Havana, Cuba

[DDG]

Wow Shuster!!! That is sooo great!! But so sorry you are sick....hope you feel better soon.

Can you share your story with me, how long you met, married, number of trips... i'm curious why they didn't interview you...i think it's GREAT!! but i'm wondering 'how much' supporting docs avoids one.

I'm so happy this is over for some of you!!! It's so so tough!! To the rest of us, YES WE CAN!!!

 

[shuster2210]

Wow Shuster!!! That is sooo great!! But so sorry you are sick....hope you feel better soon.

Can you share your story with me, how long you met, married, number of trips... i'm curious why they didn't interview you...i think it's GREAT!! but i'm wondering 'how much' supporting docs avoids one.

I'm so happy this is over for some of you!!! It's so so tough!! To the rest of us, YES WE CAN!!!

Hey DDG
Here is our breakdown
We met Feb.13.2011. We met through mutual friends. He worked security at the cadecas.
Made trips down, may, aug, sep, nov of 2011 all for 7-12 days.
Married on Feb 17 2012, so basically 1 year from the day we met.
I went back 2 weeks after we married for his grandmothers funeral.

Submitted package April 3rd
I'm 31 him 35.
Both never been married nor have children.
He does not speak English but I'm fluent in Spanish.
Phone calls at least 1 a week. Daily text messages since the first trip.
2-10 chat sessions per month.

I submitted all phone bills, chat logs, text messages (20 from each month)
5-10 pics per trip.
Over 200 professional wedding pics plus 50 other ransoms.
2 friends came with me but none of my family attended the wedding. Submitted 25 pages of well wishes from our guest book.
Submitted letters of support from friends and family.
He wrote a support letter, I did not.
That's it! ;-)
Our package fit in a plastic folder. Was 2.5kg

 

[shuster2210]

Also ladies, I received our first set of gcsm notes on oct 5th
They were basically empty.
Showed file opened in Havana on August 8th (1 month after sponsor approval)
And file was looked at again on sept 21st
No notes from Havana were in the file.

We never received an AOR from Havana.
His file changed to in process on the 1st, after he received his visa.
As of today his home address is Toronto Ontario!

 

[DDG]

Wow Shuster!! Wish I met you before I submitted my app!! Although, I think I did OK!! Time will tell.

I was thinking tonight how lucky you ladies are to have your husbands here for Christmas...and how envious and depressed I feel haha... then I thought well I'm going at Christmas for a month so I should feel lucky because I know how much Sass wants to go and can't....but then I thought Sass, you can't go because you are having his baby!!!... bc I've been trying and nothing (got a call from the dr that I didn't ovulate) I would give up being there at Christmas to have his baby...xo...I think you are so lucky too.

We are all just the same, at different stages, feeling same emotions...we all have our own stories but we all have each other too. There is not another person in my life who gets me more than you ladies do... and we've never met... lol this process is.... all that I think about.................somedays I think I got this and we won't be interviewed, and somedays I think we'll be living in Cuba for the rest of our lives...today is actually a good day and think we got this Maybe buying my plane tickets today helped !!

 

[KJG]

Also ladies, I received our first set of gcsm notes on oct 5th
They were basically empty.
Showed file opened in Havana on August 8th (1 month after sponsor approval)
And file was looked at again on sept 21st
No notes from Havana were in the file.

We never received an AOR from Havana.
His file changed to in process on the 1st, after he received his visa.
As of today his home address is Toronto Ontario!

Isn't it awesome Shuster2210 when you see the address pop up to yours!!! I got goosebumps when I seen it and almost cried!!!

 

[KJG]

Wow Shuster!! Wish I met you before I submitted my app!! Although, I think I did OK!! Time will tell.

I was thinking tonight how lucky you ladies are to have your husbands here for Christmas...and how envious and depressed I feel haha... then I thought well I'm going at Christmas for a month so I should feel lucky because I know how much Sass wants to go and can't....but then I thought Sass, you can't go because you are having his baby!!!... bc I've been trying and nothing (got a call from the dr that I didn't ovulate) I would give up being there at Christmas to have his baby...xo...I think you are so lucky too.

We are all just the same, at different stages, feeling same emotions...we all have our own stories but we all have each other too. There is not another person in my life who gets me more than you ladies do... and we've never met... lol this process is.... all that I think about.................somedays I think I got this and we won't be interviewed, and somedays I think we'll be living in Cuba for the rest of our lives...today is actually a good day and think we got this Maybe buying my plane tickets today helped !!

We are here for you DDG....and let me tell you I had many bad months before I found this forum to talk with people. It really made the waiting more bearable. Don't worry about the interview...it does not lessen your chance.....those who don't get interviewed are far and few between....and it is great when it happens but honestly interviews are required a majority of the time so don't stress....be happy you get a date and go with it!!!! And buying plane tickets is the best kind of retail therapy!!!

 

[localola]

wow! I am reading all the success stories here on this site. Congrats to all of you whose spouses are arriving in time for Christmas/New Year.

I am at the very beginning. We have just gotten married in October in Holguin Province. The marriage license, I have been told has to be legalized in Havana - that is to take about 3 months. I will return to Cuba in February 2013, during that visit I will collect the marriage license, police clearance, photographs for application, diplomas etc, get the required translations. Hopefully by the end of March 2013, I will submit the Sponsorship/Family Class immigration application.
I have a question,
-when should my husband go to Havana for the medical? will we be notified by the Embassy to make the appt?

I am sure i will have many more questions and will ask for advice quite often
thanks
LocaLola

 

[327856]

wow! I am reading all the success stories here on this site. Congrats to all of you whose spouses are arriving in time for Christmas/New Year.

