Spousal sponsorship

[bia_rmm]

Hi there,
I've just joined this forum and I'm not quite sure where I should be posting but I've been in this process for quite some time now and I suppose I need to share my situation and hear from other people who have been in similar ones and can perhaps make me feel a little bit better about this "waiting" process.

I applied for permanent residency through a spouse sponsorship (my boyfriend who I've been living with for the past almost 4 years in Toronto is Canadian) from within Canada on June 2nd, 2011 (date my application was recieved according to CIC). On June 13th, 2011 they started processing my application. It has been a long process in big part due to the fact that my application was not complete the first time I sent it through. (Looking back I wish I would have used a lawyer simply because the CIC website is NOT clear enough about certain things, but anyway...) I had to send extra information (different things) 2 separate times which led to the extensive time that my application has been "in process". On November 18th, 2012 I finally recieved a letter from Vegreville saying that I met the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residency and a few days shortly after I recieved my new work permit. That same day my spouse also recieved a letter saying that he met the requirements for eligibility as a sponsor. My letter did however also request that I do some medical exams. I had already sent medical exams through with my application back in June of 2011 but I suppose given the time gone by since then they required more up-to date medical exams. So, I proceeded to get my medical exams done very soon after recieving this letter. I can't remember the exact date, but it must have been no later than a week after. Since then I haven't heard anything else from CIC. Online when I check the status of my application it still says it's "in process" and when I click on that it says:
"We received your application for permanent residence on June 2, 2011.
We started processing your application on June 13, 2011.
A decision has been made and you will be contacted."

So... I'm waiting. My understanding is that I'm in the "Step 2" of the process which according to the processing times should take on average 8 months. Is that correct? So, could I assume that given the fact that I got the letter in November I could expect to recieve final approval around July? My next question is related to when I would be able to travel. As I've applied from within Canada i'm currently living and working here under "impled status" (I previously had a post grad work permit and temporary visitor visa before applying for this) I haven't been able to leave Canada. As you can imagine, I am very anxious to be able to leave Canada again for a vacation and to see my family back home in Brazil! My understanding is that even after I recieve final approval for this I would still have to wait on average 3 more months until I recieve my Permanent Residency Card which would then allow me to travel (well, it would allow me to re-enter Canada). Is this information correct? And if so does anyone know if there is anything I can do to speed up that final process at all? One of my best friends is getting married in the US in October. I have already missed so much from being "stuck" here in Canada that I really wouldn't want to miss this friends wedding because of this.

Any input, help, suggestions or sharing of experiences is GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

 

[computergeek]

So... I'm waiting. My understanding is that I'm in the "Step 2" of the process which according to the processing times should take on average 8 months. Is that correct? So, could I assume that given the fact that I got the letter in November I could expect to recieve final approval around July? My next question is related to when I would be able to travel. As I've applied from within Canada i'm currently living and working here under "impled status" (I previously had a post grad work permit and temporary visitor visa before applying for this) I haven't been able to leave Canada. As you can imagine, I am very anxious to be able to leave Canada again for a vacation and to see my family back home in Brazil! My understanding is that even after I recieve final approval for this I would still have to wait on average 3 more months until I recieve my Permanent Residency Card which would then allow me to travel (well, it would allow me to re-enter Canada). Is this information correct? And if so does anyone know if there is anything I can do to speed up that final process at all? One of my best friends is getting married in the US in October. I have already missed so much from being "stuck" here in Canada that I really wouldn't want to miss this friends wedding because of this.

Medicals are only good for a year. Last year they changed the process so they could be extended for an additional 12 months, but that wouldn't apply to you at this point.

No, the 8 months is the time for 80% of applications to reach the "Decision Made" point - you are already there. The only thing required in your case is the local office confirming your medicals are current (even though there's no chance that those results will change the decision - it's a statutory requirement they be current) then they should schedule your landing appointment.

You should contact the call centre. It is possible that they do not know your medicals are done, or your local office has not yet looked at them, but in either case, five months after you received DM is a very long time to wait for a landing appointment even if you had to do a re-medical. If they won't tell you anything useful, you should order your GCMS notes (search the CIC website for "privacy act" and you will find the forms - there is no charge to order your own records as long as you are inside Canada, which you obviously are.) Your sponsor should also contact the MP for your district in that case, because political pressure usually brings good results to cases like yours.

