Need your valuable input please!how to prepare for interview?any experience wit

[Mehwish9]

Hi Everyone,
Finally I got a letter (pink in colour,does it mean something?)from local CIC office(Calgary) describing an interview in second week of March(after 2 and half years of looooooooooongggg wait)
Background:
I have applied in August2008,Medical done in Feb2009,file transferred to local CIC Calgary office in March2009(actually it got missed for 9 months and arrived in office in Dec.2009due to their (Vegerville)own mistake),they sent a letter in Dec2009,that I may wait till August2001 for my file to be processed.Meanwhile I had 2 kids-one 2 years old and the other 2 months old now.we are married and are a genuine couple.but I think they might have doubts about the marraige(may be,as usual).we are living together since day 1 of our marraige,so how come we prove it,as we dont need to sent email,letter to each other etc.

they asked to bring a list of things include proof of living arrangements,joint bank account,credit card statements, childern birth certificate etc etc.
so I was just wondering whether you could kindly share your experience with me.

Those who have experience with CIC Calgary office may kindly share their experience too.
thanks in advance.

 

[waitingintz]

I don't have experience with this but it seems to be a common mistake among married couples to think that a marraige certificate will be enough to prove the relationship. Many couples tend to include less other proof of the relationship and then are caught off guard when immigration has doubts and wants more evidence. I don't know if there is any particular reason why your marraige would raise red flags but even if there isn't, the burden is on you to prove the relationship is genuine.

Don't take for granted that you have a marraige certificate and therefore will be approved. Look at it from the immigration officer's perspective: they have never met you, they review dozens of applications a day and they know for a fact that a percentage of those people are lying about their relationships.

I live with my common-law partner but we have records of cell phone bills with our phone numbers on it (we included three months from different points in the relationship), we included all the proof of cohabitation (lease agreement, letters to both of us at that address), cards from family addressed to both of us, statements from friends and family, bank account info, etc, etc.

Go as overboard with documentation as you possible can because this is your chance to prove yourself. Having applied inland, you do not have an option to appeal so throw everything you have at this interview. Do a search on this forum for interview questions... some people have posted good lists of the kinds of questions they ask.