My Landing Journey
Hello Everyone,
How are you all doing today. I hope that you all are in the best of health at this moment in time..
First off i would like to take some time to thank this immigration forum for the help and support from some good and genuine friends that i met over the years being on this forum. I learned alot from ppl that have gone threw this long stressful sponsorship process. The only thing that i dont like the most is the badmind thing towards other ppl on the forum...It ok for a person to vent but alot of ppl take it to the extreme like there the only person missing there spouse. We all miss our other half and i know, i been through it all with this immigration process but I made it by grace of god and having faith.. I know everyone want to be reunited with there spouse but like i always say it not a person time to reach Canada and that is what ppl dont look at..When the lord say it time, no one cant stop it all..I just want to get that out of the way.
Now to My Landing Journey.........
Here is my story... I met my lovely wife Back in 2008 online. The name of the site is called www.blackplanet.com. I was not on the site to meet a wife but that is what happened...I remember the first thing i said to my wife. I ask her if she an teach me how to fish and she reply with anytime you are ready i can show you the art of fishing.. We started to communicate on blackplanet for about 1 month. We message each other everyday since the first time we talk plus we talk on blackplanet messenger when we can. Once my wife got comfortable talking to me we exchange email address and phone number so we can communication on a regular basics... I bought the international credit so i can call her in Canada and i explain to her that it is cheaper if i called her than she called me so she said it was ok.. When my credit finish i got more and when i did not have any funds to get the credit she top up my phone also.. As time went on our relationship got serious between the both of us which i sure was not expecting that to happen but it just did by the grace of God that i praise. God is so good to me. We talk for 3 years online before my wife decide to take a chance to visit me in Jamaica. When my wife told me that she was going to come to Jamaica, I told her that i live in a board house from the door so at lease she knew what she was coming too.. Im the back of my head i was thinking is this lovely woman really going to come to Jamaica to meet me in person because i know that alot of ppl promise things like that and what do they say about a promise...Its a comfort to a fool....
As time goes by when my wife said she was is going to come to Jamaica, i was getting a bit nervous so alot of things was going through my mind if she really going to come or not. Then one day my wife ask me if i wanted to come to Canada and i said i would but im not into any rush to get there. So i just explain to her how my life in Jamaica is to me because i had my father to take care of and other things was going on for me at that time. So it never cross my mind about migrating to another country at all.. So when i told her that she just said ok i understand what you are saying but it was still on her mind to come to Jamaica still according to her. So i told my wife anytime she is ready to come to Jamaica it was ok with me even though i was abit scared at that time to know if she was real or not.. I cant forget the day when my wife called me and told me to check my email.. I was cooking that day so i told her to give me a few mins. When i finally check my email it was from my wife.. I open the email and what i saw was her itinerary for her flight to Jamaica. My heart started to beat faster. I thought to myself, she is really coming to Jamaica to meet me and stay with me for one week... I did not mention this to anyone as all. I just kept it to myself..
The date was September 19 2011. I got a called in the morning from the sweetest voice wish me a Happy Birthday.. We started talking about what we both was going to do for that day. Before we hung up with each other. My wife pop the biggest question in my life. Will you marry me when i come to Jamaica so i can bring you to Canada with me. It felt like my heart just skip a beat when she finish asking that question.The only thing i could of said was yes babes i will marry you and be the best husband you can imagine.I could hear the joy in her voice before she hung up... She told me that she was heading to work and i told her to have a wonderful day and her reply was it a wonderful day already because she was engage and a lovely man in Jamaica. I just laugh and told her that i will call her on her lunch break. I did call her and she told me to go online and look for a wedding ring that i like. I said ok i will look and if i find any thing i will save the website so she can check it out online... I did find a few wedding ring that i like. When she got home she check them out and we came to a decision on the ring.. I found a nice 3 piece ring set 10 karat gold for a very cheap price because i was thinking that i dont want her to send so much money on a ring even though it a big occasion. My wife was so happy with what i chose so she told me to go and find out what my ring size was so she can order the rings... When she order the rings that is when reality hit me that i was getting married. I was like that woman really mean business and i was loving it as it unfold.. Once she got the right i started to make preparations here in Jamaica so when my wife came everything was in order... I just told a few family and friend that i was going to get married... They was very happy for me but when the word got around the badmind ppl started to say things like it should of been them and not me. I just kept on doing my thing as time was winding down for my wife arrival.
