Length of relationship advisable before sponsoring Thai spouse

[Rob_TO]

If we apply in Singapour, I still hope it will take lest than a few years, because at some point we want to begin our life in Canada.

Its a bit of a gamble. With inland, you pretty much know what you're getting into and the times don't waver much. But with outland, there are tons of factors that could affect your time, so you could get way quicker or way slower than the posted times. In our case, our visa office showed an 11 month time on website, but we were processed in only 2 months. Times are all over the place for outland so you just need to expect the posted time... but be very happy if you get quicker.

I think that, although the relationship is young, my future wife is a good candidate : education, language skills, working experience... I know that for a sponsorship the genuineness of the relationship is the most important criterion, but the quality of the candidate probably counts too, no?

There is nothing in the actual operation manuals or instructions the VOs are following when assessing applicants, that says they should give preference to applicants with better education or work experience. However to me at least, if i'm a VO i would see relationships where the applicant already has a well-paying job and good lifestyle in their current country, as less of a threat to be a fraudulent relationship.
You can read more about the criteria the VOs go through when reviewing your application here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

 

[AnaMaria]

Its a bit of a gamble. With inland, you pretty much know what you're getting into and the times don't waver much. But with outland, there are tons of factors that could affect your time, so you could get way quicker or way slower than the posted times. In our case, our visa office showed an 11 month time on website, but we were processed in only 2 months. Times are all over the place for outland so you just need to expect the posted time... but be very happy if you get quicker.

And quicker VOs are subject to being closed, Tokyo and now Seoul

If OP is able to work in Thailand, I would go for outland application. Someone like her, with a good job and young enough to be eager for working, not being able to work for 6 months may be depressing, on top of bearing living expense. Just another consideration...

 

[Rob_TO]

And quicker VOs are subject to being closed, Tokyo and now Seoul

Wow that's interesting. I have a Korean friend here that is just finishing up all the paperwork for her spousal application and was expecting a quick turnaround time from Seoul office. Now it looks like its going through Manila office. Manila seems pretty quick as well... but i guess we'll see after they add all the extra workload from these newly closed offices!

 

[canadianwoman]

... the sponsorship application, which we would send to Singapour Canada Immigration Office.

You don't send the application to Singapore. You send it to Mississauga, which will approve the sponsor and then send everything to Singapore.

... for the immigration officers, could a seven or eight months relationship (the time we get married, our relationship will be older!) seems too short? Could it play against us? Should we be better waiting a few months more?

The shorter the relationship, the worse it looks. I'd wait at least a few more months. On the plus side, you are living together, which is very good proof the relationship is real.

Here's some details about the candidate... Thai, 30 years old, master degree in business, have been working as a manager in a good company for five years (and still is), very good salary in Thai standarts, speaks English and German fluently.

It shouldn't matter, but it does. An applicant who seems able to get a job in Canada and will have an easier time fitting in will make things easier. One thing you should include in the application is your plan for your lives together in Canada (since you are sponsoring while living abroad, you will have to include something like this anyway.) So you can talk about what kind of job she will be looking for, showing that she has good work experience and can speak English fluently.

What do you think the chances of success would be? Thanks.

It should be fine. Unless there are some red flags: a huge age difference, any other big differences in background between the sponsor and applicant, etc.
You're lucky in one respect: you're trying to figure out what to do before getting married, so you have a great opportunity to gather the kinds of evidence CIC wants.

 

[maikan]

at the risk of stating some obvious things.....

make sure you have already started collecting evidence of your relationship being real. examples:
- photos of the two of you together (not just wedding) at a variety of activities over a period of time
- if you are living together now do any of your bills (rent? utilities? transportation?) have both of your names on them?
- movie ticket, dinner receipts, other paperwork one could collect from events/places a couple would go to
- living together or not if you have emails you could copy/paste your emails into a word document (including time stamps and to/from lines), then when time comes to submit your application you simply print the document.
- what said above for emails could be used for Text messages and/or chat sessions (ie: Yahoo messenger)
- we also typed out a short (bullet form) and long description of our relationship timeline and details (including such information as when we went and did certain activies and when we met each others' family and friends)

bottom line is start collecting paperwork now to show evidence of the relationship. I am sure some will disagree with me but our application package included 700+ pictures, 500 pages of email, 450 pages of yahoo chats, and scanned/printed copies of any tickets/receipts supporting our relationship. Was this overkill? maybe but the website says 31 months for part 2 of Nairobi processing time and we were just asked for her passport after less than 3 months so I think we did some things right.

Thanks you for your time.

I'm familiar with these requirements already, but it's a good reminder. Specially things like cinema tickets, etc., I forgot to keep them, from now on I won't forget.

I'm starting collecting stuff, don't know if my file will me Moby Dick sized as yours though!

 

[maikan]

Thanks a lot for your answers everybody. It helps me a lot.

I think everyone agrees that waiting a little bit longer would be better. If we process the application outland, we'll make a compromise : maybe not one year relationship, but 9 or 10 months. If we apply form inland, then it's not really a problem anymore, because we'd move to Canada next summer, at this time our relationship will be one year old already.

