I don't know what to do . . . I'm losing hope

[SadGirl:(]

My husband's application has been in process since January 2009 in London.  He took his medicals back in September of 2008 and now it's almost going to be a year.  I don't understand, other people's applications that were sent to London after my husband's have been processed and finalized.  I don't understand what the hold up could be.  What happens if my husband's application remains in process and September comes around?  Has anyone had an application in London that has taken this long to finalize?

[robertbola]

Hi SadGirl,

I'm sorry about your challenges with your application to sponsor your husband. I know it's not easy.

Have you tried contacting the London office. From what I have heard or read the London office is suppose to be speedy...being you have waited such a long time I'm sure they would not mind you contacting them. Email them/fax them (ask them to call you at your #)....do whatever you can do to get their attention.

If you are a Canadian Citizen- this people work for you.

Good luck Sadgirl---

[SadGirl:(]

Hi robertbola!

I am a Canadaian Citizen and I too hear that the London office is supposed to be speedy; hence, why I am so sad.  I tried emailing them through that contact form on the CIC web site and I haven't received anything from them.  As for calling, no I haven't;  I'm not sure exactly what number to call or what number to fax.

[mud504@yahoo]

From reading the Canadian Consulate of London's site it states that it will answer inquiries of applications in process only if it has exceeded the average time. The average time was 6 months for family class and I believe you have past that point. It also says that "Due to limited resources, we are unable to confirm whether we have received your documents. If you would like such confirmation, you can send your documents by registered mail. If you would like confirmation that we have processed your bank draft, you can contact the bank that issued the draft." So it seems they wont being giving you regular updates. Have you recieved anything at all since you began the process? Have you used ECAS? From what I read on CIC website, assuming you live in Canada, you are able to contact the CIC call center for case specific enquiries [1 888 242‑2100]

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/missions/unitedkingdom-royaumeuni/visas/contact_visa_contactez-eng.asp

https://dmp-portal.cic.gc.ca/cicemail/intro-eng.aspx?mission=london

[SadGirl:(]

The process began on October 8, 2008 when the application was received at the CPC in Mississauga, Ontario.  The application was complete - it contained all the necessary documents, even the medicals and the police certificates, and the entire payment was made up front.  My husband done his medicals on September 8th, as I previously mentioned.  Everything was approved and it was sent to London, England on December 8, 2008. In London the application process began on January 8, 2009. On March 26 my husband had his interview and in his interview the Officer had no complaints about the application and to our knowledge, my husband passed the interview. Since March 26 until today neither my husband or I have heard anything except that they're doing routine background checks.

I check ECAS every single day, to be exact I check it two times a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.  The status continues to say "in process."

When I contact the CIC call center they tell me that they can only answer questions about applications that are still in Canada; they can't answer any questions on what's going on in Visa offices abroad.  I just don't know what to do any more.

Has anyone who has had an application in London experienced this?

[MARLENA]

I believe once they completed the background checks that's when they will send you a letter requesting the passport. Sometimes background checks takes time before finalize everything.
Did your husband lived in other countries more than one year?

[lesintheuk]

You are over the 'average' 6 months processing time so you can contact them and expect a reply.  There is an email / web form on the previous link that mud504 provided, you really need to send them a query that way.  I'm sure they will respond, I have had to email the Canadian embassy a few times before regarding other issues, and they have always replied (albeit sometimes it is 5-10 days later). 

[SadGirl:(]

I believe once they completed the background checks that's when they will send you a letter requesting the passport. Sometimes background checks takes time before finalize everything.
Did your husband lived in other countries more than one year?

Hi Marlena!

My husband is not from Sweden, he's just a permanent resident there.  Yes, he's been to and lived in other countries, but all of them were less than a year - at most maybe six months.  The only country he's lived in for more than a year is his birth country and Sweden.

Marlena, you seem to know a lot about this type of sponsorship process, what happens if the background checks go on for longer and September comes around and my husband's medicals are a year old?  Are they going to repeat everything over again, i.e. the medicals and the background checks?

Also, thank you mud504 for the information you provided.  However, I have used that email / web form before, and all the time when they respond back they just answer me with the same thing, "please be advised that we await the results of routine background enquiries.  We will write to you when we are in a position to do so."

I'm trying everything that I can to get my husband's case moving and hopefully finalized before September (before his medicals reach a year old).

[MARLENA]

The only way to know exactly what's going on with the file you need to order CAIPS notes. If you live in Canada and you are PR it will take approximately 5 weeks to receive them.
Do you know how to order them?

[SadGirl:(]

The only way to know exactly what's going on with the file you need to order CAIPS notes. If you live in Canada and you are PR it will take approximately 5 weeks to receive them.
Do you know how to order them?

No Marlena, I don't know how to order them.  I'm not even sure what they are.  May you please tell me.  Thanks!

[MARLENA]

First of all you must fill out this following form (scan it or fax it )to your husband to sign it and he can fax it back to you. That way you can access the caips notes on his behalf since you live in Canada and I'll explain in detail how you can order them.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5475E.pdf

[MARLENA]

After you receive the form that your husband signed you have the complete this one and send it to receive your CAIPS NOTES.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5563B.pdf

[MARLENA]

Boncuk had explained the process very well in one of her previous posting

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/when-is-the-passport-request-t18992.25.html

Follow her directions and send both forms together to the address she had mentioned.

[SadGirl:(]

Thank you so much Marlena.  I'll get onto doing that.  It's so nice to have people share their experiences and to help others in similar situations.  Hopefully my husband and I will hear good news soon.  I've read in previous posts that you and your husband got the letter to submit the passport.  Congratulations!!!

[lbw]

Trust me I know how hard it is to wait. My common law husbands file was started in London UK in Feb 2008 and he finally got his passport request on June 30th, 2009. He had to complete another medical and police certificate as they had both expired. We used lawyers for the process, also paid the fees upfront and got them to chase up the High Commission in London for us. Don't lose hope, if all is well with the file, the decision will be made.