How does CIC tell if a relationship is real or fake

[Rob_TO]

Article in today's Star with some "insight" into how VOs make their decisions: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/02/01/a_rare_look_inside_the_black_box_of_canada_immigration.html

Most of it is common-sense, but still an interesting read.

I liked this one... make sure your wedding guests smile
“Nobody in the photos is smiling,” a visa officer told Satzewich. “It’s a Sikh temple, so it’s a serious occasion, but nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy. This is a concern,” the officer added before referring the applicant to a further in-person interview.

 

[bartjones]

Interesting read, thanks.

 

[Zarilenth]

Article in today's Star with some "insight" into how VOs make their decisions: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/02/01/a_rare_look_inside_the_black_box_of_canada_immigration.html

Most of it is common-sense, but still an interesting read.

I liked this one... make sure your wedding guests smile
“Nobody in the photos is smiling,” a visa officer told Satzewich. “It's a Sikh temple, so it's a serious occasion, but nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy. This is a concern,” the officer added before referring the applicant to a further in-person interview.

That's interesting! I had a small wedding with just my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sisters, and niece) and my husband didn't have any family. He's from the US, but we simply didn't feel the need for a huge wedding. I hope that doesn't affect our application! I think my family looks happy enough in the pictures.. but now by looking at FB they're smiling more in some of the other photos!

 

[Desi-girl]

That's interesting! I had a small wedding with just my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sisters, and niece) and my husband didn't have any family. He's from the US, but we simply didn't feel the need for a huge wedding. I hope that doesn't affect our application! I think my family looks happy enough in the pictures.. but now by looking at FB they're smiling more in some of the other photos!

Your photos made me think "This looks like a very happy and loving family and you make a beautiful couple".
Don't worry. If you have put lots of proof of your genuine relationship, there won't be a problem.

By the way, is that your wedding dress? It is beautiful!

 

[Desi-girl]

Article in today's Star with some "insight" into how VOs make their decisions: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/02/01/a_rare_look_inside_the_black_box_of_canada_immigration.html

Most of it is common-sense, but still an interesting read.

I liked this one... make sure your wedding guests smile
“Nobody in the photos is smiling,” a visa officer told Satzewich. “It's a Sikh temple, so it's a serious occasion, but nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy. This is a concern,” the officer added before referring the applicant to a further in-person interview.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[scosan]

Gee, not too much smiling in my Japanese wedding photos - such a serious moment! (The photographer scared the crap out of me) Of course in our Las Vegas wedding pictures, there was lots of smiling! (We got married in the US and had the reception in Japan.) I never really noticed that no one was smiling until someone pointed it out - I thought it was normal in Japan!

 

[scosan]

That's interesting! I had a small wedding with just my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sisters, and niece) and my husband didn't have any family. He's from the US, but we simply didn't feel the need for a huge wedding. I hope that doesn't affect our application! I think my family looks happy enough in the pictures.. but now by looking at FB they're smiling more in some of the other photos!

Really nice couple! Beautiful pictures and I wouldn't hesitate to approve you based on these!!! We had about the same number of people at our wedding - only my sisters and a couple of friends. Of course we've been married 12 years now (with 2 young kids) so there should be no doubts about our marriage.

 

[Zarilenth]

Really nice couple! Beautiful pictures and I wouldn't hesitate to approve you based on these!!! We had about the same number of people at our wedding - only my sisters and a couple of friends. Of course we've been married 12 years now (with 2 young kids) so there should be no doubts about our marriage.

Thank you! I'm hoping they don't hesitate based on the size of our wedding party or the fact that no one in his family was there.. I guess I can do is wait

 

[Edgehead78]

That's interesting! I had a small wedding with just my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sisters, and niece) and my husband didn't have any family. He's from the US, but we simply didn't feel the need for a huge wedding. I hope that doesn't affect our application! I think my family looks happy enough in the pictures.. but now by looking at FB they're smiling more in some of the other photos!

Your husband is from the US. The ties between Canada and US are so strong and he's not coming from a poor country. I think your wait for getting him here is a formality.

 

[Zarilenth]

Desi - yes it is my wedding dress I wanted something simple and affordable but still elegant

Ah edgehead - I sure hope so!

 

[SenoritaBella]

This is a scenario where a visa officer's lack of knowledge about a culture negatively affects applicants and it's not fair. It doesn't mean they are unhappy.

Article in today's Star with some "insight" into how VOs make their decisions: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/02/01/a_rare_look_inside_the_black_box_of_canada_immigration.html

Most of it is common-sense, but still an interesting read.

I liked this one... make sure your wedding guests smile
“Nobody in the photos is smiling,” a visa officer told Satzewich. “It's a Sikh temple, so it's a serious occasion, but nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy. This is a concern,” the officer added before referring the applicant to a further in-person interview.

 

[user828]

Vow

“The system allows racial biases to creep in the selection process. They could use their authority to put it bluntly and crudely, to keep Canada white,” Satzewich noted

 

[keesio]

Interesting read... though to be honest there was nothing really groundbreaking there. The red flags mentioned are pretty common sense to me and mentioned often on this forum

 

[automaton82]

I think this is funny:

"Couples who don't have a common language of communication, have not met before marriage, do not know details in each others' personal histories and current lives, and are deemed not compatible in age, physical appearance and values;"

I'm not exactly sure how they can possibly quantify this. High degree of height difference?

Also a comment on that page brought up this:

"“For an individual visa officer, a high rejection rate means they have to work harder and process proportionately more applications in a year to find enough ‘deserving' cases,” said Satzewich, referring to the annual government acceptance quotas they have to meet."

I know there's quotas for everything, including speeding tickets, but it's still sad that much of the reject/acceptance the CIC is doing is just, more or less, due to factors that aren't related to that case.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since "Satzewich is believed to be only the second Canadian researcher in 50 years being granted such access to what he calls the immigration department's “black box,”"

Only 2 people have been given access to the decision process, ever? Suspicious.

 

[mikeymyke]

I'm not exactly sure how they can possibly quantify this. High degree of height difference?

Old man with very young looking woman, non attractive male with a supermodel, lack of emotion on faces, lack of physical contact in pictures, to name a few.