US outland applicants' thread :)

[Florida Bear]

Hello!

Quick question regarding an interview.

I see that some folks have a status of WAIVED for their interview. Did you receive some type of correspondence stating that you didn't need to have the interview? or just procesing went on to the next step of PPR?

 

[krs175]

Thank you very much OhCanadiana for the suggestions! Can you please also help me with the following questions:

"Remember to also advise the VO regarding the changes her employment"
May I know what is VO?

If the passport is requested while my spouse is in Canada, can we send it across the border for the PR stamping?
If they ask the passport, how long its gonna take for them to return it again?

Thank you very much.

She can visit Canada and stay for as long as she is admitted (usually 6 months unless a different date is stamped on her passport or she receives a visitor's record with a different date). As always, her admission will be assessed at the border entry point so it's important to be clear regarding her intentions. Several people have shared their experiences throughout this thread if you want to read through those.
Yes, though you could change her address to yours by sending an e-mail / case specific enquiry to the visa office processing her request. Remember to also advise the VO regarding the changes her employment situation.
At the border, some people have shared that they found that having their Canadian spouse with them when they cross the border is helpful so that you can confirm your intentions to sponsor her and that she is visiting and will leave at the end of her visit if she hasn't been approved as a PR yet, how you'll finance her stay since she won't work, etc.
For the application, as long as your application was complete when you submitted it, it's a matter of waiting for it to be processed.

Good luck!

 

[cempjwi]

Thank you very much OhCanadiana for the suggestions! Can you please also help me with the following questions:

"Remember to also advise the VO regarding the changes her employment"
May I know what is VO?

If the passport is requested while my spouse is in Canada, can we send it across the border for the PR stamping?
If they ask the passport, how long its gonna take for them to return it again?

Thank you very much.

You did not mention if her PR application is being processed in Ottawa or India. Once the passport request is issued, if being processed in Ottawa and she is in Canada she will have to send the passport to Ottawa, so there is no cross-border mailing of the passport; if being processed in Ottawa and she is the US, she will have to mail it to Ottawa (so, yes, cross-border US-Canada and there are no issues with that). If in India, I believe that Indian passports state that they are not supposed to be mailed within India, but that would not be a limitation imposed by CIC but by the Indian government.

In my experience, the passport took 26 days from the time CIC received it until I had it back in my hands (I had to send it to Ottawa and I was in Florida).

If she is in the US and her passport is sent to Ottawa, please know that CIC does not use express post. They will use regular mail to return the passport (yes, that was scary). Within Canada, yes, they will accept pre-paid Xpress Post envelopes to mail the passport.

 

[OhCanadiana]

Thank you very much OhCanadiana for the suggestions! Can you please also help me with the following questions:

"Remember to also advise the VO regarding the changes her employment"
May I know what is VO?

If the passport is requested while my spouse is in Canada, can we send it across the border for the PR stamping?
If they ask the passport, how long its gonna take for them to return it again?

Thank you very much.

The Visa Office. Your sponsorship approval letter should state which visa office is processing your application and a reminder to let them know of any changes to facts in your application. So, you can just send them an e-mail or a case specific enquiry with the changes (links for case specific enquiries are available through CIC's website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp).

My understanding is that India places limitations on passport mailing. However, from CIC's perspective, they will mail (and receive) passports across the US/Canada border. Thus, if you may do so from the Indian perspective (as cempjwi mentioned), there wouldn't be a limitation from CIC.

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hello!

Quick question regarding an interview.

I see that some folks have a status of WAIVED for their interview. Did you receive some type of correspondence stating that you didn't need to have the interview? or just procesing went on to the next step of PPR?

You are advised in the context of other communication, such as PPR or additional document requests.

 

[Florida Bear]

You are advised in the context of other communication, such as PPR or additional document requests.

Great! Thank you for the information!

 

[krs175]

Thank you OhCanadiana and cempjwi for your help/information.

The following are the details of my sponsorship application:

Status of my spouse: Indian Citizen, living in USA on H1B since 3 years (H1B status is valid untill Jan 2014, but her contract with her company ended recently, so has to leave USA soon)
My sponsorship application received on 13 May 2013 which contained all docs including my spouse's application, medicals, police clearance etc..
My sponsorship approved on June 4 2013
File transferred to CPP-Ottawa June 4, 2013
CSQ of my spouse Approved on 18 July 2013 (I live in Quebec)

May I know how many more months it might take for the passport request? (I am guessing the passport request should be in Nov and the entire process should be done by Dec)

Now as my spouse will be moving to Canada, I am thinking of changing her correspondence address to that of mine in Canada. I guess this should solve the problem and I hope the interview is waived.

