US outland applicants' thread :)

[acwikla4769]

By the way, if I can put in my two cents.. I think that, although CIC seems disorganized and random at best sometimes, they will have this closure/transfer under some control. If it does increase the processing times that will be unfortunate, but I would place my money on it being either the same or, in any case, much less than 25 months. It's easy to think doom and gloom thoughts when you've got your file to worry about... it's just not good for us to think such doom and gloom thoughts until we know more.

Doom and gloom is bound to happen it's scary that your whole life can be decided by one person having a bad day

 

[tigermilo]

I actually waited 4 months then found out that I COULD use a third party. I'm not sure what the current rule is but third party is definitely quicker. I think the rule changed during my 4 month wait. I waited for my FBI sheet because I wanted to see exactly what it was going to say because of my situation. But if you know for a fact that his arrest will be on the record and exactly what the charge will be, then you could probably write up your full explanation and attach all documentation of sentencing being complete and it being a misdemeanor and then send your FBI sheet when you get it.

Can anyone confirm that a third party is now available as an option to get FBI clearance? And are they faster than doing it yourself?

On the cic website it says a third party is allowed. How much quicker would it be? (If anyone else knows, please share!)

 

[CDNPR2014]

On the cic website it says a third party is allowed. How much quicker would it be? (If anyone else knows, please share!)

people have receive the reports in 48 hours to 1 week. it's way quicker than going to the FBI directly.

 

[lalicatter]

On the cic website it says a third party is allowed. How much quicker would it be? (If anyone else knows, please share!)

I've read that channelers can literally get the report back in days to a couple weeks. In any case, MUCH much quicker than ordering it via the FBI.

 

[tigermilo]

people have receive the reports in 48 hours to 1 week. it's way quicker than going to the FBI directly.

Really? Wow! We'll definitely be using a third party then.

 

[tigermilo]

Just an update on the third party channeller: on the checklist it says to provide an original letter from the FBI. Some of the channellers only send the results through email so I called IRCC call centre and the agent said for the US we're allowed to print the results and send it with the application. I called one of the approved third party companies and she said they don't provide the original letter and that they only email the results. I guess I'm just going to play it safe and use a third party channeller that mails the results on tamper-proof paper rather than printing the PDF email even though the IRCC agent said I could print it out. I've read that sometimes the agents are wrong.

 

[danawhitaker]

Just an update on the third party channeller: on the checklist it says to provide an original letter from the FBI. Some of the channellers only send the results through email so I called IRCC call centre and the agent said for the US we're allowed to print the results and send it with the application. I called one of the approved third party companies and she said they don't provide the original letter and that they only email the results. I guess I'm just going to play it safe and use a third party channeller that mails the results on tamper-proof paper rather than printing the PDF email even though the IRCC agent said I could print it out. I've read that sometimes the agents are wrong.

I know someone from April who used Fieldprint and they accepted the electronic PDF without her even having sent in a printed copy. The tamper proof paper, to my understanding, is no longer used. I used Fieldprint. If I have issues with them accepting that for whatever reason, I'll use a different third party that sends a mailed copy as a backup, but speaking first-hand on here with someone who had it accepted made me confident enough to do it. I had my results in less than 5 minutes.

 

[tigermilo]

I know someone from April who used Fieldprint and they accepted the electronic PDF without her even having sent in a printed copy. The tamper proof paper, to my understanding, is no longer used. I used Fieldprint. If I have issues with them accepting that for whatever reason, I'll use a different third party that sends a mailed copy as a backup, but speaking first-hand on here with someone who had it accepted made me confident enough to do it. I had my results in less than 5 minutes.

That's actually the company I was going to use. The only problem is that my husband will most likely have something come up on his FBI check so I don't want to risk giving the PDF and have them ask a lot of questions.

 

[Sous02]

This is incorrect. They do have a special paid portal that is different than both ECAS and myCIC. It allows them to manage multiple applications at once. They also have the benefit of having direct digital communication with the case processing centre. I'm also not sure where you got the idea that paid representatives are not popular with CIC.

Here is more information about it from the CIC website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/apr-enrolm.asp They actually pay for the portal, and have to enrol via a specialized process that checks them out as a legitimate authorized immigration agent. During the process they must provide a membership ID of the Immigration Consultants Canada Regulatory Council.

Here is an operational bulletin from May announcing the updated functionality regarding myCIC - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2016/ob622.asp. Here's a brief excerpt explaining that APRs must use their own portal and must not use myCIC:

"It should be noted that authorized paid representatives must use the Authorized Paid Representatives Portal to register their client’s application. The ability to view case status updates and provide information electronically will also be available in this portal. Representatives must not use the myCIC account." There are additional memos that can be found on Google from immigration law groups explaining it.

