Our Singapore timeline Vietnamese wife

[Canadianfirst]

Retraction and correction
In the good name of the US ambassador to Vietnam it was not his name that circulated with respect to green card fraud. It was an embassy councillor arrested last Friday for bribery and conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

 

[canadavietnam]

Congratulation CanadaVietnam
I can relate to the anxiety you felt at the interview. The VO is like god looking at the evidence you supplied. Asking questions and cross checking the answers. They have both of your lives in their hands. What a process? The longest part is over and you know your wife has a visa. You can breath through your nose and let go of some of the tension caused by all the waiting.

I would like to know about the attitude or behaviour of the VO. How many observers or interviewers were there at the interview? If there was more than one VO did they switch in asking question? One VO asks a question and the other observes the body language and they switch once in a while. Were they friendly, serious throughout, accusatory,using bad tricks such leading the answer into error, etc?

- The interview is held at the Canadian Consulate near Pasteur street in HCM (not in Singapore)

- You enter there and you give to the security agent the paper form that Immigration sent you with the interview letter #2 (schedule date + time + applicant info, sponsor info) + passport of applicant and myself

- You wait until they call the applicant's name (there are a lot of people in the room and everybody is there for the interview it's like they schedule everyone on that day since a lot of "Canadian employees" are walking around for the interviews or something like that)

- They will call the applicant in room A or B or C ord D (the room is like a small room with a glass separating the agent and you and you have a small space where you can exchange things with the agent like in high secure bank type of mecanism)

- You have two persons (1 the VO from Singapore + 1 translator vietnamease provided by the consulate free of charge) . I feel that even if you only have 1 VO, the translator is somewhat also a kinda of VO since the translator also takes notes and writes stuff in an evaluation form with points 1-5 kind of sheet) I believe the translator has something to do in the evaluation also.

- Their attitude are very serious, no joking, no smiling and mostly they look you in the eyes all the time (it's like they are trained to detect if people are lying or something)

- They first ask all questions to my wife (all questions from the application form originally sent + some questions about the husband and finally random questions like what did you did yesterday) this took about 45 minutes

- They then called me and they also ask the same questions (i guess to see if I can answers the same as my wife) VO said to me: "we have some concerns about your relationship please explain - it was about age difference I am 8 years older than my wife" finally the VO asked me to talk in vietnamease and I did so since my wife cannot speak english I guess it was to see if my wife and I can communicate. This took around 30 minutes

- Finally they said "OK we are now gonna call you wife to enter here. Please stay here". My wife enters the room. I was like what's gonna happen now since they all looked serious, not really friendly actually .... and suddenly the VO said: "I have decided to accept your application! congratulationzzzz!!!" now both of the persons VO + Translator have a big smile and said to us. Next step is medical you will receive the instructions shortly. please note there is a strike going on be advise some delay may occur

Note: I asked the VO if the VO was from Singapore and the VO said yes ... I came here just for the interview and will come back to Singapore

@ CanadianFirst hope that my interview story will help you and others going throught this

Thanks

 

[Taycaoco]

Hi canadavietnam!

When you brought the certificate of no criminal record of your wife at the interview, where you have it translated into English in VN?

Thank you very much.

 

[canadavietnam]

Hi canadavietnam!

When you brought the certificate of no criminal record of your wife at the interview, where you have it translated into English in VN?

Thank you very much.

@Taycaoco : There is a notatized translation place near the Canadian consulate on Pasteur street between "Highland coffee" -> "Big park" on your left (it takes 1 day to translate + 100 000vnd per document)

 

[Taycaoco]

Thank you very much Canadavietnam!


I have other questions...

In the interview letter, they ask to submit again 5 forms with updated information... Do we have to take ID pictures again?

Thank you very much and please keep us informed of your next steps until your wife lands in Canada.

 

[canadavietnam]

Thank you very much Canadavietnam!


I have other questions...

In the interview letter, they ask to submit again 5 forms with updated information... Do we have to take ID pictures again?

Thank you very much and please keep us informed of your next steps until your wife lands in Canada.

I did not sent all the forms but only forms related to my case for example Schedule A IM5669E basically you send any forms that information are different than the original one but I believe IM5669E is a must since there is a "I swear" please sign here that VO ask us to sign at the end of the Interview

I did not take pictures ID but translated the ID card of my wife since it was only in Vietnamese.


@ Taycaoco keeps us also posted about you case for all of us and good luck for the Interview!

Thanks

 

[canadavietnam]

Hi everyone!

While posting in this forum, my wife and I received great news!
around 2-3 weeks after interview "Application Accepted" we received letter of Medical Exam and how to send passport (they said we must only send after 6 weeks of Medical Exam - I don't know if we actually need to wait 6 more weeks? any advice?).

Will keep you guys posted on any updates of our case

Thanks

 

[goodman36]

Hi everyone!

While posting in this forum, my wife and I received great news!
around 2-3 weeks after interview "Application Accepted" we received letter of Medical Exam and how to send passport (they said we must only send after 6 weeks of Medical Exam - I don't know if we actually need to wait 6 more weeks? any advice?).

