Immigration Lawyer Experiences? situation in Iraq

[ComeToCanadaSami]

Hello All,

I am new to the forum and am rapidly becoming an expert on spousal sponsorship. I hope to help some of you all out very soon.

I am quite confident that i can prepare a complete application package myself. I am a Canadian born husband sponsoring my Iranian wife via the spousal sponsorship program. We have all documentation to demonstrate our proof of relation but sometimes however, an immigration attorney seems to be the best route to go. I just dont trust any of them enough to handle our case. It is not so much about he money but having the confidence in some stranger to handle something so vitally important for our future; it is troubling t say the least.

I contacted a number of immigration lawyers and decided to go about this on our own. None of them had even bothered to read the FAQ section of the CIC website that very clearly states that Iraq and surrounding areas are eligible for 'priority processing' if they can demonstrate how their particular situation is deemed affected by the situation there. I have no reservations or doubts that i can prove this through a letter outlining the well documented facts, our religious differences and inherent consequences of such a matrimonial union in that volatile region.

My question: Does anyone have any experience pertaining to spousal sponsorship priority processing with the 'Situation in Iraq' caveat? We are newly weds and this separation is just plain torture. It seems so unfair that we are apart and we only want ot be back together.

I would like to mention that i am born and living in Canada and my wife has been forced to return to Iran to await our applicant procedure.

For your consideration & thanks in advance.

Chris

1-application submitted from inside Canada to CPC-M (TBA)

[ComeToCanadaSami]

Just to clarify, i did not mean to start this thread as a whipping post for immigration lawyers. No names need mentioning, just experiences.

Thanks all.

Good Luck

Chris

[vivi2]

Hey,
I don't want to disappoint you or anything, but right now there's not much "priority processing" for Iraqis either, forget about the surrounding regions.
I am an Iranian myself, sponsoring my Iranian husband through Damascus, you can check the Damascus thread and see there are some Iraqi members who've been waiting for 10-11 months and NO news.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/damascusspousal-since-jan-2010-or-late-2009-t51197.12060.html
I wish you the best of luck.

[rjessome]

Hello All,

I am new to the forum and am rapidly becoming an expert on spousal sponsorship. I hope to help some of you all out very soon.

I am quite confident that i can prepare a complete application package myself. I am a Canadian born husband sponsoring my Iranian wife via the spousal sponsorship program. We have all documentation to demonstrate our proof of relation but sometimes however, an immigration attorney seems to be the best route to go. I just dont trust any of them enough to handle our case. It is not so much about he money but having the confidence in some stranger to handle something so vitally important for our future; it is troubling t say the least.

I contacted a number of immigration lawyers and decided to go about this on our own. None of them had even bothered to read the FAQ section of the CIC website that very clearly states that Iraq and surrounding areas are eligible for 'priority processing' if they can demonstrate how their particular situation is deemed affected by the situation there. I have no reservations or doubts that i can prove this through a letter outlining the well documented facts, our religious differences and inherent consequences of such a matrimonial union in that volatile region.

My question: Does anyone have any experience pertaining to spousal sponsorship priority processing with the 'Situation in Iraq' caveat? We are newly weds and this separation is just plain torture. It seems so unfair that we are apart and we only want ot be back together.

I would like to mention that i am born and living in Canada and my wife has been forced to return to Iran to await our applicant procedure.

For your consideration & thanks in advance.

Chris

1-application submitted from inside Canada to CPC-M (TBA)

Hi,

The issue you are facing is not the lack of specific knowledge and/or experience you will find in an immigration lawyer or consultant, it is that priority processing will NOT be given to a person due to a marriage that has religious differences.  Priority processing was deemed necessary due to the war in Iraq and the devastation that was caused and continues due to instability, acts of terror and insurgent attacks.  It was never intended to be applied to a couple with religious differences that have upset a family, but rather those that are at risk of being blown up by a bomb when they go to the local market to buy milk.  I'm sorry friend but you are reading too much into this in hopes that your wife's situation will fit and gain priority processing.  From what you wrote, it does not.  Feel free to argue it with all of the eloquent words you can find.  But it won't work, at least not in the current political climate. 

You said something interesting.  "my wife has been forced to return to Iran to await our applicant procedure." She was in Canada?  Was she deported?  Why didn't she apply to stay as a visitor through an extension or change of conditions?  You could have applied after you were married via the In Canada Class for spousal sponsorships.  What happened?

