Somebody, please help, I'm at the end of my rope!

[zimbub]

I have been away from my loved ones for a year now, my kids are traumatized by the broken-ness in the family, and....well, I just want to get through this process as fast as I can, but I am not even sure if we can, as we are so unsure with the questions we have.
I am Canadian, trying to sponsor my mexican husband who lives in mexico.

My husbands first application was denied, (visitor) because of our relationship, they thought he would not leave the country.
Ok, fair enough, we now are trying for a permanant resident visa.

I noticed that he made errors on the first application pertaining to past jobs, and dates etc.
He had written down his jobs, but missed some “in-between”

Now in our new application, he has remembered these jobs, and included them, so the list and dates are completely different than before., and in a different order.
We are concerned about whether they will see this as a “mis-representation” as the info doesn't match the first application.

And is there anything we can do to prevent it? Would writing a note draw their attention to it, when they might not otherwise even notice? Maybe they don't even compare the two applications, and that would just be creating a problem.

Oy vey!

We have been having little fights lately cause of all the stress. But our love is too strong to give up!
I just feel so tired of being seperated from half my family at every moment, and feel guilt when I have to leave my kids with my ex, in order to travel. I wish for this nightmare to be over.

Since I am here I should ask the other questions I have, and I hope there is someone out there who has a big heart and knows the system enough to help me out.......

Ok, my other questions are: (starting with the hardest for me)

1. On Question #3 of the IMM0008, it asked how many family members are included in the application.
He put 2, because in my sponsorship evaluation (IMM5481), number 7 “seems” to say we are both in the application. (It says we are both included in this “undertaking”) Ok I realize undertaking may be a different thing.......however, I thought I saw somewhere that I am included in the application........but I forget, and if I did, I forget where that was.
So we put “2” people, but when we got to the part in his application (IMM0008) where it asked about dependants, we deleted that section, as he has none, and I was advised that I , his wife, am not to be in the dependants, as I am a Canadian citizen and his sponsor.
Ok so to summarize, we included me in the application, but we deleted dependants section.
Well, when he went to validate it on the computer, it did not like it. It said something didnt' match about the family members, and when we changed family members in the application to only “1” it worked fine.
It appears that the family members must be in sync with the dependants. But now the question is, am I “NOT” supposed to be included in his application then? Where can I read about this in the visa guide?

2. This last question is pretty straightforward........maybe a stupid question but hey if I dont ask it, I'll feel more stupid....there are some places that you cannot type “n/a” on the online form. It simply wont let you. Like in the date boxes. Will it be sent back for not having “n/a” in those empty spaces? Are we supposed to print it out and write n/a in pen?

3. On IMM0008, he tried to say “n/a” in the address box given for “p.o box” as he has no p.o box.
But it interpreted the “n/a” to be a PO box number, and said something was wrong, so we left it blank. This happened also with “phone number extension” and fax number too I believe.
What are we supposed to do, as we read that you cant leave anything blank.
And the blank areas are NOT greyed out like in some areas, where it automatically greys out what is not required to be typed – but NOT IN THESE! They are simply “blank”.

4. Is it ok to have blanks in areas that have typing, for example, in a section or box, he has typed his answer, but there are more “rows” incase he has more info. But he doesn't, so does he need to put n/a there too? Or leave it blank, as he made an answer on the first row?
I know how tedious my questions sound, but the rules are pretty meticulous and I'd rather be safe than sorry!

5. Lastly, about military service...............every 17 year old boy in mexico is expected to enter a “raffle” where, if they are chosen, they must do one year of community service for the military. It may be planting trees, or cleaning the street for an hour a week for a year. The boy has to pick a ball out of a lottery box, which determines his fate. My husband picked a ball that freed him from service.
Therefore, he does not think this section applys to him, and more so, he said he thinks that the community service the boys do, is not the kind of “military service” that the application is asking about. But that part he is not 100% sure about.
But in any case, is he not applicable to this section, since he was freed from doing the service?

Well thanks in advance, I sure appreciate all the help and support I see people are giving each other on here. I hope to someday help someone in my situation too, especially someone with kids, who get hurt the most from these situations.

 

[Ponga]

Wow...I thought my situation was stressful, but you've made me realize just how lucky I am. I wish you all the best in your journey.


You WILL find the answers that you need here, since there are soooooo many kind people that really know what they're talking about.

 

[DuberBlue]

Hi zimbub,

I will answer in pieces, so that I don't lose my train of thought too much...I will help you as best as I can but please don't take everything I say as gospel because everyone's situation is different.

I want to address this comment first:

Now in our new application, he has remembered these jobs, and included them, so the list and dates are completely different than before., and in a different order.
We are concerned about whether they will see this as a “mis-representation” as the info doesn't match the first application.

I don't believe it quite works this way....this is a NEW PR application. It is not connected to any previous visitor application. He may have been denied a TRV or whatever specific document he was trying to get at the time, but, they way I am reading it, he has not been denied a PR status simply because he hasn't applied for one yet. Now there MAY be a place where it is asked if your husband has ever been denied a TRV, but without all the forms in front of me I am honestly not sure.

