Port of Spain Office, Trinidad and Tobago

[renluv]

Welcome renluv and good for you to be courageous ;D!! We are happy that you are "unlurking" and now posting! It sounds as though you are very well prepared and the fact that you lived with your husband in Trinidad and have 2 children together sounds like a very straightforward application. I do not think you have anything to worry about. The only things that usually cause delays are removal orders, criminal records, needing police clearances from living and working in other countries, things like that. If you and your husband have none of those I would think you could have a very fast application process. Just make sure you organize your package well and sign all of the forms. I also recommend paying the fees upfront if possible as that will also help to speed up the processing. You can search this forum as well for advice I believe another member posted a list somewhere of helpful hints to putting together the application. Blessings.

Thanks so much cdnandtrini for your reply two years ago when I first started doing research I stumbled upon this site. Ive read some of the stories which always made me happy with their happy ending. Now that im close to starting the process I am glad there is a place with helpful people who been through the same thing to share my experience. Those things you mention that cause delays dont apply to us, as we both have no kind of criminal record and he has lived and worked his whole life in Trinidad. One question though my passport would show that I have been living here in Trinidad I even had it renewed at the embassy here so would I provide photocopies from pages of the old one as well as the new? Remember I am not in canada yet but I will be by next month hopefully and from there i would file my application

 

[CdnandTrini]

Thanks so much cdnandtrini for your reply two years ago when I first started doing research I stumbled upon this site. Ive read some of the stories which always made me happy with their happy ending. Now that im close to starting the process I am glad there is a place with helpful people who been through the same thing to share my experience. Those things you mention that cause delays dont apply to us, as we both have no kind of criminal record and he has lived and worked his whole life in Trinidad. One question though my passport would show that I have been living here in Trinidad I even had it renewed at the embassy here so would I provide photocopies from pages of the old one as well as the new? Remember I am not in canada yet but I will be by next month hopefully and from there i would file my application

You are most welcome my dear . I would say yes to include copies of both passports just in case. Also I suggest you write a cover letter of sorts explaining the progression of your relationship with all of the key dates and the thinking behind the decision-making of choices, such as you living with him in Trinidad. Pretty much like what you wrote in your first post but a bit more formal. Then you can just tie in all of your evidence and photos in chronological order. I believe the kids need passports as well. Have you got those yet? The other thing is if your parents will be supporting you both when he first arrives in Canada you may need to include evidence of their financial ability to do so. It would be great if he was able to set up an employment offer for when he lands. This is rare but if your parents and you have a network of people, colleagues, acquaintances it never hurts to put it out there. Make sure hubby gets good employment references for when he comes as well.

Also has hubby ever been to Canada or traveled outside of Trini? If not, you need to be aware that if he wants to apply for a travel visa while you are in Canada, he may get refused if he has no previous travel history. This is one of the most irritating things about immigration is that people are supposed to be able to visit their loved one while a sponsorship application is in process (dual intent) but certainly on our thread and the Jamaican thread 99% of our foreign spouses get refused travel visas. All of this is simply to say that you may want to try and submit for him to get a TRV before you leave and/or make sure you have a contingency plan in place to travel back to see him while your application is in process. The POS office has been moving swiftly lately but that can change and we all know how hard it is to be away from our spouses, especially with young kids, for months and months. So start saving your pennies!!! Well nickels now I guess seeing as we no longer are using pennies .

Feel free to post your questions here and other members will also chime in with great advice and support. Blessings.

 

[CdnandTrini]

Hi natlewis13, do you want me to add your details to the spreadsheet? I tried to PM you but your inbox says it is full. If you can send me the date your app was filed, then transferred to POS (usually your sponsor approval date) if you received an AOR from POS, then in process date on ecas, interview waived, PPR, I can fill in the details.

It really helps all of us, especially the newbies to have as much data as possible in each year so we can see trends. We gotta pay it forward for all of our forum friends !! Blessings.

 

[Kadi27]

Hey TriniFam;

Wow! All hail to POS for continuing to reunite families in record breaking timelines.

