Just a few questions before filing my Perm Res Application

[HBeach78]

Now that things are coming together (finally)... as new things have developed over the last 6 months. I'm back with a few questions,

My husband and I have been married for just over 4 months now, and we are starting to put together all of the "proof" needed and getting ready to file the paperwork for my Permanent Residency! There are a few questions that come to mind..

1. Are we expected to provide ALL emails or can we show all sent emails?... I don't have a problem printing off every email I sent/received over the last 2 years.. I am unsure what is expected in this case. Will showing the exchange of emails be enough? Will printing out every email/ message on MSN and skype logs be too much? Again all going back from December 2006...

2. I have a valid Passport, and have used it over the last few months... On the application it asks for your name and expiration date on the passport (which is all well and good)... But my passport has my former last name... Is it better to leave that way or should I send it back and get the name updated before filling out the paperwork? Everything else is in my new married last name except my passport... My hunch is to wait the 6-8 weeks and get it back with the new last name...

3. One of the questions asks Where my father was born and the month/day/year he died.... I never knew my father, I just know the month and year he died, not the exact date.. Will that be enough, just the month and year? Or will I have to do some serious research for the exact day?

I am open to suggestion or any further tips/advise as far as filing out the Permanent Residency Application goes
Thank You in advance!

 

[mitamata]

I don't know about #3, so I'll leave that to someone else.

Regarding #1: send as much as you want, but use common sense. CIC does not need to know about every single thing you have said to each other over the last 3 or 4 years. There's no need to send 1000 pages of chat logs, though there's nothing to say you can't.
I can tell you what I did. I have about 600 pages worth of chat logs. I just selected a few conversations, one per month and sent that. I also sent a few emails and private messages. That added with skype logs of conversations and phone records I think should be enough to establish that we communicate on a regular basis. This in total was around 60 pages. If CiC asked for more, I'll send it all.
We rarely used emails, but I've heard others say they just put all the emails in one folder and printed out a screenshot of it. All that shows is that there were emails, but not the content, which is enough to show contact. You can do that, maybe print out an email or two to show an example of what you talked about.

I can't imagine CIC reads all of what we send. There's just too much and for the most part, it's just boring, day to day conversations. But they skim over them to see how you talk. I think it's more important to show you communicate, rather than what you communicate about.

And of course, other things are part of the relationship proof: photos, letters, cards, receipts from hotels you both stayed at,...

As for #2, I would suggest waiting for the new passport, if you can afford the wait. That's what I did. You'll need a new passport anyway and the passport that you list will be the one expected when they ask for the passport to put the visa in. All the forms also ask that you put your name on them as it appears in your travel documents. It can probably still be done. but you will save yourself a lot of complications if you get the new passport first.

Good luck with all the forms. I've recently been through it, so I know how stressful it is.

 

[HBeach78]

Thank you for the tips
Stressful is an understatement   It's been rough spending so much time apart, we just want to get the ball rolling and finally live our lives together under the same roof.

I just don't want to be denied for sending too little or come off looking crazy by ending too much... I will take your advice though It's much appreciated!

 

[stealth]

I sent the initial page of hundreds of page conversation histories from MSN. I took a snap shot of my Facebook messages. And sent them most of the messages printed double sided.

As for your dad, just attach a sheet at the end of that sheet, and state that you never had contact with your father, and that is the only information you have. Should be fine.

Good luck!

 

[AMB]

#3- Just put unknown. You can write a short letter of explanation saying you don't know your father. It's not a big deal, since you probably have no intention of sponsoring him in the future.

#2- It's your choice- you could do all the forms with your maiden name as the surname, since they normally go off what's in your passport (not other ID... you don't even need to supply other ID in the application). When you get your PR card, apply for it or request it in your married name with the evidence needed. No biggy. If you don't want to wait, this is the best way. Many people do this, and the visa office certainly doesn't assume that you must hold your spouse's last name.

#1- DO NOT send all the correspondence. The officer processing your application doesn't need to be bombarded with all that paperwork. I would select a handful that shows the length of time you've been corresponding- just think, even 1 per month would be 112 emails... that's a lot. And if you have a lot of other relationship proof like trips, pictures and other evidence, you certainly don't need to do so many.

 

[frolic]

For the proof question...

I did small examples, and then explained how much more there was.

For example:
I sent in 4 pages of the headers of email threads. Over 500 threads over time. Each thread represented a day or twos email conversation. Explained this.

I sent in a week of MSN chat. A few pages. Explained that there was much more, over 2Mb of text.

Some photos showing when we met, when we met friends and family together, marriage, honeymoon. Basically the progression of the relationship and labeled the pictures.

One months cellphone bill showing SMS to each other for each of us. Mentioned that each other month during our relationship was basically the same.

