Thread for Outland LONDON, UK Applications!

[suze_h]

zip mate zip.

aghhh why have they slowed down again? Maybe tomorrow will be your day!

 

[mmhughes]

Hi all,

So has anyone had any news today?

I have a quick question for those of you who got additional information requests. Did these tend to come quite quickly after London got your file, or quite a long time afterwards. I'm just wondering as I haven't heard anything at all from London and I'm hoping in some ways that this is a good thing

My file was transferred November 17th and I haven't heard anything either. I can't help but think the Christmas holidays pushed everything back by a few weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed for the end of this month...it's my birthday as well so I'd consider it one of the best birthday presents ever!

 

[MandiF]

Hi All from Alberta,

Just thought I'd let you know I got to Canada today but got sent for secondary interview at Immigration coming through Calgary airport. Was a really long line, maybe the IOs were having a bad day and I had to wait about an hour for the interview.

The IO was quite good and I had my husband with me, so that probably helped. They just asked were we getting married, when I had already said we were married (and had the marriage certificate there, although he didn't ask to see it) and I passed him over copies of the receipt for the payment of PR, the initial sponsorship approval letter and copy of my PPR letter from London. He asked how long I was going to stay in Canada and I said I had a flight booked back for May (it was cheaper than buying a one way ticket) he also asked me how much time I spent in Canada last year, and I had spent three months there over the summer, which I suppose demonstrated that I did leave previously and have never overstayed and then he just gave me a 6 month TRV and said that should give me enough time to get things sorted and my visa in my passport and that was it.

I was really quite nervous in the wait for the secondary interview as I've rented out my house and if they had sent me back I have no idea what I would have done, but as I had all the information there to show that the PR application had been filed and I received the PPR letter, that must have just clarified it all for them and we only spent about 5 mins with the IO.

 

[patiently_waiting]

He asked how long I was going to stay in Canada and I said I had a flight booked back for May (it was cheaper than buying a one way ticket) he also asked me how much time I spent in Canada last year, and I had spent three months there over the summer, which I suppose demonstrated that I did leave previously and have never overstayed and then he just gave me a 6 month TRV and said that should give me enough time to get things sorted and my visa in my passport and that was it.

Hey MandiF - glad you made it - welcome to Canada !!

Why do you suppose he asked you how long you were going to stay in Canada? Just throws me off guard as to if you received permanent residence does it matter? Do you think it is because you have a two way ticket? Are second interviews common?

Thanks!

 

[MandiF]

Hey MandiF - glad you made it - welcome to Canada !!

Why do you suppose he asked you how long you were going to stay in Canada? Just throws me off guard as to if you received permanent residence does it matter? Do you think it is because you have a two way ticket? Are second interviews common?

Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome, the -21 in Alberta is a bit of a shock to the system, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I think the thing is with the timings, is that although I received the PPR letter, I still don't have the visa in my passport and I wasn't actually landing at the time. I only got the letter last Saturday and as we flew early on Wednesday, I'm going to send my passport back from Canada to get my visa and then get to a border to flagpole as soon as I receive it back. Then I don't think there will be any problems.

It always seems to throw up red flags travelling with a Canadian husband when I have British passport and no official rights to be in Canada yet, to make sure that I don't overstay the TRV. Luckily they didn't want to go through my luggage, or they would have seen that I had all my stuff with me, and way too much paperwork for a visit. It was only from the really helpful information on this forum that I knew to have which documentation with me to make sure it wasn't an issue once I actually got to se an IO.

 

[patiently_waiting]

WOW it is a balmy -4 here in Toronto!!

Ok makes sense, thanks for clearing that up

 

[shorttalk]

Mandi F you are lucky, the last time i came back into canada i got my bags searched. They asked me how many different types of food i had in there and then asked what specific bars of chocolate i had in there and how many jars of marmite, i kid you not!!! I think that secondary interviews are pretty much guaranteed without a visa. Luckily for me my first visit here i brought housey type items and i wasnt searched. Luck of the draw, pretty much the same with our applications, hopefully i havent got a trainee on our case lol!

 

[Baloo]

Do you bring Marmite for a special reason?
I can buy it in Ottawa so I don't waste the luggage space when I travel.

 

[shorttalk]

lol its cheaper in the UK and i had bought extra luggage weight so i may as well have filled it full of marmite and galaxy chocolate not to mention jammie dodgers and shortbread lol

 

[Baloo]

lol its cheaper in the UK and i had bought extra luggage weight so i may as well have filled it full of marmite and galaxy chocolate not to mention jammie dodgers and shortbread lol

I understand

If you can't get those items where you are, there are a few places that will ship them.
And if you get down to your last walnut whip and cant find any at all, let me know - I will ship you an emergency food parcel.

BTW at present I am eating a Penguin (or three) with my Ovaltine.

 

[shorttalk]

baloo you are so cruel, however there is ovaltine in the metro stores here. They wanted 5 dollars for a bar of galaxy in the british shop, i was distraught!!

 

[suze_h]

baloo you are so cruel, however there is ovaltine in the metro stores here. They wanted 5 dollars for a bar of galaxy in the british shop, i was distraught!!

Hahahaha ohhh I miss galaxy minstrels and real Cadbury chocolate so much - going back to the UK next week to drop in my passport and I'm definitely going to stock up! Why does cadbury taste so different here???

 

[shorttalk]

suzeh its because they dont make it with full fat cream like we do in the UK, minstrels are the best!!!!!!!!!

 

[Baloo]

suzeh its because they dont make it with full fat cream like we do in the UK, minstrels are the best!!!!!!!!!

In the UK, chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa solids. In the US, cocoa solids need only make up 10%.
A Cadbury Dairy Milk bar contains 23% cocoa solids, whereas a Hershey bar contains just 11%. US chocolate has 10% cocoa solids
Many European chocolatiers make chocolate with upwards of 40% cocoa solids.

But the cocoa content isn't the only thing which separates British chocolate from its American namesake.

The chocolate making process differs from the grinding of the first bean.
Though confectioners keep their recipes a firm secret, it is believed that American chocolate typically uses South American beans, whilst British makers favour West African cocoa.
There are also variations on the type of powdered milk used, which can impact the flavour.
A typical Hershey bar also has more sugar than a bar of Dairy Milk, and, crucially perhaps, its ingredients list contains the additive PGPR, which can act in place of the more expensive cocoa butter.
American candy bars are typically cheaper than in Britain, which might go some way to explaining the differences.

Either way American chocolate is nothing like UK or European chocolate.

 

[Baloo]

baloo you are so cruel, however there is ovaltine in the metro stores here. They wanted 5 dollars for a bar of galaxy in the british shop, i was distraught!!

Yes I bought mine in Metro. $5 for galaxy !!!

Have you found scampi fries in Canada - extreme food indeed?