US outland applicants' thread :)

[tom_from_sk]

Hi Everyone!

We received CoPR today! Our DM was dated 2-26-2016. Good luck to everyone else!!

 

[smr21]

Hey gang -

I have a question about Certified True Copes. On the CIC website it says that a notary public can certify copies (outside Canada). I made color copies of my passport and birth certificate, as well as my common-law partner's Canadian passport to submit with our application.

I go to my bank to get them notarized, and the notary says that they cannot do that, they only notarize signatures. So, after many phone calls and google searches I ended up calling the Secretary of State's office. They said I had to print off a form, take that form and the copy to the notary (basically I sign the form saying that I made the copy and that the copy is unaltered from the original) and then send all of that stuff to the Secretary of State's office to get certified. Then the Secretary of State's office does some sort of paperwork magic and sends me a certified true copy that I can then send to CIC along with my application.

Has anyone else had to do this? Any advice - this whole process seems a little over the top!

Thanks!

 

[Aquakitty]

Hey gang -

I have a question about Certified True Copes. On the CIC website it says that a notary public can certify copies (outside Canada). I made color copies of my passport and birth certificate, as well as my common-law partner's Canadian passport to submit with our application.

I go to my bank to get them notarized, and the notary says that they cannot do that, they only notarize signatures. So, after many phone calls and google searches I ended up calling the Secretary of State's office. They said I had to print off a form, take that form and the copy to the notary (basically I sign the form saying that I made the copy and that the copy is unaltered from the original) and then send all of that stuff to the Secretary of State's office to get certified. Then the Secretary of State's office does some sort of paperwork magic and sends me a certified true copy that I can then send to CIC along with my application.

Has anyone else had to do this? Any advice - this whole process seems a little over the top!

Thanks!

You do realise only documents not in english or french need to be certified? If you are American with US documents just a regular old scan and print is fine.

 

[esta.es.nuestra]

Tom_from_SK - thank you for posting g this! Our DM status came on February 23rd and our email from Ottawa said the same thing (but mailed February 29th) and the language 'documents returned' was really really scary. Keeping fingers and toes crossed the mailbox smiles at us in the next few days!

 

[smr21]

Holy crap, well, I feel like a moron! Thanks Aquakitty for clarifying - off to FedEx right now!

You do realise only documents not in english or french need to be certified? If you are American with US documents just a regular old scan and print is fine.

 

[julies879]

Hey gang -

I have a question about Certified True Copes. On the CIC website it says that a notary public can certify copies (outside Canada). I made color copies of my passport and birth certificate, as well as my common-law partner's Canadian passport to submit with our application.

I go to my bank to get them notarized, and the notary says that they cannot do that, they only notarize signatures. So, after many phone calls and google searches I ended up calling the Secretary of State's office. They said I had to print off a form, take that form and the copy to the notary (basically I sign the form saying that I made the copy and that the copy is unaltered from the original) and then send all of that stuff to the Secretary of State's office to get certified. Then the Secretary of State's office does some sort of paperwork magic and sends me a certified true copy that I can then send to CIC along with my application.

Has anyone else had to do this? Any advice - this whole process seems a little over the top!

Thanks!

At the same time that we are applying for my permanent residency, we are applying for our 2 daughters Canadian citizenship certificate. For those, if you are applying for the very first time you have to have certified copies of all of your documentation. We found the standard public notary and they completed what needed to be done. It's really strange that they sent you on that wild goose chase. The good news for you though is that you don't have to do any of that anymore!

 

[redcoat11]

logged into ecas today and found DM waiting!
Applied nov 12th

 

[ICLDRIR]

Hi guys! I'm new the process, so please excuse any stupid questions. I've tried reading as much as I can on the CIC website, but my eyes are getting blurry.

Here's our situation: I'm American, wife is Canadian. We live in America, she's a medical resident here. We have an infant, he's dual citizen. We've been married over 4 years. Wife has just gotten accepted for a fellowship spot (further medical training) in Canada. Training starts in July, so she needs to move there by end of June. I have work and school obligations in US until end of August, so the earliest I can join her in Canada is September.