Even included my work medical and dental plan and how my wife is already on those as beneficiary and as part of the plan as well.

 

[HBeach78]

Thank You to all that have replied!

As for the sending of the proof... I will do as you all suggested... Take a screenshot of all of the sent emails and print out a select few, and I'll do the same with the MSN messenger chat log as well. We also have pictures of our trip to Boston and pictures from this last Christmas when I traveled up to Canada to spend the holiday with him and his family, I'll include those as well.

As for my passport and having the last name changed... As I said, everything else is already in my new last name except my passport, so I will send that out today and have it expedited to ensure it doesn't take 6 weeks to process, then I will send in the paperwork with the proper last name so there is no confusion... as I will have to change the name on my passport at some point.. may as well do it while I'm still down here

As for my father... I think answering that as unknown should be ok... I never knew him, he's deceased so there should be no further questions... I wouldn't think...

Thanks again!!

 

[MARLENA]

I was reading through your emails and I have a question in common.
I'm in process of sponsoring my husband abroad. I never thought of keeping all our emails for the sponsorship application because we didn't communicate a lot on the internet. We called each other more often than anything else and I had accumulated all long distance phone card but there is no such contact name on those cards. I have 1000 of them!!! Is that sufficient to send them. I do have pictures and cards and a few letters and he came stayed with for 3 months in Canada. I've changed all bills to reflect both names. What other document can I provide and what is my chances that he would be accepted.
I'm planning to visit him during the summer hoping his application will go through.
Thanks for all your help!!!

 

[AMB]

Marlena-

I think it would be crazy to send 1000 phone cards.
In the application where they ask you to include any additional information that you believe would help to prove your relationship is genuine and continuing... tell your story of relationship, and write that you stay in contact over the phone, and you've spent thousands on phone cards. That should be enough. If you end up needed an interview, or you're asked to send more information, then think about including them.

I'm guessing an immigration officer wouldn't be amused to open an application with hundreds of little cards in it.

 

[mitamata]

I'm afraid a phone card isn't exactly evidence to anything. You could've used them to call anyone. Without a call list, one card proves as much as a thousand of them do: nothing.
I assume that somewhere in your application, you will be decribing how you stay in touch with your husband. In there, explain why you can't provide a call list and how you used the phone cards (as many people do). It's unfortunate that you don't have more evidence, but I doubt this alone would get you rejected. Be sure to include everything else that you have. The cards, letters, photos and anything else you have. If it's not enough, then your husband will be asked to do an interview. But I think that as long as everything else is in order, you should be fine

 

[MARLENA]

I called Canada immigration and they told me to include some of them and if they requested more surely they will be more happy to let me.

There's another question that I forgot to ask while calling them

Do I have to translate letters that I received from my husband in his native language (Lebanese) ?? If I have to translate them can I do them myself.

 

[HBeach78]

http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/chsb/cori_request_personal.pdf

Here's the link to obtain your Police certificate/ clearance if you need it from the State of Massachusetts... I will also post the correct phone number and fees as they are incorrect on this site.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Public Safety Criminal History Systems Board Criminal Justice Information System 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200 Chelsea, MA, 02150 tel: 617-660-4600 or 617-660-4640  

There is a FEE  make your check or money order payable to the CommonWealth of Massachusetts in the amount of $25.00
Mail to : Criminal History Systems Board
200 Arlington St, Suite 2200
Chelsea, MA 02150
ATTN: CORI Unit

You must also send a self addressed/stamped envelope.

 

[msgomez]

Hi MARLENA!
Regarding the letters from your husband (in Lebanese)... yes you will have to translate those. Anything that you submit to CIC must be in either english or french. From the standpoint of the IOs - without a certified translation, the letters could say anything really. They require the translations to properly decipher the validity of the relationship.

As for the phone cards - I don't think they'll do much good. As mitamata said they could have been used to call anywhere and by anyone. There's no proof there to ascertain they were used by you.

I was told by CIC that it was pointless sending them at all.

 

[MARLENA]

Hi msgomez,

I called cpc- mississauga regarding if I should translate the emails between me and my husband. They confirmed not when I send unless they instruct otherwise.
Regarding long distance phone cards they requested to photocopy 20 of them and if they requested some more they will let me know. I've also mentioned there is no contact name on the jong distance card as a proof, they confirmed if I have a document like a joint bank account or home bills shows both names that is more sufficient to send them than anything else since you wouldn't open up a bank account or add a joint name if the marriage wasn't genuine.
I still sent emails, long distance cards, joint accounts & home bills, photos etc. but didn't translate any emails unless they requested.
Hope that will help answer a few questions that has been asked and wondered by this forum....