Sponsoring husband from Morocco

[rjessome]

Everyone who applies for permanent residence to Canada is subject to background/security checks. Depending on what shows up, these can be quick or quite intensive. If his name and date of birth are common and show up on some watchlist they can take longer to investigate. However, the VO would have no way of knowing if his name showed up or not unless CSIS has let them know more screening must be done but I'm not sure that they do this as it is extremely confidential. If he was a member of or associated with a group they have on a list, this can increase the time as well. I wonder if they haven't requested his checks yet and that's why they are giving him those timelines? Anyway, if everything comes back fine, it could be a lot faster than they mentioned. But you don't talk about the Q&A portion which is where a refusal or approval is mostly like to come from.

Order your CAIPS/GCMS notes. http://immipedia.ca/Ordering_FOSS_and_CAIPS_notes

 

[Habibti]

Everyone who applies for permanent residence to Canada is subject to background/security checks. Depending on what shows up, these can be quick or quite intensive. If his name and date of birth are common and show up on some watchlist they can take longer to investigate. However, the VO would have no way of knowing if his name showed up or not unless CSIS has let them know more screening must be done but I'm not sure that they do this as it is extremely confidential. If he was a member of or associated with a group they have on a list, this can increase the time as well. I wonder if they haven't requested his checks yet and that's why they are giving him those timelines? Anyway, if everything comes back fine, it could be a lot faster than they mentioned. But you don't talk about the Q&A portion which is where a refusal or approval is mostly like to come from.

Order your CAIPS/GCMS notes. http://immipedia.ca/Ordering_FOSS_and_CAIPS_notes

Thank you for your reply. But I don't understand why they did not do these background/security checks BEFORE the interview! They should have done them first and then have the interview. It makes sense to me. Why wait more months again? And sorry.... I don't understand what you meant in your last sentence: "But you don't talk about....."

 

[rjessome]

Thank you for your reply. But I don't understand why they did not do these background/security checks BEFORE the interview! They should have done them first and then have the interview. It makes sense to me. Why wait more months again? And sorry.... I don't understand what you meant in your last sentence: "But you don't talk about....."

I meant questions and answers about your relationship. What did they ask him about? What were his answers?

They are supposed to start the checks upon receipt of the file. But maybe they didn't. It's happened before. Or perhaps the checks have not been completed.

 

[ddobro2]

Sorry to hear that you feel down about this, but you have to have faith. They gave your husband two options, but didn't say what the likelihood of either one would be, right? I also would like to know about the actual part of the interview that dealt with his admissability on the grounds of being a member of the family class. When during the 40-min sit down did they start talking about security? I can understand the confusion about why they would want to start a security check *after* they conduct an interview and not have it done before (although I'm not sure it was a good idea to laugh at an interviewing IO), but as I've seen others write on this forum, sometimes a VO wants to verify that a person is admissable on genuineness of relationship grounds before they clear the way to investigate their admissability on security grounds. The thing is, every VO deals with things differently. I had called the Call Centre for my own case and brought this up, and I was told these visa offices are in different countries, so they process differently based on different laws.

Anyway, I don't know if you got GCMS and FOSS notes before the interview (which would have been a good idea), you need to order/re-order those now. On the form, ask for both the GCMS and FOSS notes because you want to see notes to your file both at the VO and whatever exists within Canada.

From my understanding, a criminality check and a security check are two different things, so in addition to an RCMP screening, CIC will have the Canadian Security Intelligence Service do its own screening. They started to do a "front-end screening" that happened at the beginning recently, but I'm not sure if they reserved that only for refugee applicants or not.

CIC itself states that, "Security screening procedures identify persons seeking admission who are, or have been, involved in espionage, subversion or terrorism, organized crime, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Note that a security screening clearance does not mean applicants do not have a criminal record." Perhaps your husband was or is in some way affiliated with a religious or political group/individual that would lead CIC to investigate further. I don't know, and please don't be offended by my speculating. What I do think is weird is that they said that the security check will take 4 to 6 months but that if he's accepted he'll know in 2, seemingly before the full investigation is over.

Just my .002, and again, I'm sorry this did not go smoothly enough for you.

I just talked to my husband on the phone. He just had interview at the visa office of Rabat.

I think we will be refused. I feel just like crying. The interview lasted 40 minutes and the officers did not want our emails or pictures even though my husband wanted to give them.

They told him they must do a criminal investigation, something about security. My husband laughed at that as he did nothing wrong and he told them. They said the investigation will take 4 to 6 months.

They told him that there are 2 possibilities. He might get a refusal letter in 2 months or a acceptance letter in 4 to 6 months. The husband whose wife is also in Canada who passed an interview before my husband was told there are 99% chances he will get his visa.

Even though I feel quite low and depressed, my husband said he has a good feeling. He answered very well the questions.