I am at the very beginning. We have just gotten married in October in Holguin Province. The marriage license, I have been told has to be legalized in Havana - that is to take about 3 months. I will return to Cuba in February 2013, during that visit I will collect the marriage license, police clearance, photographs for application, diplomas etc, get the required translations. Hopefully by the end of March 2013, I will submit the Sponsorship/Family Class immigration application.
I have a question,
-when should my husband go to Havana for the medical? will we be notified by the Embassy to make the appt?

I am sure i will have many more questions and will ask for advice quite often
thanks
LocaLola

Hey welcome to our cuba forum. You as myself were misinformed about the mariage certificate. It does not need to be legalized in Havana to send to immgration. it is bull. I also wasted 3 months of sending the application grrrr. For the medical he should go in January so that when you arrive he can give you the paper to bring back with you. If ever the medical expires you will be asked to redo it thats all no worried. Congrats on the wedding!

 

[localola]

Thank you so much

 

[shuster2210]

Thank you so much

It is not required by Canada, however, many Bufete international will not release it to you without the legalization....
That's what happened to us in Havana. I begged her for a copy and she would not give it to me.

I happened to go down 2 weeks after the wedding so I was able to pick it up luckily.

 

[Avana]

Wow Shuster!! Wish I met you before I submitted my app!! Although, I think I did OK!! Time will tell.

I was thinking tonight how lucky you ladies are to have your husbands here for Christmas...and how envious and depressed I feel haha... then I thought well I'm going at Christmas for a month so I should feel lucky because I know how much Sass wants to go and can't....but then I thought Sass, you can't go because you are having his baby!!!... bc I've been trying and nothing (got a call from the dr that I didn't ovulate) I would give up being there at Christmas to have his baby...xo...I think you are so lucky too.

We are all just the same, at different stages, feeling same emotions...we all have our own stories but we all have each other too. There is not another person in my life who gets me more than you ladies do... and we've never met... lol this process is.... all that I think about.................somedays I think I got this and we won't be interviewed, and somedays I think we'll be living in Cuba for the rest of our lives...today is actually a good day and think we got this Maybe buying my plane tickets today helped !!

Hey DDG! stay strong! I know all about rough weeks as I have had a few... but we will all get our turn to get the visa and get the excitement! I know exactly how you're feeling I also have good days and bad.. but I cant wait to get a phone call... interview or not! (although obvs I would rather no interview... lol) Buying plane tickets are awesome! the countdown makes the pain so much easier.. i have written out each day till I leave on my calendar on my computer and in my work agenda haha 47 days left! and sooo hopign to hear something in the next two weeks!! 8) its great we all have each other for sure! ppl who understand are great! as sympathetic as my friends are for me they just dont get it like you guys all do.... xo

 

[Avana]

wow! I am reading all the success stories here on this site. Congrats to all of you whose spouses are arriving in time for Christmas/New Year.

I am at the very beginning. We have just gotten married in October in Holguin Province. The marriage license, I have been told has to be legalized in Havana - that is to take about 3 months. I will return to Cuba in February 2013, during that visit I will collect the marriage license, police clearance, photographs for application, diplomas etc, get the required translations. Hopefully by the end of March 2013, I will submit the Sponsorship/Family Class immigration application.
I have a question,
-when should my husband go to Havana for the medical? will we be notified by the Embassy to make the appt?

I am sure i will have many more questions and will ask for advice quite often


thanks
LocaLola

welcome localola!! so glad to have another newbie to our thread My hubby is also from holguin! haha everyone knows each other there, i bet our hubbies know each other where did you meet him? who did your marriage? we never had to get our marriage certificate legalized in havana! we got it a couple days after the wedding! I agree with KJG do your medicals as close as possible to when you will send in the papers to make sure you have as much of the 12 month period before they expire! where did you guys get married in holguin? So glad to have another holguinita in our thread!! haha

maaaan im having the suckiest wknd! lol Im getting all the hardwood floors replaced due to a flood I had and ive been packing up stuff since yesterday.. then have to move to a friends place for 5 days this week! but at least will be nice to have the company and hopefully will make the week fly by! Hope all you ladies are doing well and enjoying the time more than me! And shuster, hope youre feeling better!

 

[Avana]

Isn't it awesome Shuster2210 when you see the address pop up to yours!!! I got goosebumps when I seen it and almost cried!!!

I keep thinking about that! lol every time I check ECAS im praying for it!! I can only imagine the feeling for now, but it makes me excited just thinking about it!

 

[Avana]

Also ladies, I received our first set of gcsm notes on oct 5th
They were basically empty.
Showed file opened in Havana on August 8th (1 month after sponsor approval)
And file was looked at again on sept 21st
No notes from Havana were in the file.

We never received an AOR from Havana.
His file changed to in process on the 1st, after he received his visa.
As of today his home address is Toronto Ontario!

: Makes me wonder if I ordered the GCMS notes too soon also and wont see anything on them... hoping for some clue! but at least will be nice to know that my app is in fact on someone's desk in havana!

 

[KJG]

It is not required by Canada, however, many Bufete international will not release it to you without the legalization....
That's what happened to us in Havana. I begged her for a copy and she would not give it to me.

I happened to go down 2 weeks after the wedding so I was able to pick it up luckily.

Yes...we were told it needed to be entered into the Havana register to be legalized.....but it only took 3 weeks to get and we were under the impression it was 3 months...

Welcome to our thread!!! October is a great month for getting married and getting a visa and getting a pre!!! It's my new favourite month