Travel abroad while inland sponsorship is in process

[MelsaAJ]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for someone who experienced this or can shed some light.

I am an American citizen who married a Canadian citizen in canada. We applied for the inland sponsorship in September 2013 but still hasn't heard anything from them. At the time we didn't expect it to take this long. So all I have is my visitor extension which expires in October 2014 but nothing from CIC.

We need to travel back to New York for about two weeks and I wanted to know if anyone has done this because I am afraid I would be denied entry back into canada.

I know that inland applicants are not advised to travel, but according to the CIC website, you can go on a vacay but there is no "guarantee" you will be granted entry again. I am abiding all guidelines as a sponsored spouse. So I am not working, going to school, committing crimes, etc.

I know it's a huge risk, but I'd like some reassurance from your personal experience if you don't mind sharing.

Have you ever traveled before getting your PR?

Thanks for your help in advance!

-Melissa

 

[zardoz]

With respect, "personal experience" is of no value in this situation. Every case is assessed at the POE by CBSA. If you are unlucky enough to get a real badass when you arrive at Immigration, life could get "interesting". You just have to decide if the risk is worth it.

 

[truesmile]

Just for emphasis, I agree 100% with 'zardoz'. Don't let anyone here tell you that it will be "okay" because they had no difficulty with that. It's simply a choice that both of you have to make for yourselves after assessing the risk versus your "need" to travel.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

We applied for the inland sponsorship in September 2013 but still hasn't heard anything from them. At the time we didn't expect it to take this long.

I'm curious as to why you didn't expect it to take this long. Did you check the inland processing times before you applied? I believe the posted processing time for inland apps in Sept 2013 was even longer than it is now, around 18-19 months.

Current stage 1 processing time is 9 months, they are working on apps received July 8th, 2013, so you shouldn't expect to hear anything until June.

 

[QuebecOkie]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for someone who experienced this or can shed some light.

I am an American citizen who married a Canadian citizen in canada. We applied for the inland sponsorship in September 2013 but still hasn't heard anything from them.

-Melissa

By haven't heard "anything," do you mean nothing at all? Not even acknowledgement of receipt (AOR)? Because you definitely should have received that. Mine took FOREVER, and I still got a letter after about 4 months.

 

[MelsaAJ]

Zardoz & truesmile, I know. I am afraid to risk it but my only brother is getting married so I don't want to miss that.

Canuck_in_uk, at the the time of the sponsorship, the processing times were shorter. At that time, I should've been able to receive my PR by august 2014. I didn't expect the delays to be this long for even a first stage approval.

By haven't heard "anything," do you mean nothing at all? Not even acknowledgement of receipt (AOR)? Because you definitely should have received that. Mine took FOREVER, and I still got a letter after about 4 months.

The only thing I received was a letter informing me that my forms are moved to the Mississauga office and no longer being processed at the Vergerville office.

If you don't mind me asking, when did you submit your inland application and how one did it take until you received your PR?

 

[scylla]

Canuck_in_uk, at the the time of the sponsorship, the processing times were shorter. At that time, I should've been able to receive my PR by august 2014. I didn't expect the delays to be this long for even a first stage approval.

Unfortunately it sounds like you must have been looking at the wrong processing times (maybe you were looking at outland processing times instead?). Inland processing times have actually decreased since you applied. At the time you applied, wait times were around 10-12 months for the first stage of the inland process (then an unknown additional amount of time for the second stage). First stage processing times have dropped down to around 6 months now - so that's definitely good news in some ways.

There's always some risk when you leave during an inland application. However it's understandable that you don't want to miss the wedding. You'll just have to hope for the best when you return.

 

[QuebecOkie]

If you don't mind me asking, when did you submit your inland application and how one did it take until you received your PR?

My inland PR app was received by CIC on October 23, 2012. I didn't receive anything until late January 2013, when I got AOR and was told to request the CSQ (certificat de séléction de Québec, only for Québec residents). I received AIP (stage one approval) and DM (stage two approval) on the same day, August 30, 2013. My landing appointment was October 10, 2013. So the whole process took just about a year.

 

[alicia13]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for someone who experienced this or can shed some light.

I am an American citizen who married a Canadian citizen in canada. We applied for the inland sponsorship in September 2013 but still hasn't heard anything from them. At the time we didn't expect it to take this long. So all I have is my visitor extension which expires in October 2014 but nothing from CIC.

We need to travel back to New York for about two weeks and I wanted to know if anyone has done this because I am afraid I would be denied entry back into canada.

I know that inland applicants are not advised to travel, but according to the CIC website, you can go on a vacay but there is no "guarantee" you will be granted entry again. I am abiding all guidelines as a sponsored spouse. So I am not working, going to school, committing crimes, etc.

I know it's a huge risk, but I'd like some reassurance from your personal experience if you don't mind sharing.

Have you ever traveled before getting your PR?

Thanks for your help in advance!

-Melissa

I'm in the same boat in that my sister is getting married in the summer back home and I obviously would love to be there. Unfortunately there is no way of controlling how your re-entry will go and the reality is that there is a risk you could get denied. What further cemented my decision not to risk it was when I found out that my getting refused re-entry also voids my inland application which is absolutely not worth it. I also feel that even if I went, I'd probably spend most of the trip worrying about how it would go at the border on the way back :/
I'm not going to leave until I get my stage one approval! Just my two cents.

 

[QuebecOkie]

Note: you can still be denied entry after AIP/stage one approval. If you've never had any trouble at the border previously, the chances are probably pretty low. However, it's important to understand that you are not guaranteed entry into Canada until you are a permanent resident.

 

[truesmile]

What further cemented my decision not to risk it was when I found out that my getting refused re-entry also voids my inland application which is absolutely not worth it. I also feel that even if I went, I'd probably spend most of the trip worrying about how it would go at the border on the way back :/

That's about the smartest thing I've seen in a LONG time.

I'm not going to leave until I get my stage one approval! Just my two cents.

Where the heck did the smarts go? QuebecOkie hit the nail on the head...

 

[alicia13]

That's about the smartest thing I've seen in a LONG time.
Where the heck did the smarts go? QuebecOkie hit the nail on the head...

Lol sorry, I should have been more specific, I meant until I get my open work permit!

 

[Rob_TO]

Lol sorry, I should have been more specific, I meant until I get my open work permit!

Keep in mind that even having AIP and your OWP in hand, does not guarantee you entry back into Canada if you leave.

However, the chances of you being refused with a valid OWP are extremely slim. You would basically have to be moving a Uhaul full of your stuff into Canada, commit some crime while out of Canada, or encounter a CBSA officer who just really doesn't like you!

 

[alicia13]

Keep in mind that even having AIP and your OWP in hand, does not guarantee you entry back into Canada if you leave.

However, the chances of you being refused with a valid OWP are extremely slim. You would basically have to be moving a Uhaul full of your stuff into Canada, commit some crime while out of Canada, or encounter a CBSA officer who just really doesn't like you!

Thank you for the info! It can never hurt to be prepared for any scenario I guess.
Good luck to all!