minimum income status change - ? black hole

[tucosword]

Hey guys,
I've trolled through all the forum chats on this one but can't seem to find an answer to my troubles.
I applied to sponsor my parents(lined up in the queue to make the 5000 limit), and my application was received.
Including me(single) plus the parents = 3. I have met the requirement for 3 person unit for 2014,2013 and 2012.
However since then, I have become married, so technically now I'm a 4 person unit. And I don't make the requirement for 4 persons in 2012.
What happens now?
I can't withhold this marriage status change from CIC. When I apply to sponsor my wife, they will find out anyway, but I wasn't lying either when I applied.
It does seem a little unfair to deny me on the basis of a couple thousand dollars for a status change that has happened subsequent to the application.

Does anyone have experience with this dilemma? Would appreciate your thoughts.
Have a happy day!

 

[mikeymyke]

You're supposed to meet the income requirement not just during the 3 past years, but for the entirety of the application. So you're looking at about 3 years + 4-5 years of processing = 7-8 years of meeting the income requirement. CIC will from time to time, re-assess your application to see if your situation changes where you might possibly not meet the income requirement.

When you get married or have kids, this will increase the income requirement that you have to maintain. Holding of on your marriage is pointless, as you'd have to be holding it off for 7-8 years.

The good news is at least when your wife is working, you can combine her and your income together to meet the income requirements even if they're not her parents.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hey guys,
I've trolled through all the forum chats on this one but can't seem to find an answer to my troubles.
I applied to sponsor my parents(lined up in the queue to make the 5000 limit), and my application was received.
Including me(single) plus the parents = 3. I have met the requirement for 3 person unit for 2014,2013 and 2012.
However since then, I have become married, so technically now I'm a 4 person unit. And I don't make the requirement for 4 persons in 2012.
What happens now?
I can't withhold this marriage status change from CIC. When I apply to sponsor my wife, they will find out anyway, but I wasn't lying either when I applied.
It does seem a little unfair to deny me on the basis of a couple thousand dollars for a status change that has happened subsequent to the application.

Assumed you got married after you submitted your parents app? In this case, you are fine for 2012 as the 3 years income before applying is only based on your family size as of the time of your application.

Any change to family size after your application was submitted, will only need to be considered in those years going forward. So if you got married sometime in 2016, then you would only change your family size to 4 starting in 2016 tax year. Tax years before that would be for 3 people.

 

[tucosword]

Thanks for your replies mikeymyke and Rob_TO,
I acknowledge that the timing of the applications is crucial.
Now let me make it stickier...
The date the application was received was 4 January 2016, I got married on 4 January 2016.
Ironic.
Same day.
Now, which way does the coin fall?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for your replies mikeymyke and Rob_TO,
I acknowledge that the timing of the applications is crucial.
Now let me make it stickier...
The date the application was received was 4 January 2016, I got married on 4 January 2016.
Ironic.
Same day.
Now, which way does the coin fall?

As of Jan 4 you were married, so IMO you need to meet LICO for family size including your spouse (so 4 people), for 3 preceding tax years.

Unfortunately since you don't meet LICO for 2012 for family size of 4, I think there's a good chance your app will eventually be rejected. Though this really depends on exactly how the visa officer applies the change in family size date.

 

[dominokitty]

Thanks for your replies mikeymyke and Rob_TO,
I acknowledge that the timing of the applications is crucial.
Now let me make it stickier...
The date the application was received was 4 January 2016, I got married on 4 January 2016.
Ironic.
Same day.
Now, which way does the coin fall?

Am I understanding correctly that you looked at the sponsorship requirements, and decided to wait to get married until after you mailed your application thinking you'd found a loophole? I can't imagine you didn't consider this BEFORE getting married..

 

[o6ocpaka]

Am I understanding correctly that you looked at the sponsorship requirements, and decided to wait to get married until after you mailed your application thinking you'd found a loophole? I can't imagine you didn't consider this BEFORE getting married..

I think the right thing to do would be to let CIC know asap that your status has changed, you may have to downgrade the sponsorship of your parents to 2 instead of 3 (but they may even let it slide). Other then that as long as you are honest and not hiding things it should not be a big deal for CIC. Plans always change, people get married, its normal.

 

[scylla]

I think the right thing to do would be to let CIC know asap that your status has changed, you may have to downgrade the sponsorship of your parents to 2 instead of 3 (but they may even let it slide). Other then that as long as you are honest and not hiding things it should not be a big deal for CIC. Plans always change, people get married, its normal.

There's no way to "downgrade" the parent sponsorship application. Even if OP only wanted to sponsor one parent, LICO still needs to be shown to cover both. And his wife can't be excluded from the LICO calculation now that they are married. So he's stuck at 4 people.

 

[o6ocpaka]

There's no way to "downgrade" the parent sponsorship application. Even if OP only wanted to sponsor one parent, LICO still needs to be shown to cover both. And his wife can't be excluded from the LICO calculation now that they are married. So he's stuck at 4 people.

Are you saying that he is unable to resubmit/readjust his family sponsorship application with a different amount of persons he is undertaking? Just because he got married?

 

[caboy808]

I think it only makes sense that you are assessed upon 4 ppl in your family starting from the day you are legally married in Canada. Have you contacted the CIC to ask about your situation?

 

[Rob_TO]

Are you saying that he is unable to resubmit/readjust his family sponsorship application with a different amount of persons he is undertaking? Just because he got married?

LICO isn't based on how many people will be coming to Canada, it's based on the total family size. Whether or not 1 or 2 parents are accompanying, BOTH must be counted in LICO, and BOTH must pass the medical exam.

 

[tucosword]

Am I understanding correctly that you looked at the sponsorship requirements, and decided to wait to get married until after you mailed your application thinking you'd found a loophole? I can't imagine you didn't consider this BEFORE getting married..

I didn't intend this or plan it as a way to short-change the CIC.
When I was gathering my application in 2015, I was single and unmarried.
I'l easily make the LICO for 2013 and 2014 and every other year from then on for 4,5,6 people or however many kids I have.
See I moved to Canada in June 2012, hence less LICO(enough for 3, short for 4).

Anyway, I'l try contacting CIC and informing them. They will soon receive my sponsorship application for my wife, so they will know either way.
Any suggestions on the best way to contact them?
I find the online form where you log in your details to be useless, I never have received an acknowledgement to date( for address changes or even my wife's status).

 

[tucosword]

I fear they may reject my application which means I have to gather all the documents again and get in line and apply again next year.
Some friends told me, that they only really look at the Notice of Assessments closely as they process the applications later on and by then they will request new Notices(which will clear me easily).
I don't know. I'm confused/nervous.

 

[tucosword]

Well guys, update time...
Haven't heard back from CIC after me informing them about the Jan 4th wedding and subsequent increase in family size to 4.
That being said, this week I got my SA and application being sent to the relevant visa office..
Does this mean that the process will unfold as is, or still a chance that lower down the road, it could be rejected?

 

[Rob_TO]

Does this mean that the process will unfold as is, or still a chance that lower down the road, it could be rejected?

Nobody here can give any certain answer, you will just need to wait and see. The visa office does do additional income checks later on in the process (so could be a couple years out) but they may be for later tax years and not the 3 years preceding application date.