US outland applicants' thread :)

[MrGmovestoCA]

Just an update for all who are applying for PR and want some extra hope. Application received Nov 5. CIC started Processing on Dec 28. Jan 13 we got SA. March 7 notified of DM. Today I received my CoPR in the mail here in the States!

 

[julies879]

Just an update for all who are applying for PR and want some extra hope. Application received Nov 5. CIC started Processing on Dec 28. Jan 13 we got SA. March 7 notified of DM. Today I received my CoPR in the mail here in the States!

Great! Did you send in your FBI check with the app or a letter explaining the long processing time? It's always a question I ask to gauge time compared to our app

 

[MrGmovestoCA]

Great! Did you send in your FBI check with the app or a letter explaining the long processing time? It's always a question I ask to gauge time compared to our app

I sent a letter explaining the long wait. I didn't send the FBI Certificate until mid January. For reference, I did the medical and paid all the PR fees and submitted with the application.

 

[julies879]

I sent a letter explaining the long wait. I didn't send the FBI Certificate until mid January. For reference, I did the medical and paid the full balance in the beginning.

Paid in full meaning you paid the PR fees right away?

 

[MrGmovestoCA]

Paid in full meaning you paid the PR fees right away?

Yes. I paid them as part of the initial application.

 

[CDNPR2014]

Hi everyone,

I'm Canadian about to sponsor my American husband via outland. He is currently in Canada on the Post-Graduate Work Permit but it expires March 27. Our plan is to go visit his family in Boston for Easter (leaving March 24) and return to Toronto on March 27 and switch his status to Visitor. We won't be able to submit our outland application until the first week of May because we are waiting on the marriage certificate but everything else is done.

Anyone have experience re-entering Canada after a work permit expires? What should we prepare for?

i think the biggest issue is he's not going to have many "ties" to the us at this point. i'm not sure how they are with post-grad work permit holders returning, so here is my advice based on my expierience as a visitor.
1. see if he can get some "ties" to the us while there. meaning if he can get his family to write up a lease agreement or something stating he's living with them and paying rent until he gets on his feet, that may help. they are going to want to see he has a job, school and/or living situation to go back to. from my experience, saying you live with family doesn't quite cut it, since technically you can just leave at anytime and go anywhere you want. if you have a lease agreement binding you to a responsibility, that may help.
2. if he can set up some sort of freelance work online, and use that as his proof of employment, that can help too. they are ok with people working virtually for a us employer/us clients. just be sure the clients are not in canada, and to be able to show some proof of payment/contract. more than likely, they won't ask to see it, it's just good to have it handy. the biggest concern for them is taking jobs away from canadians.
3. pay at least 1 application fee before going back up to canada. make sure to carry that receipt and everything you have for your pr application with you when you cross (print out a copy and bring your proofs to show your progress). this will show them you have intentions for applying for PR and know the rules. don't worry about it being perfect or filled out properly/completely. once they see that big stack of papers, they'll know you know what you're suppose to do.
4. make sure to use the right language at the border. he is not "living" or "moving" to canada, he is only visiting and he wants to stay there while his pr app. processes.

 

[zubairzi]

Hi

2 Questions:

1) I got my AOR yesterday, does that mean that no documents are missing from my application? I sent in our application on Feb 9th but my wife's (applicant) FBI check was over 6 months old. I didn't see any notice to send in a new FBI check yet so I wasn't sure if I'm in the clear?

2) Is there a spreadsheet for US applicants only? That way we can compare processing times.

Thank you!

 

[CDNPR2014]

Hi

2 Questions:

1) I got my AOR yesterday, does that mean that no documents are missing from my application? I sent in our application on Feb 9th but my wife's (applicant) FBI check was over 6 months old. I didn't see any notice to send in a new FBI check yet so I wasn't sure if I'm in the clear?

Thank you!

yes, essentially that means the application is complete. remember though, right now they are only checking for completeness and processing the sponsor app. Once it gets transferred to the visa office and the officer starts processing it, they *may* request an updated FBI check if it's deemed outdated. since the file can technically be transferred without the FBI check, you can't be sure you're in the clear yet. at this point, since the wait for the FBI check is so long, you may want to consider getting a backup in case it's requested down the road.

 

[Aquakitty]

Hi

2 Questions:

1) I got my AOR yesterday, does that mean that no documents are missing from my application? I sent in our application on Feb 9th but my wife's (applicant) FBI check was over 6 months old. I didn't see any notice to send in a new FBI check yet so I wasn't sure if I'm in the clear?

2) Is there a spreadsheet for US applicants only? That way we can compare processing times.

Thank you!

There's no US only spreadsheet, unless you include my brain since I keep a tally of them
There are plenty of them on the 2015 spreadsheet in my signature though.

The average is 4-9 months. Some people even get theirs in under 4 months.

 

[Mybarbiehead]

There's no US only spreadsheet, unless you include my brain since I keep a tally of them

Hahaha

 

[canadausa#11]

I added up every DM for 2015 onwards and the average is right at about 6.5 months for the whole process.

 

[julies879]

Question. On the sponsors document checklist it says that if you are a Canadian living outside the country, you need to show proof that you intend to relocate to Canada once permanent residency is granted. How do we do this?

We fully intend to move asap after I get my PR status but we have no way of "proving" this. It's impossible to get a job this far out, impossible to buy a house this far out, etc etc.

Anyone have any tips/advice for this?

WE ARE SO CLOSE. I just want this app to be out of our hands and in the mail, haha

 

[CDNPR2014]

Question. On the sponsors document checklist it says that if you are a Canadian living outside the country, you need to show proof that you intend to relocate to Canada once permanent residency is granted. How do we do this?

We fully intend to move asap after I get my PR status but we have no way of "proving" this. It's impossible to get a job this far out, impossible to buy a house this far out, etc etc.

Anyone have any tips/advice for this?

WE ARE SO CLOSE. I just want this app to be out of our hands and in the mail, haha

you don't need concrete proof. what you need to do is show them you have a plan for relocating to canada. this can include writing a letter and showing research done about the area you want to move to, whether you plan to rent/own, what sources you are using to find a living space, what industries you plan to work in, companies you want to pursue, letters from family members offering support while you get up on your feet, organizations you plan to reach out to help with settlement, copies of correspondence regarding any of the above, etc. basically they want to know you'll cover all your bases when you get here and won't automatically go on welfare. CIC officers are humans and they are well aware it's near to impossible to have things set prior to moving. Show them your plan and how/why you intend to make it happen. IMO, this is one area where providing an overload of information will be a benefit.

 

[julies879]

you don't need concrete proof. what you need to do is show them you have a plan for relocating to canada. this can include writing a letter and showing research done about the area you want to move to, whether you plan to rent/own, what sources you are using to find a living space, what industries you plan to work in, companies you want to pursue, letters from family members offering support while you get up on your feet, organizations you plan to reach out to help with settlement, copies of correspondence regarding any of the above, etc. basically they want to know you'll cover all your bases when you get here and won't automatically go on welfare. CIC officers are humans and they are well aware it's near to impossible to have things set prior to moving. Show them your plan and how/why you intend to make it happen.

Perfect. THAT I can easily do. Thank you!

 

[ayrazar]

Ahhhh husband got DM today. I don't even know what to do next I'm like vibrating trying to make it through the work day.