Thank you guys.. u have been sooo helpful!

The Visa Office. Your sponsorship approval letter should state which visa office is processing your application and a reminder to let them know of any changes to facts in your application. So, you can just send them an e-mail or a case specific enquiry with the changes (links for case specific enquiries are available through CIC's website).

My understanding is that India places limitations on passport mailing. However, from CIC's perspective, they will mail (and receive) passports across the US/Canada border. Thus, if you may do so from the Indian perspective (as cempjwi mentioned), there wouldn't be a limitation from CIC.

 

[Ambber29]

TO APPLE YOUR INBOX IS FULL

HI

TRY TO ORDER GCMS NOTES IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 30 DAYS FOR YOUR INTERVIEW. (APPLY ONLINE )
THESE NOTES WOULD MAKE YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS DOES THE OFFICER WANTS CLARIFICATIONS.
THEY INTERVIEWED US BOTH TOGETHER THEY BASICALLY ASKED WHY YOU WANT TO GO TO CANADA, ASKED FOR RECENT PHOTOS, AND MY FLIGHT BOARDING PASSES AS MY HUSBAND LIVES IN STATES AND I IN CANADA
THEY ALSO ASKED WHY WE DIDNT APPLY FOR A VISITING VISA BECAUSE WE WERE LIVING APART
IF THE APPLICANT IS A STUDENT THAN TAKE HIS TRANSCRIPTS AND ENROLLMENT LETTER TO THE INTERVIEW
TRY TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AS A PROOF TO CONVINCE THE OFFICER AND ITS NOT VERY HARD IT WAS EASY
THE OFFICER TREATED US VERY WELL AND SHE WAS NICE OUR INTERVIEW TOOK AN HOUR STARTED AT 11.00AM AND BY 11.50 WE WERE OUT.

 

[mattb123]

For all you US outland applicants...

What is the average time to PR approval right now?

I just applied inland two weeks ago, but evidently outland is not average 14 months like listed on the CIC website. Someone told me it was closer to 8. Can anyone confirm?

 

[keesio]

For all you US outland applicants...

What is the average time to PR approval right now?

I just applied inland two weeks ago, but evidently outland is not average 14 months like listed on the CIC website. Someone told me it was closer to 8. Can anyone confirm?

A straight-forward, properly filed (i.e. COMPLETE) application with no red flags seems to average 7-8 months.

 

[mattb123]

A straight-forward, properly filed (i.e. COMPLETE) application with no red flags seems to average 7-8 months.

So then, it would be wise of me to request a refund, request them to send my app back and then REAPPLY outland, as opposed to inland. Correct?

Note that I sent my application exactly two weeks ago; no AOR yet.

 

[keesio]

So then, it would be wise of me to request a refund, request them to send my app back and then REAPPLY outland, as opposed to inland. Correct?

Note that I sent my application exactly two weeks ago; no AOR yet.

Outland sponsorship seems to be the best option for US citizens. This provides the most flexibility.

I'm not sure how easy it is to cancel your current application. I'm pretty sure they received it and maybe even started looking at it. They are pretty slow sending out AOR notices. I'd call the call centre asap.

 

[mattb123]

Outland sponsorship seems to be the best option for US citizens. This provides the most flexibility.

I'm not sure how easy it is to cancel your current application. I'm pretty sure they received it and maybe even started looking at it. They are pretty slow sending out AOR notices. I'd call the call centre asap.

I am so mad/annoyed about this. Not even sure if its worth doing anything about this given the amount of time it would take for them to send my application back and everything.

 

[keesio]

I am so mad/annoyed about this. Not even sure if its worth doing anything about this given the amount of time it would take for them to send my application back and everything.

Just like the actual outland times for standard cases is shorter than what is posted, maybe the inland times are also shorter than posted... ?

 

[mattb123]

Just like the actual outland times for standard cases is shorter than what is posted, maybe the inland times are also shorter than posted... ?

It is possible, but that does not seem to be the case from what I have been reading...