Kingston,Jamaica

[lonely_wife]

Oh charlie... i didnt know you were in the states before... I know HWT, i thought hwt was only stores and bus depot lol i didnt know there was places to live in that area lol... learn something new everyday lol... hubby lives in duhaney park....

 

[CharlieD10]

LOL, yes, there are places around HWT to live. I used to live near to Duhaney Park, then we moved over here where I am closer to work and don't need to take the bus.

I went to live with my grandmother for a while when I was 18. My parents were getting divorced and my mother wanted me out of the house and away from the issues. I stayed with her until I was almost 20, then came back home.

 

[lonely_wife]

I guess its better for you for sure for work.... oh kk sorry I guess I assumed you never been in the cold... I guess I thought that because my husband never travelled out the caribbeans... anyways I'm running out now for a few hours I got a class at 6pm and I have to pick up a friend on my way to class.. talk to you guys later ;D

 

[soanxiouswifey]

CONGRATS NAE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

I just love it when i hear updates....

looks like kgn working from early this month!

 

[soanxiouswifey]

Thanks Charlie. I hope soon

Glo - I check the POS thread every so often, not a whole lot happening over there, not for confused anyways. Honeybird did get her PPR, though, that was the only activity I saw on there recently.

Missing and anxious...many prayers going up on your behalf ladies! Time for some movement for you.

KG...hear me nuh man...NEXT!!!

Speaking of next...Nae needs a replacement to keep the updates already Volunteers?? ???

 

[canuck0469]

She's making way for you and missin soanx. We are praying for you both as you waited long enough. Praying for everyone of course but you guys are gonna become grannies soon, haha

 

[soanxiouswifey]

thank you canuck....i am really fed up of waiting right now. with kgn u never know they so unpredictable

KG, we need the call for soanxious and missin, please and thank you

 

[RandysGirl]

Congrats nae, that is awsome news.
Wow I thought I was north (Collingwood) but Sudbury and Elliot Lake are the real north for sure!!! At least there are some Caribe type shops in Barrie to get a small taste of Jam. I worry sometimes that my town is too remote and he will feel islolated here, but at least there is Georgian Bay that might as well be an ocean!!!

Just curious as I look at peoples timelines, what seems to be the sifference between someone who gets through the process in 4 months versus someone that takes 12 months or more?



Im new please be gentle if this has been asked before... :-[

 

[CharlieD10]

It depends, RG...sometimes, if there are children involved, a timeline can be longer. Also, there might have been past relationships, there might be requests for additional information and original documents, or even something like not paying the RPRF upfront can lengthen a process.

Also, don't forget we are dealing with Jamaica here, . Of the 21 Immigration staff at KG, I think only about half a dozen are actually Canadians, who may or may not work with a "soon come" attitude that we know to be typical of some Jamaican workers. Whatever the priorities of CIC, if the workload is heavy enough and the priorities of the IOs do not correspond with the "family reunification" intentions of CIC, we the applicants and our sponsors are the ones who get the short end of the stick.

Since their audit, though, I see where KG has improved, and what we know to be relatively straightforward cases are again being completed within a more reasonable timeframe. I don't think, though, that we will ever improve to the point where we see timelines like some I have seen on the US and UK threads (one lucky UK applicant was done in just under 3 months, including the time to assess the sponsor!).

Since background checks are part of the process, and Jamaica does not have the Intelligence Services of the UK or US, I think this is something else that complicates the process for us. It's not like CSIS can send a request for a background check to the equivalent of the FBI or Home Office, we don't have anything like that, so they have to do old-fashioned paper chases to ensure we are who we say we are, that the police certificates we have submitted accurately reflect the correct applicant, all of that. And trust me when I tell you, we are behind the times when it comes to the technological capabilities of our security forces.

So, it's a lot of things, and each case is very individual, as individual as the two people (or more) involved in the application. Some of it is luck, some of it is because of where we are and who we have to deal with as Jamaicans, some of it is who we are as people and how we have prepared our applications.

Hope some of that makes sense.

 

[RandysGirl]

Thanks alot, I am praying that we have a straightforward application. I paid all the fees upfront, madical and police records chack done, LOTS of relationship proof (ie lease agreement, we travelled together, letters from friends and family .....) so it goes. I also have used an immigration specialist to cross the ts and dot the i"s.... Still waiting to hear from the CIC, soon tho mabe next week.

 

[CharlieD10]

RG - yes, you should be hearing from them soon, you are right within the time frame to be advised soon that your application has been approved. I would say by next Friday, if not before.

 

[SmoothiesQueen]

Hello all

I'm excited to say that we are finally starting the process. I've lived a few years in Jamaica with my husband....and ran a business and worked and all that fun stuff...we we are hoping to start trying to expand our family soon and we realize that Jamaica is in an unpredictable state...more than usual...and the economy is not good...not that it has been for a long time. So we think that its time to go to Canada..knowing someday we will return to Jamaica. But maybe not till kids are teenagers....and our house is fully built and we have things to come back to that are I guess more stable. Or maybe it won't be till we retire...who knows.

I have to admit...it's heartbreaking to leave the island. My husband is a born and raised Jamaican. I was born and raised Canadian although one of my grandparents is a born and raised Jamaican. This island...no matter how bad it can be at times...takes a hold on your heart...and leaving it kinda feels like I'm gonna get something amputated from my body. It will be left here in Jamaica...if that makes sense.

But this is the best thing for our family....and it is exciting!!!

I'm just hoping we arn't one of those two year applications!!!

We are just in the baby stage...getting passports and papers in order...and filling out the applications. Kinda scary....no very scary...very exciting...and kinda nervewracking!!

I'm sure you guys will hear plenty from me over the next while!!

 

[RandysGirl]

That would be awsome! as far as the antiquity of things in Jamaica, I remeber standing in a long ass line in Sav one day at Scotiabank when it dawned on me that they do not use computers like Scotia here, they use filing cabinets!!!! oh well fingers crossed.

 

[RandysGirl]

Aww Smoothyqueen, I know how you feel, its a love/hate/love thing for me. I too lived in Jamaica with my husband. Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I left in October, it kills me not to be there but things are out of hand especially since May. Just this morning 2 men were shot around the corner of our yard by police....

The immigration process is not fun, kinda like living in limbo, but seeing others conquer it and the happy endings here make it bearable.

 

[CharlieD10]

RG - Don't get me started. Just tonight hubby and I were discussing some financial matters, and he was telling me the only thing he went into the bank for was to deposit money, everything else he needs to do can be done online, including apply for a loan. I was shocked. Going into a bank is the despair of my day, much less into a government office.

SmoothiesQueen - Jamaica calls to its children, no matter how long ago the link was made or broken, for that matter. I am only leaving because of my husband, never thought I would see the day, but "where he goes, I will go, where he lives, I will live" to paraphrase Ruth, so here I am.

The process can be nerve-wracking, but remember, everyone here is in the same boat, there are no foolish questions, and we do our best to help and encourage.