How to present application

[Lucy M]

Hello,

I am a Brit married to a Canadian, applying for PR through spousal sponsorship under the Outland route (although we are currently in Canada.)

Just waiting on the Option C print out to arrive in the mail and then we're ready to send everything.

Are you allowed to use ring binders with dividers to present the application? We are thinking of dividing the application into three sections; Sponsor, Applicant and Supporting Documents. I know staples are not allowed. How are people generally putting together their application packages?

Also, we want to include a brief cover letter. Is this normally done? We want the cover letter to basically say (formatted and written much better than this obviously) - please consider the enclosed application for permanent residency under Family Class Sponsorship (spousal, Outland). The sponsor is a Canadian citizen, born and raised. The applicant is British. In a relationship since December 2010. Married on September 6th 2013. The applicant is currently pregnant, and expecting a baby with the Sponsor, due on November 19th. (Immigration Medical, Ultrasound photo, doctors note and copy of online pregnancy announcement with congratulatory messages included.) Neither applicant nor sponsor have been previously married, or have any other children. Please note that we are moving house on June 1st, and our address will change as of that date to the following (address etc), copies of current rental lease, and rental lease signed and dated from June 1st are enclosed, along with landlord contact information. (Additionally enclosed are copies of our previous rental leases.) The applicant has previously worked in Canada for two years on an IEC visa (copies enclosed). The sponsor also held the equivalent temporary work permit for the UK prior to that. (Copy enclosed.) Please also note that the Option C forms included with this application show information for the tax years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 but not 2014-2015 as during this year both sponsor and applicant were travelling. (Details of travel enclosed, along with relationship timeline showing photographs of entire relationship.) The sponsor is currently employed, and pay slips dating back to his commencement of employment are enclosed. Finally, in the applicants generic application form, the question 'have you previously been known by any other names', the applicant has entered two other last names. The first was the applicants last name (and mothers maiden name) up to age 9 when she was adopted by her mothers husband, taking his name. The second is the sponsors last name, and will be the last name of the applicant and sponsors children. (As stated on marriage certificate.) Although the applicant does not yet officially use her married name, family, friends and colleagues refer to the applicant and sponsor as a couple with the same last name. The applicant also uses her husbands last name on social media sites. Eventually the applicant will officially change her last name to match her husbands (the sponsor) after receipt of PR in Canada, and after updating her passport. It has not been done prior to his owed to the couples intention to travel for one year, for which many of the flights, and itinerary was booked and travel visas arranged (eg: for China) shortly after the marriage with no time for updating passport and other official documents. The bank of the sponsor and applicant know the applicant by both her maiden name and her married name. The applicant and sponsor have held a joint account since early 2012. (Evidence enclosed.)

I feel the information in the above is necessary to explain off the top, but perhaps it is too much for a cover letter? Any advise on how best to compile this is greatly appreciated. We are very keen for our application to be processed within 10 months (as many through this route are being currently) as we have a wedding to attend in the UK in May 2016, prior to which I need to update my passport (which expires in May 2016.) We want to ensure there is no document/information left out, and include as much as possible so that there are no delays caused by CIC requesting additional information.

Tips and suggestions on how to present the application as a package are greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Lucy

 

[Ponga]

This may be of some help:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/how-i-organized-our-applcation-and-a-summary-of-all-helpful-tips-i-have-learned-t92449.0.html

Good luck!

 

[mrsB]

hi lucy!

1. I'd suggest you don't use any bulky binders to present your application. yes staples are not allowed, but i used paper clips to divide mine.

2. Cover letters are okay i guess? I mean why not?

3. Processing times are depending on your visa office and it will also basically depend on the completeness of your application. based on the facts that you stated, i think it's pretty straightforward so just be positive.

and most of all, goodluck!

 

[Lucy M]

Thank you both so much. That's helpful.

Yes, I thought the cover letter a good idea. I did them even when applying for my IEC visa before. Also, I heard a rumour that the most straight forward applications via the Outland route (London, UK) were being held in Missisauga for processing and that has been much, much faster for people. Our application will be bulky as we want to include a lot, and so I was wondering how will they know at first glance if it is very straightforward? Then I concluded they would read a cover letter first, which would determine it was a simple application and there's a tiny chance this may encourage them to process it in Missisauga and not send it on to London. Fingers crossed...

 

[andrew-brit]

Hi Lucy. I am an admin of a London Spreadsheet which we use to track applications through London (and now we track applications which would normally go to London but stay in Mississauga or go to Ottawa). When you send in your application please post in this thread so we can add you to the spreadsheet. The more data we have the better a resource it is.

Regarding applications being kept in Mississauga, no one knows the criteria on which applications are retained in Mississauga. There are some applicants who have been married for 20+ years to a Canadian and their application goes to London, then you have people who are married or common law for only a year or 2 and their application goes to Mississauga.

My opinion is it is the luck of the draw and nothing to do with the actual contents/level of proof in each application which decide where it goes.

Lastly the main reason Mississauga has been flying through applications is because they only started processing London bound applications last year so there was no backlog to begin with.

Good luck!