April 2012 applicants, join here.

[mc1234]

Looks like CIC-M has started processing March applicants. One from March 6 and one from March 7 have been approved!!! Wow, our turn will be soon, Aprilicants!!!

FS

LOL! Thanks for the laugh and smile FS This is great news!!!

 

[tsjunx]

Looks like CIC-M has started processing March applicants. One from March 6 and one from March 7 have been approved!!! Wow, our turn will be soon, Aprilicants!!!

FS

I was sooo happy to see that, we're next! Hoping for a good update tomorrow

 

[Fencesitter]

Flippin' heck! What's up with this guy spamming the whole board??!!! Get a life, troll!

FS

 

[Sunshine87]

Aprilicant... that totally filled my nerdy heart with joy Good one FS!

 

[Fencesitter]

Haha...yes...our turn will be very soon. I guess CIC-M is processing a mix of Feb and March applicants...hopefully they will continue doing so when they get to April...

I want to quit my job so badly and sell our car...I'm itching to get on the plane. Our landlord is super cool and is willing to allow us to stay until my wife gets the visa (and she will not raise our rent - even though rent in the area where we live has gone up a lot!). Since she has been so cool, we decided to give her all our furniture...

The only thing that has been worrying me is whether CIC-M or the VO in Hong Kong will contact my employer. I don't want to let my employer know until the last minute because they have been known to deduct substantial amounts of money from people who resign before the end of the contract, even though there is an early release clause. I have a question: Who is more likely to contact my employer, CIC-M or the VO in Hong Kong? I included an explanation as to why I haven't resigned yet and that my contract has an early release clause, so as soon as we get confirmation on my wife's visa, I will resign and we will fly out within 2 weeks. I also explained that I am the only one with an income, so I can't resign right now, and also we want to continue saving. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
FS

 

[BCgirl2012]

I don't think they will contact your employer directly. I'd say they will investigate, but not this directly- I hope.

Your explanations seem reasonable to me. I don't think they can expect people to quit their jobs before visa processing has somewhat progressed. From what I understood, they need to see plans, and evidences that those claims are gonna happen.

I've been worrying my head off about different scenarios today- but I'm happy to see people from March are starting to get some feedback. Hopefully the wait time will decrease soon. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[Fencesitter]

Thanks. I also submitted the required documents: original letter from employer, pay stubs, statements of earnings and benefits from my employer, and so on. I really hope that's all they'll need...I really don't want to have to explain anything to my employer at this early stage...

FS

 

[canadiangirl78]

They will not contact your employer. No worries there. They don't need to confirm you're working. They don't need to inform your employer you'll be leaving. Your employment is pretty irrelevant actually. They only care to see evidence you'll move back. And with a son and being head of household - they really won't question it.

 

[canadiangirl78]

Also they didn't contact my California employer when we applied for the PR in 2010.

 

[Fencesitter]

Thanks, Canadiangirl.

It will be so great to leave on my own terms! Several colleagues have warned me not to give notice, as that will only result in the company screwing me over. It sucks that I might have to do a runner to avoid being cheated, but at the end of the day I have to look out for myself, right? In fact, if I can submit my notice at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, it will be perfect, as no one with authority will be there to do anything about it. Just for the record, I loathe having to do something like this...I have always preferred to do things honestly...but I guess in this case I am justified (sort of).

I wonder though...why do they ask for your supervisor's name and contact number on one of the sponsor forms? That's why I thought they would contact employers...plus they ask for an original letter from your employer...if it's all irrelevant, why do they bother?? Or is it just a case of filling out standardized forms for several different sponsorship categories?

Thanks,
FS

 

[Marty11]

FS,

I think they ask for an employment letter and your supervisor name to check that you actually can fulfill the financial requirements as a sponsor. I think that the employer MAY be contacted (not necessarily) during stage 1 when they will approve you as sponsor. I do not know the criteria of if/why they may contact the sponsor's employer. After that it is irrelevant. If you receive the AOR and the employer does not know by then, then you are good to leave on your own terms.

 

[canadiangirl78]

I think employment info is more relevant if you're in Canada. It's always information that will be asked for. But I've never heard of anyone's employer being called. It's probably more for cases that have to meet financial requirements. It might be just in case one thing odd comes up in security screening. I mean - they will always want to know employment history. But there's no reason to call - especially a company in China.

And you are totally justified for giving short notice that you're leaving if they'd screw you over.

 

[Fencesitter]

Thanks Marty and Canadiangirl.

Yeah, I really hope that they don't call my employer, but even if they do, I will simply tell the truth...but leave out the part that I will be resigning...I know that's not the right thing to do, and I have never done this in the past, but given my employer's history, I think it's the only way I can protect myself. If I tell the truth, I am sure they would terminate my contract (saving them thousands of dollars in monthly salary payments, bonus, flight allowance, and a few other things). Now that I have a son, I must do everything I can to ensure I provide a good life for him, so losing my job at this early stage would really suck! We have money saved, but we need that to buy a house in Canada, plus a car, furniture, and everything else...we're basically starting from scratch.

If it is CIC-M that calls the sponsor's employer, I highly doubt they will do it...the time difference would make it impossible...

Oh, and one other thing...the employment letter I got was signed by the director of foreign affairs and not my direct supervisor...is that okay? Does it matter? Or do they expect the owner or the managing director to be the one to sign?

Thanks!

FS

 

[canadiangirl78]

It doesn't matter. They won't know the difference. As long as its official letterhead. But again your employment in china is irrelevant since you'll be quitting in order to move to Canada. It's not going to support your family in Canada. It's your new job they care about. And not even that much. Unemployed people get approved. Students get approved. Because we are sponsoring spouses.

 

[BCgirl2012]

I would say the only relavent thing here is the bigger picture. For example, they want to see that people are looking for employment in Canada as a proof of intention to settle back in Canada once the spouse's PR is approved. They want to see people are planning for their lives when they move back.

Since we aren't supposed to meet a minimum income, it's doubtful that they will check with the employer, and if they want to see if you will quit the job in China, then there's really no way for them to understand this from the employer. I mean, it will be pretty unreasonable to call someone's employer and ask them if they know such and such employee is planning to quit in a few months.

So I'd say you're good.