hong kong processing times of family class sponsorship

[boblu]

My wife lives in Guangdong so she is being processed through Honk Kong. I live in Canada
I asked to have her file moved to Beijing, no response, asked again and was informed that every time I write it delays process time.
Her application was received Nov 23, 2010
We then received a letter Dated Dec 7 advising us there were concerns as to our marriage and that within 120 days we would be informed if an interview would be required. I responded to some of the concerns noted, no response from Hong Kong. 120 days would be April 6, no word, no letter, I sent an email asking if they had made a decision.
On April 19, by email, I received the following: This application is in our interview queue, which is processed in chronological order. We will contact the applicant approximately 6-8 weeks before the interview date.

To be honest this only tells me we will be interviewed but no idea if we get notice a week from then, a month a year?
We then decide to make application for her to visit me in Canada, made the application, spent the money and provided Immigration yet again with stacks of papers, and notarized documents. The day after we made the application for her to visit we received a letter



advising us of our interview for July 19.
assets in China, Officer was not satisfied she would return, is it Canada or the Officer who considers assets more important than family. I know assets can be sold so why are assets so important but the fact that her 15 yr old daughter was not travelling with her, parents, brother, sister, friends, and a job not considered important.
Her interview was July 19, and I estimate our costs for her to attend and have documents prepared was over $1,000, I waited at home by the phone for over 4 hours as instructed. I was not phoned.
We do not know the results of the interview, the Interpretor says all was OK but she is not an Immigration Official.
So we wait again with no idea as to how long we wait.
To summarize:
My beefs are, no response to questions, or if they do respond they can be rude, threatening or simply ignore the question
No clear time lines or what the next step will be.
They do not adhere to time frames they committed too.

i was at the embassy on July 14 with my wife for a interview i have one question did thye say they will inform you in a letter at a future date? just on time line to send it to you?
thanks
boblu

 

[steaky]

You're right assets can be sold. That's one thing the visa officer might look at if something happen, they will know the applicant can support herself and buy a plane ticket to leave Canada on her own at the expiry of the visitor visa.

If she doesn't have real properties, she should at least provide copies of her bank statements in the past 3 months.

We then decide to make application for her to visit me in Canada, made the application, spent the money and provided Immigration yet again with stacks of papers, and notarized documents. The day after we made the application for her to visit we received a letter advising us of our interview for July 19.
Her visitor application was denied as she had no assets in China, Officer was not satisfied she would return, is it Canada or the Officer who considers assets more important than family. I know assets can be sold so why are assets so important but the fact that her 15 yr old daughter was not travelling with her, parents, brother, sister, friends, and a job not considered important.
Her interview was July 19, and I estimate our costs for her to attend and have documents prepared was over $1,000, I waited at home by the phone for over 4 hours as instructed. I was not phoned.
We do not know the results of the interview, the Interpretor says all was OK but she is not an Immigration Official.
So we wait again with no idea as to how long we wait.
To summarize:
My beefs are, no response to questions, or if they do respond they can be rude, threatening or simply ignore the question
No clear time lines or what the next step will be.
They do not adhere to time frames they committed too.

 

[kolz]

I'm joining the club here. I'm sponsoring my wife under family class from Hong Kong. Timeline:

31 August 2010 - processing starts
A month later - received sponsor approval letter
14 November 2010 - wife delivered baby in HK, notified CIC
A month later - received a letter to refill Application for PR, this time daughter is included
20 December 2010 - wife undergone medical checkup by approved practitioner
Mid february 2011 - received a letter to submit police report from HK and Indonesia (wife hold IDR passport), and to send in wife's passport.
31 March 2011 - HK police letter sent, ask for extension for Indonesia police record (slow as hell, need to be translated too)
31 May 2011 - Indonesia police report with translation and wife's passport sent to consulate (HK)

No words until now...still waiting wife is passportless for almost 3 months now.

 

[pogobb]

Hi, I'm still in the club too...

I've sent 4 letters to the embassy for the past 3 months, never got a reply. If it's really true that the more I write to them, the slower the process, then I'm probably be that 20% waiting over 18 months!!

I finally gave up waiting for a reply (regarding incorrect address on eCAS which so far, no one can tell me how to change it and also, their request for a Letter of Release so early on).. I have quit my job just so that I can get that Letter of Release they requested. Now I am just waiting jobless...eating into my savings... hope I won't be broke by the time they finally give me a response!! :'(

 

[steaky]

Have you visited the citizenship section of the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong and mentioned your questions?

Hi, I'm still in the club too...

I've sent 4 letters to the embassy for the past 3 months, never got a reply. If it's really true that the more I write to them, the slower the process, then I'm probably be that 20% waiting over 18 months!!

I finally gave up waiting for a reply (regarding incorrect address on eCAS which so far, no one can tell me how to change it and also, their request for a Letter of Release so early on).. I have quit my job just so that I can get that Letter of Release they requested. Now I am just waiting jobless...eating into my savings... hope I won't be broke by the time they finally give me a response!! :'(

 

[FranFran]

Hi there

I think I have a similar case as you do. Hope that we can get our visa asap.