The short version is: be 100% honest in the PR application, but don't fret if the info does not match up to something you may have put in a previous non-PR application.

 

[DuberBlue]

Ok, let's work our way through your question #1:

1. On Question #3 of the IMM0008, it asked how many family members are included in the application.
He put 2, because in my sponsorship evaluation (IMM5481), number 7 “seems” to say we are both in the application. (It says we are both included in this “undertaking”) Ok I realize undertaking may be a different thing.......however, I thought I saw somewhere that I am included in the application........but I forget, and if I did, I forget where that was.
So we put “2” people, but when we got to the part in his application (IMM0008) where it asked about dependants, we deleted that section, as he has none, and I was advised that I , his wife, am not to be in the dependants, as I am a Canadian citizen and his sponsor.
Ok so to summarize, we included me in the application, but we deleted dependants section.
Well, when he went to validate it on the computer, it did not like it. It said something didnt' match about the family members, and when we changed family members in the application to only “1” it worked fine.
It appears that the family members must be in sync with the dependants. But now the question is, am I “NOT” supposed to be included in his application then? Where can I read about this in the visa guide?

For question #3 on the IMM 0008 form, the correct answer would be 1, NOT 2, if he is the ONLY person that is applying. YOu do not include yourself because you are the sponsor. You ARE included (by default) in the IMM 5481 form because the "undertaking" consists of you, as a sponsor, and him, as an applicant.

It's a little bit unclear, from what I read in your first post, as to what the situation is with your kids...are they here with you in Canada? Are they his kids? Are the kids Canadian citizens? I know these sound like personal questions but I'm just trying to gauge if they have any bearing on how he is supposed to fill out his part of the forms.

 

[DuberBlue]

2. This last question is pretty straightforward........maybe a stupid question but hey if I dont ask it, I'll feel more stupid....there are some places that you cannot type “n/a” on the online form. It simply wont let you. Like in the date boxes. Will it be sent back for not having “n/a” in those empty spaces? Are we supposed to print it out and write n/a in pen?

3. On IMM0008, he tried to say “n/a” in the address box given for “p.o box” as he has no p.o box.
But it interpreted the “n/a” to be a PO box number, and said something was wrong, so we left it blank. This happened also with “phone number extension” and fax number too I believe.
What are we supposed to do, as we read that you cant leave anything blank.
And the blank areas are NOT greyed out like in some areas, where it automatically greys out what is not required to be typed – but NOT IN THESE! They are simply “blank”.

For things like date fields, if for some reason you do not have a date to enter (because the situation does not apply to you) then I believe you just leave it blank. But make sure you review the question and ensure that that is the case.

For the PO box number I also believe you would just leave it blank...I'm guessing there is nothing in the logic on the form that will determine that a PO Box should be omitted for any reason, so just leave it blank. If something gets greyed out it is because anything entered there would be directly contradictory to something else that was previously entered.

Hope that made sense

 

[DuberBlue]

I wish to add to my previous comment...

If you are using Adobe Reader to fill out the IMM 0008 form, there's a very cool button you probably noticed, called "Validate"...clicking that actually causes the form to check whether it has been filled out correctly...and it highlights boxes that MUST contain a response.

The Street name, City/Town, and Country in the Contact Information are all mandatory fields. The PO Box isn't

I think, more important than "do not leave anything blank", which is a bit misleading because of course there will be some blank fields in the document, would be "do not skip any question".

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hello, and welcome

My husbands first application was denied, (visitor) because of our relationship, they thought he would not leave the country.
Ok, fair enough, we now are trying for a permanant resident visa.

This is pretty typical since you live in Canada he has ties to Canada and thus it is perceived to be more likely that he'll decide to stay in Canada than someone who has no ties to Canada

I noticed that he made errors on the first application pertaining to past jobs, and dates etc.
He had written down his jobs, but missed some “in-between”

Now in our new application, he has remembered these jobs, and included them, so the list and dates are completely different than before., and in a different order.
We are concerned about whether they will see this as a “mis-representation” as the info doesn't match the first application.

And is there anything we can do to prevent it? Would writing a note draw their attention to it, when they might not otherwise even notice? Maybe they don't even compare the two applications, and that would just be creating a problem.

You're doing the right thing in including the jobs he has remembered. You want to be upfront and honest in the application. If they have questions, they will ask.

Oy vey!

We have been having little fights lately cause of all the stress. But our love is too strong to give up!
I just feel so tired of being seperated from half my family at every moment, and feel guilt when I have to leave my kids with my ex, in order to travel. I wish for this nightmare to be over.

Since I am here I should ask the other questions I have, and I hope there is someone out there who has a big heart and knows the system enough to help me out.......

