Two questions

[CVK]

Hi everyone.

Im being sponsored by my canadian husband, Im Colombian and were getting ready to submit the application..

About the medical exams, I called today and the official doctor from one city said I need an authorization or email from the Canadian authorities in order to get the exams. The other place didnt say a word about that but as far as Ive been reading and based on the check lists, you have to submit the medicals with your application, isnt it?

And the police checks. Here we have this basic documents saying you do or you dont have any criminal background, so thats all I can get, I legalized it and sent it to translate. Is that enough? In the website says you need a special one but once your application is in.

So whats your opinion based on your experience with this process?

Thanks for your help.

CVK

 

[Sweden]

Hey CVK,

For the medicals: a lot of doctors are confused as the processes are different for each category.
For spousal sponsorship, you don't need anything before. You go there ( with pictures, check with the doctors how many ranges from 2 to 5 ), have the exam, (pay), then the doctor gives you a form with your picture on it, and his signature, saying that you had the medicals done. You add that to your application, and the results go straight to the VO, where they are matched with your application.
So indeed - nothing in advance.

For Police checks - sorry, can't help because it seems to be something specific for Colombia.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[ccunnington]

Hi everyone.

Im being sponsored by my canadian husband, Im Colombian and were getting ready to submit the application..

About the medical exams, I called today and the official doctor from one city said I need an authorization or email from the Canadian authorities in order to get the exams. The other place didnt say a word about that but as far as Ive been reading and based on the check lists, you have to submit the medicals with your application, isnt it?

And the police checks. Here we have this basic documents saying you do or you dont have any criminal background, so thats all I can get, I legalized it and sent it to translate. Is that enough? In the website says you need a special one but once your application is in.

So whats your opinion based on your experience with this process?

Thanks for your help.

CVK

Welcome to the forum. You should join us on the Bogota thread...

Medicals - The doctor is incorrect. For your medical, you don't need authorization from the embassy. You can get it done and send it in with the application. Make sure you explain to the doctor that your medical is for permanent residency, not temporary residency, as for temporary, you only get a medical if the embassy requests it. So perhaps that is the confusion. We got our medical done in Barranquilla without any request or authorization from Bogota.

Police checks. The police check you are referring to is not adequate, so don't send it in with the application. Once Bogota receives your application, they will send you instructions on how to get the police certificate. You will be asked to make a payment to Risk Management Colombia SA via Banco de Occidente. This is a 3rd party company that performs the background checks and forwards that information directly to the embassy, so I wouldn't do the police checks until you get the instructions from Bogota. That's what we did.

 

[CVK]

Thanks for your replies!

So Ill take advantage of having two hero members around and Ill explain our situation and what were doing to get the PR.

I met my husband two years ago -April 2011 while he was travelling in Colombia. Then we went travelling together in South America and Spain. We applied for tourist visa last year in July which was denied as I didnt have ties here or there... So weve been living together in Colombia and travelling but now we want to go to Canada. We got married last month and were gathering everything to apply. Hes back in Canada getting a good job and settling there so we can be together.

We have the forms.
Tons of photos together during our travels.
Relationship proof -our families attended the wedding here in Colombia. Weve travelled together for holidays.
Wedding photos, catholic ceremony.
Chats, emails, phone records, financial support.
I have no criminal record or illnesses.
Boarding passes, flight tickets, stuff like that.
We described the development of our relationship.

We have everything together. Ill do my medicals next week. This is a real relationship.

One question about the marriage certificate. Were attaching one, a legalized one. It has to be stamped by the ministery of foreigner affairs in Canada too? Or the stamps from here are enough?

Do we need to attach proof twice? -Photos, letters, chats etc. Like one for Mississauga and one for Bogota?

Do you think what we have will be a good -complete application? Would you recommend to do anything else?

One more question. I want to visit him later this year. If I have a job and a house contract that I have to pay, would those be strong ties? We were also thinking on applying for a work permit, I have a degree on IT, would that be enough to get an offer there?

What about a short course? Hell provide financial support -as I dont have properties and live off my job.

Sorry for writing this much... I want to make this happen. Hate being away from him, so I need to knock in every door.

Looking forward to your answers.

Thanks a lot!

CVK

 

[Sweden]

Hey,

The certificate, as long as it's a certified translation, is good, no need to have a Canadian certification ( as far as I'm aware).
No need to attach the proofs twice. They're mostly for Bogota, but your whole file will go to Bogota, so it's all good!
Your case seems pretty solid because you actually lived together, travelled, have pictures, both families at the wedding - seems quite solid. If you have a bank account together, then add it. Otherwise the proofs of financial support should be good!

