Thread for Outland LONDON, UK Applications!

[pinklady]

Its means London have your file. The next update on ecas will be in process, and then decision made unless they need to ask you for more information.
Depending on how complex your case is, once they begin to process your file, it can take only a few days before they make a decision.
Good luck!

And Happy St Patricks Day!

[xebex]

Hi All,

I've been reading on the British expats website that you can apply for common law PR from London (outland), even if you are living in Canada (on a holiday visa/tourist record). The CIC website doesn't seem to support this information.

Can anyone shed some light for me?

And if this is true, i'm guessing you get all your documents together, send them to someone back home and get them to send it to London?

Thanks

Rebecca

[Irishladyloo]

Hey Rebecca,

That's what we did! Actually, it seems a lot of people do it. We applied outland via London (Ireland doesn't have an office -- boo!) even though we live in Toronto. Everything goes to Mississauga first, for sponsorship approval of your Canadian sponsor! After that, Mississauga will pass things over to London who will process the application for PR. This is the bit that takes ages but you can track it online and even have them post everything to you from London to your address in Canada.

The main thing if you choose to go this route is to remember that you MUST maintain status in Canada while you're here -- that is you cannot be here on an expired visitor visa. You'll get a six month stamp when you arrive (and they might ask you to prove ties to home), so you'll need to extend this if your application takes longer than that. You also cannot work while you are here as a visitor unless you get a work permit.

At the moment, things are going as fast as 4 or 5 months from start to finish (though mine is six thanks to a couple of mistakes in our application), so if you get all your ducks in a line before you leave UK (gather all necessary documents, paper work, proof of relationship, etc), and file as soon as possible after you arrive, you may not even need an extension. Good luck with your application!

Hi All,

I've been reading on the British expats website that you can apply for common law PR from London (outland), even if you are living in Canada (on a holiday visa/tourist record). The CIC website doesn't seem to support this information.

Can anyone shed some light for me?

And if this is true, i'm guessing you get all your documents together, send them to someone back home and get them to send it to London?

Thanks

Rebecca

[xebex]

thanks irishladyloo!

[shudda]

Hi all

Just coming in for some reassurance... Some people do go from Application Received straight to getting their COPR in the post right?  Our status still hasn't changed and I'm trying to stay calm...

[xebex]

OH, and another question,

Would we have to be married to apply outland, currently we've only been living together for 6 months, we plan to make it a year then apply outland as common law, but if i am outland and claiming to be common law won't that void the common law status?

Thanks

Rebecca

[Irishladyloo]

Nope! We accumulated our year of living together between Ireland, the UK, and Canada. I actually remember reading (don't ask me where! I have no idea) about a couple that spent all of their time travelling and had no lease but just plane tickets, hotel receipts, etc., to prove that they had been living together.

OH, and another question,

Would we have to be married to apply outland, currently we've only been living together for 6 months, we plan to make it a year then apply outland as common law, but if i am outland and claiming to be common law won't that void the common law status?

Thanks

Rebecca

[Irishladyloo]

My lawyer emailed this morning to say he was just going through Friday's post and that my COPR had arrived!! EEK! I have to arrange a time with his office to go in and pick it up. He won't be there and he said he can't risk leaving it with the receptionist so I'm waiting to hear back from his colleague about what time is suitable to go by and collect it from him.

YAAAAY!

[xebex]

Hi Ladyloo, thats encouraging!

We have been living together for nearly 6 months, but as i dont work and only have minimum savings my boyfriend pays for everything and he owns his house. We don't really do join finances, other than we have a joint bank account which i use to buy the shopping with.

[Irishladyloo]

Don't worry -- we submitted our application with copies of four leases, only two of which had both our names on them (the others were one with his name, one with mine) and we shared no bills, because they were either in my housemate's name or in the landlords' names.

Literally, the only thing we had to prove that we were living together for the year were those two short-term leases with both of our names on them and then photocopies of the addresses on letters/packets/parcels that we had ordered from Amazon or gotten from friends, etc., while we were both at that address, i.e., for the place with just my name on the lease, we included stuff addressed to him at that address, and the place with just his name, we included stuff addressed to me.

To this day, we still don't have a single joint account. No bank, TV, internet, electricity... It's all included in the rent. Don't panic!

[xebex]

thanks!

you are making me feel so much better! So if you apply outland even if you are living in Canada, is it allowed or frowned upon. For instance if they some how find out that you applied outland even though you were inland will you be in trouble?

Thanks

Rebecca

[Irish Colleen]

Its means London have your file. The next update on ecas will be in process, and then decision made unless they need to ask you for more information.
Depending on how complex your case is, once they begin to process your file, it can take only a few days before they make a decision.
Good luck!

And Happy St Patricks Day!

OMG that is brilliant news!  I think ours is a very uncomplicatied case.  I would be so happy to have it all done and dusted!
St Patricks Day was a hoot, we drank green beer, wore Irish T Shirts, silly hats and generally had a funfilled day!

Happy Mothers Day to all those who celebrate it today!

[Irishladyloo]

Absolutely, it is allowed. One of the advantages of applying outland is that you can still visit Canada freely. It's right there in the CIC ... rules? Is that what you would you call them. Terms? Either way, outland applicants are still welcome in Canada on visitors' visas. As long as you don't plan on working while you're here (though you could apply outland AND get a regular work permit) and you keep your visa up to date, then you're grand. You're just on a long visit to be with your significant other. It's certainly not frowned upon -- SO MANY of us here on the boards have done it this way.

For inland it definitely is a lot more difficult to come and go. You are free to leave leave but if you arrive back after your trip home (or your holidays) and the border patrol guy decides he doesn't want to let you back in (for whatever reason), CIC will consider your application abandoned and just scrap it.

The inland vs. outland terms/conditions from CIC say this:

Inside Canada

average of 12 to 18 months to process routine applications
no right of appeal
you are advised to stay in Canada while your application is being processed (If you leave Canada and cannot re-enter, the application will be abandoned)
you can send an application for an open work permit with the sponsorship application (the permit will be issued as soon as you are eligible for it)*

Outside Canada

average of 6 to 12 months to process routine applications
right of appeal
you can leave and re-enter Canada while your application is being processed as long as you meet all requirements to enter Canada
if you want to work in Canada while your application is being processed, you must apply for a regular work permit

*Note that this means they'll issue you a work permit after you get sponsorship approval, which takes a full year! So even if you apply inland because you want to be here/don't plan on leaving, you won't be able to work for a year and you won't be able to leave. If you apply outland and just hang out here on a visitor visa, you'll be able to work as soon as you get approved (so about 6 months) and you'll also be able to go home.

thanks!

you are making me feel so much better! So if you apply outland even if you are living in Canada, is it allowed or frowned upon. For instance if they some how find out that you applied outland even though you were inland will you be in trouble?

Thanks

Rebecca

[Rosie Lee]

Heres a little information for everyone. Weve been told that some Doctors taking Medicals for CIC are stopping as CIC are looking to condense all Medicals to London!! 

[Colleen38]

Feeling very depressed today - website says working on apps received 25 January ... mine was signed for on the 5th of January and I still have nothing!  I'm starting to really worry that there is something wrong with my application.... I'm hoping it is something as simple as an incorrect email address or something.  Now that it is finally past my date, then I can ring again, and hopefully this time someone can help me!!!

Wish me luck!