Sponsoring spouse and child when Sponsor is inside Canada and applicants are out

[watermand754]

Hi, I really need some help here. Any help from anybody would be greatly appreciated. I've been trying to contact Canadian immigration for a while now, and the don't appear to have an email, and their 1-888 phone number doesn't give me the info I require (nor does their website). To be honest I want to be as thorough as possible before I start filling out the applications, as I have a history of messing applications for more mundane stuff up and the fee for this is so high that I've got to be absolutely sure before I get started.

H'okay, so, I am a Canadian citizen living in Canada (just returned about a month back). My wife and my kid (toddler aged) came with me for a bit of a vacation at first, but they've since returned to Korea. I'm currently (still) job hunting and wife is still working back in Korea. She's refusing to come to Canada and have to sit around with no job awaiting our ever so competent bureaucracy to take how ever long they feel like to process her application, so she's committed to staying in Korea and working until it comes through. I've been finding it hard to find the exact info I need to start her application up in this case. Exactly what should I be doing in the case that the Canadian is still in Canada while the wife and kid and still in their home country?

In terms of eligibility, am I eligible right now, or do I have to wait until I get a job? My parents are more than willing to let us stay with them while we job hunt, and once my wife finishes selling our condo in Korea she will be bring a considerable sum with her to Canada. Should I ask her to prepare a bank account statement of her account in Korea or should she send the money to me and then I prepare a bank statement? Does showing you have plenty of money to exist unaided help with the eligibility help?


I read somewhere that I need to do up all the sponsorship documents while my wife has to do a permanent residency application on her own from Korea. Is that correct? The application package available on the CIC website makes it seem like I do it all myself. In the case where we do it separately wouldn't she need to send her application to me then so I could submit it all together? I am ever so confused. (Puny brain don't you know)
If she does have to do her own permanent residency application, where can I download the separate files for that?

Umm, I have a TOOOOON more questions, but parsing it out and letting you kind gents and ladies answer them first would probably help this puny brained man keep it all sorted out in my head.

Please, please, please somebody get back to me. I'll buy you a drink! (Well, I won't. But I'll imagine myself doing so, like, really hard)


PS Once I do know what to do, should I start the application and submit it as soon as possible, or wait until I find work?

 

[scylla]

You can apply before you have a job. No - her bank account statements aren't needed.

Make sure you applying using the outside of Canada / outland application package. Follow the instruction guide and you should be fine (if you haven't read it yet - I would suggest you start there).

You have to submit the entire application together (both the sponsor and applicant section). The package goes to Mississauga.

 

[IrisSphere]

To add, yes your wife will need to send you her portion of the app and you will be the one sending it to Mississauga. We did all the paperwork together to make sure nothing was missed - I realize you are separate, but there is a way to share files that could help. It's quite overwhelming if each person does their own section..

Start gathering evidence of relationship plus various documents as outlined in the guide as soon as possible - depending on which police clearances you need, translation, etc. this part may take a while. Though certain documents have expiration dates on their validity so be careful there (i believe police records are now valid for 6 months).

Once you dig in a bit more come back with specific questions. Also helpful to google the name of the form+number of question + site: canadavisa.com = lots of helpful answers!! Good luck

 

[canadianwoman]

It is perfectly normal for the sponsor to be in Canada and the applicant to be outside Canada. This is in fact the scenario that CIC expects for an outland application.
Your child is (most likely) a Canadian citizen already, since you are a citizen. Verify this and start getting his or her proof of citizenship and passport. If the child is a Canadian citizen, you do not have to sponsor him or her.
You can apply as soon as the application is ready. You do not have to wait until you get a job. Your family can write a letter stating that they will let you and your wife and child live with them until you get your own place; this can be included in the application.

 

[watermand754]

Hey thanks for all the awesome responses! This is an awesome resource for a schmuck like me who is terrible at big official things like this.

