Standard application or complicated? Opinions!

[Lkrammy]

Hi everyone. So my husband and I are about a week or so away from completing our application for spousal sponsorship for him to move to Vancouver Canada from Seattle,US. I was wondering if our application would be red flagged at all for a few reasons.

We have been together almost five years, almost completely long distance. (Him in the States, me in Canada) but we see each other every other weekend as Seattle is just a 3 hour drive across the border. We got engaged in May of this year and had originally planned on having a big wedding a few years down the road once we could afford to.( he is in nursing school right now and plans to transfer to complete his credits in Canada)

We decided to just have an intimate civil ceremony in Vancouver at the beginning of this month to get the ball rolling on his application instead so that we could be together sooner as we have spent so much time apart. We still plan on having a larger reception with all of our fam and friends in a few years,again, once we can afford to bring everyone together. Not sure if this could be seen as something questionable or pretty standard.

Also, we are waiting until the last possible moment to get his medical done so that if it takes longer then 12 months for the application he won't have to do it again. Is it possible to get this done after we submit it so that they receive the medical report once they start processing or does it all have to go in together?

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tink23]

If you're applying outland (which I assume you are) then yes, the medical needs to be included in the initial package otherwise you run the risk that CIC-M will return it to you as incomplete.

As for having a small intimate ceremony, but plan to have a larger reception once you're together and save up money... As long as you have explained it to the VO as you explained it here, it really shouldn't be an issue at all. I imagine it's quite common for Canadian-American couples to have small ceremonies. As well, your explanation for as to why makes perfect sense. Also, your history together is quite significant, so therefore I can't imagine the small civil ceremony being a big deal at all. Just explain it and you should be fine!

It doesn't look like any red flags to me from what you mentioned. Seems pretty standard to me, but I guess you never really know what the actual visa officers will think! I wouldn't worry though if I were you. Congratulations and good luck!

 

[R151NG5UN]

Hey,

With regards to your medical like Tink mentioned you should really do it before sending your application but as close to postal sate as possible.

Are you applying inland or outland? If your applying outland 12 months should be suffice given the fact you can be granted an extension if you have had the medical in the last 15 months. I believe the extension can also be granted for an extra year. I am currently awaiting my COPR and since I am 99.9% I have been approved, you will notice my medicals have expired and have obviously been extended. I will when I know more share how long they extended them by.

With inland there is probably a greater risk of the medicals expiring but at the moment stage 1 is 6 months and stage 2 8 months. So in theory if it takes 14 months (which it probably wont, probably nearer 10-12 months) you would still be eligible for the extension.

Good luck

 

[Lkrammy]

Ah! thank you for the replies!

Firstly - yes we are doing outland (which I'm assuming means we are applying with my husband still outside of Canada(from the US)) I'm not familiar with all the "lingo" there seems to be on this topic YET!


Another question I had was if we got the medical done - and just included the receipts in the application indicating it was pending?? So that they'd know we got it done? I think the doctors send the report directly from their offices to the processing visa office is that right? Or do they send the results/report to the applicant to forward?

 

[frege]

Ah! thank you for the replies!

Firstly - yes we are doing outland (which I'm assuming means we are applying with my husband still outside of Canada(from the US)) I'm not familiar with all the "lingo" there seems to be on this topic YET!


Another question I had was if we got the medical done - and just included the receipts in the application indicating it was pending?? So that they'd know we got it done? I think the doctors send the report directly from their offices to the processing visa office is that right? Or do they send the results/report to the applicant to forward?

You're correct - they send the medical results straight to the visa office. You only give them the receipt.

 

[canadianwoman]

Your application does not sound like it would have any problems. Just make sure that whatever wedding ceremony you have (small and a civil marriage is fine) looks special - get dressed up, have rings, maybe flowers, your witnesses should include family if possible, have some sort of reception, even if it is just dinner at a nice restaurant afterwards. And go on a honeymoon, or be prepared to explain why you didn't.

 

[IslandAnnie]

We are doing Outland Seattle to Vancouver as well, but we are both living together in Seattle right now, and just sent our application last week. (you'll see on the right how very quickly my sponsorship was approved!). It appears your application is pretty standard, but as the other posters have said, it will be important to provide a LOT of proof of relationship. Straightforward applications appear to moving fairly quickly (less than the 13 months currently reported by CIC), so it's unlikely your medical will expire.

When the medical is done the Dr. will give you an "official" document/receipt...it will have one of the pictures you provide to him on it and will have a lot of official looking stamps on it (you don't send your payment receipt).

Good luck!
Annie

 

[Lkrammy]

Your application does not sound like it would have any problems. Just make sure that whatever wedding ceremony you have (small and a civil marriage is fine) looks special - get dressed up, have rings, maybe flowers, your witnesses should include family if possible, have some sort of reception, even if it is just dinner at a nice restaurant afterwards. And go on a honeymoon, or be prepared to explain why you didn't.