The day for me to head to Montego Bay airport to go and pick up my wife. I arrive at the about around 10am which her flight was landing at 12:30pm.. I i found a spot where i can watch the planes landing. When I check my phone time it was 12:15pm and i saw a plane approaching from a distant in the sky so i said to myself that her flight coming now which i was dead on point with it... Once the plane land i waiting about 30 mins before i headed off to the airport. While at the airport i just waited another 20 mins before i saw her walking out. When my wife came out the door i walk over to her while i called her name and she saw me.. The smile she had on her face was just priceless.. We hugged and kiss for about 2 minutes but it felt like and eternity.. We broke of the kiss and i told he she will get alot more when we got home. I help her with her luggages and headed to the parking lot.. When got in the car and started to kiss some more. I was like we have about 1 1/3 hrs drive back to Santa Cruz so we had to stop and get moving. Rain started to fall when i was driving out also...
When we got home i took the bags out of the car and told her that we are home. She ask me where is your board house you told me that you live and just started laughing and told her that i was just messing with her.. We head inside my home and i put the luggage's inside and i lock the grill and the door behind us and i just took her hand and head straight to the bedroom. I say it better i did this now are later and she did not object to it one bit.. I dont have to say no more on that subject.
We got married 4 days later. We did not have a big wedding at all but the ppl that was there was very happy and please with everything... If they didnt like then oh well. After our wedding me and the wife just stayed home for the last 3 days that she was going to be in Jamaica for. We cuddle alot and watch movies and the even our we went for walk around my housing scheme so she could get an idea on the community i lived in... The day came when i had to bring her back to the airport. I felt real empty when i saw my wife go pass the security check point at the airport. I waited at the airport until the flight left Jamaica because i did not want to leave until her flight was in the air. I told her if the cancel her flight i will be here waiting on her.She never came back out. So my journey back to St. Elizabeth was ok but all i could think about was my wife.
Here is where my immigration journey started... My wife download the sponsorship application and send it to me and told me where to fill out and send it back to her with my medical and police record which i did... So when i send it back to her she send off our sponsorship application to Mississauga. That is when i for this forum and the Kingston thread. This is how i started to get an idea about the application process.. I was reading other ppl post on what to expect from Kingston office. As time when on my wife started to visit Jamaica on a regular basic now which i started giving her a tour of our island. We started to see alot of ppl getting there visa so i was really happy for them and time went on we did not hear anything from Kingston at all. I got my wife to start emailing them and asking them about out application and we never got any good reply back from them at all. They even gave us other ppl information by mistake and we sure let them know that. So it went more than 16 months that Kingston had our application.. I was getting abit upset so i email them myself to see what was going on. In that time frame they had a strike going on. My wife order the notes and that how comes we found out that i had to attend an interview.
........ We waited 3 months after we got our notes and we still did not hear anything about the interview at all. So i was browsing the forum thread and i came across a post from someone from Ghana... He said that he email the commissioner in his country about his application and when he got back a reply things started to move on his application. So i google up to commissioner for Jamaica and got his email address. I sent him a detailed email explaining my situation.. I got back a reply withing 2 days with my interview date which was 3 month later.. Me and my wife was happy now we got out interview date.. I started to prepared myself mentality for the interview..To make a long story short i got to he interview on time which i was the only person in the embassy because they was still on strike... My interview lasted about 30 minutes which i could remember like it was yesterday. At the end of my interview the visa officer gave me back my passport which was not a good sign at all and told me that she will go and review over my file and send me her decision within 2 weeks. I waited 2 month to get her decision letter stating that she did not believe that our relation was genuine and im not a member of the family class. Both me and wifey was devastated about the decision. So i told my wife that we should just wait some time and just apply again... I had the fare if we lose the appeal that she would not be able to sponsor me again from what i read on the forum. So my my wife said that she is going to appeal so i ask her if that is what she really want to do and the answer was yes. So as her hubby i told her that im with her in anything she decided. My wife send the decision letter with the appeal forms in to the IAD office.
