Kingston,Jamaica

[SmoothiesQueen]

Hey all..thanks for the welcome ...one thing I still don't understand...and please forgive me if I come across as an idiot...or if you guys have clearly stated the answer and I'm just missing the obvious!! This stuff kinda makes your head spin. I already have the police report done...did it for getting my husbands visitor visa for this sept..and turned out they didn't need it.  We've gone through getting the visitor visa..now its the permanent.

So my question is...my husband and I ran a business here which is temporarily shut down due to location change. We are unsure if we are going to reopen it if we are going to Canada. So I don't know still how to fill out the financial sponsership forms. The site says you have to have all this income....and then you guys on here..who are godsends...say that I just have to show them I can support us when I got to Canada. My husband already has a job when he gets there..so I guess technically its a job offer. I also have a job to go back to..work at a hospital and kept a casual position. So technically im still employeed.

So can anyone dummy down how to fill out that part of the paperwork? Sorry if its already been answered. This gets so confusing when you have no clue what your doing and the brain shuts down!

[nae-nae]

mommyT - welcome! you have come to the right place!!

on the website it says if you do not receive your AOR letter after 8 weeks, to contact them.  They say they will not respond to any inquiries made before the normal processing time is up.  So perhaps, they did not respond because the 8 weeks was not up, I don't really know.  Maybe they haven't even looked at your file yet to give it a B#.  Perhaps you should call them to find out your B#.  My hubby's file was transferred to KG on Jun 28 and to date, he has not received the AOR letter....we have another 4 weeks to wait for it.

It is my understanding that it is not uncommon not to receive one.  I know that a few forum members have said they have never received one.  I'm not sure if the mail disappears down there or if they simply don't send one out.  But I do know the mail system is not reliable.  Another member of this forum said she was able to track the file through ecas using her client ID.  I have checked mine regularly and it says the status of the file in KG is not available.  I'm not sure when it will be available but I keep checking anyway.

as for the medical - if you don't do it before you apply, they will send you a letter requesting you have it done.  This will delay your process probably 60 days.  You have to have it done regardless, so I would recommend doing it and sending it in.  If you call and get your B# before you send it in that would be good.  Or maybe you can use your client ID #, or just ask them how you should label it when you call.  

When you have the medical done, you have to go to one of their designated medical practitioners (the website with that list is posted on page 311 of this forum).  You have to bring a form that is in the guide along with photos.  You will have to read the region specific guide for  instructions which can be found here (scroll down until you find the Caribbean)

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp#region

My hubby had to have a blood test and chest x-rays done and didn't have to go back to pick anything up.  He was given a form by the doctor to send in with the application.  It is my understanding that the results are sent to Trinidad & Tobago for review and then posted on a website or database that immigration will check for the results when it is time for them to review the medical portion of your application.  

I hope that helps!!

[MommyT]

Thanks that is helpful. I have so many questions.... After the medical is done - does it take 60 days to process it? Or are you saying that the letter requesting the medical would be issued 60 days later?
We have tried to call Kingston but with no luck. What phone number would I use to ask for our B# or to ask if the Client ID number would be sufficient? We have not even got conformation that our file is there (it was sent during the violence in Kingston and we were hoping to have more than Purolators tracking number to verify that it got there).
Thanks again,
MommyT

[SmoothiesQueen]

Hey question...how long does the whole process generally take....like a rough guess as I know it's different for everyone. And is it quicker to high a lawyer and if so how much quicker?

[jamwifey26]

Smoothie: You do not need proof of income to sponsor a spouse or dependent child. You do need to provide the "Option C" printout to prove that you did not collect social assistance(that is my understanding). The process can take anywhere from 3 to 20 months depending on whether you have complications on your file, i.e dependent children, deportation or criminal records. Even though the cic timeline for kingston is 7-15 months.


MommyT: I not sure if you read the previous posts on here or not. If you did you would see that the Kingston Office hardly answer emails, fax or any form of communication.

[jamwifey26]

 October 2009 to Oct 2010

                               30%   50%     70%      80%
Kingston Kingston     7       9         12     15



July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010

                               30%   50%     70%       80%
Kingston Kingston     7       11         14     15



Oh by the way the processing times have been updated. The maximum timeline remained the same. But overall they are taking longer to process files.