About visiting : it's difficult to say, only the VO can tell you. You can always try... but don' get your hopes too high, as most are denied. It might be worth waiting until he has stage 1 approval, then include all the proofs, and state that you have applied for PR, got the first stage, and do not want to put your PR application in jeopardy, and that you will comply with the terms of your visa and leave as asked. You might be denied, but always worth a try. Get a letter from your employer stating that you are taking holidays and expected back at work at a specific date etc.


Sorry - no idea about a job, but from what I know, LMO (necessary for getting a job if you are not a PR) are very difficult to get. Hopefully the PR comes through soon enough!

For study permits: it's also difficult to get, especially if you are married to a Canadian, as CIC doesn't believe that you will return to your country at the end of your studies ( and in fact - you probably won't!). international tuitions are also quite high, but again - if you really want to try... nobody will stop you.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[ccunnington]

Thanks for your replies!

So Ill take advantage of having two hero members around and Ill explain our situation and what were doing to get the PR.

I met my husband two years ago -April 2011 while he was travelling in Colombia. Then we went travelling together in South America and Spain. We applied for tourist visa last year in July which was denied as I didnt have ties here or there... So weve been living together in Colombia and travelling but now we want to go to Canada. We got married last month and were gathering everything to apply. Hes back in Canada getting a good job and settling there so we can be together.

We have the forms.
Tons of photos together during our travels.
Relationship proof -our families attended the wedding here in Colombia. Weve travelled together for holidays.
Wedding photos, catholic ceremony.
Chats, emails, phone records, financial support.
I have no criminal record or illnesses.
Boarding passes, flight tickets, stuff like that.
We described the development of our relationship.

We have everything together. Ill do my medicals next week. This is a real relationship.

One question about the marriage certificate. Were attaching one, a legalized one. It has to be stamped by the ministery of foreigner affairs in Canada too? Or the stamps from here are enough?
You just need to get it translated and notarized. It doesn't have to be "legalized" or apostled.
Do we need to attach proof twice? -Photos, letters, chats etc. Like one for Mississauga and one for Bogota?
No. Only one set of proof. After Mississauga approves Stage 1, the entire application is sent to Bogota.
Do you think what we have will be a good -complete application? Would you recommend to do anything else?
Sounds like a very complete application
One more question. I want to visit him later this year. If I have a job and a house contract that I have to pay, would those be strong ties? We were also thinking on applying for a work permit, I have a degree on IT, would that be enough to get an offer there?
The chances of you getting any kind of temporary resident visa are basically nil, especially once you file your residency application, so I would just save your money, and have your husband come and visit you throughout the process if possible.
What about a short course? Hell provide financial support -as I dont have properties and live off my job.

Sorry for writing this much... I want to make this happen. Hate being away from him, so I need to knock in every door.

Looking forward to your answers.

Thanks a lot!

CVK

 

[OhCanadiana]

We have everything together. Ill do my medicals next week. This is a real relationship.

If the doctor's office still isn't letting you schedule the medical, emphasize that it is a family class spousal sponsorship. Other applicants need to have the request letter from the Embassy/High Commission but not for family class.

One question about the marriage certificate. Were attaching one, a legalized one. It has to be stamped by the ministery of foreigner affairs in Canada too? Or the stamps from here are enough?

No need to get it legalized. In fact, they just ask for a photocopy.

Do we need to attach proof twice? -Photos, letters, chats etc. Like one for Mississauga and one for Bogota?

No. Mississauga will forward it to Bogota. Consider including a table of contents so that they know where to find things easily but no need to duplicate.

Do you think what we have will be a good -complete application? Would you recommend to do anything else?

Think about whether a skeptical stranger is likely to understand your relationship based on what you've put together. If it's way too much, feel free to select. If additional context of evidence is likely needed to get the full picture of your relationship and how it's developed, add it in.

One more question. I want to visit him later this year. If I have a job and a house contract that I have to pay, would those be strong ties?

Given that your husband is living in Canada and you want to visit after you've applied, they may want solid proof of commitments back in Colombia since, understandably, they will likely question whether you want to go back to Colombia. Try to speak to people familiar with prior Bogota applicants since the odds vary between visa offices based on varying risk factors. For example, there's someone from Mexico who finally got a visa for her husband after 3 tries when he was going to go specifically for her sibling's wedding (she was living in Mexico for the application process, though).

We were also thinking on applying for a work permit, I have a degree on IT, would that be enough to get an offer there?

You can apply as long as the employer gets an LMO for you (unless you qualify for a special program with specific rules)

What about a short course? Hell provide financial support -as I dont have properties and live off my job.

You'd need to get a student visa if you want to study. Very short courses (e.g., afternoon seminar while you are visiting) usually don't require student visas.

Sorry for writing this much... I want to make this happen. Hate being away from him, so I need to knock in every door.

Looking forward to your answers.

Thanks a lot!

Good luck with your application!
CVK