Visa officer asking for income to sponsor wife.

[Waiting_man_007]

It is for one of my friend. He is a Canadian citizen working full time in Canada.
He applied to sponsor his wife nearly 1.5 years ago. The visa office is London. Five months ago, he received a letter from CHC London asking him to send the following documents.
1- proof that you are living in Canada.
2- Although, you are full time employee but my concern is that you dont make enough to take care of your family. Please provide any extra source of income.
He was given 45 days.
My friend who is living in Canada, send his rental agreement, bank statment and proof of employment stating that he is in Canada and working full time. In his letter, he mentioned as well that as a Canadian, he can sponsor his wife even living outside Canada and to sponsor his wife, there is no income restriction in law.
Last week, he received again a letter from CHC london asking for the following documents:
1- My concern is that you are not living in Canada and to sponsor your wife, you must be in Canada so please provide documents to address my this concern.
2- After having you tax return, my concern is that you will not be able to take care of your family. Please provide enough documents that you are in strong position with enough income to support your family.

Now, he is given again 30 days.
Any body having any idea that why visa officer is asking for such things for second time.
Any advice will be highly appreciated.

 

[scylla]

Yes - as a Canadian citizen he can sponsor his wife while outside of Canada - however if he was outside of Canada he would need to provide proof that he plans to return to Canada once her PR visa is approved. So the question the visa officer is asking is perfectly valid if the VO believes he's not living in Canada. The same goes for the income question. While there is no minimum income requirement, visa officers can refuse applications if they believe the sponsor isn't financially stable enough to support the applicant and the family could end up on social assistance. So the second question the visa officer is asking is valid as well. It was probably a bad idea to challenge the visa officer in the letter by mentioning that there is no minimum income require to sponsor a spouse and that Canadian citizens can sponsor a spouse while outside of Canada - but what's done is done.

Having said that, it does seem strange that the VO has requested more information. Is there more to this story? How many people is your friend already supporting in Canada? Does he have children? Are his parents perhaps living with him? Was he outside of Canada for a while and recently returned?

I would send the same evidence again on the off chance CIC didn't receive the first package (maybe that's the problem?) and would include additional evidence to show that he is in fact living in Canada (utility bills, credit card statements, payroll slips, etc.).

 

[Waiting_man_007]

Thanks for the reply.
He is living in Canada from last 5 years and visits every year for 2-3 months to see his family back home.
The only reason to challenge visa officer was that he send all his employment letter, rental agreement, bank statement, letter from friends, letter from job etc send to visa officer. However, asking for more documents means that visa officer is not giving more weight to any of those documents. Visa officer mentioned in his letter, that thanks for providing all the additional information on dated so and so. it means that he has all the bills, rental agreement, job letter.

He has nothing more to send and have to send the same documents again.
The question only here that as visa officer was not satisfied on first hand, then how he will be satisfied with same documents now?

My friend is a security guard getting 13$ per hour, 5 days a week. One interesting thing the visa officer wrote that through open sources, he confirmed and the company for which my friend is working does not exist any more. Visa officer also asked to update the employment status. As Paragon securities is there and is one of the big name in securities, so we think that visa officer mind stuck at one point and without confirming any thing, he start giving zero value to all documents and asking for more documents.

He was advised by couple of lawyers that most probably, the decision will be REJECTION. so it is good to take the application back and apply again regardless of 1.5 year time wastage. According to lawyers, once he made decision, it will remain in his record and whenever, he will apply, the new visa officer will see the record and will start thinking on same lines. However, if he takes the application back at this stage, in record, no decision will be written and may new visa officer take it with different angle.

 

[keesio]

He is living in Canada from last 5 years and visits every year for 2-3 months to see his family back home.
The only reason to challenge visa officer was that he send all his employment letter, rental agreement, bank statement, letter from friends, letter from job etc send to visa officer. However, asking for more documents means that visa officer is not giving more weight to any of those documents. Visa officer mentioned in his letter, that thanks for providing all the additional information on dated so and so. it means that he has all the bills, rental agreement, job letter.

That is a lot of information provided. So it is odd that the officer doubts not only the income but also the fact that he is even living in Canada. If he has provided a signed letter of employment from the HR department of his employer, that is usually really strong proof. Did he also provide Notice of Assessments for the past 5 tax years?

What I suspect is that officer doubts if your friend has full-time (or mostly full-time) employment because of his 2-3 months extended trip every year. But it is not that abnormal for some professions. So I'm really not sure what is going through the head of the officer. Are there any other "red flags" with the application?

 

[Waiting_man_007]

There was nothing for a one year. Then five months ago, he received letter asking for proof that he is living in Canada and he has enough income to support family.
Yes, he sent last time letter from HR about his job working hours and pay, Option C from last three years, rental agreement as the apartment he is living in is on his name, his bank statements from last 12 months, letters from his friends to confirm that he lived in Canada and working as a security guard etc.

After having all these documents, if visa officer still have same concerns then it means that sending the same documents are useless. We dont know what is in visa officer mind but having same concern after having all these documents can let us know that what he can have in his mind?

Question is to send all these documents again and wait for rejection or getting the application back and apply again.