But inland application is more complex. My fiancee would have to ask for a tourist visa, stating that she will return to Thailand at the end of visa validity. And then, if it works, once she's in Canada, we get married and start the process. The fact that she won't be able to work for a while is, indeed, a concern. And I heard that if something goes wrong with the inland application (if they need an interview or something), then it can be extremely long, longer than Singapour (plus, inland there's no appeal to a refusal).

That is said, I'm sure that if we make things very seriously, there will be no refusal. There's no big age difference between us, I'm only three years older than she is. Background is similar : she has a master, I hold a doctorate, for instance.

We moved in a new apartment in Thailand last month, and this time we both signed the lease, and kept it.

My only hesitation is about inland versus outland, and I know there's no easy answer to this.

 

[Steph C]

Thanks a lot for your answers everybody. It helps me a lot.

I think everyone agrees that waiting a little bit longer would be better. If we process the application outland, we'll make a compromise : maybe not one year relationship, but 9 or 10 months. If we apply form inland, then it's not really a problem anymore, because we'd move to Canada next summer, at this time our relationship will be one year old already.

But inland application is more complex. My fiancee would have to ask for a tourist visa, stating that she will return to Thailand at the end of visa validity. And then, if it works, once she's in Canada, we get married and start the process. The fact that she won't be able to work for a while is, indeed, a concern. And I heard that if something goes wrong with the inland application (if they need an interview or something), then it can be extremely long, longer than Singapour (plus, inland there's no appeal to a refusal).

That is said, I'm sure that if we make things very seriously, there will be no refusal. There's no big age difference between us, I'm only three years older than she is. Background is similar : she has a master, I hold a doctorate, for instance.

We moved in a new apartment in Thailand last month, and this time we both signed the lease, and kept it.

My only hesitation is about inland versus outland, and I know there's no easy answer to this.

You guys have a lot of good points going for you. Such as, you met in real life, and have a few months courtship and a natural progression to living together. Same age and education background is a huge plus!
Hang around here for awhile, and get together the best application you can. While putting together the application a few months will pass and you will have more time behind you as a couple.
Nobody should judge you for dating a Thai girl.. we're all in similar positions. If so they will have me to deal with 8)

Oh, and I wouldn't count on inland. Why don't you try to get her a visitor's visa now, to see if it's even possible. If she's gainfully employed and upper middle class, with some property or assets it may be a possibility. A lot of people have trouble getting visitors visas, no matter how easy it seems.

 

[BradThaiPim]

Thanks for all the posts. Planning on getting married to my Thai girlfriend in Thailand, having her apply for TRV to go to Canada and trying the inbound spousal route. Legal marriage will happen in Canada (if she gets the tourist visa). We won't tell the officials about our marriage for the TRV visa. I don't have any money, so can my parents sponsor her for the TRV? I am thinking she will say her intent is to come visit me in Canada and stay with me at my parents' house.

 

[steerpike]

How is her english? She can study english on a visitor visa, so I would add that in your tourist visa that she is planning to study english and maybe even enroll her in an english language school (if you can afford it). And if they ask you about marriage, just be coy and say you havent decided yet (people from visa exempt countries can openly state they plan to get married, but from non-visa exempt countries its risky). You will have to buy her a return ticket and meet all of the qualifications for the TRV. She doesn't really need a "sponsor" for a TRV, just a letter of recommendation helps and yes it can be anyone, it doesn't have to be you.

 

[BradThaiPim]

Thanks for the advice! We are trying to get the visa without enrolling in a school. We'll see what happens soon enough...

 

[angryrectangle]

Hello!

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding anything here, or repeating. I only skimmed through the replies!

If you're planning on staying in Thailand, I think a short courtship won't be so bad. You'll be living together overseas, and that should look good for your application.

I married my husband after 6 months of meeting him/us being together. However, we stayed living together in his home country for 2 years after we got married, and before applying for residency. Either way, I would assume that you two living together during this process should go to show the relationship is genuine.

Good luck with everything!

 

[angryrectangle]

My question is not : "Is it a good idea to marry a Thai girl?" I know many people have an opinion about it, I don't need to ear it. My question rather is : for the immigration officers, could a seven or eight months relationship (the time we get married, our relationship will be older!) seems too short? Could it play against us? Should we be better waiting a few months more? (Once again, remember I'm not asking for a life coach advise, but for an administrative one).

Also, I know what you mean with this! When I announced my plans to marry my foreign man, plenty of members of my own family started voicing their opinions about it.. to my face, and behind my back! This kind of commentary is hurtful and frustrating. I hope y'all brush it off and enjoy a long happy married life together (if anything, just to spite those people! Haha)

 

[Gumper]

I know that for a sponsorship the genuineness of the relationship is the most important criterion, but the quality of the candidate probably counts too, no?

Je suis d'accord. Of course that's taken into consideration, and looks like a point in your favour. Bonne chance!