Wow and re-wow...

[michelsavage]

In short: applied for PR for my Thai wife. I am Canadian, living with wife in Thailand. Our application for PR was going to take another 20 months but, wow, we just got an email from Singapour saying... "... send your passports, fill the form, your application is almost complete..." Is this possible??? Also, the email was sent to my wife, with her address stated in Canada (an ex-address where we used to live a few years back). Also, although the application is right, the UCI number in the letter is not the same as that of the PR application. Is it possible they use an old UCI number when my wife asked for a tourist visa three years ago? I'm confused and excited... excited and confused...

 

[michelsavage]

OK. Got an answer: Canada Singapor used a two-year old application for temporary residence for my wife. The UCI number and the Canadian address correspond to that old application. They now use this old UCI to process my new application for permanent residence. I suppose they don't want two different UCIs for the same person...

 

[bahazadath]

congratulations ...
may be you done something good in your life? if it is not you maybe it is your wife ?!!
you believe in god ??? thank him a lot...it's a providence but let me notice something ! in all your massages you never put a date... it's just weird for someone soooo excited!!!!!

 

[keesio]

It appears that Singapore is slow only if an interview is required (they doubt the sincerity of the relationship). If they do not have any concerns and feel that the relationship is solid, then processing time is much faster. Sounds like they don't have any concerns in your case so the interview is skipped and processing will be speedy.

 

[browning911]

In short: applied for PR for my Thai wife. I am Canadian, living with wife in Thailand. Our application for PR was going to take another 20 months but, wow, we just got an email from Singapour saying... "... send your passports, fill the form, your application is almost complete..." Is this possible??? Also, the email was sent to my wife, with her address stated in Canada (an ex-address where we used to live a few years back). Also, although the application is right, the UCI number in the letter is not the same as that of the PR application. Is it possible they use an old UCI number when my wife asked for a tourist visa three years ago? I'm confused and excited... excited and confused...

Congratulations!

IRCC used the UCI from our visitor's extension for the PA's application.

When did you submit your application?

 

[michelsavage]

As a reminder: I am Canadian living in Thailand with Thai wife. Application was submitted July 7th 2016. So we are now November 24th. That's 4.5 months since I sent my application. I was accepted as sponsor fairly quickly, I think 1 month. This is spectacularly fast. I had made plans for 28 months of waiting. Now.... Phew. ONE QUESTION: once PR is granted, how quickly do I have to move to Canada before losing the PR visa? Thank you all for your great support!

 

[canadianwoman]

There should be a date mentioned in the papers you received and on the visa itself saying when it expires. This is usually one year after the medical is done.
If you need more time before moving back to Canada, you and your wife can go to Canada before this date, 'land' (which means she uses the PR visa to enter Canada), and then come back to Thailand. The visa officer would not have issued the visa if he or she did not believe that you would be coming back to Canada to live, but people can land in Canada, then go back home to finish getting ready to move, if they need more time. I would not mention this to the border agent, though.

She can have her PR card sent to an address in Canada where it would be safe, such as the home of a relative, who can then send it to her in Thailand. Or you could stay in Canada long enough to get the card yourselves.

Once she is a PR, time spent with you outside of Canada counts as part of the time necessary for her to keep her PR status (if you are a Canadian citizen).

 

[SaskinSeoul]

As a reminder: I am Canadian living in Thailand with Thai wife. Application was submitted July 7th 2016. So we are now November 24th. That's 4.5 months since I sent my application. I was accepted as sponsor fairly quickly, I think 1 month. This is spectacularly fast. I had made plans for 28 months of waiting. Now.... Phew. ONE QUESTION: once PR is granted, how quickly do I have to move to Canada before losing the PR visa? Thank you all for your great support!

That's awesome!!

Usually they give you a month or so to land in Canada. You can go to Canada for a week and get everything sorted and go back to Thailand and finish everything up and move home. 3 out 5 years are needed to keep permanent residence.

Do you own land in Canada or have lots of assets? It seems super fast but congrats again

 

[michelsavage]

No, I don't own land or have large assets. Both my Thai wife and I have university degrees, both are active professionally, with good reputation. All that probably helps. In any case, we will move to Canada as soon as we sell car and bicycles, get the cats ready, get rid of garbage. So I think that 3 weeks to a month will be time to move. I'm happy, but I will miss Thailand, I know.

 

[michelsavage]

Well, it appears there may be some confusion between Bangkok and Singapore. CIC Singapore sent me a detailed email asking for photos to be sent along with passport to Bangkok. But Bangkok asks me to send them the email from Singapore along with money for the passports... Now, we're trying, unsuccessfully, to call CIC in BKK... Phew... You'd assume that Singapore and Bangkok are on the same line of info...

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Usually they give you a month or so to land in Canada.

3 out 5 years are needed to keep permanent residence.

No, they give around a year from the date of the medical or the date the passport expires, whichever comes first.

The PR Residency Obligation is 2 out of 5 years.

 

[ImABule]

Well, it appears there may be some confusion between Bangkok and Singapore. CIC Singapore sent me a detailed email asking for photos to be sent along with passport to Bangkok. But Bangkok asks me to send them the email from Singapore along with money for the passports... Now, we're trying, unsuccessfully, to call CIC in BKK... Phew... You'd assume that Singapore and Bangkok are on the same line of info...

Are you sure SVO didn't ask you to send your passport to SVO via VFS Bangkok?

 

[michelsavage]

OK. Things seem to have cleared out. Singapore asked me to send passports to Bangkok. Then, Bangkok, charges me money to transfer passports to Singapore. I don't know why we couldn't send passports directly to Singapore. Maybe Bangkok wanted to "join the bandwagon" kindda. Anyway, things seem to move ahead. Don't know how long it will take from now. Thanks to all for your help and advice. I wish the world worked like this forum...

 

[ImABule]

OK. Things seem to have cleared out. Singapore asked me to send passports to Bangkok. Then, Bangkok, charges me money to transfer passports to Singapore. I don't know why we couldn't send passports directly to Singapore. Maybe Bangkok wanted to "join the bandwagon" kindda. Anyway, things seem to move ahead. Don't know how long it will take from now. Thanks to all for your help and advice. I wish the world worked like this forum...

Strange.

SVO usually asks the applicant to send the passport to SVO through the CVAC at VFS.

 

[michelsavage]

Residents of THAILAND
Submit passports to the Canada Visa Application Centre in Bangkok
For address, service hours, and instructions for how to submit passports through the
Canada Visa Application Centre in Thailand, visit this website:

Canada Visa Application Centre
The Trendy Office Building, 10/198-201, 28th Floor,
Sukhumvit Soi 13, Klongtoey-Nua,
Wattana,Bangkok 10110

I also failed to read the details on the Canada Visa Center about how to send passports and how to pay... That had not been made clear in the letter from Singapore... Oh well...