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Manila Tread for English Speakers - join here!

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
bealem said:
Ok I really don't understand this. The whole PR application is in English, not a word of Tagalog in there. What does language have to do with it? CEM may never physically talk to either of us unless they ask my Filipino wife for an interview. She can speak both Tagalog and English.

Surely everyone that works at CEM on processing at PR applications for Canada has a firm grasp of the English language.
I think Awesomeg (who originally said that couples who don't speak Tagalog take longer to get PR) meant to say that a Filipino-Canadian couple that talk in both Tagalog and English is seen as having better communication compared to couples that speak only English.

Awesomeg's statement confused a lot of us, because why on earth would a Korean-Canadian couple or Japanese-Canadian couple speak Tagalog? I for one don't know a single word.

I'm sure we can all agree that Japanese and Korean applicants or their spouses don't need to know Tagalog, but as for the rest of it (is an application faster if the couple have 2 languages in common or only 1) we can only speculate. I, for one, haven't seen any such examples indicating one way or the other.
 

bealem

Full Member
Jul 19, 2013
31
0
Ontario
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
So does that mean Canadian-Filipino couples are more likely to take the fast track or slow track?
 

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
It means exactly neither.

Every case is different, and of course there's luck at play too.

I got my PR fairly quickly, in 7 months (I'm not Filipino) but I think there were several other Filipino applicants who also got it around the same time. But there are also other Filipino applicants who are still waiting.
 

Hwseyl

Star Member
Sep 11, 2013
86
0
Yokohama
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Dec 23, 2013
Doc's Request.
30-6-2014
Med's Done....
Nov 1, 2013
Passport Req..
30-6-2014
Kayaker said:
It means exactly neither.

Every case is different, and of course there's luck at play too.

I got my PR fairly quickly, in 7 months (I'm not Filipino) but I think there were several other Filipino applicants who also got it around the same time. But there are also other Filipino applicants who are still waiting.
Heh kayaker. How's canadian life? Little cold I hear! We're still enjoying rather balmy weather over here.

The one thing I think would be interesting to see on the spread sheets is what country the applicant in applying from and whether the sponsor is in Canada or out of Canada. I just can't wrap my head around why this is taking so long. If every case is different I get that. But what makes our case difficult? Medical has expired and were coming up on one year since initial application.

Heather
 

bealem

Full Member
Jul 19, 2013
31
0
Ontario
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Could somebody please post a link to the spreadsheet. I'd like to view it.
Also I'd like to add myself/wife and our data, or is that somebody else's responsibility?

Thanks
 

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
Yeah, I always thought the Manila spreadsheet should include that information. It would be useful - well, at least informative. I wonder if that change could be made now? But I have no idea how the google doc spreadsheet is maintained.

Bealem, you can add yourself to the spreadsheet - find the month and year you applied, and write in your data. As far as I know, anyone can write in their own details on the spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiqQW9CdV8Q_dGNKMzZPT2laaVRvQm1NMGhkaERFUHc#gid=0
 

O_guy

Hero Member
Aug 11, 2013
720
12
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hwseyl said:
Heh kayaker. How's canadian life? Little cold I hear! We're still enjoying rather balmy weather over here.

The one thing I think would be interesting to see on the spread sheets is what country the applicant in applying from and whether the sponsor is in Canada or out of Canada. I just can't wrap my head around why this is taking so long. If every case is different I get that. But what makes our case difficult? Medical has expired and were coming up on one year since initial application.

Heather
Heather, that is good information which could help us understand why some applications take too long. Without getting too personal, what is your situation? Are you Canadian? What is the nationality of your husband?

I had assumed that the reason some applications take longer is due to criminal background check. And of course the more countries the applicant has lived, the long the background check my take.
 

Hwseyl

Star Member
Sep 11, 2013
86
0
Yokohama
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Dec 23, 2013
Doc's Request.
30-6-2014
Med's Done....
Nov 1, 2013
Passport Req..
30-6-2014
O_guy said:
Heather, that is good information which could help us understand why some applications take too long. Without getting too personal, what is your situation? Are you Canadian? What is the nationality of your husband?

