My partner in Vietnam submitted PR application mid-November 2024. This is our 2nd attempt, first attempt was about 3 years ago and took about 13 months and was denied. He has completed Biometrics and Medical in February 2025. Since we submitted back in November, CIC estimated processing times have been estimated at 10-11 months, so we were expecting not to hear further about interview until about October. Last night we got interview invitation letter for first week of June 2025!! That's only 5.5 months since we submitted. I have no idea what to read into this surprising turn of events, negatively or positively. Has anyone else had similar experience?
PR Application for Ontario Processing times - Outland
- Thread starter sunluvr
- Start date
An interview request is negative. It means they have concerns with your application. I would order GCMS notes now.
I would, too - but I'd also guess the reasons are / overlap with the reasons given for the previous denial.
I was expecting an interview would be necessary, as he had one the last time. Because this is a same-sex relationship, I have the feeling that they tend to draw more scrutiny from IRCC. I'm more surprised how relatively early in the process the interview is being scheduled.
I will look into ordering the GMCS notes. I'm wondering what useful information the GCMS notes might contain. In our first attempt, I only ordered the notes after the denial was received, and my recollection was that in the approximate 100 pages of notes, the only info I was able to find informative and useful was the last 4 pages which documented the interview in detail.
Interviews are not part of the process by default and are only required when IRCC has concerns about the application.
Ordering GCMS notes should help to tell you what the exact concerns are this time around and help you to prepare for the interview. But your call of course.
FOr $5, it's worth a look, and I have 6 weeks until the interview..
I don't know either way that same sex relationships get more scrutiny - although it's possible, it could well be for other reasons.
Now one point: is this application for a conjugal application (was the previous one?), or are you married or common law? If the former, has he applied for a TRV? (Do you live together? You - the sponsor - are a citizen?)
Otherwise as somewhat general points: I'd expect the interview to cover some of the same ground as the previous, and specifically to address the basis for the refusal - which I presume you were told of at the time in the refusal and/or a procedural fairness letter. If the relationship was relatively new at the time, this may have been a significant factor.
But in addition, what may be obvious or not, they will certainly be looking at what has changed since then, what evidence of the relationship during the period in between shows about the relationship, etc. Or most bluntly: if you've lived apart and not seen each other much - meaning extended periods together - it will not seem very convincing. (They may want to see evidence of these visits, etc - I trust you have a lot of them). They may also ask the rather basic question of why you didn't appeal then and have waited >3 years to apply anew.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Yes, this is a conjugal application, as was the first. I'm a CDN citizen. He hadn't applied for a TRV during the first attempt, but since then, 2 attempts have been denied. In the 6+ years of our relationship, we have lived together in VN intermittently for a total of about 25 months (5 visits), would have been more but COVID caused a 2.5 year break. Our first application was 2+ years into our relationship, while we had co-habited for about 8 months of that time. The primary reason for denial the first time was because he hadn't applied for a TRV. They inferred other reasons - at the time I was legally separated but not divorced; our age difference which is significant; and why didn't I stay in VN for 1 year to become common-law? But from my understanding now, those would all be easily appealable, but not the TRV issue. An appeal did not appear to be worth the time and effort.
It does appear to be true that conjugal apps tend to get more scrutiny, and perhaps even more only a few years ago. Which one might assume to be related to same-sex relationships, but my impression is that even more conjugal apps are actually due to inability to get divorced - esp Philippines (but warning, I don't have any data, just an impression from this forum). And given that the conjugal requires no common law (mostly time) commitment or legal commitment (marriage), it makes determining whether it's a 'real' relationship harder.
That said, I'm a little surprised at the refusal on TRV grounds, but I'm also perhaps forgetting from four years ago. In short, it seems now that IRCC is a little less strict/ideological about the TRV issue. (Although not entirely consistent about it, so hard to say). That said, age difference (and related factors I don't know about) may have been more decisive.
I think it's too bad you didn't appeal back then, or apply right away after getting a TRV refusal.
All that said: I think you've far better chances of it going smoothly this time. I'd just stick to your guns and methodically lay out the extent of the relationship and time you've spent together. Lack of ability/attempt to become common law may come up - rebutted simply enough by "I have a life in Canada (and conjugal exists to allow couples in this situation to do so WITHOUT giving up that life in order to qualify for common law).
Last comment/question: I gather from your above that you were not present for the interview? Have you been given the option to do so? I don't know the rules about this - but I would push for you to be allowed to be present (whether online or physically).
Again, good luck.
For the first interview, which took place during COVID, I was unable to be in VN at the time of the interview, but I made it clear that I was very willing and interested to be part of the interview by video or phone, but I was ignored. For the upcoming interview, the invite letter has the following paragraph:
"Please note that we may contact your sponsor by telephone during or after the interview. If your sponsor is in Vietnam at the time of interview, they should also accompany you to the interview."
I won't be in Vietnam, however I will definitely make myself available by phone if/when needed.
I think it would be better to insist on participating in the interview, but I do not know if that's possible.
I'm currently outside the country so the only option for me is to apply under the Access to Information Act for which there is a $5 fee.
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