Thread for March 2011 Applicants!

[Habibti]

Don't take it personally because I assume it is pretty much standard operating procedure to request an interview at Rabat, especially if there is a big age difference between the couples (this process is anything but romantic but these are the preconceived notions people have on genuine relationships). I can't believe they are asking him to do the interview soooo soon. That is not enough time to order CAIPS notes on the file and that is what most people should do ahead of an interview. I would tell your husband to do the interview in whatever language he was most comfortable in, because I had read a posting by a woman who's husband felt compelled to answer questions in English, which he was weak in, and in the very end they were denied. Just remember that whatever happens, you WILL be able to appeal if you choose to.

Besides the 3 legalistic documents at the top of that list, they ask for more proof - did you send them the proof of contact with your husband and the marriage photos that they list in the original application you filed?

Maybe you can use the fact that your husband woke you up at 5 AM and you didn't kill him as proof of a genuine relationship? Just kidding.

Good luck.

Thank you for your message! Someone else I know will get his interview the same day as my husband. His wife is in Canada too. They applied at the same time as us. And a Moroccan who has his wife in Vancouver got his visa this week without interview and they applied 2 weeks before us. So the visa office in Morocco is pretty quick and efficient!

My husband is comfortable in both language: French and English. The thing is... there is a big age difference between us. I am 20 years older than him Maybe this is why they are asking more proofs. They already have our pictures (wedding and travels), boarding passes, some msn conversations and some emails from our application sent to Mississauga. I think the email they sent is the kind of email they send to everyone. Besides, they phoned my husband on June 27 to ask him questions and they also asked him to deliver more pictures and more emails, which he did.

So I am quite worried... However, when they phoned my husband on June 27, he asked them if there was something wrong with our application. They said no. He told them I was coming soon for a visit and they told him that chances were he was coming back to Canada with me! I am so confused! We have been receiving mixed messages.

 

[ddobro2]

I understand your frustration, anxiety, and confusion. I would be all those things too. You could be right that that message is just a form letter and does not mean they may not have received the proof you originally mailed. If you have any more photos you can think of now that you didn't before, gather those. Also, you said "some" msn chats were included in the original application. If it was just a sample, gather everything this time around. Also, I would get every proof of communication SINCE you guys started this application process, as that shows that you remain in contact. Get letters of support from friends and family if you haven't already.

I would talk to him about what he might expect they ask him about your relationship. Aside from the facts of what, when, where, and how, they will undoubtedly ask him all those questions that seek to evoke a sentimental response that answers the "why." For example, I would expect them to ask him abou the age difference. He needs to think in advance about how he would respond to a question like that, and more generally, how he would react to someone challenging the validity of his relationship.

When I was looking for someone to officiate my wedding, I contacted a female rabbi and explained to her that the wedding would have to be interfaith as my husband to-be was Muslim. For her, apparently she needed interview me at length about the relationship and ask questions such as "why we love each other" in order to feel comfortable officiating our ceremony. Now I'm not saying that she wouldn't have done the same for some other couple or that she didn't have a right to question us - she may have and she is free to ask for whatever she wants, and we free to decline. Anyway, I did not know how to answer a question like that - I'm not an overtly romantic person and I wasn't used to telling someone I don't know over the phone why I love someone and what we see in each other. If those were immigration authorities interviewing me instead of a rabbi who I wanted to hire, they might have taken my lame, barely-there answers as proof I was not really in a genuine relationship. By the way, i the end, the female rabbi was way too expensive anyway, and we ended up having a judge conduct the ceremony. But I would be concerned about your husband's ability to answer deep, personal, maybe intimate questions to strangers.....he needs to realize that is a possibility during the interview.

Thank you for your message! Someone else I know will get his interview the same day as my husband. His wife is in Canada too. They applied at the same time as us. And a Moroccan who has his wife in Vancouver got his visa this week without interview and they applied 2 weeks before us. So the visa office in Morocco is pretty quick and efficient!

My husband is comfortable in both language: French and English. The thing is... there is a big age difference between us. I am 20 years older than him Maybe this is why they are asking more proofs. They already have our pictures (wedding and travels), boarding passes, some msn conversations and some emails from our application sent to Mississauga. I think the email they sent is the kind of email they send to everyone. Besides, they phoned my husband on June 27 to ask him questions and they also asked him to deliver more pictures and more emails, which he did.

So I am quite worried... However, when they phoned my husband on June 27, he asked them if there was something wrong with our application. They said no. He told them I was coming soon for a visit and they told him that chances were he was coming back to Canada with me! I am so confused! We have been receiving mixed messages.

 

[Habibti]

I understand your frustration, anxiety, and confusion. I would be all those things too. You could be right that that message is just a form letter and does not mean they may not have received the proof you originally mailed. If you have any more photos you can think of now that you didn't before, gather those. Also, you said "some" msn chats were included in the original application. If it was just a sample, gather everything this time around. Also, I would get every proof of communication SINCE you guys started this application process, as that shows that you remain in contact. Get letters of support from friends and family if you haven't already.

