Canadian citizen applying for spousal sponsor ship while livingoutside of Canada

[Hozaifa]

Hi all...

Need help....

I am a Canadian citizen living in Pakistan for the last seven years...I got married here and have children here now...but now I want to sponsor my wife and my children to Canada with me. My question is what do I do about the financial question? As I am quite well of in Pakistan should I show my bank account from over here. Also my whole family is in Canada. My parents and my siblings and my brother owns a house in Canada so I don't have any staying and supporting issues..also how do I prove I will stay in Canada as I do want to stay..should I ask my brother to make a rental agreement with me. And should I apply by myself or through a lawyer.....please help I am really confused....
Thanks.....

 

[computergeek]

I am a Canadian citizen living in Pakistan for the last seven years...I got married here and have children here now...but now I want to sponsor my wife and my children to Canada with me. My question is what do I do about the financial question? As I am quite well of in Pakistan should I show my bank account from over here. Also my whole family is in Canada. My parents and my siblings and my brother owns a house in Canada so I don't have any staying and supporting issues..also how do I prove I will stay in Canada as I do want to stay..should I ask my brother to make a rental agreement with me. And should I apply by myself or through a lawyer.....please help I am really confused....

First question: were you born in Canada or are you a naturalized Canadian citizen? If so, you need to obtain a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship for your children and obtain their Canadian Passports. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/proof.asp for the first step.

The answers to your questions could be a bit complicated. Pakistan has one of the longest processing times in the world for spousal sponsorship (18-27 months) plus the three months to approve you as sponsor. This is for the OUTLAND process.

There is no income requirement for sponsoring your spouse and her children to come to Canada. You must be able to show that you will not require social assistance. Further, because you are not in Canada, you must demonstrate a credible plan for bringing them to Canada. It sounds like you have one piece - get a letter from your family saying you may stay with them until you get settled and find a job. Then you should demonstrate that you are looking for employment - print out job listings, e-mails you may be having with recruiters, etc.

So, if you apply outland, you complete the application and send the entire thing to Mississauga. They evaluate you (the sponsor) and then if they accept you as sponsor, they will send your partner's application to Islamabad for processing. Total time is about 2-2.5 years right now.

The other way to go about this is to propose taking your family on a visit to Canada. If your children are Canadian Citizens, this is simpler as only your wife will need to obtain a TRV. IF you can obtain a TRV for her, then you can all head to Canada for a visit. While visiting with your family, you can decide you all like it there so much you'd like to remain in Canada. Then you apply via the INLAND process. Your entire family can stay in Canada while the application is in process. Processing time is 11 months (for first stage approval) and then 8 months (to approve your partner) although this can happen faster. That's a total processing time of 19 months (worst case) rather than 30 months and you're in Canada the entire time. The difficult bit is getting your wife that TRV, since the visa office in Islamabad may not be willing to grant one (ergo, they may decide she really won't leave).

I'm sure you'll have more questions...

 

[Hozaifa]

Thanks for you replay.....
No I was not born in Canada but I have the Canadian Passport.

Do I have to sponsor my children for permanent residence or can I apply for there Canadian passport rite away.

Thanks

 

[computergeek]

No I was not born in Canada but I have the Canadian Passport.

Here is what it says on the CIC website (from the link I previously posted):

If you were born in another country:

• In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you became a citizen through the naturalization process in Canada (i.e., you were a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before you became a citizen).
• 
  In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada and one of your parents was a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth and if that parent was either born in Canada or naturalized in Canada (”naturalized” means that the parent was a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before becoming a citizen). You are the first generation born outside Canada. For more information, please see the “First generation limit to citizenship by descent” section.
  
• 
  You may be a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada between January 1, 1947, and April 16, 2009 inclusively to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent (you are the second or subsequent generation born outside Canada). If you think this may apply to you and you need more information, please contact us (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
  
• 
  If you were a British subject residing in Canada when the Canadian Citizenship Act came into force on January 1, 1947, or you were born outside Canada to a British subject parent who might have become a citizen on that date, contact us to find out how to confirm whether or not you are a citizen (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
  

So, if you are a first generation Canadian Citizen, it is possible that your children may be Canadian citizens - ergo, they were born prior to the April 16, 2009 date. If any of them were born after that date, they will have to be sponsored along with your partner.

