized,and original passport.SOUNDS like good news,fingers crossed.Also before you leave the embassy make sure you ask for the originals then dont let them keep them.Once they compare them to the copies there is no more reason they need them,dont leave without them.