US outland applicants' thread :)

[o6ocpaka]

I have a question regarding the "proof of relationship" section of the application. For letters and other documents, do we need to provide the actual letters (originals) or are copies acceptable?

Thanks!

Just wondering what you mean by the "actual" letters . We have included a letter typed and signed by relatives (1 page, which was a scanned copy), with their names and contact info. Also I have wrote a personal letter(about 2 pages) regarding our relationship, also signed and dated. I would not worry about the *authenticity* too much, it is just a support document, does not play a major role, but CIC likes this stuff. It is basically like References on your Resume when you apply for work, not a must but nice to have.

 

[rugrat907]

I have a question regarding the "proof of relationship" section of the application. For letters and other documents, do we need to provide the actual letters (originals) or are copies acceptable?

Thanks!

And if you mean letters between you and your spouse or other documentation where your relationship is mentioned, etc, then copies are fine.

 

[Brewbrew85]

So my husband emailed CIC about his medical results yesterday, because the doc request told him to complete his exam and send results. We were worried maybe they lost it as he had sent the receipt in with our application!.. They actually emailed him back this morning stating they had received them and we are still going through required assessment. I'm just shocked that they responded. I hope we see DM soon!!

 

[jez13]

We have a CIC office here in Edmonton where we are. My husband has been here for a couple of months on a US passport as a visitor.
I'll call after Christmas to ensure they will accept his passport stamp as a visitor document.
Would be definitely cheaper and easier than flying out and back in!

You don't need to fly back. We live in Edmonton and we just made a weekend trip to the Coutts border crossing. It was really simple and easy to do. We wanted him to land ASAP, and were told that it could take a month or more to get an appointment at a CIC office in Edmonton. If you're not in a hurry than it doesn't matter either way.

 

[CharisseyB]

So I just confirmed that nothing at all has changed with my husband’s application... it still says review required... now my mom got hit by a car during Christmas time and I am her full time caregiver. I am so stressed because she can’t go to work and I am doing household work, waiting for my husband’s paper while I am preparing documents for my mom’s court battle. I am going to be dried up financially without my husband here. I don’t understand why this is happening. I am lost hope. I am just burnt out.

 

[tom_from_sk]

Keep the faith Charissey! I hope things get sorted out very soon and you receive a positive outcome... and that your Mom recovers fully! Happy New Year!

 

[rugrat907]

COPR arrived in the mail today! Looking to land right around the end of January....

 

[Kcfitz]

My husband received his COPR!
So excited to finally move home to canada

Timeline (I'm canadian my husband is American, Ottawa visa office)
applications received sept 2nd 2015
sponsorship approval nov 4th 2015
started showing in process nov 6th 2015
decision made dec 19th 2015
received COPR in the mail dec 28th 2015

This was a super quick turn around for us and I am very grateful.
I really think CIC is cracking down finally
Good luck to all!!!

Also just for future applicants.
We sent our application in without the FBI report. As soon as we finally received it I sent it to CIC immediately (without them asking) I just wrote a letter stating what the situation was and our file number.

 

[amuricanuck]

And if you mean letters between you and your spouse or other documentation where your relationship is mentioned, etc, then copies are fine.

Great thanks guys for the information. Yes, hand written letters. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is (1) should we expect that the proof of relationship document will never be returned and (2) how to illustrate electronic data such as skype conversations, texts, and phone conversations.

 

[amuricanuck]

My husband received his COPR!
So excited to finally move home to canada

Timeline (I'm canadian my husband is American, Ottawa visa office)
applications received sept 2nd 2015
sponsorship approval nov 4th 2015
started showing in process nov 6th 2015
decision made dec 19th 2015
received COPR in the mail dec 28th 2015

This was a super quick turn around for us and I am very grateful.
I really think CIC is cracking down finally
Good luck to all!!!

Also just for future applicants.
We sent our application in without the FBI report. As soon as we finally received it I sent it to CIC immediately (without them asking) I just wrote a letter stating what the situation was and our file number.

Thanks super awesome! I hope it will be as smooth for us!

 

[Hollywood]

LANDED!!!

US Wife Outland, married to a Canadian Husband. Medicals and FBI done upfront.

Application Received: 10JUN2015 (MISSISSAUGA)
Stage 1 AOR: 16JUL2015
Sponsor Approval: 21SEP2015 (We missed a signature on one of the forms, this seemed to delay us a month, but did not affect overall time)
File Tranferred: 28SEP2015 (to OTTAWA)
Request for Documents: 24NOV2015 (Routine email ensuring all documentation was in order, we responded via email and by mail)
Decision Made: 21DEC2015
COPR Arrived: 24DEC2015 (Arrived in California)
Landed: 31DEC2015

We had good documentation and all our forms were typed out in capital letters for easier reading. We wrote a cover letter outlining what we sent and a short paragraph detailing our relationship with full honesty and dates. Sometimes we felt like we were behind, but it was just a waiting game. We had a pleasant experience with the whole process although we never actually had to speak to anyone in person. Emails and mail seemed professional and routine.

Good luck to everyone as it seems processing times are getting shorter! All the best for 2016!!!

 

[Sunset0505]

COPR arrived in the mail today! Looking to land right around the end of January....

Awesome....our plan is April but I am not sure we will last that long!!!....How much time did they give you to land?

 

[spinning_sponsor]

I lose a bit of hope every time I see those who applied after me get DMs. CIC works in asinine ways.

 

[JamesinCanada]

I lose a bit of hope every time I see those who applied after me get DMs. CIC works in asinine ways.

I haven't seen, on these boards, any DM's since around Christmas. I mean, for Ottawa at least! I'm hoping people like us will get ours in January.

 

[unicornpants]

You don't need to fly back. We live in Edmonton and we just made a weekend trip to the Coutts border crossing. It was really simple and easy to do. We wanted him to land ASAP, and were told that it could take a month or more to get an appointment at a CIC office in Edmonton. If you're not in a hurry than it doesn't matter either way.

Oh this is awesome to read. So eventually when my hubby gets all his stuff we can just drive to a border crossing and do it from there if he's here in BC? So awesome!