US outland applicants' thread :)

[barch88]

Hey everybody,

My wife and I are preparing the application. We are filing as US outland as well. My wife, a Canadian Citizen is sponsoring me.

We are living together in US.

Would anybody here kindly enough to provide me some advice or help on some questions that I desperately need to figure out?

I am the PA and my wife, a Canada Citizen, is sponsoring me. We are preparing our applications, and I have some questions regarding IMM5532e Q1,3 and 6, please help and advise.

Q1: Describe the circumstances of your first meeting

A: We met at Ikea, chatted at a Starbucks, then had diner together. Second date was arranged at the end.

Is this enough? or should I attach an extra sheet to give more details?

Q3: If yes, how long have you been cohabiting (living together)? Give the period(s) you have been living together after your conjugal* relationship started.

My wife and I have been living together for 5 and half years since we get married. Before we married, we tried out the marriage life for 6 months. Technically, we didn't live together in that 6 months. We mixed some of our stuff together, then stayed together during the weekends (We lived in different cities, about one hour driving apart) My question is how do I answer the second part of this question? Just list the date that we decided to try out the marriage life to the date that we fill out this application or list two periods (before marriage and after marriage), or just one period (after marriage)? Or the second part of this question is specifically for Conjugal Applicants?

Q6: How often do you communicate when you are not together and how?

Well, we live together. In the past years, once every other year, my wife took our kids to visit grand parents in another country for a month or so.

Is this question specifically for those married couples not living together? Or I need to answer it to give the details of how we communicate for that month that my wife and my kids visited our parents?

You generous help will be greatly appreciated!

I went into extreme detail, explaining the distance between cities, how long it was to drive, why we moved where we moved, how often we saw each other, who knew each other, who other people were that may have known or met us, etc. My advise is just create a word doc or google doc and post extra sheets for anything about your relationship you can. There is no limit to evidence for "extra sheets" as it's related to a question so just know the more details, usually the better. Quality > Quantity though, so I would only include things you can prove or would seem like shows a commitment of a strong relationship (moving closer together, married, etc). You'll be fine as a US applicant most likely but I ended up writing about a 2-3 page sheet about how we met, the cirumstances, why we choose to meet there, what we did, etc.

If you need anymore help let me know. Using voice to text so sorry if this post is hard to read

 

[Miraclejj]

I went into extreme detail, explaining the distance between cities, how long it was to drive, why we moved where we moved, how often we saw each other, who knew each other, who other people were that may have known or met us, etc. My advise is just create a word doc or google doc and post extra sheets for anything about your relationship you can. There is no limit to evidence for "extra sheets" as it's related to a question so just know the more details, usually the better. Quality > Quantity though, so I would only include things you can prove or would seem like shows a commitment of a strong relationship (moving closer together, married, etc). You'll be fine as a US applicant most likely but I ended up writing about a 2-3 page sheet about how we met, the cirumstances, why we choose to meet there, what we did, etc.

If you need anymore help let me know. Using voice to text so sorry if this post is hard to read

Hi, Barch88,

Really appreciate your input. I did prepared a statement to include all the details about how we met, our first date, how our relationship was evolved, and eventually led to our marriage. I guess I am not a good writer, I only wrote about 2 pages, though it was about almost everything between us before we got married. And that statement I prepared was actually for the Question 11. The weakness point of the statement I prepared is that we don't have anything to support it. We never thought about to move back to Canada till recent, so we don't keep phone records, travel logs, and so on. We have enough other paper work need to deal with in US, agree? I met my wife in an online chatting room 6 years ago, and heck we had already forgot our logins and password, because both of us quit online chatting 5 and half years ago. So there is noway to retreat any chatting logs between my wife and me to proof how we met.

You know I am a little worried, after I saw other people posted their application package online, it was like 2-3 inches thick. Mine? All required forms plus 30 pages supporting documents. And that is including additional documents required, because this is our second marriage. If not, our application will be much less. Ohh, stressful!

 

[Staunts2015]

Hi, Barch88,

Really appreciate your input. I did prepared a statement to include all the details about how we met, our first date, how our relationship was evolved, and eventually led to our marriage. I guess I am not a good writer, I only wrote about 2 pages, though it was about almost everything between us before we got married. And that statement I prepared was actually for the Question 11. The weakness point of the statement I prepared is that we don't have anything to support it. We never thought about to move back to Canada till recent, so we don't keep phone records, travel logs, and so on. We have enough other paper work need to deal with in US, agree? I met my wife in an online chatting room 6 years ago, and heck we had already forgot our logins and password, because both of us quit online chatting 5 and half years ago. So there is noway to retreat any chatting logs between my wife and me to proof how we met.

