Quick Questions
Printed From: Canada Immigration and Visa Discussion Forum
Category: Canada Immigration Topics
Forum Name: Family Class Sponsorship
Forum Description: A review of current sponsorship programs (permanent residence) promoting the reunion in Canada of close relatives from abroad.
URL: https://secure.immigration.ca/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4775
Printed Date: 27 Apr 2024 at 11:02pm
Topic: Quick Questions
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Subject: Quick Questions
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2010 at 11:47am
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Hello! The hell is in the details, is it not? Good news first, got the divorce certificate today. I'm thrilled. We've requested a copy of his birth certificate and expect that by the end of November. So all in all, we're okay to marry legally. Now, for the questions. I wish the 'search' feature was more user-friendly. =D US OUTLAND SPOUSAL - Visiting in Ontario 1. I started dating my previous husband starting Hallowe'en 2006. We married in Sept 1990, and as stated just got my shiny new divorce certificate today. What date do I use in IMM 1344 A Part A, Question 9 - the date we became bf/gf or the dates that we were married? 2. IMM 5540 Question 7 - Date "To" is 'present'. Do I leave it blank on the computer, then hand print 'present' in the 'end date'? Does this go towards all other "until present" time lines? 3. IMM 5540 Question 14 - I know the month and year only of when my friends/family met Tim. Do I just leave the days blank, and write a quick note indicating this? I also don't know the exact day that I met my husband. This is for IMM 5490. I know the month and year only. Help, please? ^^ 4. IMM 0008 Generic - His Dad isn't stating where he was born. We know it's in Connecticut somewhere, but the town/city itself isn't known. What do we do here? We've already exhausted all other family members for this information. 5. IMM 5490 Question 30. Do you receive financial support from your sponsor? Is "She supports us both with her pay." an acceptable answer? How about "Whenever I have need"? for the second box? Better suggestions? I play us as a Team here. ^^ 6. IMM 5406 Section C. Tim's Dad married again, and there's a step-brother-type person out there. We have no information on him, and Dad is not currently granting information. Tim's pretty sure that his step-mom's son is married, but apart from that, no idea whatsoever. Point out what we would be writing here, if Dad decides to keep his silence? Supporting documents / copies: My birth certificate is clear, but light in colour. Sufficient anyway? His passport came out rather 'red', but again, legible. Good enough is? How do we send the fingerprints? I printed off an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper from RobsLuv's link for the FBI prints and the cover letter. (Forever thanksgiving, by the way, RobsLuv. You rock!) How did you send them? I have a 9" x 13" envelope, and will certainly send that with a backing of cereal box to prevent them from being crushed, if needed. I just want to know. Same as with the photos. The DMP suggested they wanted 6 photos, not five as the package for the US claims. I have read and re-read the requirements. The I/O is going to be looking for 4 in addition to the ones that the DMP requests. We will be bringing the instructional sheet to the photographer's of course. We'll also be asking for a few extra copies. Now, are there other photos besides these ones in the US package (ie., passport pictures as well) that I'm NOT seeing? >> I just want to make AB SO LUTE LY sure that we're not messing up. Thank you again, good folk! I do dearly appreciate. |
Replies:
Posted By: RobsLuv
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2010 at 1:41pm
------------- 3/2007-applied 1/2008-Refused 12/2008-ADR failed 1/2010-Appeal allowed 4/2010-In Process(Again) 5/2010-request FBI/meds 8/2010-FBI recd 11/30/10-APPROVED! 1/31/11-LANDED! |
Patience Tuesday wrote:Posted By: audball
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2010 at 6:49pm
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for the stepbrother issue, I had a similar problem. My dad was married once before marrying my mother. I wrote the names of my half brother and half sister but "unknown" for everything else. My dad passed away years ago and I have no way of getting the information. CIC didn't care or ask for more than what I gave |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2010 at 9:11pm
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GORGEOUS! Thank you both! I have always appreciated both of your responses. Will have ten photos taken, and then get reprints when they ask. Yes, the previous man was 1986. Very strange that I wrote 2006. My mind was wandering. Again, thank you RobsLuv and audball. |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 12:22pm
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Hello, just an update, and another two questions! (Oh Joy - lol) Birth certificate for Mr. USA came in. Wow. Mom's information AND Dad's information is right on it. Dad wasn't even born in CT at all. She wasn't born where she thought she was. lol It's all good. I'll just change everything and print it out again where needed. Now, the certificate itself says that it's illegal to photostat it. Fair enough. I looked in the US packet, to see what they needed - either the original or a copy. (I'd so rather not send that certificate. Cost us forty five buckeroonies.) You both are from that amazing country. What did you do? Send in a photocopy, or the real thing? Also, those pictures. I called Wal-Mart and told them the specs. They want $14.99 for two. I told them that they were NOT passport pics. They still want $14.99 for two. That's incredible. I'm thinking that I'm not asking them for the right thing. Any suggestions on what I *am* asking for? I gave them the specs on the sheet, but the manager did not seem to understand. We don't have a London Drugs here in Ontario, but surely there's another inexpensive chain outlet that we can go for pics that don't cost the price of our medical? I have found a DMP that will do the medical for $145, plus $55 for the x-ray. Ten pictures all the same should not cost a hundred fifty plus taxes, in my humblest of opinions. Suggestions? Advice? Someone to laugh with me? =D |
