Spousal Sponsorship - To lawyer or not to lawyer

[kstamp]

I'm a Canadian born woman totally in love with her Colombian husband. We are apart until the immigration process finishes so speed is very important however, we met studying so we're quite budget tight at the moment. I've got all the information together and I'm worried about presentation. I was referred to a visa help lawyer to speed up the process but the price has me wondering if its very necessary for the speed?
My questions are,
How much faster - if at all - is it to invest in a lawyer?
Is one referral enough to truly believe in a company? (This particular company is called Matrixvisa)
Also, I have a problem with income earning for the last taxation year. Its insanely low because of my studies and I'm worried about being approved as a sponsor.
I was wondering how much - if at all - a low income year affects the decision for approval?

I'm sorry its a lot of questions but I really appreciate ANY info. Thank you!

 

[crzy_canadian]

I'm a Canadian born woman totally in love with her Colombian husband. We are apart until the immigration process finishes so speed is very important however, we met studying so we're quite budget tight at the moment. I've got all the information together and I'm worried about presentation. I was referred to a visa help lawyer to speed up the process but the price has me wondering if its very necessary for the speed?
My questions are,
How much faster - if at all - is it to invest in a lawyer?
Is one referral enough to truly believe in a company? (This particular company is called Matrixvisa)
Also, I have a problem with income earning for the last taxation year. Its insanely low because of my studies and I'm worried about being approved as a sponsor.
I was wondering how much - if at all - a low income year affects the decision for approval?

I'm sorry its a lot of questions but I really appreciate ANY info. Thank you!

The immigration documents are fairly straight-forward and overall should take less then 10-20 hours to finish your application. You also have here on these forums a wealth of information and experience who are active almost 24/7. Honestly, I believe its probably faster to do it yourself (as long as you're not a procrastinator).

Try searching companies on the BBB.

Don't worry about income; doesn't apply for spousal. I'm completely unemployed living abroad with my wife and I was approved as a sponsor. The VO may expect to see an outline on how you plan on supporting yourself and your husband.

For example; I secured an employment offer letter from my previous employer stating they would hire me back when I returned to country, I also included a hand-written letter from my parents stating they would provide shelter/food for myself and family when we returned to Canada. Thus, I've outlined a plan for supporting ourselves even though I'm currently unemployed and had a previous yearly income of zero.

Any other questions I, or any number of our wonderful denizens would be glad to help.

 

[Abuelita]

I'm a Canadian born woman totally in love with her Colombian husband. We are apart until the immigration process finishes so speed is very important however, we met studying so we're quite budget tight at the moment. I've got all the information together and I'm worried about presentation. I was referred to a visa help lawyer to speed up the process but the price has me wondering if its very necessary for the speed?
My questions are,
How much faster - if at all - is it to invest in a lawyer?
Is one referral enough to truly believe in a company? (This particular company is called Matrixvisa)
Also, I have a problem with income earning for the last taxation year. Its insanely low because of my studies and I'm worried about being approved as a sponsor.
I was wondering how much - if at all - a low income year affects the decision for approval?

I'm sorry its a lot of questions but I really appreciate ANY info. Thank you!

Hola Kstamp,

I didn't hired a lawyer, and I am glad I didn't waste my money. Even if money would not be an issue for you, I wouldn't advise it. For what I have read in various parts of this forum, hiring a lawyer does not makes it a much more speedy process. Many people here in the forum are very helpful, and you can find a lot of information to take your process to a successful end without a lawyer.

I believe that as a Canadian born citizen income threshold is not an issue to be approved as a sponsor.

Best of luck!

 

[kstamp]

Thank you, thank you Abuelita and crzy_canadian !!!! SO much help, so great!

 

[Alurra71]

If your spouse does not have a criminal record, does not have a DUI, does not have any kind of criminality issues then

Do NOT hire a lawyer. He can not speed up your process and just the proclamation that he can is false.

You can fill out your own paperwork and ask questions as necessary here on the forums. There are many here to help answer most any question you can come up with.

Your income is not relevant to the spousal sponsorship, but be sure to include details about how you and your spouse will support yourselves once he arrives. CIC only wants to ensure that you will not end up on welfare. It will take a bit more than the 10-20 hours as previously stated only because you will need to gather documents and those sometimes can take weeks, however if you take your time and properly prepare your application it should be processed without a hitch and your hubby will be here before you realize it.

Take your time, take a deep breath and read over some of the documents to get yourself familiarized with them.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Taddy]

I agree with the others.

I did consider it because I found it so confusing trying to fill the forms in, but with the help of the great people on this forum I managed to do it without a problem.

I really believe this forum is the best source of information.

 

[kstamp]

Thank you so much!
Taddy and Alurra71

 

[WillemH.P]

Typically a lawyer is only needed when your application has been refused and you need legal advice based on the reason for the refusal.