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Berlin, Europe Spouse Sponsorship Timeline 2011

sidkrose

Hero Member
Apr 25, 2011
321
8
123
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-07-2011
AOR Received.
24-10-2011
Med's Done....
08-07-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-11-2011
VISA ISSUED...
25-11-2011
LANDED..........
10-12-2011
Indigo said:
My total timeline:
3 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, from the moment I submitted the application to the moment I had my COPR in hand!
Most of that time was spent in Mississauga for sponsorship approval.

Crazy! ;D
That is crazy! Almost exactly the same timeline as me actually. Berlin is AWESOME, amiright, or amiright? Haha.
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
Indigo said:
My total timeline:
3 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, from the moment I submitted the application to the moment I had my COPR in hand!
Most of that time was spent in Mississauga for sponsorship approval.

Crazy! ;D
Congrats, Indigo!
 

Bluesteam

Star Member
Jul 20, 2011
54
1
Langley
Visa Office......
Berlin
App. Filed.......
22.07.2011
AOR Received.
25.10.2011
File Transfer...
28.09.2011
Med's Done....
18.05.2011
Interview........
Waived
VISA ISSUED...
6.12.2011
LANDED..........
25.12.2011
Indigo said:
My total timeline:
3 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, from the moment I submitted the application to the moment I had my COPR in hand!
Most of that time was spent in Mississauga for sponsorship approval.

Crazy! ;D
Hi Indigo,

Congratulations to you and all the BEST - HAPPY LANDING !!
Just wondering....how many weeks do you have in a month? :p :p :p :p :p
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
Sent Birth Certificate for my husband, before they asked for it. Hopefully, this avoid any speed bumps.
 

Indigo

Hero Member
Oct 22, 2011
269
4
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin, Germany
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
21-09-2011
AOR Received.
05-01-2012
File Transfer...
25-11-2011
Med's Done....
26-08-2011
Interview........
N/A
Passport Req..
N/A
VISA ISSUED...
20-01-2012 (COPR)
LANDED..........
22-01-2012
Thanks everyone!
@ Bluestream: In this case the counter would have switched to 4 months as soon as it hit 4 weeks and 4 days. That was today!
@ mel_n: I never sent a birth certificate with my package, nor did they ask for it. But I know some cases in which they do, so maybe it was smart after all to send it to stay ahead of things!



(copy from the September 2011 topic, where I also posted this message)

As of today, I am officially a landed immigrant! Yaaaaaay!!!

INDIGO'S LANDING STORY

My husband and I drove to the USA via the Rainbow bridge next to Niagara Falls. The idea was, to have a nice day in the USA and to stay overnight at a hotel we booked, then return to Canada the next day, at which occasion I would land. It took about 20 minutes to get into the USA and I had to pay US$6 to enter under the Visa Waiver Program. There was no waiting time, so we were lucky. Again lucky!

In Buffalo we went to a mall because I wanted to visit my favourite US store Brookstone, a very stylish gadget and comfort items shop. We bought a few items at Brookstone and spent some time strolling through the mall, it was a very nice mall! We then checked into the hotel, we booked a room with a jacuzzi and a dinner voucher to the restaurant that had the same owners. It was a good deal package and a great hotel with very original decorations. Dinner at Salvatore's was absolutely amazing though. We went all out and bought a full dinner and a bottle of wine. It was awesome! What a way to celebrate my landing!
The next day we had a brunch at the Cheescake Factory, then we made our way back to Canada.
We spent about 5 minutes at the border, that's all it took to declare our items we bought in the USA and for me to land as an immigrant! There was again no lineup, apparently we picked a very quiet weekend. All I had to do is sign my COPR in a few places. I had no goods to follow, so I was all set!


Now I have to think about what's next. I think I'll just apply for OHIP health insurance (it has a 3 month wait time but I can apply now) and get a SIN so i can apply for jobs. That's what I think I'll do in the next few days. This all happened so suddenly that I had no time to plan ahead! Not that I'm complaining, LOL, I know I am extremely fortunate!
I might check back to see how everyone is doing en and to give advice where requested.

For everyone still waiting: May your PR come soon and may your landing be as smooth as mine!
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
Indigo said:
Thanks everyone!
@ Bluestream: In this case the counter would have switched to 4 months as soon as it hit 4 weeks and 4 days. That was today!
@ mel_n: I never sent a birth certificate with my package, nor did they ask for it. But I know some cases in which they do, so maybe it was smart after all to send it to stay ahead of things!
Well given that my husband is from a nationality outside of Europe, we thought it might be best to hammer through all the legal documents that can attest to his documented/registered existence in the world. Plus we had one (with English translation) laying around from when we moved to The Netherlands that we had made just in case (and thank God we did, because getting one out of Venezuela can take some time). Thanks for the heads up!

