JANUARY 2014 OUTLAND Applicants - Join here

[Aniabella]

Woohoo! I sent in that huge packet of extra documents last week and emailed them Friday asking if they received it. Today I got an email:

"Dear Applicant,

Your documents have arrived and were placed in your application.

Kind regards.."

I can relax now, everything is in order and I just have to wait for them to start processing it

That's great news! Now you don't have to stress about it anymore! Ofc the whole process is a stress, but at least one worry less

 

[SenoritaBella]

Hey guys, check out this link, especially Chapter one: http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/BoaCom/references/legjur/Pages/SpoPar.aspx

There has been question over whether a permanent resident can take a trip abroad during sponsorship or how long they can stay outside Canada. Not sure if this is the most current document on it, but it I think it helps shed some more light.

 

[Edgehead78]

Congrats SarahRuiz!
I wish all VOs could be as fast as Bogota. It would be a relief for everyone as the wait is nearly unbearable for most of us.


I want to share my experience about courier services. So I sent the applicants copy of the CSQ to my wife, in case the VO would ask for it. I used FedEx as courier since I already had a good experience with them when my wife sent her application here in Canada. We managed to get her CSQ delivered to her brother's boss address. I know, its complicated. ???

The package was planned to arrive Thursday April 3 according to tracking. The package got delayed 1 day in Guangzhou China, FedEx's Asia-pacific hub, for out-of-their-control reason. So the delivery got planned for the day after. Following the tracking, the package got on the truck but never got delivered. They called her bro to tell him there was problem with the driver, medical emergency. So the package got delayed another day. Finally it got delivered the day after, on Saturday April 5th, 2 days after the estimated delivery date.

I was not so mad since time doesn't really matters now, the VO is slow anyway. But to my surprise, 2 days later, I noticed that my credit card got refunded the whole amount of shipping, 93$ CAD. I never asked for anything from them, no complaint at all.

I was pretty glad to see that they refunded without questions. They have my customership as of now, despite the additional 16$ compared to DHL's quote.

 

[KTCYYZ]

Woohoo! I sent in that huge packet of extra documents last week and emailed them Friday asking if they received it. Today I got an email:

"Dear Applicant,

Your documents have arrived and were placed in your application.

Kind regards.."

I can relax now, everything is in order and I just have to wait for them to start processing it

Congratulations and best of lucks!

Does anyone know if sending additional information will delay/speed up/not influence the process?

 

[Zarilenth]

I can't say, although I had to send in some requested documents. They haven't even opened my application yet so I assume it doesn't effect my application much at all.

Also that's great Edgehead! I am glad your package got delivered and not lost

 

[Edgehead78]

Congratulations and best of lucks!

Does anyone know if sending additional information will delay/speed up/not influence the process?

Speed up? Not a chance.
Delay? Maybe if the VO already started looking at your application as you just give them more things to look at.
It, however, can help prove the authenticity of your relationship if you think your application has red flags (age difference, third world country, etc).

Disclaimer: This is my own opinion, I'm not a visa officer or working at CIC. I'm just waiting and hoping, like you

 

[KTCYYZ]

Speed up? Not a chance.
Delay? Maybe if the VO already started looking at your application as you just give them more things to look at.
It, however, can help prove the authenticity of your relationship if you think your application has red flags (age difference, third world country, etc).

Disclaimer: This is my own opinion, I'm not a visa officer or working at CIC. I'm just waiting and hoping, like you

Thanks.. Appreciate your opinion... I believe I have sent a good application but second guessing is kicking in. With passing time you get this idea and that idea on how to improve your application and its chances.... No way to know if they started looking at my application yet as eCAS is not showing any updates and no AOR2 from VO has been issued

 

[Zarilenth]

So I got my GCMS notes today (I requested them March 11th!). It's hard to understand what it all means but it looks like our medical issues is holding up the process. They haven't started any of his criminal checks/etc. and the medical just says 'in process'. So hopefully the office will send out his medical reports this week and we will see some movement.
I'm probably going to order another set of notes again tomorrow since these notes were made March 13th. Hopefully there will be some updates!

