Various Questions re: Family Sponsor Application for U.S. citizens in Australia

[ardie514]

Hi all, I have a few questions re: the process of the Family Sponsorship visa. Myself and family currently live in Australia. We are all U.S and Australian dual citizens. Husband also has Canadian citizenship and has a job starting in New Brunswick middle of next year (2017). We all will be moving together to Canada and planning to apply for PR under the Family Sponsorship as an offshore application from here in Australia.

1) Am I correct in my understanding that we mail the application package for him to be a sponsor together along with my application to be sponsored at the same time to the offshore office in Mississauga?

2) Assuming that is correct, I have recently sent off for my FBI police clearance but that will take approx 4-5 months until I have it back. Do we need to wait to send off the whole application package until we have my FBI check back?

3) We will be moving to Canada before the visas have been processed and approved, so we'll enter as tourists on our U.S. passports. Is it ok to do this since our application will be submitted as an offshore app but we'll be inland by the time it's approved?

4) Since we'll be arriving before PR granted we won't yet qualify for NB Medicare, so what are our health insurance options? We'll be travelling throughout U.S. and Canada for first couple months that we're there, can we get a Canadian travel policy to cover us?

THANK YOU in advance for any assistance.

 

[Ponga]

Hi all, I have a few questions re: the process of the Family Sponsorship visa. Myself and family currently live in Australia. We are all U.S and Australian dual citizens. Husband also has Canadian citizenship and has a job starting in New Brunswick middle of next year (2017). We all will be moving together to Canada and planning to apply for PR under the Family Sponsorship as an offshore application from here in Australia.

1) Am I correct in my understanding that we mail the application package for him to be a sponsor together along with my application to be sponsored at the same time to the offshore office in Mississauga?

2) Assuming that is correct, I have recently sent off for my FBI police clearance but that will take approx 4-5 months until I have it back. Do we need to wait to send off the whole application package until we have my FBI check back?

3) We will be moving to Canada before the visas have been processed and approved, so we'll enter as tourists on our U.S. passports. Is it ok to do this since our application will be submitted as an offshore app but we'll be inland by the time it's approved?

4) Since we'll be arriving before PR granted we won't yet qualify for NB Medicare, so what are our health insurance options? We'll be travelling throughout U.S. and Canada for first couple months that we're there, can we get a Canadian travel policy to cover us?

THANK YOU in advance for any assistance.

1. Yes, but you also need to include all of your evidence of your relationship as well.

2. As a U.S. citizen, you have the option of using one of the FBI approved, third-party Channelers for your IHSR letter (PCC). This will save a lot of time, but the cost is more. It all depends on how quickly you plan to apply.

3. You cannot `move' to Canada until your PR has been approved. You can certainly attempt to enter as visitors, but arriving with items that would not be conducive for visiting could open up a huge Pandora's Box.

4. You will have to get some sort of travel insurance from either Australia or the U.S., but will likely not find insurance from a Canadian insurer.

The current processing time for a U.S. citizen is pretty quick. Someone recently was approved in just over 3 months. Follow this thread for a better idea of what's happening now:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/us-outland-applicants-thread-t106068.7035.html
Take a look at the spreadsheet for more info.

 

[ardie514]

Thanks for the responses. I'm not really sure how we don't 'move' to Canada even if my visa hasn't been approved yet. Hubby has citizenship and a new job starting so we need to be there for the job and will be buying a house, enrolling kids in school etc. We'll have a container of household goods arriving at some point after we arrive. I guess I need to just cross my fingers for a really quick approval process. Otherwise I don't know what the alternative is????

Guess the FBI channeler thing would have been faster, but I already mailed off the fingerprints and application to the FBI so it's in their hands now :

 

[CDNPR2014]

Thanks for the responses. I'm not really sure how we don't 'move' to Canada even if my visa hasn't been approved yet. Hubby has citizenship and a new job starting so we need to be there for the job and will be buying a house, enrolling kids in school etc. We'll have a container of household goods arriving at some point after we arrive. I guess I need to just cross my fingers for a really quick approval process. Otherwise I don't know what the alternative is????

Guess the FBI channeler thing would have been faster, but I already mailed off the fingerprints and application to the FBI so it's in their hands now :

it's about the language you use when you enter canada. As a canadian citizen, your husband can move back no issue. YOU can not "move" or "live in" canada until you are approved as a PR. Right now, all YOU can legally do is "visit". So when they ask you why you're coming to canada. all you have to say is "i'm visiting while my pr application processes. my husband is moving back for work. I have a pr application submitted". this is a perfectly acceptable reason to visit canada. you don't want to be saying "i'm moving back here with my husband because he got a job in NB." That will provoke suspicion and more questions. Keep answers short, don't elaborate and only answer the questions asked. when they know you know the rules, they are very nice and helpful. it's when you act like you don't need to follow the rules they get snippy. if your pr hasn't been approved by the time you come to canada, carry a copy of your applicaiton and receipts to have as back up if they question you. use the right language, and you're less likely to run into issues.

 

[ardie514]

Excellent, thank you. I was getting worried we wouldn't all be able to travel together. I've been advised that we can submit applications before getting our FBI check back so should have it done soon. Hopefully we're processed before we travel anyway. Amazing, sent away for FBI check and Australian police clearance on same day last week. Just got Australian one back in the mail today! Doubt the FBI one has even had the envelope opened