Is this Immigration system fair and square? Plshave a look and Discuss with me!

[Branlee]

Hi, Everyone on this forum!

I sent in my application in Early March, the sponsorship got a approved pretty quickly, and then it transferred the application to Beijing, and I got the AoR2 in Early May. During these times, I was in a Chinese Forum like this one looking at other people's timelines, and most of them got approved and got their visas very fast, just looking at the timeline there, 70 percent of the applicants sent in their app. in March or April got their visas already. Also, I was talking to a girl on that forum, she and I have the same timeline till AoR2 until she got her visa after 1 week after that.So I was became more and more impatient to hear from the immigration. Because after I got my AoR2, I didn't hear anything from them ever again till today. No change on my Ecas, too. My partner told me not to worry at first, but now he is impatient too.

Here is my question--How do the immigration system work for these applications? Why there could be such big differences among the cases they got on the same dates? How can a case be delayed so much than others? I don't understand. I know some people may think that I am just being a needy baby, greedy baby, cuz I only waited for 5 months till now, comparing to some cases it's perfectly normal and still in the normal processing time showing on their website(which means nothing). But the thing is, why different people will be treated so differently? Is there any delay on purpose?

Maybe I think like this just because I am being silly paranoid for being a gay man and engaged into a gay marriage. Oh, wait, is that why they treated my case differently? So does other people who has been divorced before, or fell in love on the internet or has a older lover are the cases that normally take a longer time? Why they don't want to get to our cases? What makes some cases so difficult to deal with that could take so long? I know sometimes there could be a interview, and maybe I am waiting in the queue, but why there are people who sent in their application later can have the interview earlier?

To be frankly, I wouldn't mind if my case been processed for 8 months. 12 or 16, as long as everyone else is same with me, so that I know they are doing their job equally to everyone. I just want things to be fair and equal.

If you think I am talking stupid, my apologies. Can you tell me the reasons, please? People say I shouldn't compare with others, it's not good. But I say it's not a comparison, this whole thing should be fair and square.

All I want is just to be with my husband, and build our lives together in Canada. Cuddle, watch movies and Tv shows we love, go hiking, go to the gym, have sex and everything. This long distance thing is really damaging our mental and physical health. Even the lawyers we consult with said our case is very straight forward and should be approved with no problems. But here we are. Waiting and waiting. Now they are striking, so I guess more wait! Yay! I feel like there is justice in this immigration system right? Unless they denied you, so you have some.

 

[zardoz]

It all depends on who is processing your application and the fine details of it.
No two applications are the same and each applicant will have different histories.

Maybe you have the same name as a suspicious person and they are doing more checks.. Who can guess.

 

[scylla]

Each application is individual and has to be evaluated individually. It would be unrealistic to expect everyone to have the same processing times since each relationship is different, the supporting evidence provided is different, any concerns the VO might have are different, etc., etc.

 

[Branlee]

It all depends on who is processing you application and the fine details of it.
No two applications are the same and each applicant will have different histories.

Maybe you have the same name as a suspicious person and they are doing more checks.. Who can guess.

Yes, different people have different histories, I know that, but just that point can delay people for months or years? What are they really doing during these time? They don't have strict rules about the time. So if they forget your case or that special visa officer just simply doesn't want to look at your case until they really have to even then no one can made them do that, you just wait for god knows how long? And no, my name is so rare that you can't find another one! And my background is very simple. And even they do check my background, there should be a time period rule about that too.

 

[Branlee]

Each application is individual and has to be evaluated individually. It would be unrealistic to expect everyone to have the same processing times since each relationship is different, the supporting evidence provided is different, any concerns the VO might have are different, etc., etc.

Thank you for your reply. I do understand what you are talking about, and that Is what I am being telling myself all the time, but what can make them read or so many months or over a year to look at? If they have concerns, they ought to just put the case away and get back to it months later when they still have the concern? There are no strict rules for them.

 

[zardoz]

Yes, different people have different histories, I know that, but just that point can delay people for months or years? What are they really doing during these time? They don't have strict rules about the time. So if they forget your case or that special visa officer just simply doesn't want to look at your case until they really have to even then no one can made them do that, you just wait for god knows how long? And no, my name is so rare that you can't find another one! And my background is very simple. And even they do check my background, there should be a time period rule about that too.

I'm led to believe that the background and security checks take the longest amount of processing time and that there is no limit on how long they take to complete. Some countries have very good cooperation between security services. Many don't. I thought my name was rare. I find that I have a road with the same name in a nearby town, and I get misaddressed emails to a convicted murderer in the USA with the same name. Go figure...

 

[gongdi]

Because after I got my AoR2, I didn't hear anything from them ever again till today.

You received a message from the office in Beijing today? Wow. That is good news!!! It's good to know there are still people at work.
Responding to your concerns: My wife's application has been at the visa office in Beijing since early March, approximately the same time as you stated you had submitted your spouse's app. My wife and I have a pretty easy file as far as I'm concerned: We're married, have great employment records, share a Canadian child...etc. From the gossip that I've read online (certainly not to be taken as sure fact) but I've heard that some cases are chosen randomly to be examined further, while some similar cases are processed more quickly. For instance, along with her passport, my wife was asked to submit a resume.
Let us know how your case progresses.
Good luck.

