IMM5540 Q15(c)

[Fencesitter]

Are they joking? Why would they ask this question? Obviously my wife has met our child...she carried him for 10 months!!! What the hell??

 

[computergeek]

I think that's a perfectly reasonable answer: "yes, she has, as she carried him for 36 weeks prior to his birth, as well as being there for the birth, and the time since then. If anything, she's spent more time with him than I have."

The question is really directed at situations in which the sponsored spouse has children from a previous relationship. When faced with questions of that type, I try to come up with something humourous as I think a laughing visa officer is far more likely to look kindly on my application (within limits, of course - you don't want to be flippant or offensive, but funny for an oddly worded question in your circumstances is a good thing.)

 

[CharlieD10]

Try to remember that the majority of the questions are geared towards persons who have not lived together for extended periods, and may have had an arranged marriage. Do the best you can to answer them in the context of your relationship, and don't stress the questions too much.

 

[Fencesitter]

The question is really directed at situations in which the sponsored spouse has children from a previous relationship. When faced with questions of that type, I try to come up with something humourous as I think a laughing visa officer is far more likely to look kindly on my application (within limits, of course - you don't want to be flippant or offensive, but funny for an oddly worded question in your circumstances is a good thing.)

Good point...I've thrown in some humour here and there, but for the most part I want to keep it strictly business. It would be nice to know a VO and here some of the cases they've dealt with...I bet it would be a comedic gold mine...at least for those of us who have gone through the immigration process...

 

[Fencesitter]

This is what I wrote for my answer:

Yes, my wife has met our child. She carried him for 40 weeks, gave birth to him, and has been a great mom ever since! Our son was 3.9kg at birth, and I was present, thanks to a very understanding nurse (in China the father is usually not allowed to be in the delivery room). It was the most amazing experience of my life! I felt so much love for my wife at that moment; I’ll never look at her the same way ever again – she is the love of my life! If everything goes well with our application, we plan to have another baby in Canada. One big happy family – two beautiful children (Fencesitter Jr., our son, looks like his father, of course), and two super cute dogs!

I want to be funny, but at the same time I don't want the VO to think I'm being flippant.

 

[computergeek]

Being a VO must be a soul crushing task at times. It's clear that there are insufficient resources to process the volume of applications they have, the computer system is either ancient OR completely screwed up, the rules are complex, contradictory and often asinine. The present government is very anti-immigration (although even they seem to be facing the harsh economic reality that Canada cannot survive without it.) Most application classes are all about money - skilled workers to fill critical jobs (and add to the tax coffers,) investors willing to loan the government a pile of cash interest free for five years (or pay someone else to do same,) and entrepreneurs willing to build new businesses (and thus create jobs and more tax revenue!)

Then they are taught about family class and the rampant fraud (which is still a pretty small percentage of all such cases.) Walking a fine line between protecting Canadian citizens from unscrupulous foreigners and trying to allow those same citizens to fall in love and marry from all over the world really must be a difficult job, to be honest.

Can you imagine being in that job for years? You either become desensitized to it or it would just overwhelm you.

So yes, I think humour is a good thing to throw in once in a while - it helps break through the desensitization and allows them to see you as a real person.