You should be a permanent resident LONG before October 2013. Indeed, you should have been a permanent resident by now.

Good luck!

 

[zmikers]

Holders of a Taiwan non-overseas passport (with national ID) do not require a Visa to enter Canada; Taiwanese overseas nationals need a TRV.

If you are talking about returning before the process is over,

1) If her passport is visa-exempt, all she needs is her current passport.
2) If her passport requres a TRV, she has a valid TRV and her passport is expired, she needs both passports (the old one with the valid TRV and the new valid passport).

If you are talking about returning after the PR process is done please note that her COPR/Visa will not be issued for an expired passport.

If she has a valid passport, her COPR/Visa will be issued with an expiration date that will be one of the following 3 cases:

1) Before the expiration date of her passport
2) Before the expiration date of her last medicals
3) Before an arbitrary date set by CIC that will not be after the two dates above in 1 and 2

This is the case even if she has a new passport at the time of entry to Canada.

If the passport expires midway the PR process, she will need to submit copies of the new passport or send the new passport in (depending on the type of passport she has) once she gets PPR.

If you feel compelled before PPR, just send copies of the new passport and a cover pages explaining the reason you are sending them. I do not think it would hurt.

Ok thank you, so if we enter Canada after the visa has been issued but have a new passport, does this mean the visa has expired already?

 

[cempjwi]

Ok thank you, so if we enter Canada after the visa has been issued but have a new passport, does this mean the visa has expired already?

Not necessarily. It all depends on the expiration date of the COPR/VISA. For example, lets say your wife's passport expires in September and she is asked to send the passport/passport copies in April. At best, her COPR/VISA will have an expiration date in September, on the same day her passport expires. However, if her medical expires in July and it is not extended, the COPR/VISA will expiere in July, the same day the medical expires even when the passport expires in September.

So, lets say her COPR/VISA was issued to expire in September because her passport expires in September. You can still get a new passport in August that you can use for 5 to 10 years. HOWEVER, she MUST land by September because her COPR/VISA will expire in September.

So, technically it will not matter if she has a new passport unless you send the new passport to the VO when you get PPR.

 

[amikety]

Hi all,

I really need help..

I have submitted my application for PR under Spouse sponsorship and together with that, also an open work permit.
The Immigration call centre people told me that i do not need to apply for extension of my stay as visitor due to the fact that the open work permit is already enough to extend my stay.
Now that my visitors status has expired. An immigration consultant has told me that I need to renew my visitors permit.
What should I do? My visitors pass has already been expired almost 2 months now. should i really renew it? or i dont need to?

Additional info: My Visitor permit expires on 23rd January, I submitted my application for PR and OWP 22nd January and they received it on 24th January.
As for the Immigration call centre agent, as long as i "sent" the documents before my status expires, it is ok.

Please advise...

Thanks.

I answered you in another thread. Please don't spam the forum.

 

[aardvark2]

im very sorry. I have removed my comment here... sorry....

 

[imeegr8]

hi everyone well i need some help i arrived canada in september 2012 on study permit and get married on jan 2013 so now my wife going to sponsor me so the question is that i already go thorough with the medical on july 2012 when i applied for study permit so do i need to do it again?? we will submit our application soon.what about the police clearence do i need canada police certificate too ?? i have my country police certificate ?

please advice

thankss

 

[amikety]

hi everyone well i need some help i arrived canada in september 2012 on study permit and get married on jan 2013 so now my wife going to sponsor me so the question is that i already go thorough with the medical on july 2012 when i applied for study permit so do i need to do it again?? we will submit our application soon.what about the police clearence do i need canada police certificate too ?? i have my country police certificate ?

please advice

thankss

Medicals are only good for 1 year, so you will need to do one again. Which Visa Office are you applying to?

You don't need Canada. CIC will get that on their own. You need your home country and any other countries you have been for 6 months for more since you turned 18. If you were in another country for 5.5 months, you should order them too. CIC doesn't seem to think there's a difference between 5.5 and 6

 

[imeegr8]

Medicals are only good for 1 year, so you will need to do one again. Which Visa Office are you applying to?

