Sponsoring my Korean wife for permanent residency

[Sejong]

I think it means your application has been approved and COPR should be arriving soon.

Just curious. Maybe I forgot. Why did you think you needed another criminal background check.

My wife's application status recently updated to Decision Made. Is there a chance she was rejected?

 

[costaudjoe]

My wife's application status recently updated to Decision Made. Is there a chance she was rejected?

You should provide details on your application with regards to your timeline (when did you submit, when were you approved as a sponsor, etc.).

 

[bartjones]

My wife's application status recently updated to Decision Made. Is there a chance she was rejected?

There's always a possibility she was rejected. You won't know for sure until you receive the decision.

Was there some reason why CIC might reject her? Did they raise any concerns regarding her application? If they didn't, I'd say chances are pretty good her application was approved.

 

[Sejong]

Thanks for responding.

We submitted the application at the end of October last year and I was approved two weeks later. In June, Manila sent us an email requesting additional documents, which we provided except for a police check from Beijing (she was an international student there in 2006-7). We couldn't obtain the police check because the police don't have a record of her. Her visa was organized by her host university. We sent a letter explaining this situation, a letter from her university stating that she didn't commit any crimes, and copies of her renewed visas from her passport to prove that she didn't have a record. Also we stopped by China during a flight to HK three years ago and we obtained a temporary visa from Chinese immigration. We submitted that as well to prove that she didn't have a record.

I would prefer that we received an email and documents in the mail regarding her decision.

 

[bartjones]

Thanks for responding.

We submitted the application at the end of October last year and I was approved two weeks later. In June, Manila sent us an email requesting additional documents, which we provided except for a police check from Beijing (she was an international student there in 2006-7). We couldn't obtain the police check because the police don't have a record of her. Her visa was organized by her host university. We sent a letter explaining this situation, a letter from her university stating that she didn't commit any crimes, and copies of her renewed visas from her passport to prove that she didn't have a record. Also we stopped by China during a flight to HK three years ago and we obtained a temporary visa from Chinese immigration. We submitted that as well to prove that she didn't have a record.

I would prefer that we received an email and documents in the mail regarding her decision.

That should be enough to satisfy them. I would think if they had concerns about it they would have told you.

 

[bartjones]

Got my wife's COPR today. It was sent by DHL. In a final act of ineptitude, CIC addressed the package incorrectly rendering it undeliverable by DHL. I had to pick it up in person at the DHL office at the Hamilton Airport. ???

Going down to the falls tonight to do the flagpole thing. I'll let you know how that goes.

 

[costaudjoe]

Got my wife's COPR today. It was sent by DHL. In a final act of ineptitude, CIC addressed the package incorrectly rendering it undeliverable by DHL. I had to pick it up in person at the DHL office at the Hamilton Airport. ???

Going down to the falls tonight to do the flagpole thing. I'll let you know how that goes.

Congratulations! Good luck on flagpoling!

 

[bartjones]

Congratulations! Good luck on flagpoling!

Thanks costaudjoe. The landing went smoothly at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara. I would think the whole thing took less than 30 minutes. I am sooooooooo glad to finally be done with this process.

 

[amjad1002]

Got my wife's COPR today. It was sent by DHL. In a final act of ineptitude, CIC addressed the package incorrectly rendering it undeliverable by DHL. I had to pick it up in person at the DHL office at the Hamilton Airport. ???

Going down to the falls tonight to do the flagpole thing. I'll let you know how that goes.

Congratulations.

 

[bartjones]

Congratulations.

Thank you.

 

[ctcruiser]

Congrats Bart. Glad the process is finally finished for you. Appreciate all the help and info you've provided for all of us.

Second update for us:
We landed in Edmonton yesterday and got through customs fairly easily. It was definitely necessary to har her return flight with us. They were very concerned about seeing it before they let us through in the Korean airport, and the customs agent in Edmonton wanted to see it right away too. The first agent in Edmonton was borderline rude, but we just answered her brisk questions and got sent through. She was practically glaring at me waiting to make a mistake when she asked about my wife's intentions, but I answered that she was just visiting while waiting through the PR process. The agent at the second desk we were sent to was much nicer(after we got through the long line of American hunters trying to come hunting in Canada). He asked a few questions, made copies of my contents list of the boxes we sent, we were good to go. He seemed much more interested in my paperwork and getting it right, and didn't really have many questions for my wife.

Now we're settled at my parents and getting ready to find our own place in Calgary (and hopefully a good job) for next month.

CT

 

[jjoon]

I thought I would post this little update regarding OHIP coverage for your spouse if he or she lands in Ontario and starts living here before her PR application is approved. I talked about this way back about 20 pages ago in this thread and no one was really sure whether someone waiting for PR approval is eligible for OHIP prior to getting PR approval. So here is what I found out.

Last week I applied for OHIP for my wife. We had been here for 3 months and I relied on a section of the Health Insurance Act which permits people to get OHIP coverage if they have a pending PR application which has not yet been finalized. It's known as Health Insurance Act Regulation 552 section 1.4(5). It provides that you are eligible for OHIP if;

you have submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada

A lot of people on this board and elsewhere have said that this section only applies to inland applicants. That's not correct. Here is what I've learned.

The Service Ontario representative denied my wife coverage under this section. I expected that. I believe they are instructed to do this. If they deny your spouse coverage you will want to get that denial in writing before you leave the Service Ontario Center.

Next, I wrote to the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee (OERC) requesting a review of the Service Ontario representative's decision. You can find the OERC address on the back of the document denying your spouse coverage. The letter explained my wife's PR situation and enclosed the denial document as well as the letter I got from CIC approving me as sponsor.