My time line is:

Application received: Jul 25 2011
Letter from visa office asking for new set of photos: Aug 12 2011 (photos were not accepted as I wrote my name at the back )
Photos sent again: Aug 16 2011
Letter from visa office saying no interview is required and asking for the certificate of good conduct from HK police: Aug 22 2011
Applied for the certificate from the HK police: Aug 26 2011

HK Police said if I have no criminal record, the certificate will be sent to the visa office within a month. If everything is fine, the visa office expects to finalize my application and issue me a visa.

I just wonder if HK Police really needs a month to check my criminal records....

I am so anxious and keep on checking my mail box everyday. The visa office processes my application way faster than I expected (I know the average processing time for 80% of cases take 19 months). I hope that I can get the visa soon so that I can quit my job and join my husband!

 

[kolz]

Hi there

I think I have a similar case as you do. Hope that we can get our visa asap.

My time line is:

Application received: Jul 25 2011
Letter from visa office asking for new set of photos: Aug 12 2011 (photos were not accepted as I wrote my name at the back )
Photos sent again: Aug 16 2011
Letter from visa office saying no interview is required and asking for the certificate of good conduct from HK police: Aug 22 2011
Applied for the certificate from the HK police: Aug 26 2011

HK Police said if I have no criminal record, the certificate will be sent to the visa office within a month. If everything is fine, the visa office expects to finalize my application and issue me a visa.

I just wonder if HK Police really needs a month to check my criminal records....

I am so anxious and keep on checking my mail box everyday. The visa office processes my application way faster than I expected (I know the average processing time for 80% of cases take 19 months). I hope that I can get the visa soon so that I can quit my job and join my husband!

That was quite a straight-forward timing you have. My app was received on 31 August 2010, and I still "in progress" for now. I guess I'm part of the 80%...sigh :'(

 

[FranFran]

I guess me and my husband have been close friends for 17 years is a big help; we got many mutual friends as we studied in the same college. To prove my relationship, I also attached in my application many printed photos from my Facebook accounts (with lots of 'likes' from our friends)

Bless you. No ones like the long waiting....

 

[kolz]

I guess me and my husband have been close friends for 17 years is a big help; we got many mutual friends as we studied in the same college. To prove my relationship, I also attached in my application many printed photos from my Facebook accounts (with lots of 'likes' from our friends)

Bless you. No ones like the long waiting....

me and my wife knew each other for 10 years (in Canada), studied together in Canada, got married in Canada, and work in Canada (she's on worker permit).

(Heck, she paid tax for years for goodness sake, i wonder what takes them so long to approve the app *rant*) I'll be patience yes i know =)

 

[pogobb]

Have you visited the citizenship section of the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong and mentioned your questions?

You mean go in person and not to the Visa/Immigration floor of the consulate? I haven't tried that... but I have quit my job for a month already so too late to ask about that Letter of Release.... do you think they will answer or can tell me the status of the application??

As for the incorrect address, it's a long story... as I didn't get any response from them, I tried to ask my brother who lives in Toronto to call the CIC call centre in Mississauga. He was informed that he has to be my representative to enquire about my case. So, we filled the Use of Representative form and faxed to them. A few weeks later, when I logged into eCAS, they actually changed my mailing and home address to MY BROTHER'S ADDRESS (we didn't ask them to do that)! Why did they do that? I still live in Hong Kong! When my brother called CIC again (called a few times), all of the agents said the system does not accept non-Canadian addresses so cannot change it to HK address. This I really don't get! They put down my HK address in the system in the first place (but just missing the street no.). And I'm sure non-Canadian addresses ARE allowed or else how can the sponsors applying outland/living abroad can get their sponsorship approval letters ?? But the agents insist it's not possible so now both addresses are my brother's address.

So again, I wrote a letter to the Visa Section at the HK consulate to tell them my address has not changed and we are still living in HK! What a mess!

 

[steaky]

Yes, that's what happens when you appoint a representative. CIC will just mail everything to your representative instead. It's mentioned somewhere in the website. My sister in Toronto did the same thing as your brother did, but I didn't appoint her as my representative. Instead I went to the Citizenship section of the Canadian consulate to try my luck while applying the Citizenship card for my daughter!

Anyways, you should have gone to the Citizenship section and maybe the officer will kind enough talk to their colleagues at the visa section in similar manner I had experienced in the past. But it's too late now except for confirmation about the address.

 

[FranFran]

I'm joining the club here. I'm sponsoring my wife under family class from Hong Kong. Timeline:

31 August 2010 - processing starts
A month later - received sponsor approval letter
14 November 2010 - wife delivered baby in HK, notified CIC
A month later - received a letter to refill Application for PR, this time daughter is included
20 December 2010 - wife undergone medical checkup by approved practitioner
Mid february 2011 - received a letter to submit police report from HK and Indonesia (wife hold IDR passport), and to send in wife's passport.
31 March 2011 - HK police letter sent, ask for extension for Indonesia police record (slow as hell, need to be translated too)
31 May 2011 - Indonesia police report with translation and wife's passport sent to consulate (HK)

No words until now...still waiting wife is passportless for almost 3 months now.

Hi there, how do you know the HK police letter is sent on Mar 31?

 

[kolz]

Hi there, how do you know the HK police letter is sent on Mar 31?

Hi FranFran,

Correction, wife went to HK Police to request the document. They said they'll do it in a month time, so approximately sent by them on April 30 or early May. No confirmation received from CIC or consulate. Thanks for pointing that out.