Once the IAD office confirm that they got the appeal forms. My wife found a lawyer in London, On. with the help of a friend on the forum that got denied als
ur lawyer requested an ADR hearing which was denied because they say that our case is going to talk more that an hr to deal with so we had to go to an full hearing. It took us 17 months to get our appeal date and 3 months later for the full hearing... In the space of that time my wife visited me here in Jamaica over 10 times before the full hearing in Toronto and we when over everything we could think of about our relationship and families and friends. We had to make sure that we was on the same page with each other as our lawyer instructed us to do.. At the hearing they interviewed my wife and then they called me on the phone and asked me about 5 questions which i answered and that was it... When my wife left the full hearing she text me to call her and i did. She told me that the minster counsel which is the government lawyer said she still did not believe our relationship is genuine at all but the judge did not agree with her and told our lawyer to send in her final statement to him before Nov.5 because he was going to vacation. When i heard that it felt like a billion pounds drop on my head instantly...The next day i emailed our lawyer to get her views on our case and she replied to me saying that the minister counsel called her to talk about our case but she was in court so she did not get a chance to chit chat with her but told me that she will call her in the morning. In the email from the lawyer it also stated that it look like the minister counsel going to change her position on our case but she wont know until she talk to her...The next morning i email back the lawyer just to remind her to call back the minister counsel to hear what she had to say..I was talk to my wife on face book in the morning after i email the lawyer and i told my wife that i was going to get some water. When i got back i text my wife and got no reply so it didnt bother me because i know she was at work. 11:55 am i got a text from my wife on facebook saying "MY HUSBAND YOU ARE COMING HOME"....When i saw that message i just look up and say thank you GOD. My mom was watch tv and heard what i said and call me to see if i was ok. I could not even speak for about 4 mins so my mom got worried..Tears was dropping out of my eyes when i catch my breathe. I said to my mother talk we won our appeal and im going to Canada very soon. My mom was very happy for me and she told me to just stay out of trouble and keep it to myself. Which is what i did. Everyday i went out ppl was asking me if my wife is not going to take me up and i just told them no she not. I could see some of there expression with joy on there faces when i told them that.. Just a pity them dont know what going on with me.... Forget when i got denied alot of thing happen in my life because i got to meet my father set of family that i never knew at all and i got to spend alot of time with my father before he pass on. That is how i came to the realization that it was not my time to go to Canada at the moment. Things happen for a reason and only God knows.
After we got our good news i still waited it on paper so i can say yes we won our appeal. On Nov.5 2015 my wife got the decision letter saying our appeal has been allowed. Our lawyer told my wife for me to go and do the police record and medical so i can have them when them request it from me and i did not hitch one bit on that. A month and half later the mailed me requesting more document and i send everything them wanted the same day. I did not want for them to waist anymore time with my application at all..They got my documents in Ottawa 3 days later because i send it on a Friday and they got it Monday morning.. So it was back to waiting game again. 2 month later i check ecas and it said decision made.. I got decision made on Saturday..So i started to call a few family to pray for me when they go to church... Most of all i want to thank a couple of ppl that was on the forum to pray for me also..They know who they are so im not going to call any name. One of my friend send me a whatsapp message say that they prayed for me as much as they can the day before and she know herself... I was in bed sleeping and i hear a email message on my cell phone. I pick up my phone and look at the time and it was 10:17 am... I was like that is not ebay send me any messages at all so i was like it make or break time now. I slowly open the email on the phone and it open. The first word i saw in the email was Ready For Visa. When i say that it was the fastest i every got out of my bed. Not ever Usain Bolt could of catch me at the moment.. I just thank God and ran out of my room to to go let my mother know what was going on... I got my ppr on February 29,2016...I just keep it to myself. I know alot of ppl ask me on here if i heard anything from Ottawa and i just kept on saying no to them. I just want to apologize to everyone from keeping them in the dark until now... I get alot of person message from members on this forum ask me about my application as i just say i have not heard anything at all.. I sent my passport to the Kingston office and i got back my passport exactly 2 weeks from the day i send it in with Tara Courier. Tara called me saying that they have a package from the Canadian High Commission and i can pick it up the next day in Santa Cruz anytime after 12 noon... I pick up my pack and open it and the first paper i took out want my landing papers then i check my pass to see the visa in there. i was happy that my sponsorship journey was over.. Before i left the Tara office i called my wife that i got the visa and landing papers.. I could hear the joy in her voice.. I told her i will call her when i get home. I cold my brother and told him that i need a ticket for Canada. Him Just ask me which date i wanted to travel so i told him that i wanted to travel on April 28 because my oldest brother was coming to Jamaica and i wanted to see him before i head off to Canada. I told my wife and she was ok with it.. So i waited for my bredda to comes and me him would leave the same day..Tragic struck in the space of time with my brother and sister father pass on so i did some run up and down for my bredda with the funeral arrangement... So my brother, mother, and sister came down from america to attend the funeral. The funeral went ok and everything back to normal now.