Congrats to all PPRs; landing and PP returns.

Can-Vinc; stay positive; am praying for you hun.

Welcome newbies; and all the best on your journey. You will find lots of info on the forum and one of your forum mom C&T is quite helpful; so harass her with all your questions

Stay blessed everyone!

 

[renluv]

You are most welcome my dear . I would say yes to include copies of both passports just in case. Also I suggest you write a cover letter of sorts explaining the progression of your relationship with all of the key dates and the thinking behind the decision-making of choices, such as you living with him in Trinidad. Pretty much like what you wrote in your first post but a bit more formal. Then you can just tie in all of your evidence and photos in chronological order. I believe the kids need passports as well. Have you got those yet? The other thing is if your parents will be supporting you both when he first arrives in Canada you may need to include evidence of their financial ability to do so. It would be great if he was able to set up an employment offer for when he lands. This is rare but if your parents and you have a network of people, colleagues, acquaintances it never hurts to put it out there. Make sure hubby gets good employment references for when he comes as well.

Also has hubby ever been to Canada or traveled outside of Trini? If not, you need to be aware that if he wants to apply for a travel visa while you are in Canada, he may get refused if he has no previous travel history. This is one of the most irritating things about immigration is that people are supposed to be able to visit their loved one while a sponsorship application is in process (dual intent) but certainly on our thread and the Jamaican thread 99% of our foreign spouses get refused travel visas. All of this is simply to say that you may want to try and submit for him to get a TRV before you leave and/or make sure you have a contingency plan in place to travel back to see him while your application is in process. The POS office has been moving swiftly lately but that can change and we all know how hard it is to be away from our spouses, especially with young kids, for months and months. So start saving your pennies!!! Well nickels now I guess seeing as we no longer are using pennies .

Feel free to post your questions here and other members will also chime in with great advice and support. Blessings.

Thanks. Im a bit obsessed with making sure I get all the details right. I have been working on the timeline tying in photos and will do the cover letter as well. Both my kids have their canadian passports as they have been to Canada once before. Im well aware of the refusal rate for trv as my hubby was denied a trv in 2012 which is why he didnt accompany us on our trip. That was heattbreaking for me as I had to attend my cousin's wedding without him. Going through the forms in background information I see that I have too chech that he was refused a trv once before. So jus to double check, in the box that says explain he would just say he applied to attend a wedding with me but was denied due to the vo belief that he wouldn't leave at the end of his stay. Correct? Do you think that would cause any delay or red flag in his application? I have pictures with me at the wedding with my kids should I include them also and say this was from our trip to canada which he couldn't come with us. As for job offers I have relatives who know people that would provide him with a letter saying they would hire him. And us for my parents support wud proof be just letters or bank statements as well?

Thanks so much btw you have been really helpful

 

[CdnandTrini]

Hey TriniFam;

Wow! All hail to POS for continuing to reunite families in record breaking timelines.

Congrats to all PPRs; landing and PP returns.

Can-Vinc; stay positive; am praying for you hun.

Welcome newbies; and all the best on your journey. You will find lots of info on the forum and one of your forum mom C&T is quite helpful; so harass her with all your questions

Stay blessed everyone!

Big hugs to you Kadi and thanks for stopping by :-*. Our thread is not as active as yours so sometimes we need the company . Blessings my dear.

 

[CdnandTrini]

Thanks. Im a bit obsessed with making sure I get all the details right. I have been working on the timeline tying in photos and will do the cover letter as well. Both my kids have their canadian passports as they have been to Canada once before. Im well aware of the refusal rate for trv as my hubby was denied a trv in 2012 which is why he didnt accompany us on our trip. That was heattbreaking for me as I had to attend my cousin's wedding without him. Going through the forms in background information I see that I have too chech that he was refused a trv once before. So jus to double check, in the box that says explain he would just say he applied to attend a wedding with me but was denied due to the vo belief that he wouldn't leave at the end of his stay. Correct? Do you think that would cause any delay or red flag in his application? I have pictures with me at the wedding with my kids should I include them also and say this was from our trip to canada which he couldn't come with us. As for job offers I have relatives who know people that would provide him with a letter saying they would hire him. And us for my parents support wud proof be just letters or bank statements as well?

