CIC home visits??

[kerryannbailey]

Found this on another forum. Who has heard of this happening?

"So my wife just got a phone call from a Canadian Government Rep asking where she lives, within 15 minutes of confirming her address, 3 representatives show up at her door. They asked questions that would be asked in an interview and questioned her for about 30 minutes and went through photo albums and met the family.
Has anyone ever heard of this happening?
I have been checking our application status online pretty much every week and nothing has changed. This happened within the last 2 days, is this a good thing or bad? And is this normal?"

This bothers me to no end.Don't they usually just ask you by email for more proof if they need it? Coming to your house is creepy :/

 

[Ponga]

CIC uses these types of `surprise visits' to follow-up on someone that has a conditional (Condition 51) on their CoPR, meaning that they must continue to live together for 2 years after the day that the PR lands.

No idea how they choose who to visit, but it is happening...albeit a pretty small percentage I would imagine.

 

[kerryannbailey]

Thanks Ponga. That person hasn't been approved for PR yet.... I would think that they would show up after landing to make sure they are still living together and in a legitimate relationship. No?

 

[Amalthea]

Soooooooooooo creepy

 

[MissRepresentation]

I'd love to have them over and entertain them. I'd also make sure to offer them a laxative tea that would keep them going to the loo for 2 days.

 

[DanSlh]

I'd love to have them over and entertain them. I'd also make sure to offer them a laxative tea that would keep them going to the loo for 2 days.

Lol
Great idea haha

 

[canadianwoman]

I have heard of a few cases where visa officers made surprise visits to the applicant's home. One was in Canada - an inland application. They showed up at the sponsor and applicant's house, and the visa was refused because the applicant's clothes were not in the same bedroom as the sponsor's clothes.
The others have all been overseas. A couple were in Vietnam, and at least one was in China. Several have been from India - they go to the village and ask neighbours if the couple are really living together.

It is not necessarily a bad thing. One couple I know got a visit from two visa officers because they were very suspicious about the marriage. The husband could not speak English, and the wife could speak only English. But while at the couple's apartment, the two-year-old son of the wife called the husband 'daddy'. He got his visa. (This was New Zealand immigration, not Canada, but just shows that a home visit might well convince visa officers that your relationship is real.)

 

[daisygate1]

does anyone have a link to stories i can read where they do come to the couples house ?
and the time they would come is after they open my application right? i applied dec 2014 ... so they wont i ever come any time soonn.. right?

husbands friend also lives with us (he is also our landlord ) my husband and he met in college and have been living together since .. would that cause suspicion ? there are only 2 bedrooms one is ours the other is his .... and what are some things that they would look for ?

 

[gsize]

nothing with them would surprise me. The question I have.......why 3 ? seems like more waste of taxpayer money. ???

 

[canadianwoman]

and the time they would come is after they open my application right? i applied dec 2014 ... so they wont i ever come any time soonn.. right?

husbands friend also lives with us (he is also our landlord ) my husband and he met in college and have been living together since .. would that cause suspicion ? there are only 2 bedrooms one is ours the other is his .... and what are some things that they would look for ?

I would think they would only visit once they had started working on the applicant's part.
Your housing situation does not sound suspicious. The friend can vouch for the fact that you are a couple.
Basically they seemed to be looking for proof that the couple was living together, and were more than just roommates. So if it is obvious that you and your husband share one bedroom, that would satisfy them. The one case I mentioned above, the visa officer was suspicious because the husband and wife did not keep their clothes in the same room, so it looked to him like they were just roommates.

Keep in mind it is extremely uncommon for visa officers to make home visits.

 

[canadianwoman]

In this case, visa officers showed up at the house at 5 o'clock in the morning. They asked the applicant to show them her husband's clothing and toiletries. She was unable to. At a later interview, the husband said he kept his toiletries in his car, and his clothes in another room in the house. When they told him his wife couldn't produce any of his underwear, he changed his story and said he kept his clothes at his daughter's house. http://canlii.ca/t/fw10d

In this case, from China, the visa officers talked to the husband's sister, who told them that her brother was living with his ex-wife and not with the sponsor. http://canlii.ca/t/2554w

There are other cases as well. You can search immigration cases at Canlii: www.canlii.org
I used the search terms 'home+visit spousal sponsorship' to find the above cases.

 

[Amalthea]

In this case, visa officers showed up at the house at 5 o'clock in the morning. They asked the applicant to show them her husband's clothing and toiletries. She was unable to. At a later interview, the husband said he kept his toiletries in his car, and his clothes in another room in the house. When they told him his wife couldn't produce any of his underwear, he changed his story and said he kept his clothes at his daughter's house. http://canlii.ca/t/fw10d

In this case, from China, the visa officers talked to the husband's sister, who told them that her brother was living with his ex-wife and not with the sponsor. http://canlii.ca/t/2554w

There are other cases as well. You can search immigration cases at Canlii: www.canlii.org
I used the search terms 'home+visit spousal sponsorship' to find the above cases.

Wow these read like a soap opera!

Turns out the sister is actually a schizophrenic cousin. The judge ruled the visa officer's evidence was all speculative and granted their appeal, finding their marriage to be genuine.

These are fascinating! Thank you for the links!!

 

[saria1]

nothing with them would surprise me. The question I have.......why 3 ? seems like more waste of taxpayer money. ???

Maybe it was "training" of more VO's

 

[canadianwoman]

Wow these read like a soap opera!

Turns out the sister is actually a schizophrenic cousin. The judge ruled the visa officer's evidence was all speculative and granted their appeal, finding their marriage to be genuine.

These are fascinating! Thank you for the links!!

You're welcome. CanLii is a great resource. Sometimes you can't believe how bad the decisions are, and other times you can't believe anyone actually thought they could get away with the scam they were trying.