Will keep you guys posted on any updates of our case

Thanks

I have the same situation. I got re-medical request and Passport sending instruction 6 weeks after doing the re-medical. I inquired about this in another thread of this forum. I was told that if the physician says that their is no problem with your (applicant) report, then you can send in the Passport after 4/5 weeks.

I have a question: When you send the Passport, they also ask for 4 passport sized photos. Can anyone say what should be the size of these photos?

 

[canadavietnam]

I have the same situation. I got re-medical request and Passport sending instruction 6 weeks after doing the re-medical. I inquired about this in another thread of this forum. I was told that if the physician says that their is no problem with your (applicant) report, then you can send in the Passport after 4/5 weeks.

I have a question: When you send the Passport, they also ask for 4 passport sized photos. Can anyone say what should be the size of these photos?

Photo size is 3.5 x 4.5 as indicated in the document I received at IOM after medical exam

 

[goodman36]

Photo size is 3.5 x 4.5 as indicated in the document I received at IOM after medical exam

Thank you very much. So, the face size should be about 30 mm , right?

 

[Canadianfirst]

@CanadaVietnam

You are 8 years older than your wife. I am 17 years older than my wife. My wife is 35 and I am 52. You said that the VO had some concerns with your age difference. Wow! Did they express what their concerns were or was it a statement to make you talk. Did you ask what their concerns were or did you just keep quiet? Please elaborate. Best wishes to you and your wife
Canadianfirst.

 

[RCVmini]

My wife did not have to do an interview. From the time CPC Mississauga recieved my corrected documents to the time she had the Visa and Passport back was about 8 months. Application papers arrived in mid-end Jun, Visa and landing papers/Passport back from SO in late Jan.

Landed in Vancouver 22 March.

@ Dragoon and @ whoever else has surpassed the average processing time of 26 months and no interview letter.
HAS ANYONE SENT A CASE SPECIFIC INQUIRY TO SINGAPORE SINCE THE STRIKE STARTED? What was the response time?

I called my MP's office to complain or vent I am not sure which. Parliament is out for the summer, The minister of immigration has been changed, The visa officers are on strike. From 18 months average processing 2 years ago to 26 + months in 2013

Does any one knows is it a Visa officers or an immigration officers that conducts the interview. I was told by my MP office that the officers that conduct the interview are sent from Canada. Less corruption I am sure. US ambassador to Vietnam got caught receiving bribes. lolol

 

[canadavietnam]

Thank you very much. So, the face size should be about 30 mm , right?

Frame Width 35 mm
Frame Height 45 mm
Max. Face Height 36 mm
Min. Face Height 31 mm

 

[canadavietnam]

@ CanadaVietnam

You are 8 years older than your wife. I am 17 years older than my wife. My wife is 35 and I am 52. You said that the VO had some concerns with your age difference. Wow! Did they express what their concerns were or was it a statement to make you talk. Did you ask what their concerns were or did you just keep quiet? Please elaborate. Best wishes to you and your wife
Canadianfirst.

VO simply asked me to elaborate on the fact that I am 8 years older than my wife because VO said that age difference can be sometimes a problem in a relationship between two person. (I kept quiet all the time and just answer what they are asking I think this is way to go - we don't want to piss off the VO at this point)


Personal interview tips: We went there very relaxed and prepared mentally and have all papers, evidence ready which they looked at it for about 5 long minutes. We said to each other before going into the room ... we will simply tell the truth no manners what question asked. I don't know if the fact that I was with my wife at the interview helped ? I believe so.


Personal interview comments: my interview experience was very formal and organized meaning that I feel that they did not asked us random questions but they have already prepared a list of questions for us and needed us to answer those particular questions.

At the end of interview, if VO say something like "I have decided to accept your application, congratulationzzz" and next step is medical exam (Well you know that you have PASSED)

If VO say something like "We will send you shortly information on this application WITHOUT mentioning the Medical step (This probably mean that you have been REFUSED which was the case of my wife's friend)



just sharing my thought here since other members here have helped me to be prepared for the interview I would like to take this time to thanks those members and do the same for other members

Thanks

 

[Dragoon]

@ Dragoon and @ whoever else has surpassed the average processing time of 26 months and no interview letter.
HAS ANYONE SENT A CASE SPECIFIC INQUIRY TO SINGAPORE SINCE THE STRIKE STARTED? What was the response time?

I called my MP's office to complain or vent I am not sure which. Parliament is out for the summer, The minister of immigration has been changed, The visa officers are on strike. From 18 months average processing 2 years ago to 26 + months in 2013

Does any one knows is it a Visa officers or an immigration officers that conducts the interview. I was told by my MP office that the officers that conduct the interview are sent from Canada. Less corruption I am sure. US ambassador to Vietnam got caught receiving bribes. lolol

I have not sent a case specific inquiry as I actually contacted my MP and his assistant is doing it on my behalf. I have however sent additional supporting documents (western union money transfer, more phone logs, plane tickets and pictures taken etc.). I contacted my MP last week for an update and the assistant said they are effected by the strike, so no reply yet.

Also, it would be great if it was someone from Canada doing the interview, but I do not believe that is the case as canadavietnam mentioned they are from Singapore? The VO who did my assessment is very unprofessional and dare I say racist? or is it prejudice?