same sex marriage for spousal sponsorship

[febgrl05]

Hello!

I just wanna ask if anyone here has experienced spousal sponsorship for same sex marriage and got successful? Me and my partner got married in Canada last February 14, 2013 (I applied for TRV and got it) and we're now in the process of filling our application. We actually hired a lawyer in Canada to do everything since we have no idea how these whole thing works. And now, I went back to Manila this April because that was the advised of our lawyer. She said that the processing time would be shorter if we applied it outside Canada.

Is anyone here has the same experience as mine? I would really appreciate it...Thanks

 

[jenny12345]

You could have stayed in Canada and have an open work permit in 6 months. Same sex and opposite sex is treated equally by CIC. Inland seems to be faster than outland now based from the recent decisions made.(Manila office). If you married in Canada, it would have been more realistic that you stayed with your partner and applied sponsorship .. but anyway, thats just my opinion. Good luck with your application.

 

[jenny12345]

Your lawyer should have informed you as well that you could have stayed in Canada while doing an outland application, you just had to renew your trv.

 

[febgrl05]

Thanks! But, is there any chance of getting our application denied? We have all the proofs of our relationship for the past 5 years. I heard that the timeline for Manila is 12 months? Could it be less than 12 months? I already had my medical in Canada before I left. And the doctor already sent it to Ottawa.

 

[jenny12345]

You'll be fine. don't worry too much and hopefully it will take less than 12 months..Good luck!

 

[febgrl05]

Yeah, she did inform us about all those stuffs. But still, we opted to follow her advise and go back to Manila and wait for my visa because of the shorter timeline of applying it outside Canada.

 

[Iay]

Yeah, she did inform us about all those stuffs. But still, we opted to follow her advise and go back to Manila and wait for my visa because of the shorter timeline of applying it outside Canada.

You could've done outland app while you're still in Canada then just extend your TRV.
On the other hand, if you do inland application, it might be longer but at least you can get an implied status right after sponsorship approval and an open work permit after 6 or 8 months. That way, you did not have to away from your partner.

 

[febgrl05]

You could've done outland app while you're still in Canada then just extend your TRV.
On the other hand, if you do inland application, it might be longer but at least you can get an implied status right after sponsorship approval and an open work permit after 6 or 8 months. That way, you did not have to away from your partner.

Hello! We were also informed about that. We decided that I should go back to Manila coz that was the advise of our lawyer...and also, I need to fix some urgent documents here. Thank you!

 

[Rob_TO]

Hello! We were also informed about that. We decided that I should go back to Manila coz that was the advise of our lawyer...and also, I need to fix some urgent documents here. Thank you!

So your lawyer told you that you should physically go back to Manila during processing of an outland app, and it would be faster that way?? Of course it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever where you are actually living, be it in Canada or Manila, while doing an outland application. The only thing with being in Canada is you would need to apply for new TRV after the current one is up, and if you couldn't get new one THEN you would need to leave the country.

Sorry to say but what you were told sounds like completely wrong and bad advice, and I would seriously question if your lawyer actually knows much about immigration.

Also the same-sex applications are treated the same way as opposite-sex ones. All the same proofs are required, so in the end it will simply depend on your proofs and convincing the VO that you are in a genuine relationship. The successful approval rate through Manila office for spouse/partner category, is around 94%... so there is reason to be optimistic at your chances.

 

[Andym]

Others can provide you with advice about your sponsorship application and there does seem to be a wealth of information here. However, I felt I needed to post because of an unpleasant comment made previously.

Congratulations on your marriage! I hope the process moves swiftly for you.

 

[cempjwi]

Hello! We were also informed about that. We decided that I should go back to Manila coz that was the advise of our lawyer...and also, I need to fix some urgent documents here. Thank you!

I am not sure why a lawyer would advise you to leave Canada. That was the worst advice ever. You could have extended your visit and stay with your partner all along. Many couples stay together in Canada while the process is completed outland and while the applicant (you) is just a visitor. Lawyers seldom complicate things and make communication with CIC unbearable.

We are a same-sex couple as well, and we live together and while we do not live currently in Canada, we do not feel that if we had been there we had to separate. In any case, we had to prove that our relationship was ongoing after we sent our application as we had married 4 months before we applied. You will probably be asked for the same, so keep call and chat logs, etc. Everything has gone well, and we only are waiting for an extension on the medical certificate.

 

[febgrl05]

Thank you guys for all your feedbacks...I really appreciate it! Please keep it coming...Bless you all and Goodluck to all of us!