Study results from actual immigration offices, deciding if couples are "genuine"

[CdnandTrini]

from where I come from, the family is practically involved in every phase of the relationship. Parents are actively searching prospects for their son/daughter specially back home. They would do initial visits to the family, and gather all the information for the son/daughter in Canada. Once all the parties are satisfied, then they will ask for their son/daughter to travel backhome to physically meet the person before the final decision. Technologically has made things a lot easier now. Usually a few skype dates are also arranged before the meeting.

A few meetings occur between the two and a decision is made literally in 2-3 weeks. This is perhaps the only time parents are not involved. And the final decision is entirely upto the two. And either party could reject if they don't find themselves compatible. Because it is costly to travel back and forth, and taking time off work can also be pain in the neck, so they even end up getting married in that short period of time. And believe me, arranging weddings on short notice is not unusual, and not very difficult either. We will still have upto 200-400 attendees. Our brides used to look very shy in the picture, and that didn't mean that she was not happy (this has changed over the years. you will find them smiling, laughing in the pictures lol).

So you see this is arranged yet not really arranged. And My understanding is that CIC takes this piece of culture aspect into consideration. Both Sponsor and PA have to obviously still explain all of this.

In my case, my husband is best friends with a friend and my brother in law. This is how I was introduced to him, and then because of culture we don't "date" very long. So our conversation started in July of 2013. I visited him in Nov 2013 to meet in person. Before the end of our trip, he proposed and I accepted. And then we officially got married in our "home" town in Pakistan back in April 2014. So I had "known" him for less than a year before we got married. But this is again our culture. If my husband was in Canada, it would've taken us the same amount or maybe less to get married.

I have read a few refusal cases, and yes looks, age and even education difference is all taken into consideration.

Thank you for sharing your personal experience, it is very interesting. I am happy that things worked out well for you and your husband.

 

[vermas]

CdnandTrini,

Thanks for starting this new topic and sharing very informative articles. I am PR here and going to India next month to get married. Our's is an arranged and genuine Punjabi marriage. The study has given me good insight of the process for compliance.

Cheers...

 

[innosense]

Make sure everyone is smiling in wedding pics ! Lol

 

[ABCml]

Personally speaking, I am a big believer in "innocent until proven guilty" but CIC, on balance (based upon my experience and research) does not operate this way. Like most things in life there is good and bad and some of the employees in public service are great and fair and as objective as they can be. I guess for those of us with less faith in "the system" these type of subjective comments or approaches do not exactly inspire confidence that genuine couples will be passed through/approved. Probably a longer reply than you expected, but hopefully I have answered your question.

Well said. At present, and given our recent experience, the process (and especially the interview) was truly "guilty until proven innocent," leaving me with many questions concerning, as you've indicated, how we are represented by our "ambassadors" in immigration abroad... By contrast, I, as a US citizen was treated without even the slightest bit of rudeness when I immigrated to Canada in 2006.

 

[blueangel371115]

They never said it was the only thing they look at, but it's one of the aspects of the relationships that may raise a flag.

If the rest of the story and documentation checks out, I'm sure the application will be approved.

That shouldn't figure in PERIOD. They shouldn't make arbitrary decisions based on how THEY think a person looks. That's rude and I find it bad for business, a lawsuit waiting to happen. My officer may not find me attractive but my husband does and vice versa. All it's going to do is a. trigger more interviews and b. possibly more appeals. The system has enough problems and people's applications move slow enough. But that's my opinion as I know what I look like and I've had enough people in my life who tried and succeeded to make me ashamed of it until I realized it doesn't matter what they think. But that's my opinion.

 

[CdnandTrini]

CdnandTrini,

Thanks for starting this new topic and sharing very informative articles. I am PR here and going to India next month to get married. Our's is an arranged and genuine Punjabi marriage. The study has given me good insight of the process for compliance.

Cheers...

You are most welcome vermas . Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and I hope you both enjoy your new life as a married couple together. Blessings.

 

[CdnandTrini]

Make sure everyone is smiling in wedding pics ! Lol

good advice!

 

[CdnandTrini]

Well said. At present, and given our recent experience, the process (and especially the interview) was truly "guilty until proven innocent," leaving me with many questions concerning, as you've indicated, how we are represented by our "ambassadors" in immigration abroad... By contrast, I, as a US citizen was treated without even the slightest bit of rudeness when I immigrated to Canada in 2006.

