+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

VIENNA OFFICE

little_apple

Hero Member
Jun 11, 2013
824
11
124
Calgary
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna/Austria
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
April 20, 2013
Doc's Request.
June 4, 2013 & February 18, 2014
AOR Received.
May 5, 2013
File Transfer...
May 27, 2013
Med's Done....
April 4, 2013
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
exempt
VISA ISSUED...
April 17, 2014
LANDED..........
in Calgary since March 29, 2012. Landed as PR May 3, 2014
alvinn said:
hey guys..i notice that we got alot marrige couples here...but is there anyone who is under conjugal/common law category here.....
I applied as common-law :)
 

little_apple

Hero Member
Jun 11, 2013
824
11
124
Calgary
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna/Austria
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
April 20, 2013
Doc's Request.
June 4, 2013 & February 18, 2014
AOR Received.
May 5, 2013
File Transfer...
May 27, 2013
Med's Done....
April 4, 2013
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
exempt
VISA ISSUED...
April 17, 2014
LANDED..........
in Calgary since March 29, 2012. Landed as PR May 3, 2014
sponsor2012 said:
Germany is a Germany. No one is like Germany. I love that country :D :D :D. If I am on you're place I'll stay in Germany. Everything is better there than in Canada. Germany has better education for the kids, EXCELLENT public transportation such as ICE, S-Bahn and etc for a good price. I don't want to talk about the museums in Germany such as Mercedes, BMW, Deutches Museum in Munich.... You need hours to visit these museums and the tickets are around 8 euros. In Toronto CN Tower is 30 + dollars and you just go up and down. The nice Castles in Germany...... Sorry Groovebuster I love and miss your country very much :( :( :( If I could move there I'll do immediately.
You're right. So many nice things in Germany which you can't find here in Canada. I miss the architecture, the cheap prices for everything (except gas), Christmas Markets, the social people, ... But they are nice things in Canada (Calgary) you can't find in Germany like the over 300 days of sunshine per year ;-)

I don't care in which country I live and work. I like both of them. But my boyfriend's job is really rare in Germany and his German is just basic. That's the reason why we stay here. I just hope I make some friends soon. Even after almost 2 years in this country I don't really have someone else besides my boyfriend and his parents. Of course, my co-workers but I want to make friends outside my work environment
 

groovebuster

Full Member
Sep 25, 2013
27
0
Berlin
Category........
Visa Office......
VIENNA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
soon
I hear you... Germany is nice. But feels like a golden cage sometimes. And what is all this good for, when your partner is not really happy here? In 13 years she hardly made any friends, because she never got used to the very distanced German attitude.

All the nice things here don't come out of nowhere. Taxes are really high here and go up and up and up... Especially when you are making a bit more than the average Joe Sixpack. Tax progression makes it a moot point to work harder, because the tax man is taking away 50% of every Euro you are earning more. Yes, I am talking just about the tax. Wages are stagnant since a few years. We have more and more low wage jobs.

My wife studied here in Germany. It took her a bit longer because of the two kids. But she finished university in January. She has a really hard time to find a job at all in the Berlin area. So she is working in a really sh*tty and low-paid job now since 3 months, because she can't just sit at home doing nothing.

We discussed moving somewhere else in Germany. Like to the South, because there are the well-payed jobs. Forget about it. We don't know anybody down there and real estate is so expensive there, that we never would be able again to afford a house.

So I think it aways depends on which side of the fence you are sitting.

My wife has a huge family in Canada and they are all happy that we are coming. They are eager to give us support for settling down. Of course I will miss some things badly in Canada. But in the end it really comes down to priorities you need to set. There is no perfect place to live at. No matter where you go, there will be always something that doesn't feel right for you and that you have to arrange yourself with. Just make sure that the place you pick covers the most important things for you. Otherwise you will never be happy.

We will give it a shot... If not now, we'll never do it. If things will not work out for us, we can still come back one day. I still have my German citizenship and our kids are dual anyway.
 

newpal

Hero Member
Apr 5, 2013
301
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
09-07-2012
Doc's Request.
13-12-13...Sent and recvd 13.01.14
AOR Received.
18.09.2012
IELTS Request
N/A
File Transfer...
17.04.2013 Stage 2 AOR
Med's Request
request 05.03.14 sent & recvd 11.03.2014
Med's Done....
First 19.06.2012
Interview........
NOT APPLICABLE :P
Passport Req..
In Process
VISA ISSUED...
Hopefully Today
LANDED..........
Tomorrow
messenger said:
Ηi newpal my friend!

