Newbie ISO Advice in Filing Outbound

[KevinsJane]

First off, I would like to thank all of you for all the words of wisdom and advice I have received by searching the forum, thus far. Though I am a newbie in posting, I have found such a wealth of information on this board, which has directed my paths in areas I have been stumped over.

As many as you know...this journey is a bit overwhelming and can feel intimidating at times, but as you take each part of the task by the horns, you feel accomplishment at the end of the day. I am heading into the final stages...and am ready for the sigh of relief.

Here is my mouthful...which is in need of some expertise advice....
My husband , who is Canadian is my sponsor and I am an American Citizen. I am filing outbound.

Name on Application ~Family Name~ Given Names

Since I have been married previous, my passport lists my name with my former married name, as exampleMy divorce papers were verified by an atty in Canada, then sent Thunder Bay for approval to marry legally)
Jane Anne Smith-Adams

my BC obviously lists my name as
Jane Anne Smith

My new married name is
Jane Anne Smith Doe

but the legal papers, registrar letter, marriage certificate and passport displays my former-married name.

Presently, I have listed my name as Jane Anne Smith-Adams, my former married name, on all the applications but have realized that once the paperwork is processed and approved (hopeful) the legal documents will have me listed as my former married name.

Should I use my now legal name of Jane Anne Smith-Doe, use my name which is on my Birth Certificate or use my former married name on my documents? Either way include a cover letter of explanation, with the divorce papers, BC and Passport supporting my reasoning of name used?

Dependent Children
I have 2 children 25 and 27 years of age. Under the guidelines they do not qualify as Dependent children nor are either my responsibility financially. Therefore, I have not named them as Dependent Children but have disclosed their information on the Additional Family Information. Should I also include in a cover letter that I relinquish all rights to sponsor either in the future?

Criminal Records
I have submitted for these but have not received anything back as of yet. I am ready to pay all the fees and send the paperwork after I work these issues out. Would it be best to wait for the criminal background checks to send with my application or will forwarding them delay my application? And if I send them after sending the application, should I send them in as they arrive or send them in once all are received? I have 3. I of course would explain this in the cover letter as well. I have all the copies, receipts, tracking numbers, etc...

TRV
I have been reading up on this...however, the USA is not listed on the countries of which citizens can apply. Am I missing something here?

Workers Permit
When should I submit for a workers permit? I am not part of the skilled workers class so I would be exempt and must wait for an SIN number.

Schedule 1
Background/Declaration
Page 2 Personal History:
the form requests since the age of 18. However, the guide requests last 10 years. Which would politically correct?

Page 3 Addresses:
the form requests since the age of 18. However, the guide requests last 10 years. Which would be politically correct?

Extension
Once the monies are paid, the application is sent, then received...would this be the appropriate time to file for the extension? My 6 month period will expire June 15. And as many as you, I want to continue my life with my husband together and not abroad. However, as I stated I do have children and grand children back in the US, so I want to be able to visit and return home, to Canada, with my husband.

I appreciate your time in reading my mouthful of questions and I apologize for this. These are areas I am unclear about and just want to ensure that I have covered all my bases. Thanks for listening to me and thank you for being here to help people such as myself out!

Thank you again!
KJ

 

[RobsLuv]

Name on Application ~Family Name~ Given Names

Since I have been married previous, my passport lists my name with my former married name, as exampleMy divorce papers were verified by an atty in Canada, then sent Thunder Bay for approval to marry legally)
Jane Anne Smith-Adams . . . . Should I use my now legal name of Jane Anne Smith-Doe, use my name which is on my Birth Certificate or use my former married name on my documents? Either way include a cover letter of explanation, with the divorce papers, BC and Passport supporting my reasoning of name used?

The application instructs that you apply using the name on your passport or travel documents - which, right now, is your former married name. I was in exactly the same situation. I filed the application with that name (as annoying as it was), and then simply sent a copy of the bio-data page of my new passport, with my new married name, once I had it so that my PR would be issued in my new married name. You don't have to include a cover letter with explanation - and you do have to include copies of your divorce papers, birth certificate and (current) passport bio-data page anyway.