Yeah we have gotten married already - at the beginning of November we had a quiet, untraditional civil ceremony in a train station we both frequent a lot to visit each other - it was just my husband and I, the commissioner, my parents, and his parents. We then went for dinner afterwards and that was that! We have some pics but they are not like..."WOW what an amazing wedding" they are very simple, and we just dressed business casual. It suited us perfectly and it was fun and there were some hilarious moments during the ceremony that I wouldnt trade for the world - but I'm afraid it won't "Look" the way they envision a "Wedding" - ya know? Again - we are planning on having a much bigger - more involved, traditional reception with the entire fam and friends in a few years but I'm not sure if this is something I should include. I've heard some opinions where they want to know that your wedding was your wedding and thats it. If they think you are planning something else down the road they will just think you did it for the PR card. Other people think I should include the whole thing - how small it was, the reason why, our future plans for a bigger celebration.

 

[Lkrammy]

We are doing Outland Seattle to Vancouver as well, but we are both living together in Seattle right now, and just sent our application last week. (you'll see on the right how very quickly my sponsorship was approved!). It appears your application is pretty standard, but as the other posters have said, it will be important to provide a LOT of proof of relationship. Straightforward applications appear to moving fairly quickly (less than the 13 months currently reported by CIC), so it's unlikely your medical will expire.

When the medical is done the Dr. will give you an "official" document/receipt...it will have one of the pictures you provide to him on it and will have a lot of official looking stamps on it (you don't send your payment receipt).

Good luck!
Annie

Ah! thank you for this! and Good luck with everything! we hopefully won't be too far behind you! So just so I have this correct - the physicians office will give us THE official document the day of the medical exam or just a copy of something to send in with the application? And then they send something more official to the visa office themselves?? Bleh! Sorry if I'm being repetitive.

 

[amikety]

Yeah we have gotten married already - at the beginning of November we had a quiet, untraditional civil ceremony in a train station we both frequent a lot to visit each other - it was just my husband and I, the commissioner, my parents, and his parents. We then went for dinner afterwards and that was that! We have some pics but they are not like..."WOW what an amazing wedding" they are very simple, and we just dressed business casual. It suited us perfectly and it was fun and there were some hilarious moments during the ceremony that I wouldnt trade for the world - but I'm afraid it won't "Look" the way they envision a "Wedding" - ya know? Again - we are planning on having a much bigger - more involved, traditional reception with the entire fam and friends in a few years but I'm not sure if this is something I should include. I've heard some opinions where they want to know that your wedding was your wedding and thats it. If they think you are planning something else down the road they will just think you did it for the PR card. Other people think I should include the whole thing - how small it was, the reason why, our future plans for a bigger celebration.

Both of your parents were there - that's great. Also, five years is a considerable amount of time. That type of dedication (with proof to back it up) will really help. Unless there's any skeletons lurking in closets, you don't have much to worry about.

 

[IslandAnnie]

Ah! thank you for this! and Good luck with everything! we hopefully won't be too far behind you! So just so I have this correct - the physicians office will give us THE official document the day of the medical exam or just a copy of something to send in with the application? And then they send something more official to the visa office themselves?? Bleh! Sorry if I'm being repetitive.

Yes, my husband was given the document (it is a one page CIC form IMM1017) the day of his appointment with the Panel Physician (there is one Panel Physician in Seattle). The original document IMM1017 is sent with your application. The actual medical report is sent directly to Ottawa by the Dr. (you won't see it) and is matched up with your application down the road in Ottawa.

This process has a million little details... thank goodness for this website! I asked a whole packet of questions here before we finally got our application sent in.

 

[canadianwoman]

Yeah we have gotten married already - at the beginning of November we had a quiet, untraditional civil ceremony in a train station we both frequent a lot to visit each other - it was just my husband and I, the commissioner, my parents, and his parents. We then went for dinner afterwards and that was that! We have some pics but they are not like..."WOW what an amazing wedding" they are very simple, and we just dressed business casual.

This will be fine: both sets of parents were there, you were dressed up enough, it was at a place that was significant for you (explain this in the forms), you had a dinner to celebrate, and you've got photos.

Again - we are planning on having a much bigger - more involved, traditional reception with the entire fam and friends in a few years but I'm not sure if this is something I should include. I've heard some opinions where they want to know that your wedding was your wedding and thats it. If they think you are planning something else down the road they will just think you did it for the PR card. Other people think I should include the whole thing - how small it was, the reason why, our future plans for a bigger celebration.

I think including the plans for the bigger reception would be fine, as long as you explain why you have postponed it: not enough money right now, you wanted more relatives and friends to be able to come, etc.