Presentation of photos showing proof

[Fencesitter]

The only problem I see with submitting 25 or so photos would be whether or not those 25 photos have convinced the visa officer. I'd rather include more at the beginning to ensure the visa officer has no questions as to the genuineness of the relationship, and also to avoid a possible interview later on.

Imagine if the application was rejected. At the appeal hearing, the judge asks, "So if you had more photos to submit, why didn't you submit them originally?" That's a tough one to answer, so why even take the chance?

It's really an individual choice, but for anything related to the government, I always side with caution and make sure to do everything they request plus more, more, and more. Sure, this might delay things a bit, but it's better to be delayed in the beginning than near the end of the process...that's when most of us have lost all patience, so any further delays at such a late stage would be very hard...at least for me.

FS

 

[KJG]

The only problem I see with submitting 25 or so photos would be whether or not those 25 photos have convinced the visa officer. I'd rather include more at the beginning to ensure the visa officer has no questions as to the genuineness of the relationship, and also to avoid a possible interview later on.

Imagine if the application was rejected. At the appeal hearing, the judge asks, "So if you had more photos to submit, why didn't you submit them originally?" That's a tough one to answer, so why even take the chance?

It's really an individual choice, but for anything related to the government, I always side with caution and make sure to do everything they request plus more, more, and more. Sure, this might delay things a bit, but it's better to be delayed in the beginning than near the end of the process...that's when most of us have lost all patience, so any further delays at such a late stage would be very hard...at least for me.

FS

Totallyyy agree with you FS!!

 

[Fencesitter]

Yeah, it just makes sense, right? I mean, anyone even considering immigration, whether to Canada or wherever, should make sure to prepare a thorough application. Anything less is, in my view, a BIG risk. The key is to manage the risk by putting together an application that leaves no doubt. Immigration is not a right, it's a privilege. We should never forget that! Canada doesn't owe any of our spouses a PR visa. We are lucky that our country even offers such a program. Look at China. I have lived here for nearly a decade. Each year I must renew my visa. Talk about stress! You need a job to stay here...so if you were to become unemployed, that would be a major problem in terms of legal residency status. I pay taxes here, spend a lot of money here, but the government still refuses to grant any kind of permanent status. The funny thing is they want me and other expats to contribute to the social security fund. It's crazy!

Yes, people say 'quality over quantity,' and I agree with that, BUT, that doesn't mean that 300 photos or 160 photos is not supplying CIC with quality evidence. Like I said, I had thousands of photos to choose from...I selected the BEST ones that showed the progression of our relationship...all quality...all relevant...the visa officer will be able to look at the photos I submitted and determine right away that our relationship is real...especially the ones with family (both sides) and our son...

FS

 

[KJG]

Yeah, it just makes sense, right? I mean, anyone even considering immigration, whether to Canada or wherever, should make sure to prepare a thorough application. Anything less is, in my view, a BIG risk. The key is to manage the risk by putting together an application that leaves no doubt. Immigration is not a right, it's a privilege. We should never forget that! Canada doesn't owe any of our spouses a PR visa. We are lucky that our country even offers such a program. Look at China. I have lived here for nearly a decade. Each year I must renew my visa. Talk about stress! You need a job to stay here...so if you were to become unemployed, that would be a major problem in terms of legal residency status. I pay taxes here, spend a lot of money here, but the government still refuses to grant any kind of permanent status. The funny thing is they want me and other expats to contribute to the social security fund. It's crazy!

Yes, people say 'quality over quantity,' and I agree with that, BUT, that doesn't mean that 300 photos or 160 photos is not supplying CIC with quality evidence. Like I said, I had thousands of photos to choose from...I selected the BEST ones that showed the progression of our relationship...all quality...all relevant...the visa officer will be able to look at the photos I submitted and determine right away that our relationship is real...especially the ones with family (both sides) and our son...

FS

exactly....I submitted many photos about the progression of our relationship because my husband is from Cuba and Cuba is flagged for fraudulent marriages......we knew each other two years before getting married and probably by the time he gets here will be over 3 years......and because marriage photos seem to be extra important submitted many with family and friends who attended etc. like you said it is hard to say to the agent after the fact...

 

[Fencesitter]

You touched on an important point, for you case and mine, relationship before getting married. My wife and I started dating in the summer of '69 (actually, 2005...just had that song in my head for some reason!). We got married in the spring of 2009. So, longish relationship before getting married. The longer, the better, IMHO. Pictures from that period up to present are all excellent ways to prove the relationship is real, coupled with supplementary evidence / documentation. No one would fake it for that long....

In the end, we will all be successful. Sure, there will be those that get refused, but by and large I strongly believe that it's all just a matter of waiting for CIC to process everything. I know my wife will get the visa, that's not the concern, it's more a matter of WHEN?? That's probably what a lot of us are thinking. We know our relationships are real and that the visa officer will grant the visa...the waiting is what drives us all mad!

I have 8 weeks to relax...read some books...continue my exercise program...play some golf...teach my son about the world around him...go to Hong Kong for a few nights...try to keep my mind occupied so the waiting doesn't get to me. A few days ago I was coming undone, but I feel a bit better now...

Oh, and I have an idea on how to make the visa officers better understand our plight...make them wait 93 days for their pay...then change it to 105 days...link everything to the number of applications approved...quota...quota...quota...no approvals, no pay...

FS

 

[Steph C]

Yes! They should be paid on piecework, not per hour 8)

 

[KJG]

Yes! They should be paid on piecework, not per hour 8)

Agreed.....

 

[Isometry]

160 photos? We only included 25 taken over different times... Is that too few? How many is best?

We sent 19. We're not picture people, and the only way we could have sent more photos would have been to stock up on wedding photos--and since we got married using a marriage commissioner, the 3 wedding pics we included pretty much showed the whole thing.

We also documented our communication (phone/email) and visits (itineraries/boarding passes/passport stamps) pretty well, though. As Fencesitter said, 25 photos is not going to convince the visa officer... but neither would a hundred. It should just be part of the story.

That said, if you've already submitted your application, continue gathering evidence in case you get called to an interview. It might not be needed, but it can't hurt, right?

 

[Fencesitter]

And even if you don't get called for an interview, you'll be building more memories to show your kids or family later on...

I agree that the photos you submit are only part of the picture (pun intended). Together with other evidence, it should be enough to convince the visa officer. Like I mentioned, in conjunction with the pictures, we sent in a lot of other forms of evidence such as health insurance cards for all three of us, joint bank account, rental contract with our ID cards, flight itineraries, hotel vouchers / invoices, e-mails from family and friends, letters of support from family and friends, e-mails between banks and reality companies with mention of the whole PR application process, our son's citizenship certificate, birth certificate, passport application, and so on. If you were a visa officer, looking at the pictures with all the other supporting evidence, there is no way you would think that the marriage was fake.

It's all a matter of tying everything together...

FS