You know I am a little worried, after I saw other people posted their application package online, it was like 2-3 inches thick. Mine? All required forms plus 30 pages supporting documents. And that is including additional documents required, because this is our second marriage. If not, our application will be much less. Ohh, stressful!

Don't be intimidated by how many pages your application has. Like barch88 said, Quality>Quantity. As far as proof, you don't need those chat logs, there's plenty other ways to show proof. Did you guys call each other? Your phone company will have those records. (I called Verizon and ask for the past 3 years' of records, even though I had closed that account). Did you guys buy each other any gifts? I printed off Amazon invoices that showed my info and his shipping address. Do you have any plane tickets going to see the other, or perhaps any bills with both your names on it? If not, try to think creatively to find proof. I met my husband online, as well, so I can understand why you're worried, but it's becoming more and more common. As long as your relationship is genuine, there's nothing to worry about.

 

[barch88]

Hi, Barch88,

Really appreciate your input. I did prepared a statement to include all the details about how we met, our first date, how our relationship was evolved, and eventually led to our marriage. I guess I am not a good writer, I only wrote about 2 pages, though it was about almost everything between us before we got married. And that statement I prepared was actually for the Question 11. The weakness point of the statement I prepared is that we don't have anything to support it. We never thought about to move back to Canada till recent, so we don't keep phone records, travel logs, and so on. We have enough other paper work need to deal with in US, agree? I met my wife in an online chatting room 6 years ago, and heck we had already forgot our logins and password, because both of us quit online chatting 5 and half years ago. So there is noway to retreat any chatting logs between my wife and me to proof how we met.

You know I am a little worried, after I saw other people posted their application package online, it was like 2-3 inches thick. Mine? All required forms plus 30 pages supporting documents. And that is including additional documents required, because this is our second marriage. If not, our application will be much less. Ohh, stressful!

Hey no worries! I saw the same pictures of the super thick applications and it had me worried too. With the new forms it’s actually pretty limited on the amount of stuff they need and that you can provide, so don’t fret! We didn’t actually include many chat logs of Facebook or anything. I believe I reactivated my Facebook to show the “About Me” page, the reason was because it showed us in a relationship and it also had the timestamp that said “First became friends in August 2012” and then within 6 months we were dating and then it showed us married, etc. So I did print that page and about 1-2 small pages of Facebook chats. The chat logs I had didn’t show the year or timestamp in full however, it showed Month/Day (not year). I ended up writing on the back of all of my evidence with the description for what it is, who it is, and the date (as accurately as I can remember, usually just said summer 2013 or June 2013, etc.).

We included copies of Christmas cards, birthday cards, wedding cards which were given to us throughout the years or we shared together.

We included copies of boarding passes when she visited me, and I visited her – explained on the back what trip this was and when.

Included pictures of passport stamps when we visited one another (only had 2 of these).

We included my 401k/Stocks account which listed my wife as a beneficiary.

We included about ~25 photos, roughly 10 from our wedding and 10 from us throughout the years with friends, together, whatever we thought would be good to show us in a relationship. If any pictures showed our friends and family we wrote on the back of all of them explaining who’s pictured, date, setting, etc. I also included a list of names for the question which asked "Does anyone else know about your relationship" - we filled up the form and then attached an extra sheet with a list of names, who they are, when they met my wife or myself, and their contact number. This isn't required but we added it in.

I did have my parents write a hand-written letter stating how I moved out of Michigan to be closer to my then girlfriend (now wife), how and when they first met her, etc. It was notarized.

Other than that I can’t really think of anything else we included. Hopefully that helps. The fact that you guys live together I’m sure there has to be some proof of you sharing a place together you can provide. Our application was straight forward. We never have been married before, neither of us have kids, and she has never sponsored anyone in the past. If you need any more help let me know. Our application was processed in exactly three months and my COPR should be in the mail any day now, so I’m assuming ours was everything they required and more.

*PS* - Any "extra sheets" you put in the application make sure you write both names, date of birth, form number, question number, part number, and sign it. Also make sure you put the extra sheets behind the form they are for, not all at the end. Not sure if this is required but we did...so like this:

Bob Smith / DOB 1987-01-01
Jane Smith / DOB 1988-01-01

Form #
Question #
Part (a,b,c)

then depending on what the question was we either had only my wife sign it and list her name, or if it was directed towards both the applicant and sponsor we both wrote our info and signed them with the date.

Best wishes.

