To all those submitting love letters and cards as proof of relationship

[canadausa#11]

Hear, hear! 100% in agreement. I was so tempted to be the one to move just because the American system has its benefits, especially the Fiance Visa. In the end, we decided on Canada and I hope we don't grow to regret this!

The American system is also heavily reliant on proving your relationship, probably more so than the Canadian one which is being complained about in this thread

And also as an American coming to visit in Canada while the application is in process can be as easy as turning up to the border with some decent evidence of ties to the US compared to 1-3 months it can take to get a fiance visa

 

[Decoy24601]

The American system is also heavily reliant on proving your relationship, probably more so than the Canadian one which is being complained about in this thread

Yeah, from what I've read it's not really any easier, maybe a bit more difficult. Plus, for comic relief, why would you want to come when it's looking like Donald Trump might possibly win the presidential election?

 

[flx2015]

Yeah, from what I've read it's not really any easier, maybe a bit more difficult. Plus, for comic relief, why would you want to come when it's looking like Donald Trump might possibly win the presidential election?

i'm not saying that i prefer the american system over ours; i just like the idea of their spousal TRVs and am really disappointed that we don't have anything similar.

 

[Decoy24601]

i'm not saying that i prefer the american system over ours; i just like the idea of their spousal TRVs and am really disappointed that we don't have anything similar.

I get what you're saying. I wish Canada had something similar too. I could understand not having spousal TRVs if most people's PR applications were processed in about 4 months, but that isn't the case for most.

 

[epmarshall]

The American system is also heavily reliant on proving your relationship, probably more so than the Canadian one which is being complained about in this thread

And also as an American coming to visit in Canada while the application is in process can be as easy as turning up to the border with some decent evidence of ties to the US compared to 1-3 months it can take to get a fiance visa

Interesting you should say that. From what I have researched so far, it seems that the American system is the more cut-and-dry of the two in that if you can tick the boxes and meet the qualifications reasonably and financially support your spouse, they'll approve your visa. And the Canadian system focuses more on the relationship proof side of things.

For example, people have been approved for K1 visas when they've only known each other for 6 months total time. I know this would be a huge red flag for the Canadian process, but apparently it's more acceptable for the US process from what I gather provided you can meet the qualifications. That's just what I have found in my research so far.

Also I think it's currently taking 4-7 months to get a K1. I think the average expected time is about 6 months.

 

[canadausa#11]

I think the actual photos/joint bank accounts/leases etc. etc. relationship proof expected for both countries is similar, however I think it is much more common to have to attend interviews in the USA or at an embassy.

 

[Mardek]

i'm shocked at how you've got the nerve to put the blame on the applicants. what of those applicants who did their homework thoroughly and whose marriages were not fraud, yet were still rejected? i suggest you have a read through the spousal appeals thread on this forum.

appeals take time, and there's no justice in having to wait an additional 3-4 years before being reunited with your spouse because someone at an overseas VO was too hasty in rejecting your case. in the end, my point remains: VO officers can and do make wrong decisions based on presented facts. whether this happens 1% of the time or 0.01% of the time, i refuse to see separated couples as percentages. all i see are broken hearts, children growing up without their mother/father, and lost time that can never be recovered.

i don't have a solution because i'm just a sponsor and i'm not familiar with the inner workings of the sponsorship process. however, it would help if the government trusted us enough to give spousal TRVs. the americans do it, so why can't we? are canadians less trustworthy?

While I understand your frustration, CIC is trying to keep Canada safe from the fraudulent cases. There's no perfect method, and it is inevitable that some couples could get labeled as not genuine.
To avoid that, couples are encouraged to submit as much tangible proof as possible.
If I end up in the same situation, and get denied, I will appeal and prove our relationship genuine. Will I be happy about it? - no. But this is their system and their rules, and I'm willing to play by them, rather than demand something unrealistic.

 

[epmarshall]

I think the actual photos/joint bank accounts/leases etc. etc. relationship proof expected for both countries is similar, however I think it is much more common to have to attend interviews in the USA or at an embassy.

You're definitely right about the higher number of interviews. But for Canada the interview means they are doubting your relationship. Everyone has to do a standard interview for the US and most of those are laid-back 5-minute sessions where you just get your visa handed to you either that day or the next (provided you have no red flags).

 

[canadausa#11]

You're definitely right about the higher number of interviews. But for Canada the interview means they are doubting your relationship. Everyone has to do a standard interview for the US and most of those are laid-back 5-minute sessions where you just get your visa handed to you either that day or the next (provided you have no red flags).

Yep, and some are also used to grill the applicants. I know they will sometimes seperate the spouses in different rooms and ask similar questions and look for any sort of discrepencies in answers.


Anyway, the whole point was that it was in regard to someone saying they were tempted to go through American immigration as they were worried about being rejected by a VO undergoing Canadian immigration, and that the American system you can get fiance visa. I was just saying that if you're worried about proving your relationship to Canadian VO's you should have that same worry with American immigration, and that if you're an American and Canadian couple I don't really see the draw of the fiance visa so much.

 

[epmarshall]

Yep, and some are also used to grill the applicants. I know they will sometimes seperate the spouses in different rooms and ask similar questions and look for any sort of discrepencies in answers.


Anyway, the whole point was that it was in regard to someone saying they were tempted to go through American immigration as they were worried about being rejected by a VO undergoing Canadian immigration, and that the American system you can get fiance visa. I was just saying that if you're worried about proving your relationship to Canadian VO's you should have that same worry with American immigration, and that if you're an American and Canadian couple I don't really see the draw of the fiance visa so much.

Ah, I see your point. True, you can get grilled during both interviews no doubt about that.

 

[fr33z3n]

appeals take time, and there's no justice in having to wait an additional 3-4 years before being reunited with your spouse because someone at an overseas VO was too hasty in rejecting your case. in the end, my point remains: VO officers can and do make wrong decisions based on presented facts. whether this happens 1% of the time or 0.01% of the time, i refuse to see separated couples as percentages. all i see are broken hearts, children growing up without their mother/father, and lost time that can never be recovered.

i don't have a solution because i'm just a sponsor and i'm not familiar with the inner workings of the sponsorship process. however, it would help if the government trusted us enough to give spousal TRVs. the americans do it, so why can't we? are canadians less trustworthy?

The problem I see with Fraudulent cases is sometimes the Sponsor has no idea they are in a fake relationship.
If you read some of the stories on other threads, you see a lot of people who think they are in "genuine" relationships, and as soon as their partner comes to Canada their personality changes 180 degrees, only to find out they were emotionally used to obtain PR
.
Also, without more rigorous screening, a lot of immigration "consultants" will use loopholes to bring people through the Sponsorship route.

I have no problem with the system as it is today, my only wish is that they speed it up, so instead of waiting 1 year or more for the interview, it would take 4 to 6 months, and in case of an appeal it would take an extra 4 to 6 months, I believe this would be a good alternative to the process we have today.

Also having a more detailed ECAS that informs you where your file is in the process would be extremely helpful.

 

[lyrehc09]

hi! if the coversations in skype/facebook is not in English do i need to translate it or just leave as it is

 

[Decoy24601]

hi! if the coversations in skype/facebook is not in English do i need to translate it or just leave as it is

You should translate as much as you can (maybe focus on the more important conversations first). You can do this yourself and you don't need to have them notarized.