[SmoothiesQueen]

Can this be sped up using an immigration lawyer?

[jamwifey26]

Nope unfortunately not. We have people here who have used a lawyer and are still waiting a year after. A lawyer would help tho in getting all your papers together if you are not sure of what to do. In my opinion the paper work is pretty straight forward and taking the time to read the guide should make it very simple.

[SmoothiesQueen]

Well this sucks. I had this image of waltzing through it in six months!!! Now it looks like we have a lovely fifteen month wait!! Uggg

[jamwifey26]

Not necessarily. Some people are done in 3, 4, 5 months. And some 9, 10, 15 months. You just never know with the Kingston office.  Just make sure you have all your paper work together, provide adequate proof of your relationship.

I think there is a post on here somewhere of the list of forms you need to sponsor i will try and find it.

[SmoothiesQueen]

Well for proof I'm getting all the emails, poems, pictures from our dating. The wedding photos where half my family came over and all his was there. The photos of the vacation our family spent together here....like his and mine. The several times my parents have come over and stayed with us. Our rent receipts from our house over here. A wedding photo Album. Our business license and pictures etc.

I plan on getting the medicals done straight away, already have the police report done. Passport photos done. Also with my husband going to Canada with me for a month in Sept....hopefully that will look good on his immigration record. There is nothing in his past to keep him from going..his police record is clean.

The main thing I had trouble with is knowing how to fill out the financial forms since our income is very low. However we both have job offers and I still have a casual position at the hospital I used to work at in Canada. The advice and support on this site has been amazing!

[jamwifey26]

MY husband lives in Canada and he is sponsoring me and my daughter. He did not fill out any financial forms that I can remember(and I did all the paperwork). You are not required to meet income requirements if you are sponsoring a spouse or dependent child. The only thing he did in regards to financial records is the "option C"


I would suggest doing the medicals closer to the time you file as they are only valid for a year. The police records should not be more than 3 months old at the time you file. ( I am sure its 3 someone please verify) And if you did it before June you will have to redo because of the fraud that took place at the police records office.

There are many more knowledgeable people who post here but things have been a little quiet lately. But I am sure they will all be back on once there is some good news flowing in.....

And if you don't have one already you are also going to need a notarized letter from the mother of your step child giving consent for her to immigrate to canada.

[SmoothiesQueen]

Can you give me a link to the option C paper? Are you in Kingston...we are in St Anne?

The notorized letter from the mother is no problem. She's agreed. She currently has no home..and is living between people and has little job option going on for her, hence us taking her. 

The police report we got a few weeks ago and we are filing the beginning of Oct when the little ones passport gets here and an updated birth certificate with both parents names.

[jamwifey26]

Yup I am in portmore, st catherine.

"From the CIC guidelines the Option C Printout is "the equivalent of the last notice of assessment you would have received in respect of the most recent taxation year and will serve as a basis for the calculation of your income. This printout is issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA, formerly CCRA) and you can obtain it free of charge by calling 1 800 959-8281. Apparently it only takes a few days for them to mail this out to you but if for some reason you absolutely cannot get it I'd include as much other information as possible such as your last tax assessment etc."

Ok sounds like you are almost set.

[nae-nae]

Thanks that is helpful. I have so many questions.... After the medical is done - does it take 60 days to process it? Or are you saying that the letter requesting the medical would be issued 60 days later?
We have tried to call Kingston but with no luck. What phone number would I use to ask for our B# or to ask if the Client ID number would be sufficient? We have not even got conformation that our file is there (it was sent during the violence in Kingston and we were hoping to have more than Purolators tracking number to verify that it got there).
Thanks again,
MommyT

mommyT I believe KG just puts your file on hold and will diary it for 60 days to look at it again...this is called a bring forward date (BF).  If you don't have the necessary documentation, they will send you a letter requesting what is outstanding and will set your BF date for 60 days.  So this will delay your file processing at least 60 days.  The other veterans of the forum can give you more information on that.  I believe that's the way it works, someone else can certainly correct me if I'm wrong. 

as for contacting Kingston, here is the website for the Canadian High Commission Kingston Jamaica where the contact information is listed

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/jamaica-jamaique/contact-contactez.aspx?lang=eng