Spousal Sponsorship from India* Full Timeline, Tips and Experience

[MiaNair]

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to share my experience with the sponsorship application since it can become super overwhelming and scary. When we were first applying we had so many questions regarding the application and what to send in. This forum answered so many things for us and I hope I can help you answer any questions that you may have.

Our timeline:
My husband is an Indian citizen ( Primary Applicant).
I am a Canadian citizen ( Sponsor)
This was an OUTLAND application.

January 9, 2018- We sent in our application from India ( Bangalore)
January 18, 2018- Application Received
* At this time we tried to link our application but wasn't recognized in the system. We were finally able to link it in February after sponsor approval.
February 2018- Sponsor Approval ( Letter that I met the eligibility to sponsor my husband)
March 2018- Medical Request and Police Check certificate request. We had 30 days and our due date was April 25.
May 2018- Letter stating our application has left Mississauga and is now being processed in New Delhi Visa Office.
August 22 2018- Letter asking for passport/ Pre-arrival letter.
August 30 2018- We submitted the passport in Bangalore
September 11, 2018- Passport has been stamped and received in Bangalore for pick up.


Our application:

We got married in July 2017 and I moved from Canada to India to be with my husband. I was very nervous to move because I didn't know if my physical absence in Canada would affect our application. However, we didn't want to be separated right after our wedding so I decided to stay in India until our application was approved. I also consulted with a lawyer regarding my situation and he said the sponsor
( if a citizen) does not have to be present in Canda but you must provide proof that you are planning to move back once PR is approved.

What we sent in as proof.

Proof of relationship: Marriage certificate, photos of our engagement party, wedding, religious ceremony, reception, honeymoon photos, photos of us in various situations after the wedding. In the back of each photo, we stated who was in the photo, where/when it was taken. We sent in airline tickets of our honeymoon, hotel receipts, WhatsApp messages ( screenshots of us talking about finding apartments etc), Skype calls, Facebook chats, Facebook announcements, Instagram posts, letter from each other our friends, airline tickets from when I visited my husband in India.

Proof that we lived together/financial proof:
This was a huge concern for us. Since we were in a long-distance relationship before we got married, we didn't have any rental agreements, insurance or any financial-based proof. Since we had limited proof, we sent in a letter stating our situation and the reason why we never invested in a car, house or other major investments. What we managed to send:

• A letter from the landlord stating his acknowledgement that my husband and I live together.
• A life insurance scheme my husband took out after our wedding.
• My husband's fixed deposit statement and my name as a nominee.
• We also included everyday expenses. We sent in both of our bank statements and highlighted grocery bills, purchases, entertainment expenses etc.
• I also sent a letter from my Canadian employer stating that my position will be available upon my return to Canada.
• A letter of employment from my current online job.
• Letter from my parents stating that we will be staying with them upon our arrival in Canada and that they will support us financially until my husband is employed.

The extra paperwork we sent in:

• My husband's letter of employment and past employment
• Husband's Postgraduate certificates
• Letter of acceptance of my graduate program from my university ( proof that I will come back to Canada).

CIC never asked for extra information so we assumed they were satisfied with what we sent in. The entire process took about 9 months. The list above is not including the mandatory certificates that the sponsorship application listed like birth certificates, school records etc. Every case is different but this pretty much summarizes what we sent in

Best of luck to everyone who is applying or in the process of applying!

 

[Wakki]

Thanks

 

[Mzahid2018]

Hey I sent my application package and it was received Sept 09 2018. UPS asked what department it's going to and they only gave me two option A. Grants and B. PR CARD so I chose PR Card. Of course now I realized that it should've been "spouse sponsorship" I double checked it is the same building just different department.
Should be worried about this?
I called CIC and they said it depends who opens the package they may send it to the correct department or send it back :/ and it may take up to 2 months for someone to open the package...
What do you guys think I should do?

 

[singleman]

Best of luck to everyone who is applying or in the process of applying!

Great JOB done, very well organized, and we MUST thank you for sharing all this because we learn from each other here, regardless how senior or junior member we are! Again Thank you from all of us.

 

[singleman]

Hey I sent my application package and it was received Sept 09 2018. UPS asked what department it's going to and they only gave me two option A. Grants and B. PR CARD so I chose PR Card. Of course now I realized that it should've been "spouse sponsorship" I double checked it is the same building just different department.
Should be worried about this?
I called CIC and they said it depends who opens the package they may send it to the correct department or send it back :/ and it may take up to 2 months for someone to open the package...
What do you guys think I should do?

It depends what was the exact address on the envelop.

 

[Mzahid2018]

It depends what was the exact address on the envelop.

Exact address on the package:
49 Dorchester St,
Sydney, NS B1P5Z-P5Z2 CA
CASE PROCESSING CENTRE -PR CARD

 

[singleman]

Exact address on the package:
49 Dorchester St,
Sydney, NS B1P5Z-P5Z2 CA
CASE PROCESSING CENTRE -PR CARD

That address is NOT where we sent apps, but they will redirect it.Call them.

 

[Mzahid2018]

That address is NOT where we sent apps, but they will redirect it.Call them.

What you mean? This is exactly the address mentioned on the latest outland spouse sponsorship checklist. Im just questioning the departments that are within this same building.

 

[singleman]

What you mean? This is exactly the address mentioned on the latest outland spouse sponsorship checklist. Im just questioning the departments that are within this same building.

