US outland applicants' thread :)

[Roni07]

lawyer says when submitting application it's good to have 4 letters from friends people etc confirming your both of your relationship. Does anyone know what this looks like ? Is is like to whom it may concern: I know that person A B have know each other since this date and have been dating and going out together, etc, etc.

 

[computergeek]

lawyer says when submitting application it's good to have 4 letters from friends people etc confirming your both of your relationship. Does anyone know what this looks like ? Is is like to whom it may concern: I know that person A B have know each other since this date and have been dating and going out together, etc, etc.

There is no fixed format. When we submitted letters I wrote drafts and then provided them to people. The basic format was straight-forward:

* Identify the person writing the letter and their relationship to you;
* Provide contact/verification information (an e-mail address, physical address, phone number)
* Provide narrative explaining how the person knows your relationship is genuine

We used letters from friends, family as well as the owner of our gym and our doctor. I've always though the last two carried more weight given that they have nothing to gain by signing such a letter.

We did not have letters notarized (that's the purpose of giving contact information) as it's not really necessary.

 

[blueangel371115]

Frustrated vent, the good news is Ottawa is obviously processing my file. The bad news is they are requesting more info. They want me to resend a paper with supposedly missing dates of residence ( I moved back home and the form states as such). However, all the info needed is right there in black and white so I emailed the document again with a note stating that the info is right there and is as follows and I listed the address and dates again and they want more pictures ( which I've had taken twice now and per the requirements of the CIC. Walmart has the accurate requirements on file and I even brought in the appendix B the last time, when I redid my whole application because I figured they lost it). So frustrated because now i have to pay to have them done AGAIN. I will have spent near, if not more than, $60 dollars on the pictures alone. I just want this done. I've followed the directions both times so I don't know what the problem is.

 

[rhcohen2014]

were there any gaps in your dates for your addresses? the list needs to be continous and not have any gaps in dates. this seems to be a major reason for CIC asking for this to be resubmitted.

 

[chala]

LA Interview update
We both attended the interview and we were less than pleased with the way it was conducted. The officer who interviewed us was an Asian lady who spoke broken English. She seemed unfamiliar with the details of my application and continued to get the facts mixed up. We couldn't get any meaningful discussion as she would cut us off whenever we tried to make a comment. She seemed to be in a very grumpy mood and seemed to want to show her authority. In the end she said that she would approve the application pending receipt of additional documents. The LA visa office is only a small facility with only a few employees none of whom appear to be from Canada. This was a very expensive interview for us to attend as we had to fly all the way from Atlantic Canada to an interview that we feel was unnecessary in the first place.
To those of you who have an upcoming interview, best of luck.

 

[blueangel371115]

were there any gaps in your dates for your addresses? the list needs to be continous and not have any gaps in dates. this seems to be a major reason for CIC asking for this to be resubmitted.

Nope, my dates ( at least the ones they say weren't there) are included in the dates listed at the address I gave plus 3 years after that period at the same address ( from 2010 to 2014). I moved back home so I listed the address again on the form clearly. Even though I had lived there previously. It makes no sense. I even went back to the day we moved there ( I was 5).

 

[splitterz]

I just got married to my canadian wife in July, and we just got back from our honeymoon. We are anxious to begin the process. Can anyone point me to a reply or post about how and what they included in their application? All the information I am coming across is quite overwhelming..

I got my FBI background check done in advance, I recieved it a few days before I got married. Now I am looking to get my medical done, does it matter where? Can I get one done in Canada?

I was told to submit all documents together. What additional information supporting your case did anyone include and how is that put into an application? I have 20+ flight itineraries logged, texts, emails, and pictures...what else would help my case?

We met each other in December 2013, and married July 2014.

 

[Amalthea]

pretty sure the passport photos from aaa are 2x2 as indicated in the instructions, they don't look "bigger" than that.

The instructions say the photo needs to be 35mm x 45mm (1 3/8" x 1 3/4") not 2 x 2. Also the crown-chin measurements are different.

Thankfully I guess German passports are that size (35mm x 45mm) so we just used that template @ Walgreens, and guesstimated on the head size XD I have to cut em out by hand, so, hoping I can cut straight >_> lmao

 

[Amalthea]

I just got married to my canadian wife in July, and we just got back from our honeymoon. We are anxious to begin the process. Can anyone point me to a reply or post about how and what they included in their application? All the information I am coming across is quite overwhelming..

I got my FBI background check done in advance, I recieved it a few days before I got married. Now I am looking to get my medical done, does it matter where? Can I get one done in Canada?

I was told to submit all documents together. What additional information supporting your case did anyone include and how is that put into an application? I have 20+ flight itineraries logged, texts, emails, and pictures...what else would help my case?

We met each other in December 2013, and married July 2014.

There are some really great posts on this forum showing how people chose to organize their final application, I'd use the search bar and look for em.. I've been referencing them a lot myself while I'm organizing all our paperwork Make sure your FBI check doesn't expire, I think it's only good for 3 months but I am not sure. Go on the CIC website to locate a panel physician near you for your medicals.

Most importantly, take a deep breath. Don't feel overwhelmed, you got this! Just one step at a time <3

 

[splitterz]

There are some really great posts on this forum showing how people chose to organize their final application, I'd use the search bar and look for em.. I've been referencing them a lot myself while I'm organizing all our paperwork Make sure your FBI check doesn't expire, I think it's only good for 3 months but I am not sure. Go on the CIC website to locate a panel physician near you for your medicals.

Most importantly, take a deep breath. Don't feel overwhelmed, you got this! Just one step at a time <3

Can I get a medical done in Canada, or does it matter?

 

[rhcohen2014]

Can I get a medical done in Canada, or does it matter?

yes, medicals can be completed in canada. comparatively, it's actually cheaper to do so in some areas.

 

[Roni07]

FBI Crim Rec check. lawyer says to apply for one but because it takes long time to receive, go ahead and submit application and provide later when asked. My girlfriend says Crim Rec check takes one month to get. So it might be better to wait to get it and include it with application, instead of submitting it later. Has anyone experienced this?

 

[rhcohen2014]

FBI Crim Rec check. lawyer says to apply for one but because it takes long time to receive, go ahead and submit application and provide later when asked. My girlfriend says Crim Rec check takes one month to get. So it might be better to wait to get it and include it with application, instead of submitting it later. Has anyone experienced this?

yes, the current processing time for the FBI record is about a month. it's your decision what to do. people have done both, and it's been fine. it doesn't sound like your attorney is getting his info from the FBI website, rather they are relying on the informaiton about FBI checks on the CIC website which is absolutely not accurate. If this is the case, i would rethink using this attorney. if they don't even know that the CIC website is inaccurate, RUN!

 

[Abrassain]

My husband had his medical done by the only panel physician in Michigan. He has insurance but the costs are so high to begin with that he still ended up paying $200 on top of the $200 doctor fee for the xray, blood, and urine test. This doctor didn't even perform a proper physical. Just asked my husband if he was healthy. In Ontario it would have been around $255 all inclusive at a lot of places. You have to call around and ask their rates because they vary but I believe a doctor in London, ON and Oakville, ON was the cheapest. We stupidly went with the doctor in MI because he thought insurance would cover the lab tests 100%. Oh well.

 

[uskyoot]

Yes, generally the medical is less expensive in Canada. If you live near the border it is a good idea to check prices in Canada. My husband has his done in Windsor and the total cost was $255.00 Also, it is easier to get the photos done in Canada as most places have the software that makes the pictures the correct size.