looking for an immigration consultant in Vancouver

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Do you know of a good consultant in the Vancouver area who I could use to sponsor my husband over? 

-FD

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futuredentist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Junior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote futuredentist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: looking for an immigration consultant in Vancouver Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 2:34pm
	Do you know of a good consultant in the Vancouver area who I could use to sponsor my husband over? -FD

boundary47 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Dec 2009 Status: Offline Points: 317	Post Options Post Reply Quote boundary47 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 4:39pm
	I've heard good things about Lowe and Company on West Broadway, but haven't personally used their services. I initially considered using a consultant, but when I realized that we are the ones who must gather almost all the information anyway, I read the guides and decided to do it myself. If you're really a future dentist, you undoubtedly have the academic skills required to understand the guides, follow instructions, and pull together a comprehensive application. I know it's a lot of work, but you'd be doing much of that work using a consultant anyway. There are a few reasons why I would consider using a consultant, now that I've almost completed the application. First, we had to learn a lot about where to get various documents -- for example, police certificates, fingerprints, birth certificates, etc. If the consultant has experience with the country your husband lives in, they can save you some time and frustration. Second, a consultant should know the process, forms and guides by heart, and should be able to tell you very quickly what is required and what isn't. You shouldn't have to spend much time here if you use a consultant. Third, I'd use a consultant if I had more money than time. It is time consuming to pull one of these packages together. I'm sure I can do it much faster now that I've done one; but the consultant should be able to do it even faster since they've done many. I would not hire a consultant unless I had the opportunity to speak with previous clients. Written accolades are not the same as a phone call to ask questions. I work as a consultant (not immigration, than goodness!) and know that like any other occupation, there are great ones, good ones, mediocre ones and some downright incompetent and dishonest ones. Make sure you get at least a good one or it's not worth the money. B47

futuredentist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Junior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote futuredentist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 5:00pm
	Hi B47, Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful response. I started putting my application together myself and I am almost through everything. But my husband and I got married under unusual circumstances, our families were not present, we didn't have a traditional wedding etc. So I thought a consultant would tell us how best to present our situation. We are concerned about what CIC will think about our unconventional ways and perhaps a consultant would know how to circumvent those. Also now that I am already in BC trying to do the groundwork to get a job and apartment, I started wondering whether they would care about the fact that I am sharing an apartment with others, how long my lease contract is for and whether I have a minimum wage job or a high paying job (I can easily get a job in security as I have a friend in security). How are we to know how things are perceived by CIC? So I thought it would be safer to get a consultant. If you could advise me about the above questions, I would be really thankful. Thanks again for taking the pains to respond. FD

mitamata Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List New Member Joined: 29 Nov 2009 Location: Surrey, BC Status: Offline Points: 71	Post Options Post Reply Quote mitamata Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 7:37pm
	It depends on the big picture. If you had a long relationship preceding the wedding and have a lot of evidence to show that you are a genuine couple, then the lack of a traditional wedding is not a big deal. Though that also depends on where your husband is from - some visa offices attribute more importance to having everything done by tradition than others. It could also be an issue if besides this, there are a lot of differences between you (religion, age etc) Personally, I would just honestly explain why the wedding happened as it did, why the family wasn't present etc. CIC will not care how much you earn, though they'll be happy to see you have a job. Where you live I doubt will be an issue, but if you will be living with someone else, best to include a note somewhere explaining why and who they are. Not saying you don't need a consultant. If you get a good one, they will probably take some stress off it. As boundary47 said, they've had a lot of practice so they should be able to know how to do this faster than you. But unless you have something really tricky in your case (many people get married like you did), you don't really need one. Then again, better safe than sorry, right?
	Outland - spousal - Vienna - 2009 Feb 16th - app received at CPC-M Mar 3rd - decision made at CPC-M Mar 27th - received AOR Apr 29th - PPR received via email May 12th - Passport with visa received :)

futuredentist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Junior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote futuredentist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 7:59pm
	Mitamata, My husband and I are from India. We did not want a traditional wedding because we think that weddings in our culture are done too extravagantly, with a lot of pomp and show and hence they lose sight of the larger purpose of joining two lives together in marriage. Also, Indian weddings are generally organized months in advance with detailed attention given to the venue, attire, copious amounts of gold jewelry, besides going in-person, delivering invitations to family, friends and distant relatives living all over India. It involves engaging an astrologer to prescribe the auspicious time for the wedding ceremony to be conducted. We were too unconventional to subscribe to the above for an event as private as our official coming together. We did have a small ritual at a temple with only his friends because I wanted the religious rites to be done. After what you said I am going to play down our criticism of Indian weddings. May be the visa office in India will be offended. Gosh this is stressful. We knew each other since 2001 and got married in 2009 but we can only show chats from 2006 because the previous chat history was wiped out of my computer during reinstallation. -fd

redeagle Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Top Member Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Location: Gibsons, BC Status: Offline Points: 1178	Post Options Post Reply Quote redeagle Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2010 at 8:33pm
	Three years of communication should be more than enough needed to show, and any evidence before that in whatever manner could be included. The fact that you have been together so long will perhaps take the way the marriage was performed off the agenda somewhat.
	"Will this matter a year from now?" Probably, this is gonna be a one hell of a long journey.

futuredentist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Junior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote futuredentist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2010 at 4:37pm
	Hi, So it doesn't matter if what kind of job you have even if its part-time right? What if you get fired in between. I suppose CIC will contact the employer at some point asking if I really work there or not, so what happens if I have been fired? fd

EnglishMuffin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Average Member Joined: 29 Nov 2009 Status: Offline Points: 167	Post Options Post Reply Quote EnglishMuffin Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2010 at 10:08pm
	Futuredentist, I have used a consultant here in Vancouver who was the former manager of New Delhi outland visa office. His office walls are covered with commendations from CIC for his consultation practice which I believe he has been practising here for 10 years? He charged me in 2008 not a great deal of money for two hour-long consultations on our case which had various complications, and I would say his advice guided us into preparing a pretty rock-solid package of additional information requested by CHC London about our common-law sponsorship. We are now past the interview and into the home-stretch of redoing the medical and police certificate. Post on here or mail me if you want his details. Good luck.

EnglishMuffin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Average Member Joined: 29 Nov 2009 Status: Offline Points: 167	Post Options Post Reply Quote EnglishMuffin Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2010 at 10:21pm
	Actually, here's his website if you want to have a look for yourself. Again, he has been an IO and manager of the New Delhi office, from what he told me. http://www.newroots.ca/index.html

futuredentist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Junior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote futuredentist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2010 at 10:22pm
	Hi Englishmuffin, Could I please have his details? My email is [email protected] or you could PM me. Just curious but why did you have to redo police cert and medical. I have just told my husband to do his so I'm just wondering. Thanks a bunch fd