[ComeToCanadaSami]

Hello and thank you for the Reply,

I do agree, it may be a stretch but according to what is currently going on in Iran, based on media and also the first hand knowledge of my wife and her family, the uhhhm,"risk of being blown up" is starting to become a real possibility. Crime has soared, tensions are through the roof and we all hear the drums of war banging across the world. I do agree with your statements though, i am going to have to really try hard to convince anyone to give us priority processing.

Posted by: rjessome

You said something interesting.  "my wife has been forced to return to Iran to await our applicant procedure." She was in Canada?  Was she deported?  Why didn't she apply to stay as a visitor through an extension or change of conditions?  You could have applied after you were married via the In Canada Class for spousal sponsorships.  What happened?

Some context: We were random facebook friends for over a year, started chatting, skyping, talking, ect. She came to my climbing base camp at K2 in Pakistan in July 11 to actually meet me. We both travelled to Nepal together,  after some months, got officially married there (This i am an expert in for anyone interested!) and then both our families few to Nepal from Canada and Iran and we had a religious ceremony together. She applied for a T R V and was declined based on the likelihood of her not returning home at the end of her stay. Hence the 'forced' in my post.

I have marriage certs, hundreds of emails, FB messages, photos of us and family all over the place, joint living expense receipts, letters from family and the lot, and forget about the long distance bill i am going to have at the end of this first month apart. I am quite confident i can prove our committed and continuing relationship.

We are following the guides to the letter and are really taking our time to be sure we submit the perfect application. Clear, organized, concise and most importantly complete.

I imagine i am just like everyone else on here who is just wasting away being away from their spouses for so long.

Posted by: vivi2
Hey,
I don't want to disappoint you or anything, but right now there's not much "priority processing" for Iraqis either, forget about the surrounding regions.
I am an Iranian myself, sponsoring my Iranian husband through Damascus, you can check the Damascus thread and see there are some Iraqi members who've been waiting for 10-11 months and NO news.

I have heard from some people in Iran that Damascus, who is holding their documents now, will start receiving them shortly. That was a couple of weeks ago, apparently the processing was stalled for quite some time and now they are doing something to get it all moving again shortly. This is just 3rd hand knowledge and conjecture though.

Thanks again to everyone for your kind assistance and condolences.

Chris

[Quince777]

If you're Iranian how is situation in Iraq affecting you?

[ComeToCanadaSami]

I'm Canadian, my wife is Iranian; and the Situation in Iraq, is stated on the CIC site as The Situation in Iraq and Surrounding Areas" which includes Iran.

Priority processing for family members in Iraq
Hide:
What does it mean to give priority processing?
What does it mean to give priority processing?
Priority processing means that applications currently waiting to be processed, at either the Case Processing Centre or at the visa office, will be pulled from the wait list and processed right away.
New applications to sponsor a family member directly affected by the situation in Iraq will not be put on the wait list but will also be processed right away.
Hide:
Who is eligible for the priority processing?
Who is eligible for the priority processing?
Close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have been directly affected by the situation in Iraq and who live in Iraq or the surrounding region are eligible for priority processing.
Hide:
Are family members of protected persons included in the priority processing?
Are family members of protected persons included in the priority processing?
Yes. Protected persons in Canada who have applied for permanent residence and who have included a dependant living in Iraq or the surrounding region in their application will also be given priority processing.
Hide:
What countries are considered part of the “surrounding region”?
What countries are considered part of the “surrounding region”?
The surrounding region includes Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and Iran. Applications for permanent residence from Iraqi nationals who live in any of these five countries will also be given priority processing from the visa office in Damascus.
Hide:
Who is considered part of the Family Class?
Who is considered part of the Family Class?
Family Class includes a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child, parent and grandparent.
Hide:
How long will it take for my application to be processed?
How long will it take for my application to be processed?
If you have applied or plan to apply for sponsorship in Canada to the Case Processing Centre, you can expect to have your application processed in about one week, as long as it is complete and the application fee has been paid.
If your application is being processed at the visa office in Damascus, processing times will vary depending on your circumstances. The visa office has already begun priority processing on eligible applications and will start to process new applications right away. To keep from delaying the process, applicants and sponsors should respond quickly to any request from the visa office.
Applicants and sponsors can check the progress of their applications online by using the E-Client Application Status service.
Hide:
If I am applying to come to Canada temporarily, e.g., to visit, study or work, will priority processing apply?
If I am applying to come to Canada temporarily, e.g., to visit, study or work, will priority processing apply?
No. Priority processing only applies to Family Class applications for permanent residence.
Hide:
If my application was previously refused but I am affected by the situation in Iraq, will my case be re-examined?
If my application was previously refused but I am affected by the situation in Iraq, will my case be re-examined?
We do not reopen a closed file. If your application was previously refused, you can reapply and it will be reassessed.
Hide:
Will security or medical requirements be waived for the priority processing?
Will security or medical requirements be waived for the priority processing?
No. As usual, all applicants must meet security and medical requirements.
Hide:
I have already applied as a refugee and am waiting to see if I will be accepted. If I have family in Canada, can I also apply under the Family Class to receive priority processing?
I have already applied as a refugee and am waiting to see if I will be accepted. If I have family in Canada, can I also apply under the Family Class to receive priority processing?
Yes. In fact, you are encouraged to apply for Family Class processing if you have a close family member living in Canada who can sponsor you.