Since when they mention a criminal investigation in an interview??? What do you think? Is it normal procedures?

 

[rjessome]

Anyway, I don't know if you got GCMS and FOSS notes before the interview (which would have been a good idea), you need to order/re-order those now. On the form, ask for both the GCMS and FOSS notes because you want to see notes to your file both at the VO and whatever exists within Canada.

GCMS and CAIPS. FOSS is for in Canada. He's never been to Canada so there would be no FOSS for him.

 

[Habibti]

Sorry to hear that you feel down about this, but you have to have faith. They gave your husband two options, but didn't say what the likelihood of either one would be, right? I also would like to know about the actual part of the interview that dealt with his admissability on the grounds of being a member of the family class. When during the 40-min sit down did they start talking about security? I can understand the confusion about why they would want to start a security check *after* they conduct an interview and not have it done before (although I'm not sure it was a good idea to laugh at an interviewing IO), but as I've seen others write on this forum, sometimes a VO wants to verify that a person is admissable on genuineness of relationship grounds before they clear the way to investigate their admissability on security grounds. The thing is, every VO deals with things differently. I had called the Call Centre for my own case and brought this up, and I was told these visa offices are in different countries, so they process differently based on different laws.

Anyway, I don't know if you got GCMS and FOSS notes before the interview (which would have been a good idea), you need to order/re-order those now. On the form, ask for both the GCMS and FOSS notes because you want to see notes to your file both at the VO and whatever exists within Canada.

From my understanding, a criminality check and a security check are two different things, so in addition to an RCMP screening, CIC will have the Canadian Security Intelligence Service do its own screening. They started to do a "front-end screening" that happened at the beginning recently, but I'm not sure if they reserved that only for refugee applicants or not.

CIC itself states that, "Security screening procedures identify persons seeking admission who are, or have been, involved in espionage, subversion or terrorism, organized crime, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Note that a security screening clearance does not mean applicants do not have a criminal record." Perhaps your husband was or is in some way affiliated with a religious or political group/individual that would lead CIC to investigate further. I don't know, and please don't be offended by my speculating. What I do think is weird is that they said that the security check will take 4 to 6 months but that if he's accepted he'll know in 2, seemingly before the full investigation is over.

Just my .002, and again, I'm sorry this did not go smoothly enough for you.

Thank you for your help! I have to talk to my husband tonight once I am home (I am at work for the next 6 hours). They said he might get a refusal letter in 2 months, not an acceptance letter. If he is accepted, he will know in 4 to 7 months time.

 

[ddobro2]

Yeah, I realized that FOSS is for in-Canada applications but I said that because someone on my outland thread said that he ordered both FOSS and GCMS to look at medicals, so I thought that it would include information from any agency within country, like the Ottawa Regional Medical Centre that receives the DMP reports for example. Or maybe something that they'd let be released relating to his background check.

I'm not sure though; you may very well be right.

GCMS and CAIPS. FOSS is for in Canada. He's never been to Canada so there would be no FOSS for him.

 

[ddobro2]

Okay, I see. I guess I was wondering, why not say, the security check takes 4 to 6 months; if failing it is the basis of our refusal of your case, you'll get that letter immediately after we're done. Why the 2 months for getting refused? But what do I know about the minutia of CIC processing, there may be a good reason. I wish it were the other way around. Now you're going to be wishing to NOT hear back from CIC sooner, counterintuitively. :-\

Thank you for your help! I have to talk to my husband tonight once I am home (I am at work for the next 6 hours). They said he might get a refusal letter in 2 months, not an acceptance letter. If he is accepted, he will know in 4 to 7 months time.

 

[Habibti]

I meant questions and answers about your relationship. What did they ask him about? What were his answers?

They are supposed to start the checks upon receipt of the file. But maybe they didn't. It's happened before. Or perhaps the checks have not been completed.

Ok... I understand now. It was the regular questions: how and when we met, our wedding, my son, my work, where I live, age difference, our plans for the future, etc.

My husband said he gave good answers and the officers seemed satisfied with his answers. I will talk to him later as I am still at work.

 

[Habibti]

Okay, I see. I guess I was wondering, why not say, the security check takes 4 to 6 months; if failing it is the basis of our refusal of your case, you'll get that letter immediately after we're done. Why the 2 months for getting refused? But what do I know about the minutia of CIC processing, there may be a good reason. I wish it were the other way around. Now you're going to be wishing to NOT hear back from CIC sooner, counterintuitively. :-\

Yes, I totally agree lol

 

[rjessome]

Yeah, I realized that FOSS is for in-Canada applications but I said that because someone on my outland thread said that he ordered both FOSS and GCMS to look at medicals, so I thought that it would include information from any agency within country, like the Ottawa Regional Medical Centre that receives the DMP reports for example. Or maybe something that they'd let be released relating to his background check.

