Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[apstone]

Hi all,

Good to see the posts about November applicants getting their PPRs. MY wife and I are almost ready to send mine out, just waiting on her Option C to add to the envelope. I just had a few questions before I send it:

1. Are people who have been processing for a long time (like these May applicants on this thread) applying while visiting Canada? In other words, are applicants who are staying in Canada being overlooked? I don't imagine they would, but that is my situation. I have a TVR valid for 1 year, so I know I can use my Canadian address for the application, but I don't want to have my application pushed to the bottom of the pile because of it.

2. How much evidence is enough? I know that you can never submit too much, but I saw a post saying they had submitted 300+ pages of evidence or something ridiculous. As it is now, we have:

a. Cosigned lease
b. letter from her mom and my parents
c. ~5 pictures of our wedding
d. ~10 other pictures of us together
e. phone records showing frequent long conversations
f. samples of facebook chat records. (printing all of them would be hundreds of pages)
g. copies of some of our flight tickets (unfortunately some of them have been deleted from email accounts)
h. registration of our dog, showing both of us as owners

things we can add:
i. add me to her bank account/credit card account
j. i could print out order history for amazon.com showing some gifts
h. more letters from family and friends

basically just wondering what you have all submitted as proof of your relationship. again, i know more is always good, but how much is enough to not cause a request for extra proof/information. i know any extra request can cause delays.

Thanks for any info and good luck with all your applications

 

[throwmyapples]

Thanks to you both, StateofConfusion and Kourts! I have already scoured the B4 threads, I promise. I just couldn't find anything on what to do if you are reentering Canada simultaneously as a returning Citizen and a Settler and co-own all belongings.

 

[OhCanadiana]

Thanks to you both, StateofConfusion and Kourts! I have already scoured the B4 threads, I promise. I just couldn't find anything on what to do if you are reentering Canada simultaneously as a returning Citizen and a Settler and co-own all belongings.

I haven't seen anything official on this and very little unoffical info published. You might consider calling CBSA - they are very helpful and that way you'll have a name to back you up at the border!

FWIW, in the meantime, some thoughts:

* B4s usually are only in one name. Immigrant couples face this issue also and the advice I've heard before is that it's easiest to have everything in one person's name in case you need to go clear the shipment when it arrives so you don't need to coordinate too many people's schedules (or pay for 2 shipments!)

* You might find this page http://www.canadacustomsinfo.com/info-for-returning-former-residents-of-canada/ particularly helpful - it's a blog by someone who claims to be a CBSA insider and most of what I read a while back made sense. You'll find going through the comments especially helpful as s/he touches exactly on your case. The blogger confirms that when a couple immigrates the B4 can be in either name. In one case s/he suggests having the immigrant import everything (and having the Canadian add the non-Canadian as joint owner on the car before importing it to avoid being slightly over the 10k per-item limit for reentering Canadians).

As far as I can tell, either way you are subject to not selling/donating/trashing the items for a year so on that front it doesn't matter who fills it out. I'm not sure what would happen in the long term if only one of you were to leave Canada while the other stays (to calculate value of items when you leave) or if you split up but hopefully that never happens, right?

In terms of the level of detail, I've B4's written by folks at the border in 5 minutes and I've seen really, long detailed forms. I think the only things you really need to detail out are electronics, jewelry (which needs photos too) and anything valuable. Given that CBSA crosses off items as you import them, it may be easiest to split things up into shipments vs. what you are taking yourself if you can plan that far ahead.

Good luck!

ETA: Also remember - everything on the B4 must be used and possessed by you prior to moving (unless it's part of a bride's trousseau) and there's no time limit to when you can import it. So if you're not sure if you are bringing something with you in 6 months or a year, best to err on the side of adding it in even if it is more work now.

 

[kourts]

1. Are people who have been processing for a long time (like these May applicants on this thread) applying while visiting Canada? In other words, are applicants who are staying in Canada being overlooked? I don't imagine they would, but that is my situation. I have a TVR valid for 1 year, so I know I can use my Canadian address for the application, but I don't want to have my application pushed to the bottom of the pile because of it.

I'm currently in Canada, and I'm applying outland. I've also wondered if i'm being put at the end of the pile, because they want to reunite families and why work on mine if I'm already with my spouse.