Indigo said:
(copy from the September 2011 topic, where I also posted this message)

As of today, I am officially a landed immigrant! Yaaaaaay!!!


In Buffalo we went to a mall because I wanted to visit my favourite US store Brookstone, a very stylish gadget and comfort items shop. We bought a few items at Brookstone and spent some time strolling through the mall, it was a very nice mall! We then checked into the hotel, we booked a room with a jacuzzi and a dinner voucher to the restaurant that had the same owners. It was a good deal package and a great hotel with very original decorations. Dinner at Salvatore's was absolutely amazing though. We went all out and bought a full dinner and a bottle of wine. It was awesome! What a way to celebrate my landing!
Sounds like excruciating torture. I hope my husband isn't expecting such treatment ;) Congrats on everything!

PS. Right now we're officially moved to Spain and have also sent to Berlin evidence that documents that move, the change of legal status in The Netherlands and now in Spain, the shared address and the motive to stay (some courses that will help sharpen our portfolios as we both work in creative industries).
 

Indigo

Hero Member
Oct 22, 2011
269
4
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin, Germany
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
21-09-2011
AOR Received.
05-01-2012
File Transfer...
25-11-2011
Med's Done....
26-08-2011
Interview........
N/A
Passport Req..
N/A
VISA ISSUED...
20-01-2012 (COPR)
LANDED..........
22-01-2012
Quarterly Update: Berlin processing time went up from 9 to 11 months for 80% of cases.

This surprises me. :eek:
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
Indigo said:
Quarterly Update: Berlin processing time went up from 9 to 11 months for 80% of cases.

This surprises me. :eek:
It scares us ???
 

Elizabeth Joe

Star Member
May 3, 2011
139
6
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-09-2011
AOR Received.
16-12-2011
File Transfer...
28-11-2011
Med's Done....
02-09-2011
VISA ISSUED...
17-02-2012
LANDED..........
24-04-2012
I find 11 months scary, but the 9 months before scared me just the same.
There have always been lots of cases, where people got approved way faster than the 80% mark, even when it was at 13 months. So there is still hope. :)
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
Hey Elizabeth Joe, I was talking to my husband and I was telling him that I had thought you had gotten your visa already... was that just empathic wishful thinking?
 

Elizabeth Joe

Star Member
May 3, 2011
139
6
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-09-2011
AOR Received.
16-12-2011
File Transfer...
28-11-2011
Med's Done....
02-09-2011
VISA ISSUED...
17-02-2012
LANDED..........
24-04-2012
Nope, nothing for me yet. But I'm hoping soon. I'm not too worried yet, but I'm hoping by the end of march I'll have it. I'm thinking of ordering GCMS notes just out of curiosity, to see what they are actually doing with my file. It takes 6 weeks and I might have my visa before then, but it might be interesting to see how they work and why some cases take much longer. I do have a pretty complicated personal history, in the last 3 years I haven't lived in one place longer than 4 months, so maybe thats why it takes a bit longer for me. :(
 

hopetoland

Star Member
Apr 24, 2011
168
2
123
Category........
Visa Office......
berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
08.03.2011
AOR Received.
20.04.2011
File Transfer...
20.04.2011
Med's Done....
23.02.2011
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
28.05.2011
VISA ISSUED...
01.06.2011
LANDED..........
August 2011
Hi everybody, congrats to everyone that got the visa.

I'm here in Canada almost 8 months now, and I love it. I'm excited for everyone that is about to land. My process went super smooth and also the landing.

Thanks to Berlin and the Canadian border officers :)
 

mel_n

Star Member
Oct 22, 2011
118
0
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-11-2011
AOR Received.
02-02-2012
File Transfer...
13-01-2012
Med's Done....
03-10-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
15-03-2012
VISA ISSUED...
22-03-2012
LANDED..........
Mid-July 2012
I was just contacted by Berlin because I wrote to them asking if I should procure a Venezuelan Police Certificate for my husband. According to every written instruction (on the site, etc), it is one of the few countries where they ask for it directly to authorities, but they told me it would be best for us to get it.

We ordered CAIPS notes on Monday.
 

Elizabeth Joe

Star Member
May 3, 2011
139
6
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
15-09-2011
AOR Received.
16-12-2011
File Transfer...
28-11-2011
Med's Done....
02-09-2011
VISA ISSUED...
17-02-2012
LANDED..........
24-04-2012

hopetoland

Star Member
Apr 24, 2011
168
2
123
Category........
Visa Office......
berlin
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
08.03.2011
AOR Received.
20.04.2011
File Transfer...
20.04.2011
Med's Done....
23.02.2011
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
28.05.2011
VISA ISSUED...
01.06.2011
LANDED..........
August 2011
Love your spreadsheet, curious how many will follow