**OUTLAND Application - Living abroad QUESTION**

[glak1234]

I am so grateful that this forum exists, or else I would have lost my mind trying to figure everything out by myself! Phewww
You guys are awesome, I learned to much on this forum and I'm still learning!

So I just want to see if I am on the right track here. If you guys could help me that would be amazing!
I am a Canadian citizen (since 1997) and my husband currently lives in Serbia, we got married Janurary 2011 but have been together since July 2009 but had mutual friends since 2007. We started working on our application in February 2011 collecting all necessary documents needed. In the next 2 months I plan to work to save up money, and go to Serbia around May/June 2011 to be with him and mail our application Outland. I am a Canadian citizen and would have to prove that my husband and I would move back to Canada as soon as the PR is granted. I am just wondering if anyone else did outland applications on here, and if you could suggest some documents to me that would help in proving that we would move back, or just help us in general. We really do plan to move back, we just want to be together while waiting for the application to be processed. I have heard about the letter from my parents stating we will reside with them when we return until we find our own place/settle in (would also include their income statements, letters from work etc), I would also have an admissions letter from a college I will be attending next fall as well. We also have phone bills. pictures, wedding certificate, pictures from the ceremony etc all as supporting documents of our relationship. We plan to submit the application from Serbia. I was told by the immigration office in my city that this was possible. My only question still is, while I'm living there, and as soon as I get there we plan to mail in the application, do they need some kind of proof of address or anything, for example do I need to be living there 6 months prior to the application being sent or something? Or can they just see that by my passport stamp? (I have a LOT of stamps from the many times I have visited him throughout the time period of us being together) or could I just write a letter saying I currently live with my husband and his parents at this and this address??

Thanks so much in advance! I hope I can get some assistance here, I am way to excited about this!

 

[glak1234]

Anyone know anything that could help me pleaseeee?

I have to bump this thread up it's going down the list with no reply yet

 

[deepiv]

i wish i stayed with my husband and applied from india with him..... then it wouldnt matter to me how long it toook as long as it was processing

 

[Leon]

You do not have to show proof of returning unless you "reside exclusively outside Canada" and you even have to prove that you are. It doesn't seem to me like you are since you are only going there to stay during his processing.

You can see this at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3900E.pdf on page 8 under "Who can sponsor?"

 

[cleo]

Where are you living now? Do you have a permanent residence in Canada and a job? You need to prove that you are able to sponsor him when he comes to Canada.

My husband is Serbian and I live here in Canada (I'm Canadian). We sent our application to Missasauga in February 2011. my sponsorship application was approved and now his part of the application is being processed through Vienna. We just followed exactly what it said in the instructions and things seem to be going smoothly. If you are living in Serbia with him, then I'm not really sure what you need to do.

 

[krofnica]

We also applied outland. We're both Serbian but I live in Canada and my husband is waiting for his PR in Serbia. We met here and got married here, but he was here on a visitor visa. We decided to get married and apply outland as everyone said outland was a faster process. I'm a Canadian Citizen and have my life here, so I couldn't got back to Serbia and wait for the PR with him. We thought it would be fast so it wasn't a problem. My sponsorship was approved fast back in Nov of 2008. In dec 2009, the file was transferred to Vienna. He still doesn't have his PR...we're still waiting. I don't mean to scare you but our application is now in year 3...CRAZZZYYY. He was stuck in background checks for 2 yrs. He attended the initial interview plus most recently a security interview. Every case is different. My husband has a clean record, but he attended the Army for a year as all Serb men must do. Problem is this was during the war between Serbia and Croatia. Even though he was only 17 and was never involved in the war, this raised all kinds of security checks.
But yes, you need to provide proof of your relationship. More is always better. We provided...pictures from dating, wedding, honeymoon, trips, make sure you have pics with each others families. Also phone bills, skype records, facebook, msn..etc.. showing proof that you have been in touch. It wouldn't heart to show that you are going to be living with him while in Serbia.
Anything you have from the relationship included in the app.
My husband was called for an interview to see if marriage was real...and they asked all kinds of detailed questions which are not a problem if the relationship is genuine. So after the interview and the proof we provided the validity of the relationship was never in question anymore. However, background checks took long and we got screwed hopefully we will have a decision shortly. This is what they advised us in February. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I think that your husband will probably be called for an interview as well, just because you lived far apart and they might want to question the relationship. Like I said that won't be a problem.
Hopefully your hubby doesn't have any involvement with the army/military and any association with the wars.
Usually ppl get their PR through Vienna within a year or even faster so hopefully you will be one of those lucky ones.

 

[glak1234]

Leon, I'm not sure what your statement meant exactly can you elaborate? I read the site I saw what it said, and it says that I need evidence that I will come back to Canada after he gets his PR. I talked to women who helped people process applications at the immigration office in my city, and they told me that I can live there and apply outland with no problems as long as I can prove to them that we will be back in Canada as soon as he has his PR..
I was there last summer for 3 months living with him, and I am doing the same this summer.. as I do during the winter as well.. Only this time we will be applying for his PR and sponsorship from Serbia that way we can be together while waiting, I didn't mean I would only be there because of the processing time.. I have lots and lots of stamps in my passport that can show this...

Cleo, I live in Canada now (will leave to live in Serbia in May/June) and I'm a Canadian citizen not a permanent resident.. I also have a job and live with my parents.. They support me in that way as well, I don't have my own place but will have one when my husband and I settle in after he is here..(they will provide a letter stating so) With outland applications (living outside Canada) you don't have to prove that your income is high enough to sponsor, you can provide them with information if you do have income though..but you do have to prove that you will come back to Canada with your spouse when they are granted the PR, and show them your plan of establishing a life here (ie. work letter, letter of acceptance from school etc.) anything that will help.. I visited my local immigration office and thats what they told me to do..just as the website says.. They told me that the stamps in my passport will be proof of my residency and that theres really no way for someone to prove they live in a different country unless they change their status in that country from what I know and have heard..

