Sponsorship through Bogota 2015-2016

[JJ628]

Hi guys, just to let everyone know that my wife is flying to Canada today with her COPR. So hopefully everything goes smoothly and quickly at customs as there is only 1.5 hours between her connecting flight!

When we sent the passport in about a month ago, we got it back super fast. like 4 days later. kinda weird that it takes long for some people and not so long for others.

maybe they only send them out once or twice a month or something, and we just got in before the cut-off date.

I live in Winnipeg and it seems like this is the last week of very cold weather and that spring is starting (we actually have snow all winter here unlike other cities in Canada). So it's not a bad time to arrive.

Good luck to everyone!

Beeo08 congrats!! Glad you and your wife are reuniting! Please let us know how the landing goes!! Best of luck to you guys!

 

[lamontana]

Hi ClaudeB and Lamontana. how are things progressing ? what happened with the passports ?

Hi sponsoring123! Thanks for asking!
Actually, we got DM on Monday (March 13th), which might or might not be related to our MP's phonecall... No other news, it says in GCKey that they'll send more info in a message, but there GCKeys inbox remains empty. Anyways.

We were stressing out a bit looking at the price of one-way tickets at this time of year, because anything not going through the US starts at 1500$ (!!!). So we also want to apply for a US tourist visa (sooo much less complicated, but it takes 3 days), AND I signed a lease in Montreal for April 1st thinking my husband would arrive so much earlier! No we're just hoping I don't have to move alone.
I'll keep you updated

 

[lamontana]

Actually, we received the passport today!

For the record:
Med's Done.....: Oct. 5, 2016
App. Sent........: Oct. 11, 2016
AOR Received..: Nov. 2, 2016
File Transfer....: SA: Nov. 10 / AOR2: Nov. 16, 2016
Additional Proof.: Dec. 6, 2016
CSQ received...: Jan. 26, 2017
Pass. request...: Feb. 8, 2017
DM.................: Mar. 13, 2017
COPR..............: Mar. 16, 2017

 

[oriana23]

Hi All,

I am in the process of helping out some friends with their application and I was wondering if you could help us out?

Background: she was born in Canada but her parents took her back to Colombia as a baby. They never brought her to visit and didn't teach her english. Now that shes grown and a professional, she wants to come out here to live with her husband. Her husband has a daughter from a previous relationship who will not be coming along at this time. Here are my main questions:

1. Since they both live in Colombia, and she's never even been to Canada ever since she was taken back, what would be some good things that they could do to prove that they will be moving here once he gets his PR? So far, we have a letter from her father (who now lives in Canada again) and registration to ESL schools in Toronto for both. Any other suggestions?
2. For proof of relationship, what are some good documents to use? They don't own any places together and they currently live in her dad's apartment so they don't have a rental agreement either and all of the bills are under his name. The only bill that they pay are their cell phones but they do not have joint accounts as they have had the accounts for 10+ years way before they were together. Both of their cell bills do show the same address. What could we include for the official documents? Obviously Colombian driver's licences and documents don't have an address. The only other thing that they have is a life insurance policy for him that she is a beneficiary for. Any other suggestions that could be added to strengthen the application? They also have 3 notarized letters from friends and family.
4. Does every single document that's in spanish need to be translated? Including la cedula? If so, do they all need to be certified by an official translator or can I do it for them and go to a commissioner for oaths here in Canada?
5. The new guide states that photocopies need to be certified. Can anyone shine any light in how they went about this? Does that apply for every single photocupy? I.e. cedula, passport, birth certificate, libreta militar, etc.?

Finally, do the applications even go to Bogota anymore? The checklist that I have points everyone to send their documents to Mississauga.

Thanks so much in advance! We would highly appreciate any help!

 

[sponsoring123]

Great news Beeo08 and Lamontana !
Arriving now in Canada is nice ! the winter is coming to an end, and spring is just around the corner.
My wife has been here in Toronto for 6 weeks now, and she got to experience a heavy snowfall for the first time along with minus 15 temperatures ! well, she actually loved it, so Winter is not so bad. it is a new experience !

Happy Landings !

 

[Beeo08]

Beeo08 congrats!! Glad you and your wife are reuniting! Please let us know how the landing goes!! Best of luck to you guys!

Hi Everyone,

1.) Landing went relatively smoothly. She was bringing her dog and had to pay $30 for an inspection (which never happened the last time she brought it). The guy was scolding her a bit because she told him she had an apple with her to eat and he was saying how it's an $800 fine for bringing an apple in. Anyways, he just warned her but be careful about trying to bring meat or veggies.

2.) The flight itself was a little bit of a mess. It was delayed due to the recent storm in the north east, and she missed her connection to the winnipeg. She ended up staying in the airport all night with our little dog. It was a little stressful. But it all worked out in the end and we are now together in Winnipeg.

Winter is ending and spring is coming! so that's another good thing!

Good luck to everyone!!

 

[Beeo08]

Hi sponsoring123! Thanks for asking!
Actually, we got DM on Monday (March 13th), which might or might not be related to our MP's phonecall... No other news, it says in GCKey that they'll send more info in a message, but there GCKeys inbox remains empty. Anyways.

We were stressing out a bit looking at the price of one-way tickets at this time of year, because anything not going through the US starts at 1500$ (!!!). So we also want to apply for a US tourist visa (sooo much less complicated, but it takes 3 days), AND I signed a lease in Montreal for April 1st thinking my husband would arrive so much earlier! No we're just hoping I don't have to move alone.
I'll keep you updated

try buying a round trip ticket. it might actually be cheaper than buying a one way ticket. I know it's counter-intuitive, but sometimes one way tickets are more expensive than round trip tickets!