She is growing up and is becoming a cutie pie! I can't wait to finish work and be home with my little darling. She will be 2 months old in 6 days from today! Time flies really!
How are you doing? My wife's e-Cas has changed to our new address in Greece and they gave her a new File number since the time we send in our marriage certificate a couple of weeks ago.
The funny thing is with her old file number we could see that Medicals have been received, but now it does not show this!


Guess you can never get it right with Vienna ;D ;D

Best regards

Tom
@ Messenger... It is indeed VIENNA.... Better we dont discuss on it :p I hope you got me... I hope everything will be Ok by next year..i.e. DEC 2014.. I dont expect my visa to come before DEC 2014. Secondly i applied for TRV and i have not yet got response since 24 days (Processing time is 35 days)

@Sponsor.. Snow started here in stuttgart on Monday... its FLURRY but has shown us indication of 1 or -1 temp. from here onwards... I hope u will adjust yourself very soon...
 

Avadava

Hero Member
Oct 11, 2013
818
79
Vancouver
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Vienna
App. Filed.......
December 3, 2013
AOR Received.
Stage 1 AOR + SA January 8, 2014
File Transfer...
January 12, 2014
Med's Request
Further Medical Tests Requested: October 24, 2013
Med's Done....
October 15, 2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
October 20, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
October 27, 2014
LANDED..........
January 17, 2015
I have to agree with Chris on this one. Germany is nice, has a lot of good parts but a lot of bad parts as well.

Taxes are a huge problem for me. I work as a freelance Business teacher and an oral examiner for TELC. Half of what I earn goes to the government each month. Plus, unlike other countries, as a freelance it is mandatory to pay into the pension system in Germany. Health insurance is also quite high for freelance individuals (269 euros a month for the basic insurance!). Sometimes I think Germany hates freelancers or the very best, discourages freelance activities.

In my job, I don't have a steady income, some months are slower with very few classes, some are ok. But every month I pay certain amounts to the government. There were times when I had to borrow money from relatives to pay my pension and health insurance. Rent is very expensive where I am, groceries too.

Also, the customer service is quite scarce. Sometimes, I enter a store to buy something and the sales person makes me feel that I am not wanted there. That I should just buy something and leave. Not to mention if I call the Internet provider to complain about the Internet going down every night. They shrug and tell me it's not their fault, it's the cables.

I do love some things though, for example the transportation. I can get anywhere with the S-Bahn or U-Bahn. You don't need a car here to get by. And trains/buses are usually on time, seldom you see 5-10 min max delays.

There are many good things in Germany, but they all come with a price. I know a lot of Germans who are very unhappy about the system here. You know that Germany helped Greece and France and all that. That help actually, comes from the people, the working class that gets taxed so much. There are taxes for everything. I own a dog and I pay an yearly tax for owning a dog. I have a friend that runs a coffee shop and a small terrace outside. He pays taxes for having a couple of plants outside next to the tables.
 

groovebuster

Full Member
Sep 25, 2013
27
0
Berlin
Category........
Visa Office......
VIENNA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
soon
@Avadava: I am also a freelancer and it is really tough. It is not that we don't have a nice life... we are having a house, two children, our little toys etc... But I am facing exactly what you are describing. The pressure is extremely high to make enough money every month, since my fixed costs are through the roof. Just the health insurance for me and my two kids costs me 750€ a month. That is more than 1,000$. :eek:

That's before I pay any taxes at all... And taxes I have to pay every quarter in advance! But not based on actual numbers, but based on the numbers of my last tax statement. So if you had a good year and the next one isn't that good, you still have to pay taxes based on your last tax statement. Just this year I was running into a lot of trouble because of that. Besides a substantial additional payment for the year of the tax statement, they expected me to pay the same for the time after until today. That almost broke my neck financially. They didn't even bother to accept paying by installments. They rather make you file for bankruptcy. They don't care. With my tax counselor I was able to convince them with an interim financial statement, that I just don't make as much money as in 2011 anymore.

So I had my share here in Germany. I love my country, but I hate the system...