Thanks ABCml. If one reads a lot of the other forum member's experiences, it does seem that the contrasting treatment you received is more in line with the majority of folks as well. It appears to be the exception when a couple has a good interview experience btw. Some of the immigrations officers (IOs) seem to take a creepy kind of pleasure out of being invasive and intentionally intimidating. I wish, especially during interviews, that CIC had to be more accountable and consistent. A few of the luckier applicants are told upon completing the interview that they are approved and they get asked for their passport on the spot. A lot of people are waiting for months after the interview to hear an outcome and if you have had a nasty IO being rude, it makes your wait all the more unbearable.

Glad to see you survived in spite if it though and are hopefully, "happily landed". Blessings.

 

[screech339]

You do realized that if CIC takes the standard approach to evaluation of marriage and never take unorthodox approaches, it will be easier for people using MOC will get away with it as they know what kind of questions to expect. They can rehearse their lines and it would be easy peasy. If those on MOC doesn't know what kind of questions or methods of evaluations are used, it would be much harder for them to prepare and rehearse it for interview.

Much like knowing all the questions and the answered to it that going to be asked in the driver's licence written test before showing up.

 

[keesio]

Well said. At present, and given our recent experience, the process (and especially the interview) was truly "guilty until proven innocent," leaving me with many questions concerning, as you've indicated, how we are represented by our "ambassadors" in immigration abroad... By contrast, I, as a US citizen was treated without even the slightest bit of rudeness when I immigrated to Canada in 2006.

There is no question the people are treated differently depending on the region they are from. The US is considered a very "low-risk" country for immigration fraud. Other countries are considered high-risk and unfortunately subject to higher scrutiny.

 

[ABCml]

There is no question the people are treated differently depending on the region they are from. The US is considered a very "low-risk" country for immigration fraud. Other countries are considered high-risk and unfortunately subject to higher scrutiny.

"a horse is a horse, of course" :

 

[CdnandTrini]

You do realized that if CIC takes the standard approach to evaluation of marriage and never take unorthodox approaches, it will be easier for people using MOC will get away with it as they know what kind of questions to expect. They can rehearse their lines and it would be easy peasy. If those on MOC doesn't know what kind of questions or methods of evaluations are used, it would be much harder for them to prepare and rehearse it for interview.

Much like knowing all the questions and the answered to it that going to be asked in the driver's licence written test before showing up.

Unorthodox might ok if they could leave out: rude; humiliating; arrogant; ignorant; invasive; narrow-minded; incompetent; mean-spirited; discriminatory and a few other choice words that I should not repeat on a public forum.

The other issue is that CIC does not now nor have they ever, to the best of my knowledge (please, can anyone correct me on this?) tracked any data on the percentage of marriages of convenience (MOC). Are there some that happen? Of course. But I would be willing to bet (a lot) that relative to the legitimate and genuine people that apply, the fraudsters are much less than what CIC speculates about and tries to "scare" taxpayers with. There is also a significantly high rate of successful spousal appeals that are launched in spite of CIC's methods.

The reason behind the lack of detailed accountability? CIC can whip the media into a frenzy based upon the few cases they do happen to find out about. If anyone does not think that Jason Kenney (former CIC minister) used this to his advantage during his term (have a look at his record and see for yourself) to justify some of the draconian measures he implemented, then they need to become more informed. The sooner the better.

 

[ABCml]

Thanks ABCml. If one reads a lot of the other forum member's experiences, it does seem that the contrasting treatment you received is more in line with the majority of folks as well. It appears to be the exception when a couple has a good interview experience btw. Some of the immigrations officers (IOs) seem to take a creepy kind of pleasure out of being invasive and intentionally intimidating. I wish, especially during interviews, that CIC had to be more accountable and consistent. A few of the luckier applicants are told upon completing the interview that they are approved and they get asked for their passport on the spot. A lot of people are waiting for months after the interview to hear an outcome and if you have had a nasty IO being rude, it makes your wait all the more unbearable.

Glad to see you survived in spite if it though and are hopefully, "happily landed". Blessings.

Yes, she is very happily landed, and thankful as well without even the slightest hint of bitterness

 

[CdnandTrini]

That shouldn't figure in PERIOD. They shouldn't make arbitrary decisions based on how THEY think a person looks. That's rude and I find it bad for business, a lawsuit waiting to happen. My officer may not find me attractive but my husband does and vice versa. All it's going to do is a. trigger more interviews and b. possibly more appeals. The system has enough problems and people's applications move slow enough. But that's my opinion as I know what I look like and I've had enough people in my life who tried and succeeded to make me ashamed of it until I realized it doesn't matter what they think. But that's my opinion.

Nodding in agreement!!

 

[CdnandTrini]

Yes, she is very happily landed, and thankful as well without even the slightest hint bitterness

lol.....I am thankful my spouse landed as well. My own "bitterness" toward CIC, always working on that !