Information needed from Canadians

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marliejaneca

Bronze
Oct 7, 2003
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This is going out to all the Canadians out there that have been through the visa process of getting their spouse into Canada from the DR.
I am going through a nightmare just trying to get my American common-law spouses' immigration papers processed. We have now been told that it will take another 18-24 months as the processing centre in Alberta is back-logged.
So, my question is how long did the actual process of getting your spouse from the DR to Canada actually take. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if it was quicker than getting an American in.
Robert - if you feel that there is not enough DR related content in this thread, please just allow me to make contact with anyone who has brought a Dominican into Canada and then we could email or pm after that - Thank you
Marlie
 
T

trina

Silver
Jan 3, 2002
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I have heard that it does take longer, to tell you the truth, which is quite unfair. I was one of the lucky ones...just over 5 months from start to finish, that included being approved for sponsorship in Canada, sending the papers to Haiti, and being able to pick up the visa in Santo Domingo. I started everything on December 5, found out I was pregnant in March, notified the office in Haiti via a letter from our doctor, and my husband was able to pick up his visa on May 20.

Best of luck!
 
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marliejaneca

Bronze
Oct 7, 2003
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Thanks Trina

Thanks for the quick response - did your husband have a job already or a profession that was in demand in Canada.
So - unless your husband had a job lined up - are you saying that he could just come and have no proof of self -support - nada?
Interesting, and maybe just the fuel for fire I need when working with immigration officials.
I would still like to hear other stories - as you say - you were one of the lucky ones.
 
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ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
4,837
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Family Sponsorship

marliejaneca said:
Thanks for the quick response - did your husband have a job already or a profession that was in demand in Canada.
So - unless your husband had a job lined up - are you saying that he could just come and have no proof of self -support - nada?
Interesting, and maybe just the fuel for fire I need when working with immigration officials.
I would still like to hear other stories - as you say - you were one of the lucky ones.
Click to expand...

Since he's your husband they look at the LICO to see if you can afford to sponsor him and not if he has a job offer, etc. That's would be a qualification for independent status on the point system. If you're unemployed or under the LICO you can't sponsor him. In any case family status applications are not supposed to take 2 years. (Actually more as you said "another"). I assume you are using a lawyer not a "consultant (aka: thief) in Canada to do this - they should be able to get to the bottom of it.

If you aren't using one, it's time for one. A REAL lawyer.
 
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marliejaneca

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Oct 7, 2003
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Thanks Rick for the advice, I am beginning to think the same.
My spouse owned a business here first, and unsure if he wanted to stay in Canada or just have his partner run in when he was back in the States, did not immediately apply for immigration. He met me, sold the business out to his partner, changed his work visa and went to work at a much better paying job for which he had 20 years of experience in the States. We decided this is where we want to live, applied for landed immigrant status, bought our house and here we wait. I am financially able to support him but never have had too as he has his own money and a very high paying job. His home town in the States is only 4 hours away from where we are in Canada, and there are many Americans living in our area.
Now for the DR content - why is it that someone can come from a Carribbean nation, no job, limited English skills, and nothing basically to add to Canadian society get in so quick (sorry Trina - I am just generalizing at this point, nothing personal) and yet my spouse is in a profession in demand here in Canada and still gets the runaround.
 
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ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
4,837
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Get a Lawyer

marliejaneca said:
Thanks Rick for the advice, I am beginning to think the same.

Now for the DR content - why is it that someone can come from a Carribbean nation, no job, limited English skills, and nothing basically to add to Canadian society get in so quick (sorry Trina - I am just generalizing at this point, nothing personal) and yet my spouse is in a profession in demand here in Canada and still gets the runaround.
Click to expand...

Because the government doesn't make value judgements about who you fall in love with and want to marry or what contribution your non-English speaking 75 year old mother can make to Canada which is dick all really, right?(would you like them to start?) .

The spouse/job value thing is TOTALLY unrelated to family class sponsorships. LICO and if it (the relationship/fiance/spouse, etc.) is legitimate is the whole core of family class immigration.

You need a lawyer to see what the he** is going on as the process is not 18-24 months plus however long you've been at it. If you're in Toronto I can give you one, PM me.
 
F

Fiesta Mama

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Jan 28, 2004
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No financial requirement for spouses...

Hi Marlie. Just thought I would add my two cents. I have spoken with Canadian Immigration officials on several occasions over the past month or so. I was told that when you are sponsoring a spouse there is NO financial requirement - meaning you don't have to show that you make enough to support your spouse (spouses are exempt from that stipulation apparently). It does apply if you are sponsoring your sister, mother, etc. Also, you mentioned that your application is being processed in Alberta. I was told that that processing centre takes much longer than the one in Mississauga and the one in Alberta is for processing applications for spouses who are already living in Canada and have landed immigrant status. Maybe that is why spouses coming from outside of the country are processed faster because once the initial forms are verified in Mississauga, they are sent to the country where the spouse lives. I don't think you should have to spend money on a lawyer - is there any way you could speak with someone higher up at Immigration Canada to get to the bottom of why it is taking so long?
 
G

Gabriela

Bronze
Dec 4, 2003
629
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marliejaneca said:
This is going out to all the Canadians out there that have been through the visa process of getting their spouse into Canada from the DR.
I am going through a nightmare just trying to get my American common-law spouses' immigration papers processed. We have now been told that it will take another 18-24 months as the processing centre in Alberta is back-logged.
So, my question is how long did the actual process of getting your spouse from the DR to Canada actually take. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if it was quicker than getting an American in.
Robert - if you feel that there is not enough DR related content in this thread, please just allow me to make contact with anyone who has brought a Dominican into Canada and then we could email or pm after that - Thank you
Marlie
Click to expand...

Something weird is going on between the U.S. and Canada concerning marriage and immigration. Plus you are in Alberta, which is unlike anywhere else. I think comparing DR and US immigration to Canada is futile. You might want to get legally married.
 
C

caicos

New member
May 22, 2003
15
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US/Canadian immigration

Is your relationship recognized as common-law in Canada as well as the US? In the US common-law marriages have most of the legal protections as a legal marriage, but not all. Maybe this is the problem, common-law marriages are not treated the same as Trina's legal marriage under Canada's immigration laws.
 
M

marliejaneca

Bronze
Oct 7, 2003
980
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Gabriela,
Actually I am not in Alberta, we live in Northwestern Ontario - 1 1/2 hours from Kenora and 1 hour north of the Minnesota border (which is the state that my spouse comes from)
We had to send the papers to Alberta because that is where they process In-Canada applications.
Caicos,
Yes, it is recognized as common-law - the Canadian law states that you must only co-habitate at least one year to be recognized as common-law.

All the forms are the same for married or common-law that we have had to fill out so it doesn't make a difference.

But we had better focus on the original question which had some DR content in it or this thread will be closed.

Anyone that has any more comments not DR related - feel free to PM me.
Thanks again for all the great responses.
Marlie
 
D

dprasociad

New member
Feb 9, 2004
29
0
0
You missed the baby

marliejaneca said:
This is going out to all the Canadians out there that have been through the visa process of getting their spouse into Canada from the DR.
- Thank you
Marlie
Click to expand...


Normal system takes 2 to 3 years if you do not jump the queue.

Please read the post

quote******

.........sending the papers to Haiti, and being able to pick up the visa in Santo Domingo. I started everything on December 5,

found out I was pregnant in March,

notified the office in Haiti via a letter from our doctor, and my husband was able to pick up his visa on May 20.

End of quote*****

This baby cut the processing time to 3 months max.

UNLESS you spouse is on the US watch list. Then it will take forever.

Yours

DP
 
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