Hello and welcome to the forum! If you click the link below my purple thing you will see everyones timelines who have been or are going thru this process so it will give you an idea of how long it takes sometimes but as you will see everyones is different and you just never know. If you would like you can share your timeline with us and I will add you to the spreadsheet also. Pull up a chair and sit back and relax, this could be awhile! ;DLivnKani said:
I was just making sure he was comfortable and happy!!!! Funny guy! It wasn't a problem on this end and the CBSA officer updated it on the computer.
wow congrats Nev. Merry Christmas to you indeed. 2014 is going to be a perfect year for you and hubby. So glad you finally get to be together. Thanks for sharing this emotional rollercoaster with us. Best wishes to you and hubby... xo!Nevaeha said:Good morning Jam Fam!
As promised, here is our landing story:
Mr. Nev picked his passport up at the High Commission on Dec 12 and we were beyond elated to say the least! One would think he would have been on the first flight out on Dec 13; however, he had to tie up loose ends and I had to get to JA to bring him home. I had to travel to TO for business and wasn't returning to the prairies until Dec 20 so we decided that we would land in Canada on Christmas day!!!!
While I was in TO I was freaking out because I didn't know if my flight was going to depart because it was the beginning of the crazy storm of 2013!!!! I think I went to the airport five hours early. Thankfully the flight left on time and I was back in Winnipeg to get ready for my flight to JA the next day. Could there be anymore stress added to this process?!?!?!?
Hubby was at the airport to meet me when I arrived in JA. He ran over to me as soon as he saw me and we just held each other and said we would never be greeting each other this way again because we will now be travelling together.
The three full days we spent in JA went by quickly. On Dec 24, hubby's parents hosted a bbq and his dad 'prepared' goat. Ummmm...I never had any because I heard the poor goat...enough said. Friends, family, and neighbours stopped by to wish hubby well -- it was a very emotional day. Hubby's dad told Mr. Nev he was going to miss him -- poor Mr. Nev broke down because his dad is the strong silent type and has never said anything remotely emotional to him before. His dad still jokes around to this day about hubby crying on our wedding day. It hugged my heart that this exchange happened between father and son.
The BIG day finally arrived and hubby was super excited to go to the airport and get on the plane. A couple of his closest friends dropped by to say their final 'until we meet again'. We were all sitting in the kitchen and Mr. Nev's dad gave us some solid advice on marriage and how to treat each other; it was very touching to see the sensitive side of my father-in-law. We said good-bye to Mr. Nev's mom -- I knew she was having a hard time knowing her baby was leaving but she held it together and remained the strong woman that she is. Mr. Nev's dad and friend walked us to the taxi to see us off.
When we got to the airport our flight was delayed so there was plenty of time for hubby to check things out and get something to eat. I loved seeing hubby's HUGE smile and excitement in his big beautiful brown eyes. The funniest thing was watching hubby get on the escalator for the first time and me trying to take a picture of it!
To top off our magical day we received an upgrade with the airline! We had seats at the front of the plane with free food and alcoholic beverages! Thank you West Jet!!!! Hubby loved flying and said everything was great except for the annoying girl sitting next to him!!! Yes, he was referring to me!!!!
We departed the plane and were the first people at Customs. We told the CBSA officer that Mr. Nev was doing his landing and he instructed him to go speak with the Immigration Officer after he got his luggage. They wouldn't let me go with hubby (remember this is Wpg not TO) so I waited nervously/anxiously in the airport for him. His 'interview' lasted about ten minutes but it felt like ten hours to me. I was so relieved to finally see him walk through the doors. I gave him a huge hug and welcomed him to Canada. He put on his winter jacket and we headed outside to a balmy -17 degrees -- a VERY nice day for Winnipeg in December! My mom was waiting for me and as I was putting my luggage into the car, Mr. Nev walked around to the driver's side and surprised my mom!!!! She was SOOOOOO excited and in shock -- she couldn't believe he was in Canada or that we kept it a secret!!!!! She kept taking wrong turns and it took longer than usual to get home!!! So cute!!!!
She dropped us off at our home and hubby went running through the snow like a kid on Christmas day!!!!! ;D
December 25, 2013 will always be our best Christmas EVER!!!!
And there you have it folks - the landing story of Mr & Mrs Nev!!!
It is all truly surreal and I keep asking hubby to pinch me to make sure that it's real. I love that I'm sitting here typing this story and I look over and see my handsome hubby sitting on the couch eating cereal. I love this man and as hard as this process was I would do it all over again to have him here with me.
...and they lived happily ever after. The End.
Thank you for all of the love, support, friendship, and tears we have shared over the last year and a bit, Jam Fam! I could not have gotten through this process without the forum and each and every single one of you. A special shout out to Chickie, DG, and Sammy -- thank you ladies for being you -- you have been with me through my entire journey. I promise you that I will be just as genuinely happy for you as you were for me when your times come!!! :-*
And trust me, I never believed it when I read it on the forum a million times so I understand if you don't either, once your spouse receives their passport, visa, and lands in Canada -- this CrAzY process truly will be a distant memory.
For anyone who wants to link up through fb and keep in touch, please pm me your name so I can add you.
Side notes:
* KG gave hubby our entire application back to him (he wanted to burn it at the bbq but I wasn't ready to let it go...yet)
* These are the questions the CBSA officer asked Mr. Nev when he landed in Canada:
- how long have you and your wife been together
- how did you and your wife meet
- how much money do you have in your possession
- who is sponsoring you
- what are you going to do for a living
- where is your accent (seriously)
He stamped hubby's passport, crossed out his visa, and gave him a copy of his stamped Confirmation of Permanent Residence Form (KG will send you 2 COPR's when they return your passport and visa (one will/should have a picture on it).
We had sent KG an address change close to a year ago and they never updated their records so our old address was on the COPR. Hubby tried to get KG to change it when he picked it up but they said it could be done in Canada when he landed. :
We had also completed a B4 form (located on the CIC website) which itemizes personal effects you will be bringing into Canada from JA so you don't have to pay duty. There is also a B4A form that should be completed if any items are being shipped to Canada. The cashier took the list, stamped it, and gave hubby a copy. I don't think a lot of people do this but I'm letting you know so you can be prepared should they ask for the form(s).
If anyone has any questions, please pm me, I will always be happy to help you in any way I can. xo
~Nev~
Thanks nini!Ninirae said:
all the best!
Awww, thanks, Mrs. P!Mrs. Parkin said:Nev!!! Holy Cow....I got about two paragraphs in and I was hardly able to see through my tears! I'm SO incredibly excited for you guys. Nini and I were talking just the other day about how interesting it will be on the forum will be a year from now! I'm kind of wishing it away lol You must be so freakin' pumped to not have to say "when hubby gets here...." anymore!!!
Thats such a great idea! If I can get away with it, I totally want to do the same thing!!!! lolNevaeha said:
I hope so too. I haven't been waiting 22 months, only 13 months for stage 2 but ya already too long!!! I hope Kingston feels refreshed and ready in the new yearNevaeha said:
and I hope that all the people who applied in 2013 don't have to wait very long either!