You need the Certificate of Canadian Citizenship. Then you can apply for their passports.

 

[Hozaifa]

Sorry I don't get it".....

I became a Canadian citizen and got my canadian passport in 2001 through my parents and left Canada in 2004 got married in Pakistan have two children born in 2010. So my question is?

Do I apply for sponsorship for them with my wife or do I apply for citizen certificate for them.....?

And then there Canadian passport...?

Thanks".....really appreciate your help..

 

[Leon]

You are a naturalized citizen and can therefore pass citizenship to your children. You would apply for their citizenship certificates through the embassy and you should be able to get temporary passports for them at the embassy too. You only have to sponsor your wife.

 

[fandv]

Just to elaborate what Leon said:

Basically since you are a (naturalised) Canadian citizen, then by default, your children have already been Canadian citizens since the moment they were born. Now, obviously when they were born, they brought no documents with them to this world (LOL! ;D), and so your children need a documentation to prove their Canadian citizenship. What's this document? It's the Canadian citizenship certificate.

Now here's the thing: it takes about 8 to 12 months to process the Canadian citizenship certificate. If you waited until their certificates are issued, before you apply for their passport, then it would take too long (unless you don't mind waiting / not too hurried to go to Canada). Instead, you can apply for a temporary passport (which I believe takes about 1 month to process), so that your children can go to Canada with you right away.

 

[Leon]

They state on the website that the processing time is 9-10 months now but with kids 2 years old, you can get a temporary passport as long as you have applied for the citizenship certificate. However, if he is sponsoring his wife too, likely that will take 9-10 months or more so he may have the citizenship certificates before his wife gets her PR visa.

 

[fandv]

They state on the website that the processing time is 9-10 months now but with kids 2 years old, you can get a temporary passport as long as you have applied for the citizenship certificate. However, if he is sponsoring his wife too, likely that will take 9-10 months or more so he may have the citizenship certificates before his wife gets her PR visa.

Very true...

And by the way, the temporary passport is only valid for....what? A maximum of 1 year right?

 

[Leon]

Very true...

And by the way, the temporary passport is only valid for....what? A maximum of 1 year right?

I don't know but in my opinion, there is no reason to rush applying for temp passport for the kids until the PR for the wife is in sight.

 

[Hozaifa]

Hi guys !

Can you please explain as to what documents I have to present to the Canadian authorities for my children's....is it only the birth certificate or anything else"...cause they are just children and I don't have any other document to show like a driving licence or any photo I'd..for them...for the citizen certificate. What other prove can I show them ?
Thanks....

 

[Leon]

Where they ask for ID, send your ID instead. If the children have a passport from their other country of citizenship, you can show that too.

 

[Hozaifa]

Hi guys!

Have a question I am having problem understanding...

It says in the citizenship certificate application...

If applicants father was born outside Canada, Was one of his parents a Canadian citizen at the time of his birth?

It asks to say yes or no.....what I don't get is.....

Applicant is my son....and I being his father was born in Pakistan. And my parents were not Canadian citizen at the time of my birth....they became after.....and so did I.

So I should probably say no rite....
I know it's a silly question but I am confused...thanks...

And can u also tell me as to why they are asking this....how is this relevant...thanks.

 

[Leon]

You should say no. Have you read your application guide at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0001ETOC.asp ? The reason they ask these questions is to determine if you gained your citizenship by being born outside Canada to Canadian parents yourself. If you had, you would not be able to pass citizenship to your children. However, you didn't so no worries there.

 

[Hozaifa]

Hi guys!

Need help again...

I am applying for my children's citizenship certificate and they are asking for two pieces of proof....so I want to know is should I just photocopy the documents and sent them or should I also certify the photocopies. Like the passport and there birthcirtificate through the notary. And should I also send my passport copy. To show that i am a canadian citizen.

Thanks.....