Marrying an American while on social assistance

[Rob_TO]

I personally was receiving assistance for some time up to the month I left to marry my husband. I was working but my hours were all over the place so it was kind of a back up for me. I received just slightly over $1,000 for the entire year. When I applied for sponsorship (10 months after marrying my spouse and off assistance) I included the letter I wrote to OW cancelling my benefits as well as the letter received from OW stating my benefits were cancelled. My sponsorship took 86 days for approval when others were being approved in 28 days. I called many times and when they finally noted the account it was because they were waiting for documentation from OW stating that I was no longer receiving it. So even though I sent all the documentation ahead of time, they still conducted their own search into it. Option C was provided. I personally would get off as soon as possible and find a means to support yourself. Even having waited as long as we did there were still long delays for us. And it was not a main source of income for me.

Yes you are right. Actually in the other case linked to above, the welfare office actually made a mistake and did not remove the person's name from their recipient list after he requested to stop payments. So when CIC checked with the office, his name was still showing active as currently receiving assistance, hence the reason he was rejected. It did seem strange to me that CIC wouldn't be doing their own checks on this internally, so your story helps clarify that.

I think it's safe to say that if anyone has been receiving assistance at anytime within the past year, you can expect delays in sponsorship approval. But you won't actually be rejected in the end as long as your official records with the welfare office show you stopped receiving it before an app was submitted. The approval in your case vs the rejection in the other case, shows how important it is to make absolutely sure your records with the welfare office are up-to-date and accurate.

 

[Rob_TO]

so what would have happened if he didn't produce a letter from the welfare board but positively provide them with a letter of employment from his current employer? would that be enough for them not to reject his application?

Sounds like it's quite simple. No matter if you have work employment letter or T4s or whatever, ANYTIME there has been welfare activity over the past year CIC will check with the welfare office what their records show as to current status of the sponsor, and the official date welfare stopped. If that date is before the PR app was submitted, then sponsor should be approved. But could be a longer than usual delay.

 

[ama1978]

You have to remember that when you provide your Option C it is usually for the previous tax year. So it would show the receipt of social assistance on it.

ok, so if you provide them with 2 t4s from the 2 companies you have worked at since being off welfare plus your option c shouldn't that be good enough proof that you are no longer on welfare?

 

[omariewk1]

my wife was on welfare for a year which ended last October we got married this april but file our application for spousal sponsorship in may . she worked 2 jobs since, provide both t4s, a letter of employment from her current employer option c print out for the year 2013 plus all the receipts of money she have received from welfare. we sent all those documents but we didn't send a confirmation letter of when she stop receiving welfare because they didn't request that. lets hope it doesn't comeback to bite us where the sun or the moon don't shine.

 

[Rob_TO]

my wife was on welfare for a year which ended last October we got married this april but file our application for spousal sponsorship in may . she worked 2 jobs since, provide both t4s, a letter of employment from her current employer option c print out for the year 2013 plus all the receipts of money she have received from welfare. we sent all those documents but we didn't send a confirmation letter of when she stop receiving welfare because they didn't request that. lets hope it doesn't comeback to bite us where the sun or the moon don't shine.

Did she actually confirm with the welfare office saying she was officially off the recipient list? According to that other case, the person stopped receiving payments for months, but the welfare office mistakenly left their name on the active list, leading to a sponsor rejection.

 

[ama1978]

Did she receive a letter from social assistance stating that she will no longer be receiving the assistance? If so, then I am sure she will be fine. Her Option C would show that she received assistance so they will most likely look into it to make sure she is still not receiving it. There will probably be a delay in the processing but I wouldn't worry about rejection.

my wife was on welfare for a year which ended last October we got married this april but file our application for spousal sponsorship in may . she worked 2 jobs since, provide both t4s, a letter of employment from her current employer option c print out for the year 2013 plus all the receipts of money she have received from welfare. we sent all those documents but we didn't send a confirmation letter of when she stop receiving welfare because they didn't request that. lets hope it doesn't comeback to bite us where the sun or the moon don't shine.

 

[omariewk1]

well to be frank with you she was in school and they recommend her to go to a job fair that they organised so that she can get work and come off welfare assistance so they shouldn't have her on record collecting assistance when they are the ones that basically force her to get herself a job and get off the system.

 

[Rob_TO]

well to be frank with you she was in school and they recommend her to go to a job fair that they organised so that she can get work and come off welfare assistance so they shouldn't have her on record collecting assistance when they are the ones that basically force her to get herself a job and get off the system.

Removing your name from active social assistance recipients, is an administrative task that is done by some random govt employee in some office working on some computer. Mistakes can happen, no matter what the circumstances was regarding your particular case. As the other poster found out, a small administrative error led to a refusal of their sponsorship. I wouldn't take anything for granted.

 

[omariewk1]

you are so right, mistakes can be made but that would hurt to wait 11 months only for your application to be returned to you because of a mistake some other person make.

 

[Rob_TO]

you are so right, mistakes can be made but that would hurt to wait 11 months only for your application to be returned to you because of a mistake some other person make.

At least if a mistake with social assistance info, it would be discovered during the initial sponsorship/stage 1 part of application.

 

[omariewk1]

so if CIC do their own private investigation and find out that she has been off welfare months before our initial application there wont be any problems whatsoever?

 

[mn096104]

Removing your name from active social assistance recipients, is an administrative task that is done by some random govt employee in some office working on some computer. Mistakes can happen, no matter what the circumstances was regarding your particular case. As the other poster found out, a small administrative error led to a refusal of their sponsorship. I wouldn't take anything for granted.

Hi guys, I'vent been on this forum for a while, my husband was the one who had his name on the receiving list of social welfare even after he cancelled it. We got declined last time, and then he went to the social welfare office, they told him, the office keeps all person's name on the receiving list even after they stop paying you money, so basically if u want to end this, u need to go to their office and ask for it in person. They did give him a paperwork stated he was off the welfare and no money paid to him. But to be honest i still have concern about this.