Krofnica, thats terrible I feel so bad for you having to wait so long, I hate that this procedure is so complicated for people who actually want to be with their loved ones, because of people who want to get into the country by sham marriage.. Hopefully you will get an answer back soon and won't have to wait any longer! My husband was in the army in 2008, for 6 months mandatory service though.. I am praying that they don't elongate this just because of that.. Keep me updated with your situation I'm really curious as to what they will say to you.. sending positive energy your way!
As for the interview, thats completely fine if they call us in for one, anything to show them that this is real and that our relationship is genuine is good with me!

 

[krofnica]

I'm sure you guys will be fine. Keep me posted as well. I like to know whats happening with other apps gives me hope.
The 6 month army thing is fine because it was recent and nothing bad was happening in the country. My husband unfortunetelly was caught in a bad time. Good luck to both of u.

 

[glak1234]

I'll definitely keep you updated , and thanks all the best to you as well! Yes nothing was happening during that time no wars or anything, it was only mandatory service in Belgrade and he was a corporal.. I hope its fine!

What about you, did you order CAIPS notes at all to see what is happening so far??

 

[cleo]

My husband was also in the army during the war . But he was stationed in an airplane hanger for 3 months and all they did was play cards. (He said it was incredibly boring...but I'm so glad that's all he did.) He's already been to Canada on a visitor visa and that military background check was done and cleared. It took 2 weeks though to clear it. They've already checked that, why check it again? (I'm sure they will though). Well, whatever the outcome, we won't give up. Each day we say, "One day closer".

Krofnica, where did your husband have his interview? Belgrade?

 

[krofnica]

Yup...a couple of times. I am supposed to get new CAIPS notes probably next week.
Basically said what we already knew...Background checks pending.
However now the background checks are complete, and we are just waiting for a decision.
It's easier now bcs we know that the BG checks are done. What was hard is when we didn't hear anything from them between Feb'09 and Oct'10. We just kept waiting and they kept saying 'still waiting on completion of BG checks'.
Apparently there are 2 types of BG checks...the fast ones and the slow ones we got lucky and got the slow one hahah
He was put through what they call a National Background check which takes a long time, however only a small amount of apps go through that. Like I said...lucky us.
Caips notes are ok but really you don't find out more info than what you already know.
The only thing that I saw was their comment that they don't question the validity of our marriage.
Why are you waiting to apply? If you have the docs ready send it in right away. By the time it goes to Vienna, you will probably be there. You can always submit more proof directly to Vienna. I guess I wouldn't have the patience to wait like you

 

[krofnica]

Cleo....
My husband was here before on a visitor visa with no problems as well, but for the PR it went differently.
He had his initial interview in Belgrade. The VO in Belgrade was the one who declared that our relationship was genuine, but she's also the one who ordered these 'National background checks'. My husband as well was not involved in the war. He was only 17, and he was a driver. His responsibly was to evacuate women and children if needed. Didn't even have a weapon.
We did find out the reason why these checks were initiated...apparently one of his Commanding Officers or someone like that was being wanted as a war criminal, so they wanted to see if my husband had any involvement....funny thing is my husband has never even met this man.
Anyhow, after the background checks were completed, he was called for a 2nd interview in Vienna. He attended on Feb 9th. They basically asked him the same questions as before in regards to the military. He was told at the interview that he will have his decision shortly.
Still waiting
I laugh bcs I have never heard that anyone has gonne thought this before through Vienna. But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. We're not giving up. So when did your file get transferred to Vienna?

 

[glak1234]

Krof, You have been waiting this long, you deifnitely have patience too! Hopefully they tell you soon! that is just brutal..
And with my luck, I'm going to run into something like that too, but I will always be optimistic!

I just want to make sure I get everything right, I'm waiting mostly taking it easy and getting everything together because I'm scared I will mess something up, and I don't want them mailing me for more documents or something like that.. As for not sending it yet, since I want to send it outland I have to send it from Serbia, so I'm most likely gonna be doing that right away after I get there I guess when we've got everything ready..


Stay positive!

I also read that a lot of applications from vienna are being transfered to Belgrade, I guess its easier for them to conduct interviews that way and for people to bring in additional documents with their passports.. I'm assuming that is why? plus I think that they can do background checks faster

 

[cleo]

It was transferred a couple of weeks ago. My sponsorship application was approved really quickly.

My husband has a clean record too and luckily his commanding officers were clean too. That's who they really check out. We know that now. When he had the visitor visa interview in Belgrade the visa officer was really tough on him. But he knows her now and he's prepared for her hard-line questioning if that's who he gets again.

Well, good luck to you. I hope our application won't take as long. It says 9 months on the website. I can't imagine the strength and patience you have to persevere through this.

 

[krofnica]

You're right. Vienna did transfer his file to Belgrade right away. His interview was there.
This past October they sent the file back to Vienna and he went to Vienna for the 2nd interview. Weird.

You can actually apply Outland from here.
The app is considered outland since your husband is living in another country. It doesn't really matter if you're here or there. The app goes to CIC mississauga 1st anyhow. It would be inland if he was waiting for pr here in Canada.
We applied outland and I'm still here. But it's good that u're getting everything ready, like you said you don't want to waste time.

Cleo...I think it's the same mean b...ch that does the interviews Everyone has complained about her. However the VO in Vienna was much nicer. Keep us posted and good luck