Havana, Cuba

[KJG]

Wow...that is some story Deseperated.  Unfortunately it takes usually 6 to 8 months to get a mediation date and/or appeal dates and those dates are usually any where from 6 months to a year away.  So unfortunately your time frame is about right.  I know it is hard trying to support your children and taking trips to cuba and supporting your spouse down there and you have your family down there to support as well.  It sounds like you have a good chance to respond to everything at mediation and then they can overturn that decision and you are very smart in hiring a lawyer.  He will be able to dismiss the appropriateness of that letter. There is nothing more frustrating than your life not being in your control.  You might call the mediation centre and asked to be put on a cancellation list for an earlier date.  My friend got in faster that way.  The good news is that you are going to mediation and not a full blown appeal right away.  So you have to try and find the positives in all this and in the meantime you will keep gathering proof of your real marriage.

[KJG]

Hey lambchop...hope all is well and that you get your aor/approval this week.  Seen some mid-May applicants got their's yesterday!!!  Shouldn't be too much longer.  Hang in there!!!

[veradis]

2011 at 02:36:34 PM a Ms. Kathleen O'Connell ‘XREF;B047871062ADVISING OF PA'S POSSIBLE MOC, INFO PROVIDED TO BE CONFIRMED ON INTERV DATE'. I guess that ‘MOC' stands for ‘Marriage of Convenience', this Kathleen O'Connell is the ex-wife of a friend of my husband's. It is hard to imagine that this lady did this to get back at her ex-husband (!!??) I have never met this lady, she doesn't even know me. I have been trying to get a copy of that email by invoking my right to access any information that affects me in a direct way but so far this has been unsuccessful. I feel I have the right to know what she wrote to the Embassy since it was used to turn our lives upside down.

I feel like a second class citizen, that Ms. O'Connell went to Cuba and got married without the company of her family and nobody questioned that, why? Is it because she was born in Canada? Now she writes and email that turns my life upside down for nothing. Why does someone who can't prove that our marriage is fictitious has that kind of credibility? Why? Is it because she works for the government? I just can't stop wondering.

What an awful situation? Have you tried contacting this woman to ask her what she said? Obviously she either felt she was doing the right thing or due to her failed relationship now is lashing out at all relationships involving Cuba. Perhaps if you can speak to her and have her retract her statement it would help. I know you must be so angry at this stranger messing with your life. Maybe you can have someone mediate a conversation between you so she doesn't get scared off by a possible confrontation. It seems like since she already chose to involve herself in your process, it would be best to get as much as possible from her as you can.

Since they wrote that they thought it was a MOC, not fraud, I'm assuming they feel that you and your husband are both just involved in a business transaction, not a real relationship. I know it is hard to share all your personal information but I think in this situation you have to give them everything, get graphic. While it seems unfair to have to share everything, if that's what it takes to be with your husband, that is what it takes.

To give you hope though, my friend was denied after her husband's interview as they said there was a language barrier. She was given the option of an ADR instead of an appeal (alternative dispute resolution). It was 3 months after his interview. Immigration realized they'd made a big mistake as there is no language barrier for them, she speaks fluent Spanish and they reversed their decision and approved him. So there is hope!

[KJG]

Well it's been a week since I emailed Havana and all I have is confirmation that they received my email.  Hopefully by tomorrow they will send something confirming that they have our application so I am not worrying/wondering all weekend....which will ultimately lead me to drink    !!

[lambchop]

Hey lambchop...hope all is well and that you get your aor/approval this week.  Seen some mid-May applicants got their's yesterday!!!  Shouldn't be too much longer.  Hang in there!!!

Thanks for thinking about me KJG. Still nada from CIC. We're getting very anxious and would love to hear good news before the weekend, but who knows with this crazy process. A June 15th applicant got approval today...good for them, but what about the May applicants who are still waiting 

I've got my fingers crossed for you that the Havana VO will be in touch with you soon 

[KJG]

Thanks for thinking about me KJG. Still nada from CIC. We're getting very anxious and would love to hear good news before the weekend, but who knows with this crazy process. A June 15th applicant got approval today...good for them, but what about the May applicants who are still waiting 

I've got my fingers crossed for you that the Havana VO will be in touch with you soon 

Yes it would be lovely for both of us to get an email tomorrow!!! Here's to positive thoughts and faith!!!

[lambchop]

Yes it would be lovely for both of us to get an email tomorrow!!! Here's to positive thoughts and faith!!!

KJG, your positive thoughts brought good news my way today  At long last, we finally received the magical email today of sponsorship approval. No AOR, just the approval email. We're thrilled to have this news before the weekend. So our application will be in the diplomatic canoe enroute to Havana shortly.

Any response to your inquiry at the Embassy? We're thinking of you.

[KJG]

KJG, your positive thoughts brought good news my way today  At long last, we finally received the magical email today of sponsorship approval. No AOR, just the approval email. We're thrilled to have this news before the weekend. So our application will be in the diplomatic canoe enroute to Havana shortly.

Any response to your inquiry at the Embassy? We're thinking of you.

So so happy for you lambchop.....insert happy dance here........and now for a very enjoyable weekend....well I hope your canoe is an updated one outfitted with a gps cause surely my canoe has gone astray or worse yet.....lost in the bermuda triangle.......absolutely nothing from Havana....    so I sit and wait....my fridge has a big bottle of white wine chilling so that is the weekend I see coming my way.....LOL

[KJG]

Good Morning Cuba Forum.......Shuster2210.....let us hope Havana is in a communicative mood this week!!!!

[TSauretBaxter]

Good Morning Cuba Forum.......Shuster2210.....let us hope Havana is in a communicative mood this week!!!!

Was checking to see if you had good news. Hopefully this week!!

[KJG]

Was checking to see if you had good news. Hopefully this week!!

Thanks TSauretBaxter.....hoping the old adege...no news is good news is applying to us at the moment!!!!

[TSauretBaxter]

Thanks TSauretBaxter.....hoping the old adege...no news is good news is applying to us at the moment!!!!

Yeah, for sure!! You tried sending an inquiry right? But haven't heard anything?

[KJG]

Yeah, for sure!! You tried sending an inquiry right? But haven't heard anything?

yes sent an inquiry on August 9th and have received no response to date other than an automated acknowledgment that they received the email....

[TSauretBaxter]

yes sent an inquiry on August 9th and have received no response to date other than an automated acknowledgment that they received the email....

Hopefully you'll at least get a response to that soon.

[KJG]

Well....finally got an email from Havana.....all it said was it was inside the processing times as set out on the CIC website.......fyi.....that is 10 months......and they will not respond to my email.......but seeing as they sent me an email back do you think that means they have my file......all I asked was confirmation that they have the file...