September is now less than 6 months away. Originally when my wife applied for these fellowships (over 6 months ago), I planned to apply for outland PR by spouse sponsorship. I have a current medical exam and FBI background check. But she didn't receive the job offer until this week (and we would need that job offer for her sponsor application to prove her intent to move back to Canada, since she's currently residing in US). But now I'm concerned that I won't get approval for PR before September when I want to move up to Canada to join my wife and son. Ideally I would like to apply for work in Canada (medical fellowships don't pay a ton, so it'd be nice if I could also work).

Questions: what are my options for joining my family? Can I/Should I still apply outbound? What happens if/when I'm not approved by Sept? Can I still go to Canada to be with my family while the application is processing?

Should/Could I go up to Canada in Sept just as a visitor and then apply inland? Or go up and try to find a job and get a work-visa?

Any suggestions/thoughts/ideas greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[canadausa#11]

Apply outland. If you're lucky, 4-6 months. If it's not completed by September you can go up to visit and wait out the remaining time as a visitor. Make sure you have your ducks in a row when it comes to crossing the border though.

Applying inland when your application is as an American is not a good idea. Definitely do not go up in Sept and then submit an inland application.

 

[Aquakitty]

logged into ecas today and found DM waiting!
Applied nov 12th

Wow! 3 months and 27 days, that's insanely fast considering there was a holiday in-between. Congrats!


@ICLDRIR, I agree with canadausa#11, apply outland now. You have the medical and FBI check, you gain nothing by waiting except to have to redo those long processes. Just make sure you provide all the information CIC will need up-front, along with proof you are going to relocate to Canada permanently, and I bet you will have your PR before Sept. the way things are going lately.

Last year my spouse applied in March and had his COPR by the end of June.

 

[Snowisland]

Received COPR in the USA mail today.

 

[ICLDRIR]

Make sure you have your ducks in a row when it comes to crossing the border though.

Thanks for the advice guys!

What does it mean, to have my ducks in a row when crossing the border? I mean, I understand the expression: but what would/might the border officer ask/demand/require of me when I cross? Or what might make them reject me at the border if my outland PR application is still in process? (I know, since I did this for my wife on the American side of things, you're usually not allowed into the US while an outland green card application is in process unless you have extra visas already applied for. Is it something similar for Canada?)

 

[CDNPR2014]

Thanks for the advice guys!

What does it mean, to have my ducks in a row when crossing the border? I mean, I understand the expression: but what would/might the border officer ask/demand/require of me when I cross? Or what might make them reject me at the border if my outland PR application is still in process? (I know, since I did this for my wife on the American side of things, you're usually not allowed into the US while an outland green card application is in process unless you have extra visas already applied for. Is it something similar for Canada?)

actually having a pr application submitted helps at the border (in my experience). what is probably meant is that it's important that the us citizen who is applying for pr understands they can't legally move or live in canada until approved for pr. so it's always in the us citizen's best interest to not cross the border too much, to be able to show "ties" back to the us (paystubs, lease/mortgage) and to bring a copy of fees paid and/or a copy of the entire application for pr. some border agents can be tough. they are friendlier when you prove you know what's right and you're not trying to sneak into canada by going around the rules.

 

[Illiasnie]

My husband and I are applying outland from the U.S. He crosses once every other week or so these days, so I wouldn't say that crossing less really makes much of a difference. I think the main thing is being able to prove that you plan on going back to the states. These days, he usually shows up at the border and they ask where he's heading this time and that's more or less it. He always crosses at the ambassador bridge and I'm pretty sure they all know him pretty well these days.

 

[quercus]

Hello all,
Applying outland has such difficult questions, sheesh I think this will cover all of mine:

Form 5540, Question 8:
My (Canadian) partner lived in the US since he was a kid in the 1990s, until 2 years ago. Do I really need to dig up every. single. one. of his addresses from the past 20+ years?! Maybe just the places he's lived as an adult, or since he got US citizenship (he's now dual)?
As a kid, his parents were stationed in the US with the Canadian Air Force, so I think he was still considered a resident of Canada? That might save us some time, at least.

Form 5490, Questions 22 & 23:
Who had ceremonies for common-law relationships? I've seen a few people said they wrote, "this is not common in our culture" or "We do not believe it's necessary." Just curious to hear other people's explanation to these questions.

Form 5490, Question 30:
I live with my sponsor in Canada, where I can't work. This is why we're applying for PR. So yes, I receive financial support from him. How do you describe how much and how often? "I am unemployed/his dependent, he pays for everything?"