But that it takes 14 months now to have an application processed makes it quite complicated. For now we will send in the application, but we will leave it open, if we actually go in the end. 14 months is just too long to plan ahead for now...
 

Avadava

Hero Member
Oct 11, 2013
818
79
Vancouver
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Vienna
App. Filed.......
December 3, 2013
AOR Received.
Stage 1 AOR + SA January 8, 2014
File Transfer...
January 12, 2014
Med's Request
Further Medical Tests Requested: October 24, 2013
Med's Done....
October 15, 2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
October 20, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
October 27, 2014
LANDED..........
January 17, 2015
I understand you perfectly. I also get taxed according to last year's income. You chose to pay your taxes quarterly, I pay mine monthly instead. 140 euros each month, and at the end of the year it gets recalculated. When I do pay more than I should have, they reimburse me, but that doesn't change the fact that I have to pay it beforehand. One missed payment, and you get a Mahnung that scares the life out of me. It is very stressful and scary to owe money to the government here.
 

little_apple

Hero Member
Jun 11, 2013
824
11
124
Calgary
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna/Austria
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
April 20, 2013
Doc's Request.
June 4, 2013 & February 18, 2014
AOR Received.
May 5, 2013
File Transfer...
May 27, 2013
Med's Done....
April 4, 2013
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
exempt
VISA ISSUED...
April 17, 2014
LANDED..........
in Calgary since March 29, 2012. Landed as PR May 3, 2014
I lived in Stuttgart before I came to Canada. Well-paid jobs, good economy but real estate prices are the highest there. But it's about the same price as here in Calgary.

I really like the social life, all the events which take place during the year and all the activities you can do in Germany but you're right: Cashiers sometimes don't even say hi and bye to you, people are not as friendly, open and helpful as in Canada and they are always stressed and often grumpy ;-)

I feel at home in Canada, I finally have a job I really like and most important a very loving and caring man on my side. Sometimes I just miss hanging out with my friends, having a cheap beer, enjoying the Christmas markets... But even that I miss some things from Germany I don't think I would move back there. At least not for a long time.

There are good and bad things in all countries everybody just has to decide which things are more important for him/her :)
 

sponsor2012

Star Member
Jan 7, 2013
181
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01.02.2012
Doc's Request.
Fingerprints request 11.03.2013. Redone 19.04.2013 . Vienna received on 23.04.2013
AOR Received.
17.05.2012
File Transfer...
03.05.2012
Med's Done....
07.01.2012 redone 13.02.2013
Interview........
16.10.2012 in process from 19.10.2012
Passport Req..
11.10.2013 Vienna received on 15.10.2013
VISA ISSUED...
17.10.2013 I received passport on 25.10.2013
LANDED..........
04.11.2013
The life in Canada is not cheap too. We pay every year 3000 dollars for house tax, 1700 for car insurance even the car is 10 years old and it doesn't worth more than 3000 dollars, 500 dollars for house insurance. Around 33% of my husband salary goes for taxes. Monthly spending for going to work using GO (slow :D :D :D :D) are around 250 dollars, plus around 250 gas for the car to the station and the other needs. He works for the biggest telecommunication company in Canada and from 2017 they need to pay for their health insurance that means extra money. Grocery costs almost 400-500 dollars per month. We don't drink alcohol, don't smoke cigarettes. We canceled the cable because we had basic with channels that we don't like and the VIP package was around 80 dollars, cell phone costs around 60 dollars for my husband. At the beginning I had better cell phone plan and we paid together 130 dollars. Now I have the min plan which costs 15 dollars and I get nothing. 50 min for incoming and out coming calls I can't see who calls me it shows unknown number. I really like the heating in Canada because that is the only cheap bill here :D :D :D. Finding a good job is not easy here too. I'm a Civil engineer (road designer) with more than 5 years experience and I sent Resume but the companies don't respond. I apply for the beginner positions ( without or 1 year experience). I know that I need to work first year as a beginner to get a Canadian experience and then I could apply for the Professional Engineering exam. When I'll pass the exam I will become a Professional engineer.
 