 

[Miraclejj]

Don't be intimidated by how many pages your application has. Like barch88 said, Quality>Quantity. As far as proof, you don't need those chat logs, there's plenty other ways to show proof. Did you guys call each other? Your phone company will have those records. (I called Verizon and ask for the past 3 years' of records, even though I had closed that account). Did you guys buy each other any gifts? I printed off Amazon invoices that showed my info and his shipping address. Do you have any plane tickets going to see the other, or perhaps any bills with both your names on it? If not, try to think creatively to find proof. I met my husband online, as well, so I can understand why you're worried, but it's becoming more and more common. As long as your relationship is genuine, there's nothing to worry about.

Dear Staunts,

Appreciate your input as well. I think our situation is a little different.

Long story short, I met my wife online, we talked and found each other attractive/interesting enough to meet up (one month after we started to chat online), then first date, we met in person, and it was not romantic, because my wife was actually to go shopping her furniture at Ikea, and she needed my help. Well, we did chatted after shopping, then dinner together, at the end of it, we arranged our second date. Since we lived one hour driving away, we drove, not flew to see each other. And this is second marriage for both of us, and we were like our late 30s, so we were pretty independent and didn't call each other every half hour like young love birds did (no offense), we took this relationship serious, but in a slow pace. Before we got married, probably I called my friends more than I called my wife. We only met at weekends, at the first 6 months, we were more like friends (without any benefits) than loved couple, believe or not, after 6 months, my wife felt comfortable enough to advance our relationship a bit, and the privilege I got from that was I could sleep on her couch, every time I went to see her, instead of staying hotels like I did in the past 6 months. Don't give me wrong, we did feel each other, it was just the failure of our first marriage kept us more of rationalness than intimacy. We loved each other and still is. And after about one year, since we met, I decided to propose to her. I bought her a 7 grand diamond ring and proposed to her in her apartment. Then we got married.

We do have a lot things to prove our relationship after the marriage, we have been living together since, photos, all kinds of bills, two kids, bought house together, filed tax return together, I had been on her life insurance and health insurance since we married (I am a home dad since we married and got kids), she paid my medical bills and etc. I really don't worry that part.

All I worried is the period before our marriage. It is because most of things we did together, like movie dates, dinner dates, local events, casual gatherings and etc. rarely can be shown or be proved on the paper trails. Even the time when we were with friends, nobody would like take out camera or phone to take photos, because most of those gatherings, they were not special events, they were just part of our ordinary daily life. If the CIC does ask for evidences for this period of time, well, we just don't have them.

Also, the reason I asked those questions, it was just those questions confused a heck out of me. I don't want to answer questions that we suppose not to or provide wrong answers to CIC to trigger them to related our answers to the questions that not applicable to our case.

Well, probably I need to convince my wife don't go back to Canada for a change.

 

[Miraclejj]

Hey no worries! I saw the same pictures of the super thick applications and it had me worried too. With the new forms it’s actually pretty limited on the amount of stuff they need and that you can provide, so don’t fret! We didn’t actually include many chat logs of Facebook or anything. I believe I reactivated my Facebook to show the “About Me” page, the reason was because it showed us in a relationship and it also had the timestamp that said “First became friends in August 2012” and then within 6 months we were dating and then it showed us married, etc. So I did print that page and about 1-2 small pages of Facebook chats. The chat logs I had didn’t show the year or timestamp in full however, it showed Month/Day (not year). I ended up writing on the back of all of my evidence with the description for what it is, who it is, and the date (as accurately as I can remember, usually just said summer 2013 or June 2013, etc.).

We included copies of Christmas cards, birthday cards, wedding cards which were given to us throughout the years or we shared together.

We included copies of boarding passes when she visited me, and I visited her – explained on the back what trip this was and when.

Included pictures of passport stamps when we visited one another (only had 2 of these).

We included my 401k/Stocks account which listed my wife as a beneficiary.

We included about ~25 photos, roughly 10 from our wedding and 10 from us throughout the years with friends, together, whatever we thought would be good to show us in a relationship. If any pictures showed our friends and family we wrote on the back of all of them explaining who’s pictured, date, setting, etc. I also included a list of names for the question which asked "Does anyone else know about your relationship" - we filled up the form and then attached an extra sheet with a list of names, who they are, when they met my wife or myself, and their contact number. This isn't required but we added it in.

I did have my parents write a hand-written letter stating how I moved out of Michigan to be closer to my then girlfriend (now wife), how and when they first met her, etc. It was notarized.

Other than that I can’t really think of anything else we included. Hopefully that helps. The fact that you guys live together I’m sure there has to be some proof of you sharing a place together you can provide. Our application was straight forward. We never have been married before, neither of us have kids, and she has never sponsored anyone in the past. If you need any more help let me know. Our application was processed in exactly three months and my COPR should be in the mail any day now, so I’m assuming ours was everything they required and more.