 

[sponsoring123]

That is wonderful Beeo08 ! I am glad you are reunited now ! and about tickets for Lamontana, yes. it actually seems to be more expensive one way sometimes. I just looked in Air Canada, and it was surprisingly more expensive.
One option is Avianca. they fly through Salvador, the layover is just 45 minutes, and the ticket price can be half of Air Canada. over the past year and a half I flew via several ways to Colombia, including Aeromexico (layover in mexico city), Air Canada and Avianca.
Avianca was the cheapest, and actually pretty ok.

 

[sponsoring123]

Hi Oriana23, first of all, who is sponsoring who ? secondly, does she have her citizenship from Canada in order ? does she have all her things straight with the Canadian government ?, if so, then her husband needs to be sponsored . who will do that ?
and in all sponsoring cases the process is a two part deal. first approval of sponsor in Canada, and second approval of applicant in the foreign country (if the applicant is not in Canada) in all cases once/if the sponsor is approved, the paperwork is sent to the Visa Office in the country or nearby country to where the applicant resides. in this case Bogota.

 

[lamontana]

Hi everyone!
Thanks for your advices on the plane ticket. We ended up applying for the US visa, which was surprisingly very simple and quick (and 160 US$ if you ask). Within a week, they had taken his fingerprints, interviewed him, put the visa in his passport (B1, so valid for 10 years) and sent back the passport!! The fact that he had COPR most probably helped.
Even with the extra fee for the visa, it was around 700$ cheaper to buy a one-way ticket through the States than anything else (we tried roundtrip fares too). So he'll be here in a week! We're moving in a new place 2 days after his arrival and I'm starting a new job the following week, it's going to be some intense days!

The only details worrying us now are
1) he's bringing 6 instruments with him (he's a luthier). So let's hope the extra bagage fees won't be too high.
2) the flight does Bogota-Medellin Medellin-Miami Miami-Montreal, with only 2h30 in Miami... Anyone with experience of transiting in this airport? It's with American Airlines, so staying in the same terminal at the very least.

Here in Montreal, it's snowing today... My dad is joking that Pedro (my husband) is just waiting for winter to end before finally arriving, but I'm secretly hoping he can see some snow before spring finally settles

Hope everything is going for the best for all of you.

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Hi guys!
We're filling out all the forms now and planning ahead for all the documents we'll need. I know now that I do need the military service document, so I'm getting it (hopefully I'll get it within two months), we'll be sending it with the application so they don't have to ask us for it from the embassy. We're going to apply the first or second week of August. We both hope it would go as smoothly and fast that we could spend new year's eve together, or maybe Christmas, but I know it's a long shot. Our relationship will be a year and a half long by the time we submit the application, so I think it's not that impossible after all. We have lots of proof of relationship, including the conversation when we became boyfriend and girlfriend (it was over Facebook/Messenger) back in April. We're getting married once she (sponsor) comes back to visit me in June, just one day after her schooling is finished hehe.
I do have a concern that maybe you guys would help me out deciding. I don't know if I should take the medical exam before we submit the application, like people used to do with the other application package, or if I should take it after the application is sent and they request it. I've figured out the process and know where I can take it. I'd have to go to Medellin, since it's the one with a panel physician that is closer to my city, but I'm a little concerned that I'd have to spend several days there and I don't know anyone there. It would be easier to take it before we submit the application, but taking it after we do is doable too.
I am really happy for those who are reuniting with their partner, I know myself how the waiting can be.
Good luck to everyone!

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Quick question, if you don't mind
How do I get the translations if I'm doing them from here, Colombia? I contacted the translator and she has a stamp/seal or something like that, and her signature which are registered with the government. How does CIC ask in order to take the translations from a different country as certified/official? If the notary certified that a translation is original, wouldn't that mean we would have to get the translation stating that the notary says it's certified? I'm a little confused about what I need to do so that they take the translations I submit. It's an official translator of course, certified by the government.
Thank you!

 

[lamontana]

Quick question, if you don't mind
How do I get the translations if I'm doing them from here, Colombia? I contacted the translator and she has a stamp/seal or something like that, and her signature which are registered with the government. How does CIC ask in order to take the translations from a different country as certified/official? If the notary certified that a translation is original, wouldn't that mean we would have to get the translation stating that the notary says it's certified? I'm a little confused about what I need to do so that they take the translations I submit. It's an official translator of course, certified by the government.
Thank you!

Hi there,
You need to have your documents "legalizados", which you can do online (21,000 pesos/cu). This is the Colombian government stating that they are official. Then, you have them translated by an official translator.

THEN, you need to submit them again to the government, to have your translated documents "apostillados" (21,000 pesos /cu too). This is the Colombian government stating that the translation has been made by a certified translator. They usually get back to you the same day, you can pay at an ATM, and all in all we found it super effective, be it a tedious process.

cancilleria.gov.co/help/faq/apostilla-legalizacion

We had less than a year of relationship when we applied for the sponsorship (8 months, to be exact, and not even one married). However, we had plenty of photos of travels or with friends and family, conversations, bank transfers, plane tickets, etc. I think age comes into play, if you are very young, they might ask for more proof of relationship. Then again, I thought they would ask for an interview for us, but it was obviously not deemed necessary.

Good luck!

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Another quick question. We'll need her birth certificate and the paper that says she's single so we can get married here. How does she legalize those two documents in Canada so the notary here accepts them? I have to get them translated of course, I know

 

[lamontana]

Another quick question. We'll need her birth certificate and the paper that says she's single so we can get married here. How does she legalize those two documents in Canada so the notary here accepts them? I have to get them translated of course, I know

She needs to submit them to the Colombian Consulate in Canada, which will stamp them (75$). After, you have them translated (we did it in Colombia), and later 'legalizados'. Make sure to send them to translate after the Consulate applied the stamp.