Kopje

Hero Member
Nov 28, 2013
221
2
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hi

I'm new to this forum. I have been reading this forum regularly. I finally decided to create an account since I am also waiting for news from Vienna.
 

sponsor2012

Star Member
Jan 7, 2013
181
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01.02.2012
Doc's Request.
Fingerprints request 11.03.2013. Redone 19.04.2013 . Vienna received on 23.04.2013
AOR Received.
17.05.2012
File Transfer...
03.05.2012
Med's Done....
07.01.2012 redone 13.02.2013
Interview........
16.10.2012 in process from 19.10.2012
Passport Req..
11.10.2013 Vienna received on 15.10.2013
VISA ISSUED...
17.10.2013 I received passport on 25.10.2013
LANDED..........
04.11.2013
Kopje said:
Hi

I'm new to this forum. I have been reading this forum regularly. I finally decided to create an account since I am also waiting for news from Vienna.
Welcome to the forum Kopje!!! :D :D :D
 

Mia23

Newbie
Nov 28, 2013
2
0
Hey guys,
longtime lurker here, I finally decided to register today.
Basic info: austrian girl, married to a Canadian. Sent in our stuff in late June for the first time, then there was some miscommunication and a couple of months wasted. My husband has been approved to sponsor me mid october and that's the last time we've heard anything.
My question is: I just tried to check our progress but didn't get any info back from their website because they said that the processing may not yet have started. Does that mean that they maybe received the file and haven't looked at it- meaning that the 13 months processing time hasn't even started for me yet? Not that I would be surprised, but it kind of sucks.

Thanks everybody,
cheers M.
 

KKMoe

Star Member
Oct 16, 2012
92
0
Category........
Visa Office......
Vienna
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-03-2013
Doc's Request.
01-05-2013
AOR Received.
18-04-2013
File Transfer...
19-04-2013
Med's Done....
10-01-2013
Mia23 said:
Hey guys,
longtime lurker here, I finally decided to register today.
Basic info: austrian girl, married to a Canadian. Sent in our stuff in late June for the first time, then there was some miscommunication and a couple of months wasted. My husband has been approved to sponsor me mid october and that's the last time we've heard anything.
My question is: I just tried to check our progress but didn't get any info back from their website because they said that the processing may not yet have started. Does that mean that they maybe received the file and haven't looked at it- meaning that the 13 months processing time hasn't even started for me yet? Not that I would be surprised, but it kind of sucks.

Thanks everybody,
cheers M.
Hi Mia23 and welcome to the forum,

by 'their website' do you mean ecas? Don't rely on that thing, try and order the GCMS notes, it will tell you what stage your application is at. My Ecas is still showing 'application received' but it obviously is 'in process' according to the notes.

Have a great day!
KKMoe
 

Avadava

Hero Member
Oct 11, 2013
818
79
Vancouver
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Vienna
App. Filed.......
December 3, 2013
AOR Received.
Stage 1 AOR + SA January 8, 2014
File Transfer...
January 12, 2014
Med's Request
Further Medical Tests Requested: October 24, 2013
Med's Done....
October 15, 2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
October 20, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
October 27, 2014
LANDED..........
January 17, 2015
Hi Kopje and Mia23, welcome to the forum.

@ Mia23, don't rely on what ecas says, it is not updated properly from what I've heard.

I just sent my application in today (YAY) they told me it should get there in 4 days. I have a tracking number to see where it is, but I was wondering if you could tell me more about this thing that bugs me. When Mississauga receives the application, do they let you know they have it or they only contact you after they approve the sponsor?

I thought that once I send it in, I won't worry anymore, but I'm so paranoid today. Keep wondering if there is something I forgot, I'm scared that my package will get lost, etc. This is so stressful.
 

Kopje

Hero Member
Nov 28, 2013
221
2
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Mia23 said:
Hey guys,
longtime lurker here, I finally decided to register today.
Basic info: austrian girl, married to a Canadian. Sent in our stuff in late June for the first time, then there was some miscommunication and a couple of months wasted. My husband has been approved to sponsor me mid october and that's the last time we've heard anything.
My question is: I just tried to check our progress but didn't get any info back from their website because they said that the processing may not yet have started. Does that mean that they maybe received the file and haven't looked at it- meaning that the 13 months processing time hasn't even started for me yet? Not that I would be surprised, but it kind of sucks.

Thanks everybody,
cheers M.
We have almost the exact same timeline. My wife was approved mid October as a sponsor. From everything I have read here I do not expect our application to be touched in 2013...