Cheers

Chris

[Quince777]

As to the lawyer question, you really need to shop around to find one you're comfortable working with. Sometimes more than one consultation is required to find out how he/she would deal with you and whether you like how they do business with you. I had good and bad experience with lawyers and that's why I'm suggesting you to really take time to find a good lawyer. Because if you hire a bad lawyer you'll suffer not only from stress but other problems along the way due to their incompetency or unprofessionalism. At the end it's up to you if you even want to hire a lawyer. Maybe your case is straightforward and you can do it on your own. If you think it's a more complicated case than consulting a lawyer might help.

[vivi2]

I'm Canadian, my wife is Iranian; and the Situation in Iraq, is stated on the CIC site as The Situation in Iraq and Surrounding Areas" which includes Iran.

Cheers

Chris

"The surrounding region includes Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and Iran. Applications for permanent residence from Iraqi nationals who live in any of these five countries will also be given priority processing from the visa office in Damascus."
I'm sorry but I still think this priority has NOTHING to do with Iranian citizens living in Iran.
Damascus handles applications for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, you see all these surrounding countries. If there was a priority processing the way you're saying, Damascus's timeline wouldn't be 13 months for 80% of the applications and I wouldn't be still waiting after 9 months.
However you might be interested to know that some people have contacted Damascus and have been told that files are being transferred to Ankara, Beirut and Amman. Iranian files will have a high chance of ending up in Ankara which has 5 months processing time.
By the way, the situation right now in Iran is not even comparable to Iraq or Syria. There's no war right now, and I personally think priority processing is for countries in war, and bombs falling all over the place, not the current Iran.
Anyways, best of luck.

[rah]

Hello All,

I am new to the forum and am rapidly becoming an expert on spousal sponsorship. I hope to help some of you all out very soon.

I am quite confident that i can prepare a complete application package myself. I am a Canadian born husband sponsoring my Iranian wife via the spousal sponsorship program. We have all documentation to demonstrate our proof of relation but sometimes however, an immigration attorney seems to be the best route to go. I just dont trust any of them enough to handle our case. It is not so much about he money but having the confidence in some stranger to handle something so vitally important for our future; it is troubling t say the least.

I contacted a number of immigration lawyers and decided to go about this on our own. None of them had even bothered to read the FAQ section of the CIC website that very clearly states that Iraq and surrounding areas are eligible for 'priority processing' if they can demonstrate how their particular situation is deemed affected by the situation there. I have no reservations or doubts that i can prove this through a letter outlining the well documented facts, our religious differences and inherent consequences of such a matrimonial union in that volatile region.

My question: Does anyone have any experience pertaining to spousal sponsorship priority processing with the 'Situation in Iraq' caveat? We are newly weds and this separation is just plain torture. It seems so unfair that we are apart and we only want ot be back together.

I would like to mention that i am born and living in Canada and my wife has been forced to return to Iran to await our applicant procedure.

For your consideration & thanks in advance.

Chris

1-application submitted from inside Canada to CPC-M (TBA)

Yeah situation in Iran is not so good, but not that bad to give priority. Plus there about 2500 applicant from Iran, who is going to get priority?

[mroliveland]

You are Canadian and she is Iranian...none of you is Iraqi...Iraqis themselves are waiting and waiting.....

There are more blighted areas now in the middle east such as Syria or Palestine (Gaza) and none of these are prioritized.

Having a lawyer as a representative on the app does not add anything. Actually it might make things worse as all the correspondences go to them not to you and they might not deliver it in a timely manner. Using  a lawyer is good if your situation is complicated. If it is straightforward and you are able to prepare the app by yourself, then go ahead and do it. Laywers does not expedite anything.