I'm not sure though; you may very well be right.

I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Medicals from Morocco go to the Paris RMO, not Ottawa. They will not release anything related to the background check other than what is coded in CAIPS/GCMS. CSIS does these checks and none of their notes are accessible.

She can check off FOSS if she likes but there will be nothing available to be seen.

 

[rjessome]

Ok... I understand now. It was the regular questions: how and when we met, our wedding, my son, my work, where I live, age difference, our plans for the future, etc.

My husband said he gave good answers and the officers seemed satisfied with his answers. I will talk to him later as I am still at work.

Let me tell you from personal experience with Rabat that you will often not get a definitive answer from a visa officer during the interview. Some will, some won't. I know it's frustrating and hard but there's not much you can do. Seriously, order the CAIPS/GCMS notes. It's your only way of knowing what the officer's impressions were.

It is odd that they brought up the background/security thing. Could be that they haven't initiated them yet. But given your previous call from them, that sounds strange too. Even trying to guess what is in their minds is absolutely pointless because none of us have any way of knowing for sure.

You will drive yourself crazy with this. Try to go with your husband's good feeling about it. He was the one that personally experienced this so has the best chance of having good instincts about the result. I've been where you are after an interview so I know how you feel. Do your best to stay calm. Order the notes and try to think positive.

 

[ddobro2]

Okay, thanks for explaining that. I've been too mired in Buffalo-land to recognize the fact that things work differently elsewhere.

I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Medicals from Morocco go to the Paris RMO, not Ottawa. They will not release anything related to the background check other than what is coded in CAIPS/GCMS. CSIS does these checks and none of their notes are accessible.

She can check off FOSS if she likes but there will be nothing available to be seen.

 

[locolynn]

Hey My Moroccan thread peeps:

Just wanted to dispense a wee bit of advice...this immigration thing is a marathon not a sprint. Try to relax take things as they come with a calm head on your shoulders. I promise you nothing will go as expected. You are going to go through weeks, months or years of uncertainty. Don't get wound up in the moment...you'll just burn out. Trust me. I have been a tailspin more times than I can count. Guess where it got me....nowhere. So take a deep breath and try (though it seems possible) to be in the moment now. Otherwise you are going to lose yourself to this process. You had a life before this immigration nightmare began...so live it.

Peace and good wishes to all of you.

Lynn

 

[patopato]

Thank you for your reply. But I don't understand why they did not do these background/security checks BEFORE the interview! They should have done them first and then have the interview. It makes sense to me. Why wait more months again? And sorry.... I don't understand what you meant in your last sentence: "But you don't talk about....."

My husband is from Tunisia and had his interview in Tunis on May 5th. I don't know about Morocco, but his interview was about 45 minutes long. 6 weeks later, a decision has been made, but we have no idea, what that decision is yet! Did you and your husband prepare for this interview? There are a lot of commonly asked questions in almost every spousal immigration interview that you both should go over together to make sure he answers them well at his interview.
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12 Immigration Topics / Family Class Sponsorship / How long for Decision Letter? on: June 16, 2010, 09:47:27 am
Can others please tell me, how long it took for them to get their decision letter after ECAS showed DECISION MADE?
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13 Immigration Topics / Family Class Sponsorship / Re: OMG! IT SAYS 'DECISION MADE!!!' on: June 16, 2010, 09:46:40 am
48 hours? What do you mean?
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14 maybe you can read tunisianbride. She says that the VO told her friend taht if the decision is made before 2 month it is negative etc .....
Immigration Topics / Family Class Sponsorship / Re: OMG! IT SAYS 'DECISION MADE!!!' on: June 15, 2010, 09:13:59 am
Thanks cuds. Yeah, nervous isn't the word for it! We sent in sooo much proof, sent in a 2nd package even, had a big traditional wedding and the whole works, but maybe my husband screwed up the interview - I don't know. I ordered CAIPS a month ago, so with any luck, I will receive these today and will know 'something'!
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15 Immigration Topics / Family Class Sponsorship / OMG! IT SAYS 'DECISION MADE!!!' on: June 15, 2010, 06:52:30 am
Shocked I checked ECAS this morning, and less than 6 weeks after my husband's interview in Tunis, Tunisia, it says 'Decision Made'! Isn't this too soon? I know a virtual friend who's husband had his interview at the same Embassy and who also is going thru Paris, and his VO said if a decision is made in less than 2 months, than the answer is 'no', but if it is more than 2 months, then it is yes. (he was refused in 2 weeks) It was a different VO than my husband's, but, I am soooo worried that he will be refused too! Doesn't the background check usually take 2 months or more, which they don't usually start until they believe the marriage is genuine? (after the interview?) Can others tell me how long they waited for a decision after their interview and what that decision was? I don't think I'll be eating or sleeping for a week, or until we get the letter. Undecided
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