Please advise! (Hong Kong applicant)

[CherPare]

Hi there all!

I have many concerns after coming to this forum as I sent the application in December using only the resources of a local multicultural society aiding us in the application process.

They actually told my husband and I that our 'marriage would speak for itself'. REALLY. I didn't listen to that and sent at least 10 pages of pictures and letters from friends and family anyways.

However, now I'm worried that we didn't send enough proof. D:

If anyone could please take the time to share their knowledge with me, I'd be forever grateful!

Background information: My husband is a Hong Kong citizen, we met 4 years ago and were married last January. We have lived together for 3 years and he obtained his degree here.

The received our application in December 2013.

My concerns are;

-Would you say we have enough proof?

1. Letter form the owner of the house we live in (Rent-free)
2. Letters from friends and family
3. Telephone records and a bill (I pay for his phone)
4. About 10 pages of photographs taken over the span of our relationship

-What are these GMS notes and when should I start requesting them?

-We are still young (23 and 27), so we do not own anything together and I am still in school. I'm concerned that they will think I am not 'responsible' enough to take on this type of thing. Has anyone heard of this type of discrimination?

-And last thing! (SORRY)... has anyone sponsored someone from Hong Kong? (A man from HK??!!)

So sorry for all the gibberish. I am very nervous about this whole process and just wanted to see what people thought! I am so sick to my stomach worried that something will go wrong (As I am very sure I am pregnant) and he will be rejected.

 

[CutiePie92]

You don't have any red flags in my opinion - small age gap, 3-year relationship before marrying.. i would say you sent enough. even if they'll ask for an interview to see more proof, i don't see how you can get denied.. you have applied inland though, right? HK has a very fast processing time, i think in like 7-8 months you would've been done (if you applied outland). but the other side of the coin is that HK has a high reject rate as well. but anyway... honestly i don't think you'll get denied.

GCMS notes are notes written by several visa officers about your application - it allows you to see what a VO may think. you'll see stuff such as "medicals passed" , they check your background to make sure you're not criminally inadmissible etc. same with the assessment of your relationship - they'll go through all the proofs you sent them and make notes about them. if you would've applied outland, you could've requested them already, but you applied inland, right? (not sure). if i'm correct, you'll have to still wait a lot for passing step 1 of an inland application (sponsor's assessment - 11 months).

we are young too (23 and 21), we don't own anything either, stop worrying about it, they don't "discriminate" because of this

CherPare, try to relax since this won't do you any good.

 

[CherPare]

You don't have any red flags in my opinion - small age gap, 3-year relationship before marrying.. i would say you sent enough. even if they'll ask for an interview to see more proof, i don't see how you can get denied.. you have applied inland though, right? HK has a very fast processing time, i think in like 7-8 months you would've been done (if you applied outland). but the other side of the coin is that HK has a high reject rate as well. but anyway... honestly i don't think you'll get denied.

GCMS notes are notes written by several visa officers about your application - it allows you to see what a VO may think. you'll see stuff such as "medicals passed" , they check your background to make sure you're not criminally inadmissible etc. same with the assessment of your relationship - they'll go through all the proofs you sent them and make notes about them. if you would've applied outland, you could've requested them already, but you applied inland, right? (not sure). if i'm correct, you'll have to still wait a lot for passing step 1 of an inland application (sponsor's assessment - 11 months).

we are young too (23 and 21), we don't own anything either, stop worrying about it, they don't "discriminate" because of this

CherPare, try to relax since this won't do you any good.

Oh that's good news, thank you! Ah, that's true. We did consider that. We're applying inland. I really didn't want to be away from him while it got processed.

Whew!! So, I need to wait until the first step is done? I can do that. I just wasn't sure if I should be ordering them regularly or what. Thank you!

Good news! I was worried since I've had people tell me getting married so young is a 'crazy idea'. : Haha, that's great.

Thanks for your expertise!

 

[CutiePie92]

haha don't worry, we've had people telling us we're crazy too but then again, there were also people telling us we'll cheat on each other / the relationship will break because of the distance etc.. well we're still standing. distance doesn't matter so much when you have such a strong connection (even if it's horrible to stay separated as newlyweds, but oh well.. )

well honestly i'm not sure about the inland process. and sorry - step 1 is assessment of the sponsor AND the sponsored person too (11 months). i'm not sure how the inland process goes. did you receive an AOR (acknoledgement of receipt) ? i guess you could request GCMS notes then. we're doing the outland process so i'm not such a conaisseur. well you can order them as much as you want (it will take 30 days to get them though).

well i get it that you want to be together during the process. i wish i had that privilege too

EDIT: maybe join this thread for inland apps 2013? i'm sure they can explain it better than me: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t129064.0.html

 

[CherPare]

Hahaha, some people didn't have the luck to find their soulmates at a young age! They just don't get us. ... Woooow. It always shocks me what people will say about others. In a way, I guess it's good. Feels so much better when you prove 'em wrong.

Ohhhhh, I see! I did recieve AOR. We're just waiting for them to get to the next step. (Right now it just says 'application received'.

! I'm sorry you don't get to be with your partner while waiting. It'll be that much more awesome when you get approved and you get to see each other again! Good luck with everything!

Ohhhh, awesome! Thanks for showing me. (Still new to the forum, learning my way around. Haha)

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Oh that's good news, thank you! Ah, that's true. We did consider that. We're applying inland. I really didn't want to be away from him while it got processed.

Sorry to say you've received some wrong information. There is no reason you would have had to be separated if you applied outland. He could have remained in Canada the entire time. And Hong Kong is one of the fastest offices there is.

 

[truesmile]

Just to say, I agree with a previous post. "You sent enough proof."

And for being in the same position you are in now, we're GLAD we didn't find this forum prior to submitting our application. Back when our application was active, there were forum members sending in 7lb boxes of crap (errr very valuable and insightful proof). Had us worried for a few days.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

there were forum members sending in 7lb boxes of crap (errr very valuable and insightful proof)

Yes, some people go a little (or a lot) overboard. I've seen 2 different posters recently whose GCMS notes showed CIC shredded the majority of their emails/chats/etc.