Thanks so much btw you have been really helpful

Hi renluv, I am smiling at your "obsession" we have all been there!!! And during the wait we all seem to stay there, it is hard!! You are most welcome, I do not know what I would have done without some of the people here on the forum who advised and encouraged me and kept me sane.

I believe I may be the TRV queen , we were refused 4 times, hubby and I had to do the long distance thing for over 6 years actually. So to answer you question it is NOT seen as a red flag (although there are some other folks on other threads who will say it is), immigration expects that there will be some attempts between spouses to visit each other. I know this from my own GCMS notes that talk about our sincere attempts to be together. So for sure, show the pics of you and the kids at the wedding and just tell the truth, hubby was denied TRV. it will not have any negative impact on your file. As for your parents, the more proof the better. A letter from them, if they are willing to provide bank statements or notice of assessments from Canada Revenue, whatever will provide the evidence to back up your claim. A letter of job offer for hubby cannot hurt, they may think "oh any friend of the family could do that" as it will not be an official labour market document, but it certainly will not hurt.

The one thing that I have learned about this process which was a very hard pill for me to swallow as I have always been a proud and patriotic Canadian with much love and gratitude for my country - is that immigration sees each file as guilty until proven innocent. Unfortunate but true. There is a couple from our POS thread who had been married for some time with 2 kids and they were allowed TRVs and travelled back and forth between Trini and Canada and the wife (applicant) was STILL called for an interview !!!! They were approved, but those things just make me shake my head in disbelief at where our taxpayer dollars are going. My rant of the day. Not trying to scare you (I am sure you folks will get approved) it's just that sometimes the way the VO's do things does not always make sense. Blessings.

 

[oneandonly]

Hello everyone, vets and newbies, yes I have finally updated the spreadsheet!!!! So please have a look and let me know if I am missing anyone or any details. Please feel free to let me know here or PM me if you see any errors.

Mizzdanish, Faith25, melferr, LouisFam, childofGod, Emma88, brit. samavril, you all got updated!! Waiting for MsRuby and needhimback to finish and submit their apps and a few folks if you are still out there.....LONELYGIRL and blessedone1, stop in and say hello and give an update! Gigi, keep us posted on your appeal.

Hello to everyone and Can-Vinc hang in there, you will hear something soon :-* Blessings to all and our lovely persevering JA ladies.

Last but not least - Dadzin are you out there? Did you folks finally come back to Canada and land? Hope the famzin are all well . Millslu's - still around? Miss D or "Dr. Miss D" :-*???? Sending love and prayers for health and prosperity.

p.s. for those of you who like the post landing details - hubby rec'd his PR card in the mail on Fri. Feb. 14th 2014 (Valentine's Day) and he landed Dec. 14th 2013 so his card arrived 2 months from the day he landed.

CONGRATS C&T on the arrival of your PR card valentines day was a special day for a few of us.

 

[renluv]

Hi renluv, I am smiling at your "obsession" we have all been there!!! And during the wait we all seem to stay there, it is hard!! You are most welcome, I do not know what I would have done without some of the people here on the forum who advised and encouraged me and kept me sane.

I believe I may be the TRV queen , we were refused 4 times, hubby and I had to do the long distance thing for over 6 years actually. So to answer you question it is NOT seen as a red flag (although there are some other folks on other threads who will say it is), immigration expects that there will be some attempts between spouses to visit each other. I know this from my own GCMS notes that talk about our sincere attempts to be together. So for sure, show the pics of you and the kids at the wedding and just tell the truth, hubby was denied TRV. it will not have any negative impact on your file. As for your parents, the more proof the better. A letter from them, if they are willing to provide bank statements or notice of assessments from Canada Revenue, whatever will provide the evidence to back up your claim. A letter of job offer for hubby cannot hurt, they may think "oh any friend of the family could do that" as it will not be an official labour market document, but it certainly will not hurt.