Many APRs might not even be aware that spousal paper apps can now be linked online, mostly because if they're an actual APR they cannot use myCIC.

That is exactly what I am saying. It takes them to either Ecas or mycic and provides no additional information that we can access.

 

[tigermilo]

How much proof of the relationship is really needed? What type of proof should I include? I have photos, text messages (only up until a year ago), phone bills (only a few months worth), plane boarding passes from each time we visited each other, and social media posts we posted either together or about each other. I don't know how much we really need or what else would be a good idea to include.

 

[danawhitaker]

How much proof of the relationship is really needed? What type of proof should I include? I have photos, text messages (only up until a year ago), phone bills (only a few months worth), plane boarding passes from each time we visited each other, and social media posts we posted either together or about each other. I don't know how much we really need or what else would be a good idea to include.

My husband and I sent portions of chat logs from each month of our relationship, some text messages, receipts and tickets from outings together, copies of my travel tickets via train/bus as well as the e-mails from my USPS mail holds and my travel health insurance, social media posts about our relationship and/or relating to our outings, credit card statements that contained charges from trips he made to visit me (since he drove, he didn't have tickets, but having proof of charges from things in my area and along the route) and from stuff we did when I visited him, photocopies of the cards we received from people when we got married, as well as all receipts and invoices from anything wedding/honeymoon related, invoices from gifts that we bought each other...etc. I suspect we really ended up going into overkill territory but it wasn't hard at all to compile the information as I tend to hang onto things like that anyway. I basically arranged all that chronologically by month.

 

[ryanntheredhead]

How much proof of the relationship is really needed? What type of proof should I include? I have photos, text messages (only up until a year ago), phone bills (only a few months worth), plane boarding passes from each time we visited each other, and social media posts we posted either together or about each other. I don't know how much we really need or what else would be a good idea to include.

I've read that US applicants don't get looked into too too hard for relationship proof compared to non visa exempt countries. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. I didn't send anywhere near as much proof as the last poster and I'm only common law, JUST passing the two year mark when my application was approved. I sent pictures spanning our full relationship, copies of passport pages of us traveling together, proof of joint bank account, rental lease, some mail that I got at his place after I moved in (I wasn't on the lease so I wanted to show I was living there with him), our driver's licenses with the same address (we're both in Canada so I had that option), his tax return where he claimed me, plane tickets for travel together, and one chat log proving that we met online. I made sure the pictures were of not only us but also sometimes included our friends and family. I printed two pictures per page and in the margins wrote in a short description of the picture (and included full names of our friends and family with their permission.) My two notarized letters were from my mother and my best friend. I asked them to say whatever they wanted proving our relationship was real, I would only add that it might be a good idea to ask them to include when they knew the relationship to have begun. Someone mentioned they did that and it seemed like a good idea, I didn't but it couldn't hurt.

 

[ryanntheredhead]

Insurance policies claiming each other is a good one (if you have it, which we didn't.) This is specifically for common law, but works for marriage too, it's what I got in my additional doc request:
Client Information: Please submit documents proving your ongoing cohabitation with your sponsor. This may include but is not limited to: joint ownership of rental property, joint rental receipts, joint utilities accounts (electricity, gas, etc.), important documents that show the same address (e.g. identification documents, insurance policies, driver's licenses, etc.).

 

[jms627]

Did anyone receive PA approval without having their background check status change from "not started" to "in progress". People on my exact time line are starting to get approved through the Ottawa visa office (also my office), but since my file was transferred August 30th after SA there seems to be no further movement. We are a pretty straightforward case (at least I think we are - together five years, married, two with a one year old - he's Canadian and I'm American). Looking for feedback as to whether I should be freaking out that my app is now in some black hole!

 

[CDNPR2014]

Did anyone receive PA approval without having their background check status change from "not started" to "in progress". People on my exact time line are starting to get approved through the Ottawa visa office (also my office), but since my file was transferred August 30th after SA there seems to be no further movement. We are a pretty straightforward case (at least I think we are - together five years, married, two with a one year old - he's Canadian and I'm American). Looking for feedback as to whether I should be freaking out that my app is now in some black hole!

stop freaking out. it's only been 3 months (technically not even) since submitting the application. there's no reason to start freaking out until AT LEAST 6 months has passed, and even then it's questionable. if others are seeing approval, assume yours will follow. be happy the average isn't 8-10 months like it once was.