 

[Branlee]

You received a message from the office in Beijing today? Wow. That is good news!!! It's good to know there are still people at work.
Responding to your concerns: My wife's application has been at the visa office in Beijing since early March, approximately the same time as you stated you had submitted your spouse's app. My wife and I have a pretty easy file as far as I'm concerned: We're married, have great employment records, share a Canadian child...etc. From the gossip that I've read online (certainly not to be taken as sure fact) but I've heard that some cases are chosen randomly to be examined further, while some similar cases are processed more quickly. For instance, along with her passport, my wife was asked to submit a resume.
Let us know how your case progresses.
Good luck.

Hi, Gongdi! No, I mean haven't heard anything from them after my AOR2 yet. Nothing changes after I got my AOR2. Asking for a resume normally meant that the applicant might get a background check, cuz everyone I know who had been asked for a resume got a background check, but it wouldn't be too long normally, but who knows during this freaking strike. Hope that your wife didn't have to get a background check. And right now, from the news I heard there should be only 15% of the staff doing work in Beijing office now due to the strike.

At least they asked you to sent it passport and more info, I am still waiting. Our application is very straight forward too, both young and have good work. Married for a year now, and was living together for 1 year before we got married.

Thank you, and good luck to you too!

 

[gongdi]

Does anyone know if there are acceptance and refusal quotas given to officers?

 

[zardoz]

From everything I have read and heard on multiple forums, the answer is "no".

 

[messenger]

Hi, Gongdi! No, I mean haven't heard anything from them after my AOR2 yet. Nothing changes after I got my AOR2. Asking for a resume normally meant that the applicant might get a background check, cuz everyone I know who had been asked for a resume got a background check, but it wouldn't be too long normally, but who knows during this freaking strike. Hope that your wife didn't have to get a background check. And right now, from the news I heard there should be only 15% of the staff doing work in Beijing office now due to the strike.

At least they asked you to sent it passport and more info, I am still waiting. Our application is very straight forward too, both young and have good work. Married for a year now, and was living together for 1 year before we got married.

Thank you, and good luck to you too!

Dear Branlee

I certainly understand your worries and questions. To tell you that almost all of our Vienna VO applicants except 3 have never even got an AOR and that\s from January. Take a look at our spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjvSDmSjyQZ0dE5DZk9Ua2ViTDRGZXhrM0w3V2xtdVE#gid=0
You are not alone. Your case will eventually be checked and they will treat it with fairness same sex or not!

Regards

 

[Branlee]

From everything I have read and heard on multiple forums, the answer is "no".

:'( :'( :'( :'(

 

[writetosfa]

I'm sponsoring my American husband and people who have submitted their applications after ours have landed already. Not sure what the deal is, but I know it's very frustrating!

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

I'm sponsoring my American husband and people who have submitted their applications after ours have landed already. Not sure what the deal is, but I know it's very frustrating!

Oye! I hear you there! I am sponsoring my wife and her son from the Philippines, and I have no problem waiting my turn, but it pisses me off to no end to see people submit an application (nearly three months after us) and get processed and through the system in another 2 month or so, I mean really WTF?

Frustrating is putting it mildly, now if they decided to process all the old out standing applications (one that are past their regular waiting period) and put a hold on the ones that are in process right now, to move the old ones through; I wouldn't be thrilled with the extra wait, but to my mind that would at least be fair and I would have no argument about that (yeah I might piss and moan a bit, but not to much of a ruckus). I would wish those people finally getting addressed in the system good luck and congratulate them, and take comfort knowing (thinking at least) that our wait would soon be over then as well.

But situations like the first one above, one can't help but wonder who they "knew" on the inside of the embassy.

 

[CharlieD10]

In the context of immigration, "fair and square" really only means that anyone who qualifies may apply. As the spouse of a Canadian, you qualify to be sponsored for permanent residence, without regard to your nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, whatever. And that is where "fair and square" ends.

So far as the processing of our applications goes, "fair and square" has no application. There are too many individualized factors to permit any kind of standardized times. Even the times we see on the CIC's website are an average of one or more averages. Essentially, those timelines are meaningless on an individual basis, and the sooner we remember that, the "easier" this waiting gets.

I know I might sound harsh/cold, but I have been there. I waited 15 months, and several persons who applied after me (months after, in some cases) were approved very quickly, long before I was. Was I frustrated at times? Of course. Did that frustration make things any easier? No, not really. What made it easier was telling myself that everyone approved before me is one less person in the line ahead of me, so my chance was coming that much quicker. It didn't matter when they started their processing, it just mattered that it was over for them, and so I imagined myself inching a little closer to the top of the pile. Eventually, my turn came, and I'm pretty sure there were people happy to see me over and done with so that their turn could come.

Do the best you can to live your life with your spouse while you wait, no matter the distance between. If you feel like you have too much time on your hands, take up a hobby or a new skill. Research your new home country, new home town, do something to prepare yourself for the shock of picking up and starting over. Skip focusing on whatever CIC is doing, you have no control over that. Focus on yourself and your spouse and your relationship, and stay strong throughout the process.