BABY on the way! Canada-Ghana-South Africa

[maleeyomi]

Greetings everyone and happy new year 2014!

I was very pleased to read all the positive experiences and advice in this thread! Indeed being apart from the person you love and vowed to love is a complex experience with intense emotions of reunion-separation-reunion-separation and for some, those emotions are amplified with the canadian cold winter weather!!!

I am a canadian born citizen and my husband is a true nigerian man (from Lagos)
We met in South Africa in 2009 and have been friends for two year before moving in together in SA for 3 months, then getting married in 2012 and yesterday, we received an email concerning an interview request in Accra, shortly after learning that we will now soon be greeting our first child...a lot of things at once for a young couple that is just trying to start a good life together!

Here is our timeline:
Application processed: August 29, 2013.
CSQ received: December 13, 2013.
Medicals done: January 15, 2014.
Interview requested: March 12, 2014.

The best outcome possible for us (by God Grace) would be that he receives his residency to come to Canada this March!!! Though we are not sure, because I have read that people have gotten their visa the same day of the interview, but that was 2010...and, according to CIC, the processing takes up to 15 months, which we are now at only few months! So, we either have 2 months or 10 months to wait plus a delivery at hand!

We have some BIG concerns and here they are:
1) My husband lives in South Africa and the interview is to be in Ghana because he is nigerian, would it be possible to have the interview in SA or would it be wiser for us to do everything possible for him to get to Ghana that day?
2) Should he mention in the interview that we are expecting?
3) We thought about being together again in SA until the baby is born, if he cannot come to Canada in time, because we need to be together during our first pregnancy and delivery. If the process takes 15 months and I am in SA, will my residency out of Canada affect our application? And what about our newborn? How long will it take then for him/her to get his birth certificate and passport/citizenship to come to Canada with us?

I am now back to Canada by myself because life in South Africa is rough and the waiting is very hard on us. Please, if anybody had any info/advice on how to make this process and pregnancy easier for us. We long to be in Canada together ASAP and finally start our lives... :


M.

 

[canadianwoman]

1) My husband lives in South Africa and the interview is to be in Ghana because he is nigerian, would it be possible to have the interview in SA or would it be wiser for us to do everything possible for him to get to Ghana that day?

Go to Accra. You're lucky they requested an interview relatively early. They're not likely to hold an interview in a different visa office just for the applicant's convenience, and asking for this will delay things.

2) Should he mention in the interview that we are expecting?

Yes, definitely. With proof, like an ultrasound picture, if possible.

3) We thought about being together again in SA until the baby is born, if he cannot come to Canada in time, because we need to be together during our first pregnancy and delivery. If the process takes 15 months and I am in SA, will my residency out of Canada affect our application?

You are a Canadian citizen, so you can sponsor while staying abroad. The visa officer might then ask you to submit proof you will return to Canada, though. Staying with your husband is good for the application in one sense, however, because it provides additional evidence that the relationship is genuine.

 

[screech339]

And when the baby is born, apply for Canadian citizenship certificate for the baby as earliest as possible.