The one thing that I have learned about this process which was a very hard pill for me to swallow as I have always been a proud and patriotic Canadian with much love and gratitude for my country - is that immigration sees each file as guilty until proven innocent. Unfortunate but true. There is a couple from our POS thread who had been married for some time with 2 kids and they were allowed TRVs and travelled back and forth between Trini and Canada and the wife (applicant) was STILL called for an interview !!!! They were approved, but those things just make me shake my head in disbelief at where our taxpayer dollars are going. My rant of the day. Not trying to scare you (I am sure you folks will get approved) it's just that sometimes the way the VO's do things does not always make sense. Blessings.

Thanks again for your advice and confidence. Every little bit helps. I think the hardest part of sponsorship is being apart. Its unfortunate the way visa officers view cases. Its tough enough being far away and having to fight to prove your love on top of that. I understand its to combat fraud but it sucks. My husband applied for his police certificate which he will hve in 2 weeks and his medical is scheduled also. As soon as we apply im sure I'll be living on this forum.

 

[CdnandTrini]

CONGRATS C&T on the arrival of your PR card valentines day was a special day for a few of us.

Hello Lovely O&O, how are you and hubby doing -speaking of Valentine's celebrations ? I will pop over to your thread to see if you have posted any updates there. I hope you are both settling well, it takes some time especially once the "honeymoon" is over but it eventually you find a rhythm as a couple. For most of us the challenge is living together for the first time!! Can I get a witness anyone ?? Blessings.

 

[Relica]

http://imgur.com/YN0tOtU
Cant believe it, my application status just turned to decision made this morning, im so excited.
Now to wait for the tracking for the package to get updated!!

 

[CdnandTrini]

Thanks again for your advice and confidence. Every little bit helps. I think the hardest part of sponsorship is being apart. Its unfortunate the way visa officers view cases. Its tough enough being far away and having to fight to prove your love on top of that. I understand its to combat fraud but it sucks. My husband applied for his police certificate which he will hve in 2 weeks and his medical is scheduled also. As soon as we apply im sure I'll be living on this forum.

Yes it is very hard to be apart, mostly because of the uncertainty of not knowing for how long and not hearing status updates very often from the VO. It is very difficult to make life decisions when your life is in a weird kind of limbo waiting on someone you have never met or likely will meet, deciding your future. An unusual type of cruelty in my opinion for something (love!!) that is usually celebrated. The interesting thing (as far as I know and have read) is that CIC does not even keep stats on fraud, not do they have the staffing to enforce actions when it is reported to them. It just seems that when a case or a collection of cases hits the media, it provides the party in power at the time justification to restrict (or further restrict) the already inefficient process. Then CIC says "see we are protecting Canadians" Jason Kenney's (former immigration minister) famous line.

This forum has been a Godsend to many people for information, encouragement and a valve to blow off steam I am happy you have found it and seem to be applying at a time when the POS office seems to have gotten their act together. Blessings.

 

[CdnandTrini]

http://imgur.com/YN0tOtU
Cant believe it, my application status just turned to decision made this morning, im so excited.
Now to wait for the tracking for the package to get updated!!

Relica CONGRATS!!!!! You must be thrilled .......keep an eye out for that package. If you read back on a few other members posts you may be able to get an idea of how long it takes to get the passport back. When do you plan on coming back to Canada? Blessings.

See Can-Vinc - POS is still working!! Please send Can-Vinc's hubby his PPR ASAP!!! :-*

 

[blessedone1]

Hi everyone . Congratulations to everyone and their updates. Sorry to say I have none but I notice that medical result received on my ecas and it was never there before. Does that mean that I have an interview since they never wrote in process? Im clueless here.

 

[oneandonly]

http://imgur.com/YN0tOtU
Cant believe it, my application status just turned to decision made this morning, im so excited.
Now to wait for the tracking for the package to get updated!!

Who hoo congrats