 

[SenoritaBella]

Any preliminary comments besides medicals?

So I got my GCMS notes today (I requested them March 11th!). It's hard to understand what it all means but it looks like our medical issues is holding up the process. They haven't started any of his criminal checks/etc. and the medical just says 'in process'. So hopefully the office will send out his medical reports this week and we will see some movement.
I'm probably going to order another set of notes again tomorrow since these notes were made March 13th. Hopefully there will be some updates!

 

[Zarilenth]

Any preliminary comments besides medicals?

I'm not exactly sure where I'd see any preliminary comments! It just says "not started, not started, ect" for the criminal and eligibility. For medical it says 'in process'. The only written notes are at the end when they stated that they told us we need to do the medical. I think I probably just ordered them too early.

 

[SenoritaBella]

Ok... mine were similar, except at the end they mentioned receiving two more documents from our lawyer. I was curious, since you had ordered for both yourself and your hubby from CPC-M, just to see if there was more information. I will be ordering from our visa office soon. Will share any new information.

I'm not exactly sure where I'd see any preliminary comments! It just says "not started, not started, ect" for the criminal and eligibility. For medical it says 'in process'. The only written notes are at the end when they stated that they told us we need to do the medical. I think I probably just ordered them too early.

 

[Graihn]

Ok... mine were similar, except at the end they mentioned receiving two more documents from our lawyer. I was curious, since you had ordered for both yourself and your hubby from CPC-M, just to see if there was more information. I will be ordering from our visa office soon. Will share any new information.

Hey, could you me a favor and provide the link for gcsm notes?

Thanks

 

[Zarilenth]

Ok... mine were similar, except at the end they mentioned receiving two more documents from our lawyer. I was curious, since you had ordered for both yourself and your hubby from CPC-M, just to see if there was more information. I will be ordering from our visa office soon. Will share any new information.

Ah yeah it listed the info about asking for our medical as well as the fact that we called the CIC call centre asking about our application status.

Also Graihn -

Here is the link:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

And if the applicant isn't in Canada they have to fill out this form and sign it so the sponsor can request the information on their behalf:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/form-imm5744.asp

And here is a good video that explains how to fill out the online application:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_E_dq_uLVo

One thing I noted is that in the application it asks to describe your situation, and the person in the video puts 'academia'. I personally put 'member of the public' and it worked just fine.

 

[Aniabella]

Ah yeah it listed the info about asking for our medical as well as the fact that we called the CIC call centre asking about our application status.

Also Graihn -

Here is the link:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

And if the applicant isn't in Canada they have to fill out this form and sign it so the sponsor can request the information on their behalf:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/form-imm5744.asp

And here is a good video that explains how to fill out the online application:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_E_dq_uLVo

One thing I noted is that in the application it asks to describe your situation, and the person in the video puts 'academia'. I personally put 'member of the public' and it worked just fine.

So what if the applicant AND the sponsor are living abroad, any idea how does that work? I know there was some debate if you can actually do it, but I think it's possible?

 

[Avadava]

So what if the applicant AND the sponsor are living abroad, any idea how does that work? I know there was some debate if you can actually do it, but I think it's possible?

Both me (the applicant) and my husband (the sponsor) are living in Germany. We had no problems ordering the GCSM notes, as long as your sponsor is a Canadian Citizen. A PR would have to be present in Canada for the whole process of the sponsorship, but in theory even PRs can make a request under the Access to Information Act while outside Canada.

The applicant needs to print and sign a Consent form (IMM5744) for CIC to release the information to the sponsor. Just fill in the application online, then at the end you will need to upload the signed copy of the Consent and a copy of either the Birth Certificate or Passport of the sponsor. You pay the $5 fee and you're all set. Just make sure you order the "Electronic notes in the file" and not the actual paper file. As for the address, you can put your address abroad, it doesn't have to be a Canadian address. The notes will be delivered by email (you can choose that from the drop down menu).
Good luck!