Take a deep breath. Lots of people have made it through this. You will too

Ok, my other questions are: (starting with the hardest for me)

1. On Question #3 of the IMM0008, it asked how many family members are included in the application.
He put 2, because in my sponsorship evaluation (IMM5481), number 7 “seems” to say we are both in the application. (It says we are both included in this “undertaking”) Ok I realize undertaking may be a different thing.......however, I thought I saw somewhere that I am included in the application........but I forget, and if I did, I forget where that was.
So we put “2” people, but when we got to the part in his application (IMM0008) where it asked about dependants, we deleted that section, as he has none, and I was advised that I , his wife, am not to be in the dependants, as I am a Canadian citizen and his sponsor.
Ok so to summarize, we included me in the application, but we deleted dependants section.
Well, when he went to validate it on the computer, it did not like it. It said something didnt' match about the family members, and when we changed family members in the application to only “1” it worked fine.
It appears that the family members must be in sync with the dependants. But now the question is, am I “NOT” supposed to be included in his application then? Where can I read about this in the visa guide?

For IMM008, 1 applicant is correct (assuming he has no children). You are already Canadian so you are not included as an applicant in his application for PR status (Part 2 of the application) as a dependent. Only he and his children would be applicants (or potential applicants).

2. This last question is pretty straightforward........maybe a stupid question but hey if I dont ask it, I'll feel more stupid....there are some places that you cannot type “n/a” on the online form. It simply wont let you. Like in the date boxes. Will it be sent back for not having “n/a” in those empty spaces? Are we supposed to print it out and write n/a in pen?

For family class applications, they don't typically send them back for not having n/a's (unlike economic class applicants where they have been known to send them back). I would write n/a in pen for the peace of mind it will provide. Similar idea to writing in "present' instead of a specific date in some forms for people who choose to do that (others just put the date they mail the application but I find that's harder since you can't necessarily accurately predict that date upfront).

3. On IMM0008, he tried to say “n/a” in the address box given for “p.o box” as he has no p.o box.
But it interpreted the “n/a” to be a PO box number, and said something was wrong, so we left it blank. This happened also with “phone number extension” and fax number too I believe.
What are we supposed to do, as we read that you cant leave anything blank.
And the blank areas are NOT greyed out like in some areas, where it automatically greys out what is not required to be typed – but NOT IN THESE! They are simply “blank”.

Leave them blank and add in n/a by hand after you print them. The validated forms speed things up but different versions end up with quirks like the missing greying out. It doesn't really matter - if they scan the barcode, it will be blank. If they look at the form, they'll see you didn't ignore the question and gloss over it when they see the "n/a"

4. Is it ok to have blanks in areas that have typing, for example, in a section or box, he has typed his answer, but there are more “rows” incase he has more info. But he doesn't, so does he need to put n/a there too? Or leave it blank, as he made an answer on the first row?
I know how tedious my questions sound, but the rules are pretty meticulous and I'd rather be safe than sorry!

I know of people that have left it blank and others who put in n/a's. However, as above, it won't hurt to put in n/a's there and if it gives you peace of mind do it. The waiting process will be stressful enough without second guessing these things.

5. Lastly, about military service...............every 17 year old boy in mexico is expected to enter a “raffle” where, if they are chosen, they must do one year of community service for the military. It may be planting trees, or cleaning the street for an hour a week for a year. The boy has to pick a ball out of a lottery box, which determines his fate. My husband picked a ball that freed him from service.
Therefore, he does not think this section applys to him, and more so, he said he thinks that the community service the boys do, is not the kind of “military service” that the application is asking about. But that part he is not 100% sure about.
But in any case, is he not applicable to this section, since he was freed from doing the service?

If he got the black ball, then he did not do military service. Make sure he has his 'cartilla liberada' available since he'll need it when he applies for the Mexican Police Certificate at the PGR and the Embassy may also ask for it during the application process.

Well thanks in advance, I sure appreciate all the help and support I see people are giving each other on here. I hope to someday help someone in my situation too, especially someone with kids, who get hurt the most from these situations.

Good luck with your application. It seems you are paying attention to all the details, which is good, so keep on asking if you have questions.



ETA - DuberBlue: just saw your responses which posted while I was typing ... took me a bit to make it through all of them in one post =)

 

[DuberBlue]

OhCanadiana has everything else wrapped up pretty nicely, so I won't add any more to the thread.

 

[Ms Malawi]

Now in our new application, he has remembered these jobs, and included them, so the list and dates are completely different than before., and in a different order.
We are concerned about whether they will see this as a “mis-representation” as the info doesn't match the first application.

And is there anything we can do to prevent it? Would writing a note draw their attention to it, when they might not otherwise even notice? Maybe they don't even compare the two applications, and that would just be creating a problem.

In regards to a previous rejected TRV, they do keep them on file and can refer back to them. We had questions at our interview regarding information on a TRV that did not match the Questionnaire. Just be aware of the discrepancies and if CIC finds them and asks questions be honest. We get older and we forget details, but when we remember just be honest, mistakes happen. You could also send a CSE if you are worried.