I would talk to him about what he might expect they ask him about your relationship. Aside from the facts of what, when, where, and how, they will undoubtedly ask him all those questions that seek to evoke a sentimental response that answers the "why." For example, I would expect them to ask him abou the age difference. He needs to think in advance about how he would respond to a question like that, and more generally, how he would react to someone challenging the validity of his relationship.

When I was looking for someone to officiate my wedding, I contacted a female rabbi and explained to her that the wedding would have to be interfaith as my husband to-be was Muslim. For her, apparently she needed interview me at length about the relationship and ask questions such as "why we love each other" in order to feel comfortable officiating our ceremony. Now I'm not saying that she wouldn't have done the same for some other couple or that she didn't have a right to question us - she may have and she is free to ask for whatever she wants, and we free to decline. Anyway, I did not know how to answer a question like that - I'm not an overtly romantic person and I wasn't used to telling someone I don't know over the phone why I love someone and what we see in each other. If those were immigration authorities interviewing me instead of a rabbi who I wanted to hire, they might have taken my lame, barely-there answers as proof I was not really in a genuine relationship. By the way, i the end, the female rabbi was way too expensive anyway, and we ended up having a judge conduct the ceremony. But I would be concerned about your husband's ability to answer deep, personal, maybe intimate questions to strangers.....he needs to realize that is a possibility during the interview.

We have talked at length about this issue for months and we came up with thoughtful and profound answers. We are really well prepared to answer this question: "Why do you want to be with someone who is 20 years older than you?"

Yes, we will fax them more emails and more msn conversations on top of phone bills. They also already have our letters and postcards from the past. Now, we need to print pictures of my last trip to Morocco (I was there from July 2 to August 4) and fax them all our traveling expenses (boarding passes, hotel invoices, etc.).

Thank you for sharing and for all your tips! Really appreciated!!!

 

[kduran1972]

Hi guys ! I sent my app march 15 and in April 15 i got an answer saying I'm able to sponsor my husband, I can't see my process in the ECAS till now ! i don't no why .... anyways they told me they send my app to Peru in April 16 but i have no news from Peru yet ! as far as i know usually takes 3 month to receive a letter saying that they already receive my app but its been 4 month and a half and husband and I haven't receive anything and I'm freaking out !!! :'(

Please help !!!!

Hi there, I have also been waiting a long time. I sent my app Feb. 7 and on March 9 I received a letter approving me as a sponsor for my husband. I received my client id on that letter and I enter my information on ECAS not my husbands. I check everyday the process and it always says the same thing "APPLICATION RECEIVED". The visa office the app is at is in Santiago Chile. I'm hoping we get some type of response soon

Good luck!

 

[Stumpedmom]

Spreadsheet updated!!!

Inbox me if I am missing anything!!

 

[Stumpedmom]

Well one thing I have to say is Los Angeles is right on the ball with all of this....File was transferred at some point, supposedly issued the PPR June 30, reissued on Aug 16th, and then we sent the Passport last monday via ups and got it back today with all our photos and some of the original documents....


Lets hope all offices get there a$$es moving this week!!!

 

[LongTimeComing]

Husband landing in 9 days!!! Thank you London.

Good luck to all those waiting.

 

[mmshock]

Just got my PPR............... over the moon!!!

Seems like Buffalo is off to a great start this week. Best wishes to everyone!

 

[JustandDaph]

HUBBY GOT HIS PPR TODAY!!!!!!!
I haven't been this ecstatic in a while! Best day ever!

Hope everyone gets some news soon

 

[Stumpedmom]

CONGRATS TO YOU BOTH!!!!!!!!!!

as hubs says...its about time Buffalo starts doing their jobs....lmao!!!

 

[jayde]

Ohhh, congratulations to you both! I hope the rest of the process (getting your passports back, landing etc) goes really smoothly for you!

I hope I hear something soon... this is becoming a financial and emotional drain

 

[ddobro2]

Congrats JustandDaph!

HUBBY GOT HIS PPR TODAY!!!!!!!
I haven't been this ecstatic in a while! Best day ever!

Hope everyone gets some news soon

 

[tulamoon]

Well I emailed buffalo again to make sure they had the right email address on file, they didn't confirm that but the sent me a B file number now too. Last time all I had was an F file number... so maybe that's something? Or not. I dunno.

 

[ddobro2]

I (and I think a lot of people) were actually sent both. People on these threads are still trying to figure out the difference. Could be change from one filing system to another where old cases were Bxxx only and then when they introduced Fxxx cases to newer files, they assigned both. Who knows :

Well I emailed buffalo again to make sure they had the right email address on file, they didn't confirm that but the sent me a B file number now too. Last time all I had was an F file number... so maybe that's something? Or not. I dunno.

 

[JustandDaph]

I (and I think a lot of people) were actually sent both. People on these threads are still trying to figure out the difference. Could be change from one filing system to another where old cases were Bxxx only and then when they introduced Fxxx cases to newer files, they assigned both. Who knows :

We were sent both. When I spoke with my MP's rep, who by the way HAS NOT contacted me since we met two weeks ago, half-heartedly explained that there are two files because of the system change.