I've been trying to ask questions here but apparently I've been banned? Which is weird because I've only posted once before this in the form of this thread. I've got lots of questions but I'll just ask this one in case it bans me again:

What is up with this Unique Client Identifier thing? Some of the forms ask for this, most pertinent right now being the additional dependent form I'm filling out for my son. Obviously I don't have anything like that because I'm doing the application right now. How can I have something like that when I haven't even applied yet? How do I get ones for my wife and kid?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

What is up with this Unique Client Identifier thing? Some of the forms ask for this, most pertinent right now being the additional dependent form I'm filling out for my son. Obviously I don't have anything like that because I'm doing the application right now. How can I have something like that when I haven't even applied yet? How do I get ones for my wife and kid?

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=013&t=4

Provided you were born in Canada or are a naturalized Canadian, your son is also Canadian and therefore NOT included in the app as a dependent.

 

[watermand754]

Thanks for that.

Another question. When my wife goes for the medical checkup, does she need to get one for our son as well?

Also, can anyone explain to me, or give me a length to an explanation, exactly what I need to provide as proof of our relationship? Like, photos, a letter explaining our relationship, or anything like that. Thanks in advance!

 

[MilesAway]

If your child is a Canadian citizen, then he does not need a medical.

Taken directly from the guide:
If you are being sponsored by your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, you must send
evidence of the relationship between you and your sponsor such as:
• wedding photos or proof that you are partners,
• card/letters with envelopes addressed from you or your sponsor that indicate the dates
correspondence was sent,
• original telephone bills that clearly indicate phone numbers dialled and date of calls received,
• copies of emails,
• proof of your sponsor's visits such as airline ticket coupons, boarding passes, copies of pages of
your sponsor's passport showing entry/exit stamps,
• documentary evidence if your sponsor is now supporting you financially

 

[watermand754]

Hi. Thanks for the speedy reply.

My son was born in Korea and we were not able to put through his Canadian citizenship application before I left Korea. He should get the medical then?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

My son was born in Korea and we were not able to put through his Canadian citizenship application before I left Korea. He should get the medical then?

You still aren't actually providing the necessary information that we need to advise you. As I already stated, provided you were born in Canada or are a naturalized Canadian, your son is also Canadian and therefore NOT included in the app as a dependent.

Your son would be a citizen regardless of whether you've applied for proof or not.

 

[watermand754]

Okay, I understand now. Sorry. I just want to make 100% sure on everything.

Another inane question: I want to send all the application forms together, however, as my wife is in Korea and I'm here in Canada, does she have to mail the immigration application forms in separately, or can I collect everything together and mail it all in on my own? Silly question it may be, but please humor me. I want to get everything done as by the book as possibly to ensure it goes through as smoothly as I can. All this official stuff makes me nervous.

 

[taffy7]

You have no choice all the forms have to be sent together . Ask your wife to download her portion of the forms and fill in, then send to you . Then you send the whole package together to Mississauga . If you can skype, facetime and do the forms together it will be much easier . My husband was allergic to paper work so i did it all he read and signed it .

 

[watermand754]

Awesome. Thank you.

On question 3 on the Generic Application Form for Canada the guide says: "Indicate the total number of family members included in your application. This includes yourself and any family members, regardless of whether they intend to accompany you to Canada or not."

This seems strange. Of course only my wife and child are coming to Canada, but from I gather from this, she has to include her mother as well? Her mother does not intend to move to Canada as she runs a successful business in Korea, but we have to include her in the application?

 

[MilesAway]

Her mother is not a family member for the purpose of the application.

 

[watermand754]

Thank you for the speedy response. That clears that up.

Another one, in the contact information is it better we use her Korean address, or is possible to put down the address I'm currently staying at in Canada? Furthermore, if I want everything to come to me, should I use my Canadian address under mailing address but then my wife's Korean address under residential? Just to make it quite clear that she is in fact applying from outside of Canada. Should I then fill out a representative form under myself to legitimize it?

Edit) Another quick one. This is related to a question I typed in above. As we did not get around to applying for my son's citizenship, but since I am a Canadian, can I put Canadian as well as Korean on the application?

Oh, and for his language. He's still just a baby, but he's old enough that he can say a few things, but mostly in Korean. I'm going to put Korean as his native tongue, but as for the question, Are you able to communicate in English or French? I mean, he can say daddy and understands me a bit, but he's far from being fluent. Should I say no?