You don't need Canada. CIC will get that on their own. You need your home country and any other countries you have been for 6 months for more since you turned 18. If you were in another country for 5.5 months, you should order them too. CIC doesn't seem to think there's a difference between 5.5 and 6

thanks for the quick reply Vegreville, Alberta i think, how to select visa office ??

 

[amikety]

thanks for the quick reply Vegreville, Alberta i think, how to select visa office ??

You're applying Inland? Vegreville is the only choice. Vegreville is 14 months currently. Most people will do their medicals right before sending in their application. You can also wait until they request the medicals. It will add time to your overall processing.

 

[imeegr8]

You're applying Inland? Vegreville is the only choice. Vegreville is 14 months currently. Most people will do their medicals right before sending in their application. You can also wait until they request the medicals. It will add time to your overall processing.

yes im applying inland , thank you

 

[Shabnamasoud]

Hi
Would you please tell how
Long it takes from landing fee request till
Passport request?

 

[christo19]

I am in a similar situation. I am a Canadian citizen currently living in Spain and have been with my fiance for 14 months. We have been living together for 12 of those 14 months but only have a lease with both our names on it since September 2012 (7 months) as I moved into her apartment after 8 weeks of meeting each other before moving out to a shared apartment last September, however I believe that we could obtain letters from her landlord and my former landlord to prove that I moved out last April and moved in with her.

I want to sponsor her outland, so that we can start our life together in Canada. I believe we have a very good case, as we have lots of photos with each other's families in our hometowns and on vacation dating back to last May. Recently she also accompanied me to my sister's wedding in Canada. Additionally, we have plane tickets, a joint bank account, and a lot of authentic evidence (gifts, poems, text messages, letters, etc.) to show that our relationship is genuine and definite - as in we're going to get married and the only reason we haven't been married yet is because we don't have the funds for the wedding we want, and logistically we have to figure out where to have the wedding as our families are spread over two continents.

My question is could I qualify as a sponsor? I am currently living and working in Spain and as such, do not have a job in Canada. I only have $15, 000 in savings however I am a qualified high school teacher. Am I eligible to sponsor her outland and what are our chances of being successful?

Any advice or insight would be very helpful and very much appreciated.

 

[IvanP]

I am in a similar situation. I am a Canadian citizen currently living in Spain and have been with my fiance for 14 months. We have been living together for 12 of those 14 months but only have a lease with both our names on it since September 2012 (7 months) as I moved into her apartment after 8 weeks of meeting each other before moving out to a shared apartment last September, however I believe that we could obtain letters from her landlord and my former landlord to prove that I moved out last April and moved in with her.

I want to sponsor her outland, so that we can start our life together in Canada. I believe we have a very good case, as we have lots of photos with each other's families in our hometowns and on vacation dating back to last May. Recently she also accompanied me to my sister's wedding in Canada. Additionally, we have plane tickets, a joint bank account, and a lot of authentic evidence (gifts, poems, text messages, letters, etc.) to show that our relationship is genuine and definite - as in we're going to get married and the only reason we haven't been married yet is because we don't have the funds for the wedding we want, and logistically we have to figure out where to have the wedding as our families are spread over two continents.

My question is could I qualify as a sponsor? I am currently living and working in Spain and as such, do not have a job in Canada. I only have $15, 000 in savings however I am a qualified high school teacher. Am I eligible to sponsor her outland and what are our chances of being successful?

Any advice or insight would be very helpful and very much appreciated.

Sounds like you are in pretty good shape.

 

[zmikers]

#12 IDENTITY AND CIVIL STATUS DOCUMENTS of the General Asia Guide states my wife needs to:

Provide the following documents:
• birth certificates,
• baptismal certificates or,
• other official document confirming relationship (including all pages of Household Registries) for
you and each of your family members.

I am a bit confused. Which relationship does she need to confirm? We are already submitting our marriage certificate so wouldn't the marriage certificate confirm our relationship? Does she also need to submit a copy of our household registration with my name on it? Will the household registration meet these requirements?

Thanks again.