Dependent Children
I have 2 children 25 and 27 years of age. Under the guidelines they do not qualify as Dependent children nor are either my responsibility financially. Therefore, I have not named them as Dependent Children but have disclosed their information on the Additional Family Information. Should I also include in a cover letter that I relinquish all rights to sponsor either in the future?

No, they are not eligible to sponsor - even in the future - so no need to include a letter relinquishing that right, as you don't have it in the first place. You did the right thing by including their info in the Additional Family Info form.

Criminal Records
I have submitted for these but have not received anything back as of yet. I am ready to pay all the fees and send the paperwork after I work these issues out. Would it be best to wait for the criminal background checks to send with my application or will forwarding them delay my application? And if I send them after sending the application, should I send them in as they arrive or send them in once all are received? I have 3. I of course would explain this in the cover letter as well. I have all the copies, receipts, tracking numbers, etc...

It's actually better to wait until you have everything and send it all at once - it's much better to control the delay on your end than to give that up to CIC when they have the ap. If you don't include the criminal clearances upfront, your application could be returned by CPC-Mississauga as incomplete - but that wouldn't be until a month after they receive it when they finally get around to opening it for assessment. And if they send it on to Buffalo, then Buffalo will have to send you a letter asking for your clearances . . . and they could put a 90 day "bring forward date" on your file - meaning that even if you sent the info right away, they wouldn't pull your file for 90 days to continue processing. Besides all that - you absolutely don't want to send anything, after the initial submission, until after your file is in Buffalo and they have requested more info and provided you with your file number.

TRV
I have been reading up on this...however, the USA is not listed on the countries of which citizens can apply. Am I missing something here?

The USA is a visa-exempt country . . . TRV's are only issued to citizens of non-visa-exempt countries as they must apply for permission to enter Canada before even being allowed to board transport.

Workers Permit
When should I submit for a workers permit? I am not part of the skilled workers class so I would be exempt and must wait for an SIN number.

You could apply for a restricted work permit - but you probably don't want to bother It's complicated and chances are you wouldn't get one before you were finally granted PR anyway. First you'd have to find an employer who would agree to hire you, then the employer would have to get HSRDC approval to hire you (which means proving there are no Canadian applicants who are qualified to be hired for the position) and then you'd have to apply, with the HSRDC approval and job offer, for a work permit through CIC - from outside Canada. The process is lengthy, and with the outland PR process taking only 5-10 months total, you probably wouldn't get it all worked out before you'd be authorized to work anywhere after you have PR. As you probably already know, having a spouse in Canada does not authorize you for a work permit unless you apply via the inland application process (which isn't recommended anyway as it will take just as long to get to the first stage of approval and be eligible for a work permit (6-7 months) as it takes to get to PR via the outland process . . .and then you've still got another 6-12 months more for PR finalization inland).

Schedule 1
Background/Declaration
Page 2 Personal History:
the form requests since the age of 18. However, the guide requests last 10 years. Which would politically correct? Page 3 Addresses:
the form requests since the age of 18. However, the guide requests last 10 years. Which would be politically correct?

The application form says, "Since your 18th birthday" and the Applicant's Guide says, "You must account for every month during the past 10 years or since the age of 18, whichever period is longer."

Extension
Once the monies are paid, the application is sent, then received...would this be the appropriate time to file for the extension? My 6 month period will expire June 15. And as many as you, I want to continue my life with my husband together and not abroad. However, as I stated I do have children and grand children back in the US, so I want to be able to visit and return home, to Canada, with my husband.

Yes, that would be an appropriate time to file an extension - as long as you make sure the extension is received by CIC before your authorized stay expires. You'll need to include a copy of your marriage license and proof of a PR ap being submitted and proof of funds available (your husband's income is okay) to support you during your stay. Also, if you don't have documented proof of your entry date to Canada, don't waste the $75 fee by applying. They'll just send you to the border to get an extension, and experience shows that that's not always in your best interest. Better to do the border run without being told to. There are specific instructions at the US2Canada website about how to enter Canada as the foreign national spouse of a Canadian. Read through the info on the Visiting tab - especially the info about Visitor Records.

 

[KevinsJane]

Hi Robsluv,

I'm not sure if you pop your head back in to see the responses...but...just wanted to say thank you for your quick reply! I have moved mountains thus far today!

Thank you again! But please don't think you're off the hook yet....lol...I may need your brain power again!