Thanks to you both, StateofConfusion and Kourts! I have already scoured the B4 threads, I promise. I just couldn't find anything on what to do if you are reentering Canada simultaneously as a returning Citizen and a Settler and co-own all belongings.

You're welcome.

 

[nsr]

Everybody who receive ppr recently. Are u guys inside Canada or outside Canada at the moment.

 

[cgagnon]

I am confused as to why you had to pay anything for the clearance letter....we did not have to pay that at all...Audi....and YES they are very very strict on tires...also ...whether you have no tires or not you will have to pay a tire levy....$5 or so dollars per tire...and you have to pay for the RIV inspection AND the provincial inspection....RIV is $195....Provincial is $115 ( or $89 if thats what they quoted you) plus the air conditioning fee of $100

Good luck!

Thank you so much for all the information we are in the same boat I am just a few months behind you!
Hope everything goes smoothly for you and I would do the same with the SIN Card application

 

[astegenga]

Everybody who receive ppr recently. Are u guys inside Canada or outside Canada at the moment.

I am currently in canada (have been since september with the exception of a few trips to the US)

 

[gypsy494]

I am in Canada as well and have been since last summer. I think maybe some are assigned already to someone in Buffalo(do not know just guessing really) and they shipped off other ones luck -of the draw....I really do not think there is any ryme or reason.

apstone
I would add the things you plan on adding and could you also send pics of you as a couple with other people. We dated for 6 yrs and hubby doesn't like pic taken...so I worried about that...had alot of me he took....I sent them and explained. We did have some from several vacation trips...but I was worried about not having enough pics and we had 30. ( I really do not know what they look for but do your best sending whatever you possibly can and explain if something is missing.
Letters I sent one from landlord and 6 friends...just send everything you can...best wishes.

 

[York Region]

I am inside Canada, i think that Immigration officers are different thats all metters

 

[York Region]

Did anyone apply for extension as a visitor and got ppr before your extension come?

 

[kitchloo]

I hope this is the week for all of us oldies! Calgary-Bound first, then everyone from early to mid-2011. In a perfect world it would be first come, first served.

 

[cgagnon]

Hi all,

Good to see the posts about November applicants getting their PPRs. MY wife and I are almost ready to send mine out, just waiting on her Option C to add to the envelope. I just had a few questions before I send it:

1. Are people who have been processing for a long time (like these May applicants on this thread) applying while visiting Canada? In other words, are applicants who are staying in Canada being overlooked? I don't imagine they would, but that is my situation. I have a TVR valid for 1 year, so I know I can use my Canadian address for the application, but I don't want to have my application pushed to the bottom of the pile because of it.

2. How much evidence is enough? I know that you can never submit too much, but I saw a post saying they had submitted 300+ pages of evidence or something ridiculous. As it is now, we have:

a. Cosigned lease
b. letter from her mom and my parents
c. ~5 pictures of our wedding
d. ~10 other pictures of us together you need approximately 40 pictures of you together (especially of your wedding)
e. phone records showing frequent long conversations
f. samples of facebook chat records. (printing all of them would be hundreds of pages)
g. copies of some of our flight tickets (unfortunately some of them have been deleted from email accounts)
h. registration of our dog, showing both of us as owners

things we can add:
i. add me to her bank account/credit card account
j. i could print out order history for amazon.com showing some gifts
h. more letters from family and friends


Your marriage certificate!! Definately bank accounts
basically just wondering what you have all submitted as proof of your relationship. again, i know more is always good, but how much is enough to not cause a request for extra proof/information. i know any extra request can cause delays.

Thanks for any info and good luck with all your applications

 

[Minnow]

Hi Apstone,
If you have any pictures of yourselves with each others family members I think you should include them - even if it's just say you and her mom (label on the back of the picture who the people are). Sending as many pictures as you have does not hurt (we sent in over 100). My husband is currently living in the States so we don't have any joint accounts, leases, etc. The only really good hard proof we had was the marriage certificate (aside from phone bills, skype, and chat logs). I also recommend paying the RPRF fee now to save any potential delays later.
Good luck!

 

[StateOfConfusion]

Everybody who receive ppr recently. Are u guys inside Canada or outside Canada at the moment.

I am outside of Canada.