*PS* - Any "extra sheets" you put in the application make sure you write both names, date of birth, form number, question number, part number, and sign it. Also make sure you put the extra sheets behind the form they are for, not all at the end. Not sure if this is required but we did...so like this:

Bob Smith / DOB 1987-01-01
Jane Smith / DOB 1988-01-01

Form #
Question #
Part (a,b,c)

then depending on what the question was we either had only my wife sign it and list her name, or if it was directed towards both the applicant and sponsor we both wrote our info and signed them with the date.

Best wishes.

Thank you very much again Barch88.

Well, it is not like we don't have anything to prove our relationship before we got married. Few photos, that's about it. And we were not like young couples, we didn't really post our social life online (I do have a facebook account, but rarely login there). We married in Las Vegas, just two of us. Our reception was about month later, and there were like 30 people attended our reception, families, friends and co-workers, and a lot photos. I have photos that I was by side of my wife with our new borns in the hospital Operation Room, right after the minutes both of my kids were born.

Well, supposedly, I should be worried, but I just couldn't stop worrying. Oh Gosh...

 

[barch88]

Thank you very much again Barch88.

Well, it is not like we don't have anything to prove our relationship before we got married. Few photos, that's about it. And we were not like young couples, we didn't really post our social life online (I do have a facebook account, but rarely login there). We married in Las Vegas, just two of us. Our reception was about month later, and there were like 30 people attended our reception, families, friends and co-workers, and a lot photos. I have photos that I was by side of my wife with our new borns in the hospital Operation Room, right after the minutes both of my kids were born.

Well, supposedly, I should be worried, but I just couldn't stop worrying. Oh Gosh...

Just read your previous post before this one too, you'll be fine. Honestly I would explain it just like that and then the fact you've been married awhile and lived together and share all the financial stuff you'll be fine. Basically you meet all the requirements for common-law with all that proof + you're married and live together with kids...I highly doubt you should be worried.

best of luck!

 

[Miraclejj]

To all the people replied my post,

I sincerely appreciate your advice and help.

After I wrote all those stuff here, I felt quite a lot relieve from the stress accumulated in the past couple weeks, since we worked on the application.

Wish all you guys good luck on your cases!

Peace!

 

[tigermilo]

Our background check has been in progress since Feb 22. I'm getting very impatient!

 

[awahidi]

hello everyone, I have received to different UCI for me and my sponsor. I linked the PA UCI and application to the CIC account. They said on ECAS when I put my Sponsor's info with UCI that decision is made and application is in process although there is nothing on the CIC account or PA's ECAS. Do you think I should link the UCI of the Sponsor to the application ? although both of them have same application number for sure but different UCI.

 

[danawhitaker]

hello everyone, I have received to different UCI for me and my sponsor. I linked the PA UCI and application to the CIC account. They said on ECAS when I put my Sponsor's info with UCI that decision is made and application is in process although there is nothing on the CIC account or PA's ECAS. Do you think I should link the UCI of the Sponsor to the application ? although both of them have same application number for sure but different UCI.

Each person will have a different UCI, but you can only link the PA's info on MyCIC.

When you say the application is in process, do you mean on the Permanent Resident side in ECAS? I always just logged in under my sponsor's info, with the application number and his last name, etc. If it says DM on the Sponsor side and In Process on the PA side, it sounds like you have sponsor approval and the application has been forwarded to the VO.

 

[awahidi]

Each person will have a different UCI, but you can only link the PA's info on MyCIC.

When you say the application is in process, do you mean on the Permanent Resident side in ECAS? I always just logged in under my sponsor's info, with the application number and his last name, etc. If it says DM on the Sponsor side and In Process on the PA side, it sounds like you have sponsor approval and the application has been forwarded to the VO.

When I put my sponsor's info it says Sponsorship Application Status: Decision Made and for Permanent Residence Application Status : In process. And they said we started processing your application on March 21 in the PA side. Thank you

 

[bluenkj]

Our background check has been in progress since Feb 22. I'm getting very impatient!

Have you received your PPR? My background went into progress on the 2/21 but others were getting PPR before me. It depends on the individual who is handling your case. Mine took longer than others but it will come. Give it a few more days. Also check your spam, I had decision made on ECAS and my CIC still shows in process for Background check. Don't lose hope.

 

[awahidi]

We just saw that they sent us an email approving sponsorship eligibility on my sponsoring email and they sent the application to CPC- Ottawa. Things are going fast since all this happened in 9 days from the time they received the application.

 

[MasterDen]

Hi Everyone,


I got COPR. Tried making an appt to land, but it seemed so arbitrary. Out of the 3 bridges at Niagra Falls, anyone know which would be faster? Any advice?