So, yesterday I got a letter from the OERC enclosing a consent form for my wife to sign which will allow OERC to contact CIC and make inquiries about the status of her PR application. I spoke with the people at OERC by phone and they told me this.

I had always thought that the outland PR process was a two step procedure; sponsorship approval/denial and then PR approval/denial. Apparently that's not true. According to the OERC representative, in outland applications there is an intermediary step that the visa office goes through, behind the scenes, where they take a preliminary look at each application to determine if the applicant "appears" to be eligible for PR. They don't tell the applicant anything about this step. If you appear to meet all the PR requirements your application then moves forward and someone looks at it later in more detail. It seems to be the outland equivalent of an inland first stage approval. If you get interim approval they call you an "AFP", (Applicant For Permanent Residence).

So, as far as OHIP goes, once you sign the consent form allowing the OERC to communicate with CIC, the OERC will send a letter to the visa office where your application is being processed and inquire as to whether you are an "AFP". If CIC confirms that you are an AFP you can get OHIP three months after the date that CIC determined you were AFP. You don't need to wait for the final determination of your PR status.

Hopefully that clarifies matters for anyone who, like me, came to Ontario with his wife before she had PR approval.

+1 bartjones!! wish i could give more...this is incredibly helpful. can you believe i went into Service ontario office with ***COPR*** in hand (not yet stamped, so not offically a PR yet...) and was turned away??? i think you must be right that they are instructed to deny peope and force them to review. how much more "eligible to apply" can one get if the application has actually been approved?? they called Head Office and I pushed hard and was still denied and told to apeal/request review if i want. heck ya i want! now i have to go through rigmarole of waiting weeks for OERC to send me a consent form... then 4-6 weeks for CIC to get back to them... then for OERC to finalize decision and tell me i WAS eligible for last 2 months... thanks a lot its not like i can go back in time and get covered medical services in retrospect!!

its crazy the hoops ohip puts you through to avoid following THE LAW!

so again I cant TELL you how much I appreciate you posting your original pointers and then returning with this detailed update and instruction!!

Thanks again for the info
PS - am PMing you about a CIC consent form question...

Jasmine

 

[jjoon]

hi bartjones just FYI I can't seem to PM you, says "not supported" for some reason... if you get a chance can I trouble you to PM me... have a quick question about CIC form you got.
thanks!!
Jasmine

 

[bartjones]

+1 bartjones!! wish i could give more...this is incredibly helpful. can you believe i went into Service ontario office with ***COPR*** in hand (not yet stamped, so not offically a PR yet...) and was turned away??? i think you must be right that they are instructed to deny peope and force them to review. how much more "eligible to apply" can one get if the application has actually been approved?? they called Head Office and I pushed hard and was still denied and told to apeal/request review if i want. heck ya i want! now i have to go through rigmarole of waiting weeks for OERC to send me a consent form... then 4-6 weeks for CIC to get back to them... then for OERC to finalize decision and tell me i WAS eligible for last 2 months... thanks a lot its not like i can go back in time and get covered medical services in retrospect!!

its crazy the hoops ohip puts you through to avoid following THE LAW!

so again I cant TELL you how much I appreciate you posting your original pointers and then returning with this detailed update and instruction!!

Thanks again for the info
PS - am PMing you about a CIC consent form question...

Jasmine

Yes, it can be a little frustrating. In our case the OERC sent us a letter telling us they had allowed my wife's appeal. The OERC letter told us to go to a Service Ontario center and show them the letter. The letter specifically directed Service Ontario to issue my wife's coverage. So we went to Service Ontario, presented the letter and requested coverage. Notwithstanding the OERC letter specifically directing them to issue her coverage, the Service Ontario rep, initially, still refused to do so . It was only after a little yelling and screaming on my part that someone got on the phone and called head office and then decided they would give her coverage. You have to be persistent.

I've sent you a PM. If it helps, the form you are looking for is IMM5475e. Your designated contact person's name should be "Ministry of Health & Long-Term care". Their contact information is;

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
370 Se1ect Drive
PO Box 168
Kingston Ontario
Canada
K7M 8T4
(613) 548-6557

You can save yourself a little time by sending the completed consent form with your appeal request.

Of course the simplest solution for you would be to just complete your landing. Is there some reason why you wouldn't do that?

BTW, when you do get coverage it will be retroactive to the date CIC completed your eligibility assessment. So if you have medical expenses after that date they will be reimbursed to you.

 

[bartjones]

Congrats Bart. Glad the process is finally finished for you. Appreciate all the help and info you've provided for all of us.

Second update for us:
We landed in Edmonton yesterday and got through customs fairly easily. It was definitely necessary to har her return flight with us. They were very concerned about seeing it before they let us through in the Korean airport, and the customs agent in Edmonton wanted to see it right away too. The first agent in Edmonton was borderline rude, but we just answered her brisk questions and got sent through. She was practically glaring at me waiting to make a mistake when she asked about my wife's intentions, but I answered that she was just visiting while waiting through the PR process. The agent at the second desk we were sent to was much nicer(after we got through the long line of American hunters trying to come hunting in Canada). He asked a few questions, made copies of my contents list of the boxes we sent, we were good to go. He seemed much more interested in my paperwork and getting it right, and didn't really have many questions for my wife.

Now we're settled at my parents and getting ready to find our own place in Calgary (and hopefully a good job) for next month.

CT

Glad to hear it all went well. Welcome back to Canada.