It was time for us to fly out now.. My mother and sister had the same flight on delta airlines. My brother was traveling on Southwest airlines and My flight was on Air Canada to Windsor Ontario. I drove to the airport to drop off the rental car before we all had to check in.. My mother and sister check in first with delta. Then it was my turn. The line was not long because there was just 2 ppl in front of me. When i got to the counter. I handed my passport to the agent and she took my passport and try to swipe it on there machine but it did not work..My brother was waiting for me and my mom and sister was there wondering what was happen. I told them that everything is fine. I said she had to type in my information by hand that why i took so long. I check one bag and use my other bag as carry on. When i pass threw the security check point, me and my brother was chit chatting for a few.. we when looking for my mother and sister and could not find them then i told him that i bet they are buying some rum to bring back up with them. Sure enough that what they did. So my brother say he not going to stay with them at all so we left them and i walk my brother to his gate which i had the latest flight boarding... Once my brother board his flight, i heading to my gate. when i reach the place have not arrived at yet. so they was saying that the ppl with carry on luggage asking them to volunteer for them to check in there luggage's which i did since it was for free and less hassle for me. I text my wife letting her know i was at the airport about to board the plane in a few.. The plane right was very smooth which i had a window seat 44k.... When the plane took off that when it really hit me that im really leaving Jamaica I try to look back to see if i could see Jamaica and it was not there at all.
I arrived in Toronto airport around 7pm... When we departed the plane and head into the terminal 1.. It was pack with ppl because 6 plane arrived at the same time but i did not wait long all to see the first border officer.. I told him i doing my landing and he just ask me if i was bringing in any alcohol or tobacco and i say i have alcohol. Him ask me how and i said 8 bottle. Then he asks if i was bringing anything at a later date and i say know.. then he stamp my passport and told me where to go.. I when to another section to do my landing and a Chinese woman was dealing with my landing and she did not ask me anything and just told me to sign 3 places on my landing papers. She just ask me how was Jamaica and me and her chit chat for about 30 mins and she was like one day she wanted to go there for her vacation. I had her laughing up a storm. Time was catching up on me because i did not want to miss my connecting flight. She ask if i wanted to get my sin number so i said yes.. She just call some one gave them my information and she personal walk me to where i go for my sin number. Then she showed me when where i pick up my luggage and i was off.. She just told me to try and get my citizenship when i qualify. I said that was my one of my goals while i live in Canada. I found where I had to catch my connecting flight to Windsor. My flight was delayed because some worker died at the airport and the had a remembrance with the person family.. Once i was on my flight to Windsor Ontario i fell asleep until i felt the plane land. I was 5 to last to get off the plane. I started to walking into the airport and i saw my lovely wife standing there waiting for me... I hug her and kiss her. When we stop i told her that im home now my wife. She said yes you are finally home now..I said let me go and collect my luggage's... We waited for about 5 mins then i so my 2 luggage's and head out of the airport. We visited her son and his baby mother before we head home. Spent about 2 hours with them and headed home...my wife drove home and i fell asleep in the car until we was home. It was 4 am when we finally got home...
Once in the house i told my wife that im tired from traveling but im not tired for you so once we got it bed it was a done deal........... Sorry for the long story but this is what i been through with from Jan. 2012 - April 2016.... So for all the newcomers on this Kingston thread... Just remember this process dont happen over night so just pray for everything to go smooth with you. Which everyone all the best.
The End!!!!!