 

[amishell01]

Hi all,

Good to see the posts about November applicants getting their PPRs. MY wife and I are almost ready to send mine out, just waiting on her Option C to add to the envelope. I just had a few questions before I send it:

1. Are people who have been processing for a long time (like these May applicants on this thread) applying while visiting Canada? In other words, are applicants who are staying in Canada being overlooked? I don't imagine they would, but that is my situation. I have a TVR valid for 1 year, so I know I can use my Canadian address for the application, but I don't want to have my application pushed to the bottom of the pile because of it.

2. How much evidence is enough? I know that you can never submit too much, but I saw a post saying they had submitted 300+ pages of evidence or something ridiculous. As it is now, we have:

a. Cosigned lease
b. letter from her mom and my parents
c. ~5 pictures of our wedding
d. ~10 other pictures of us together
e. phone records showing frequent long conversations
f. samples of facebook chat records. (printing all of them would be hundreds of pages)
g. copies of some of our flight tickets (unfortunately some of them have been deleted from email accounts)
h. registration of our dog, showing both of us as owners

things we can add:
i. add me to her bank account/credit card account
j. i could print out order history for amazon.com showing some gifts
h. more letters from family and friends

basically just wondering what you have all submitted as proof of your relationship. again, i know more is always good, but how much is enough to not cause a request for extra proof/information. i know any extra request can cause delays.

Thanks for any info and good luck with all your applications

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS THIS QUESTION

It is NOT necessary to cram every scrap of evidence of your relationship and life together into an envelope to send to CIC. I only know this because we chose to go the "don't overwhelm the agent" route with our application, and it worked! My hubby had this theory that they probably just get annoyed with having that much stuff to examine so they go through the easier packets first. Well, I'm not sure if it's that they are annoyed so much as just that they are under obligation to carefully and thoroughly examine every piece of information/evidence that you give them, right? I mean, if they missed something that was a red flag, that's their butt on the line. Makes sense right? And obviously a giant packet of photos, letters, plane tickets, emails, screep caps of text messages, and all the other stuff people come up with is going to take a long time to sort though! I can't help but think that this would seriously slow down the approval process! Think about it...

So my husband and I dated for 6 months before marrying and applied outland (with me in Canada on VR) nearly 2 months after the wedding. For evidence in our application package, we included just 2-3 pics for each section of the spouse/common law questionaire such as #2 "Did you and your sponsor go on outings and/or trips together?" I included one pic from our trip to Niagara Falls and one from a trip to Savannah, GA. And I attached the plane tickets/boarding passes for these trips in the same place. For #7 "Were there formal ceremonies.... etc?" This is where I attached 3 photos from the wedding (one of just the two of us, one of the officiant standing before us as we recited our vows, and one of the kiss). I also attached the wedding program, the receipt from the B&B that organized our wedding package, and the wedding reservation confirmation email here. Then when it asked for persons who attended the wedding, I attached photos of our family members taken at the wedding along with those separate sheets.

This is just to give you an example. As far as how to organize your evidence, I would think common sense says the best thing to do is put everything in the package in the order in which the information is requested. So that is exactly what we did.

Admittedly, I am no expert on this topic. I can only speak from experience. But our application was processed in almost exactly 4 months from the date the package was received in Mississauga to the date I received the PPR email. We are now awaiting COPR from Seattle. Of course I am not suggesting that the simplicity of our application package is the sole reason our application was processed quickly, but I do know that it obviously did not hurt because we made it through!! And we don't even have this huge long history together...

All I'm saying is, don't overwhelm the agent handling your case with piles and piles of "evidence." They are duty bound to examine every item in your packet, so don't slow things down by cramming all sorts of unnecessary stuff in there. Make sure you do provide some photo evidence when it applies, and certainly don't forget the legal documents, but chill out! If your relationship is legit, you have nothing to worry about. The biggest thing is BE HONEST about everything! (fyi, 4 months AOR to PPR was even with an old arrest in the states that had to be "deemed rehabilitated")

I hope this doesn't sound too "know-it-all"ish. I don't mean it that way at all. I just hope to save some of you out there just starting the process some time. And I agree with an earlier poster... pay the RPRF up front. You don't want to get set back another 5 or 6 months just because of that. And based on what others are saying, it looks like if you don't pay until they ask, you go back to the bottom of the pile.

Best wishes everyone!!