I had assumed that the reason some applications take longer is due to criminal background check. And of course the more countries the applicant has lived, the long the background check my take.
Heh o-guy. I'm Canadian born and breed (not that it should make a difference ) but have lived overseas in Japan for about 15 years. My husband is Japanese. So the criminal check should be easy. We've been married forever and have three children. I just can't figure out why we are at the bottom of the pile.
 

Awesomeg

Hero Member
Mar 2, 2014
715
25
Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb. 13/2014
Doc's Request.
24-07-2014
AOR Received.
19-03-2014
Med's Done....
27-01-2014....Remeds 13-03-15
Interview........
"Waived" In Process August 19-2014
Passport Req..
July 24-2014.
VISA ISSUED...
DM after almost 15 months of waiting, April 20/15
LANDED..........
15-05-2015 Finally... together...
Kayaker said:
I think Awesomeg (who originally said that couples who don't speak Tagalog take longer to get PR) meant to say that a Filipino-Canadian couple that talk in both Tagalog and English is seen as having better communication compared to couples that speak only English.

Awesomeg's statement confused a lot of us, because why on earth would a Korean-Canadian couple or Japanese-Canadian couple speak Tagalog? I for one don't know a single word.

I'm sure we can all agree that Japanese and Korean applicants or their spouses don't need to know Tagalog, but as for the rest of it (is an application faster if the couple have 2 languages in common or only 1) we can only speculate. I, for one, haven't seen any such examples indicating one way or the other.
Sorry for the poor choice of my words,
What I meant is couples with the same background have an easier processing,
couples that have different background seem to have longer waiting periods, but that is not always the case,
I guess that the bigger the differences in the couple the closer that they will see the application,
But for a couple that have kids and have been married for a while the waiting does not make any sense.
 

Tkurdi

Full Member
Sep 1, 2014
39
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Interview........
None
Hi everyone! I'm sorry this is off the topic. I have received my visa and COPR after 8 months of processing in Manila VO.
On my application and COPR, I mentioned that I will be landing in Ontario with my Canadian husband who works and resides outside Canada.
I'm currently pregnant and due in June 2015. We are planning to do my landing on April 2015 in Alberta instead. As there is no waiting time to get a health coverage in Alberta. Do you it is ok to land in Alberta and not in Ontario?
Please help! Thanks in advance..
 

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
It doesn't matter where you land - or live, for that matter. (As long as you're not going to go live in Quebec, I believe.)

If your COPR is still valid in April 2015, then it's ok to land in/go live in Alberta then.

Congratulations!
 

Tkurdi

Full Member
Sep 1, 2014
39
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Interview........
None
Kayaker said:
It doesn't matter where you land - or live, for that matter. (As long as you're not going to go live in Quebec, I believe.)

If your COPR is still valid in April 2015, then it's ok to land in/go live in Alberta then.

Congratulations!

Thanks Kayaker for your kind response!! My visa is valid until August 2015. However I think I have to travel before my 32nd week of pregnancy.
 

Christoph100

Hero Member
Jun 15, 2014
821
26
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
17-07-2014
Doc's Request.
23-09-2014 Rcvd 27-09-2014, 29-09-2014
AOR Received.
SA :04-09-2014
File Transfer...
04-09-2014 AOR2 09-23-2014
Med's Done....
05-07-2014
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
09-04-2015 Validity-10-07-2015
VISA ISSUED...
16-04-2015
LANDED..........
31-05-2015
Are you taking residence in Alberta? or are you just planing to do the landing there and move to Ontario?

If you are planning to move to Ontario I believe you are still required to wait the 3 months for Provincial health coverage.
 

Tkurdi

Full Member
Sep 1, 2014
39
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Interview........
None
Christoph100 said:
Are you taking residence in Alberta? or are you just planing to do the landing there and move to Ontario?

If you are planning to move to Ontario I believe you are still required to wait the 3 months for Provincial health coverage.
Hi Christoph, yes we are planning to land in Alberta and stay there for 6-7 months and then come back to the Middle East where my husband is working.
 

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
Hi everyone!

Edgehead78 has added a couple of columns in the Manila spreadsheet - now you can enter your country of origin, and whether the sponsor lives in Canada or not.

You can go and enter your own info here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiqQW9CdV8Q_dGNKMzZPT2laaVRvQm1NMGhkaERFUHc#gid=0

Hopefully this additional information will be of use to people applying now or in the future!