Ok guys looks like my file was approved based on my discussion with the callc enter guy. Called them twice just to make sure. Here is the whole timeline...Pretty good wait finally stage 1 is over....
Applied- Apr 24th Outland Buffalo
Received-May 1st
Opened- May 28th
Returned back- May 28th. Reason- asking me a whole bunch of documents to prove my residency including the banks statements from last 6 months, address proof, option c for last 3 years, Credit Card statement etc etc etc.
Received by CIC again- June 11: All documents were included to prove my residency.
eCAS- Status indicated my application was received on June 12th. It was a long hard wait for almost 3 months. Call Center indicated that since they opened the file once and returned it back they are now not bound by any timeline. In the meantime, my wife was in Canada on a visitors' visa and the visa was pretty much done...We hoped we could get this thing sorted out by the time her visa expires but apparently we could not. We just had to apply for a new visa in Buffalo and fortunaltey she got one.
Sep 01- Nothing happened until Sep 01 inspite of me contacting my MP. Sep 01, I received a call from CIC agent from Mississauga trying to ask for a whole bunch of documents. Apparently CPC agent has called other addresses where I have lived in the past to ensure I lived at the address.
This time when she called me she again asked proof that I lived in Canada. I once worked on an H1B for 4 months and she wanted to know that I did not live in US this time around.I gave in a letter from my old employer in the US indictaing that I was nto working there anymore. She also wanted a reason why I had not sponsored my wife for the last 3 years. Had to convince her with the actual reason I had not. Faxed all the documents on Tuesday Sep 02.
Sep 03: REceived a call again from her asking me to declare my absences for the time that I worked in the US. Explained here although I worked in the US, my client site was still in Canada and did not have to be physically located in the US. She was not convinced and she said she was trying to finalize the case and want me to be honest. She was pretty adamant about that. I had to declare some absences during the time that I worked for a US based company only to convince the CIC lady. Was praying that my case will be approved.
Sep 03: Responded back the updated "Absence list" and a letter indicating why I had not sponsored my family until now.
Sep 04: eCAS updated to show a decision has been made. Called the same CIC agent (I had her phone number as she had called me on my mobile) and she indicated she has made a decision and sent me a letter about it. She refused to say that my case was approved or rejected. When I called helpdesk, they indicated that my file was indeed approved and sent to Buffalo for the next stage.
Now again waiting for Buffalo to contact us.
Key learning for other folks:
1. If your spouse is in Canada temporarily, you are not required to apply inland. You can still apply outland which will be processed much quicker.
2. ALong with your applications, although proof of financial income is not required, I would still suggest to include if you already have it.
3. Attach documents to show your residency.
Good luck you all.