Address is matching but here is what it reads for spousal:-

• Courier address for applications to sponsor spouses, common-law partners or conjugal partners and dependent children (currently living outside Canada), adopted children and other relatives:
  CPC-Sydney
  49 Dorchester Street
  Sydney, NS
  B1P 5Z2

NS B1P5Z-P5Z2 CA
CASE PROCESSING CENTRE -PR CARD is not part of the address, however my best guess since it is the same building they wont return the package to you but forward or give by hand to the right section, till better to phone and ask ONLY for your piece of mind. Thanks

 

[singleman]

Here is the pdf checklist shows Sydney but P.O. BOX for Outlanders:-

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/kits/forms/imm5533e.pdf use IE, My chrome did not open this.

ALSO guide Date modified:2018-08-24 shows the same SYDNEY address:-
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5525-basic-guide-sponsor-your-spouse-partner-child.html

 

[MiaNair]

Great JOB done, very well organized, and we MUST thank you for sharing all this because we learn from each other here, regardless how senior or junior member we are! Again Thank you from all of us.

Thank you!

 

[arod1]

That went well! I am going to be deep into this next year.
But I am looking for some advice on this.

I am a Canadian Citizen living in Mississauga and my fiancee is an Indian citizen residing in Bangalore.
We are getting married on the 21st of December this year. We have been dating since high school and have always been in a committed relationship, though we never lived together.

We will be taking the OUTLAND route for the sponsorship procedure. I do have a few questions that I hope to have answered.

- "January 9, 2018- We sent in our application from India ( Bangalore)"
where do you submit your application in Bangalore? Is this the entire application with all hard copies and such? Can I submit this in Mississauga?

- I am completing my civil ceremony in Bangalore. As a Canadian citizen what paperwork were you required to submit for the legal paperwork?
I did a marriage search and a declaration of single status, the latter of which is Notarized. Other than that I am not sure what I need. Do I need to get there documents attested by the CGI Toronto?

- Did you have to wait till your husband added your name as his spouse to his passport?

Thanks for all the information on what to send as poof of the two of you living together and financial information. This is amazing!

 

[singleman]

That went well! I am going to be deep into this next year.
But I am looking for some advice on this.

I am a Canadian Citizen living in Mississauga and my fiancee is an Indian citizen residing in Bangalore.
We are getting married on the 21st of December this year. We have been dating since high school and have always been in a committed relationship, though we never lived together.

We will be taking the OUTLAND route for the sponsorship procedure. I do have a few questions that I hope to have answered.

- "January 9, 2018- We sent in our application from India ( Bangalore)"
where do you submit your application in Bangalore? Is this the entire application with all hard copies and such? Can I submit this in Mississauga?

- I am completing my civil ceremony in Bangalore. As a Canadian citizen what paperwork were you required to submit for the legal paperwork?
I did a marriage search and a declaration of single status, the latter of which is Notarized. Other than that I am not sure what I need. Do I need to get there documents attested by the CGI Toronto?

- Did you have to wait till your husband added your name as his spouse to his passport?

Thanks for all the information on what to send as poof of the two of you living together and financial information. This is amazing!

WELCOME here! No you should not submit to Mississauga should have sent to the address as I wrote above SYDNEY. All Outland applications go there now. Civil Ceremony? Why not complete all ceremonies 1st ONLY then APPLY? I am not sure where are you now? Attesting docs by CGI Toronto! Sounds abnormal if at all I would go to any Notary Public but YES CGI can also do that.
There is no need to ADD any last names on the PPT of spouse, confirmed already by many of us.But id your spouse has no PPT then it's a good thing to do. Also spouse needs a PCC from INDIA from Superintendent of Police of the district they are living. That cert. has to be submitted along with all forms incl. Schedule A.
2 of you living together in India? You don't have to prove much since you are a CDN Citizen. But as long as you lived you can show some joint bank act., vehicle , purchases, honeymoon receipts, and on top all urgent pics of major events incl all relatives, places et.. But they want max of 20 photos now, for contact proofs U can only send 10 pages rest will be shredded or ignored. They ask for quality NOT quantity.
May explain more details if I am wrong or not clear above. Thnx

 

[MiaNair]

Hey!!

No we sent it to the Mississauga office. I just meant we sent the application from India via FedEx. For legal documents regarding our marriage we just sent in our notarized marriage certificate and that’s all. We got it notarized in India. And no we didn’t wait for the addition of the spouse on the passport. Hope this helped! Good luck!!

That went well! I am going to be deep into this next year.
But I am looking for some advice on this.

I am a Canadian Citizen living in Mississauga and my fiancee is an Indian citizen residing in Bangalore.
We are getting married on the 21st of December this year. We have been dating since high school and have always been in a committed relationship, though we never lived together.

We will be taking the OUTLAND route for the sponsorship procedure. I do have a few questions that I hope to have answered.

- "January 9, 2018- We sent in our application from India ( Bangalore)"
where do you submit your application in Bangalore? Is this the entire application with all hard copies and such? Can I submit this in Mississauga?

- I am completing my civil ceremony in Bangalore. As a Canadian citizen what paperwork were you required to submit for the legal paperwork?
I did a marriage search and a declaration of single status, the latter of which is Notarized. Other than that I am not sure what I need. Do I need to get there documents attested by the CGI Toronto?

- Did you have to wait till your husband added your name as his spouse to his passport?

Thanks for all the information on what to send as poof of the two of you living together and financial information. This is amazing!

Hey

 

[singleman]

Hey!!

No we sent it to the Mississauga office. I just meant we sent the application from India via FedEx. For legal documents regarding our marriage we just sent in our notarized marriage certificate and that’s all. We got it notarized in India. And no we didn’t wait for the addition of the spouse on the passport. Hope this helped! Good luck!!Hey

Looks you did all OK so far. Wishing u GOOD LUCK