Posted By: scylla
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 1:37pm
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Send a photocopy of the birth certificate. Definitely no need to send the real thing. Sorry - not sure what to suggest for the photos. My husband took the instructions to a non-chain photo place and they seemed willing to accommodate. Do you have anything like that near you? ------------- Outland Spousal (Buffalo): App recd: 05/28/2010 Sponsor approved: 06/28/2010 Processing started: 08/19/2010 Passport request: 10/01/2010 Landed: 10/05/2010 |
Posted By: audball
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 9:57pm
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Shoppers has the pics 2 for $9.99 I went to a place located inside the service canada in edmonton. I got all my pics done and it was around $70. I've had to pay 2 for $9.99 at shoppers now though. it at least beats walmart but make sure they know the specs you need. they've gotten mine wrong twice, ughhh |
Posted By: ArityMonk
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 2:29pm
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Patience, for the photos, I found that going to independent photographers was much more reasonable, and they were able to accommodate the requirements for the photos better than the chain stores. I found that many of the chain stores can't change their machines to even do the right photos, nor will they cut them down for me. You might try googling "Immigration photos __your area___" and calling around. ------------- Married 1/22/10 Sponsorship decision made 5/20/10 AOR to Buffalo 6/16/10 PPR 10/19/10 Landed 10/29/10 |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 2:57pm
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Again, you guys rock! Thank you for your timely suggestions. We have 'photographers', fine art people, in our area. They are asking for arms and legs. I want to keep my limbs. I'd rather just spend digits, like fingers or toes. =P Will certainly see if Shopper's has anything going on then. I will try a couple of the smaller photographers in the area. Surely SOMEONE is going to be able to do up a sheet of ten for less than a hundred and a half. Thank you all, again! |
Posted By: Siouxie
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 8:04pm
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Other ideas..
1) go to a photo booth in a mall (I sent my visitors renewal in using one of these)
2) get one professionally done, take it home, scan it into your computer and then use photo software to size it correctly, print and cut into as many as you need. (I did this for my next ones I sent in for my PR card, medical etc).
3) See if there is a 1 hour photo store nearby = they were the cheapest for getting a professional one done.
4) Phone your local Sears - they have portrait studio's and do immigration photo's
 ------------- This is only my opinion... CIC are a law unto themselves |
Posted By: pmm
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2010 at 8:55pm
Hi
Don't use the photo booth photos, they are usually refused for the PR card as the background is usually wrong, and they have a tendency to fade. ------------- PMM |
Posted By: dpenabill
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2010 at 12:26am
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Ditto I am surprised that you cannot find, as ArityMonk suggests, an independent photographer nearby who does "passport" photos for a very reasonable price, with far more assurance as to compliance with the specs (for somewhat like passport photos but different), and, at least for me I was able to go back to the same photographer and get additional photographs printed for a lot less . . . well, could not be all that much less because, frankly, the originals were not that much. I got my passport request which required photos with specs for the PR card in time to simply go back down to the "studio" and they printed additional copies of my earlier photos, print modified to meet the specs, for just five bucks apiece as I recall. Not the arty types, but the usual studio portrait photographer types, just not one of the big chains which "trains" employees to be their "photographers" rather than hiring real photographers. ------------- Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions. BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration |
Posted By: Harmonia
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2010 at 3:01pm
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Patience - where in Ontario are you? ------------- Citizenship App Sent: December 2012 |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2010 at 11:01pm
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Hello! I'm in London. Have actually found someone, too! Victor Aziz, Photographer. As ArityMonk and dpenabill have said, independant AND affordable. A little under thirty dollars for the ten. Time stamped, too. REALLY good fees for other stuff, too. I'm a believer! =D We're getting married in mid-March. When should the pics be done? I know that they have to be under 6 mos when the DMP and CIC get them. We're going to be sending in the fingerprints end of December, start of January for their sixteen to eighteen week timeframe. I'm aiming for end of March for the medical, and dropping in the marriage certificate mid to end of April Should send two sets of prints, just to be sure? Do you suppose our timing is a little "off"? Start of April for medical, keep prints as is, and expect certificate start of May? Just asking, and thank you all again! |
Posted By: dpenabill
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2010 at 2:54am
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Timing of photos: I waited until just a few days prior to my appointment with the DMP. That is the soonest you need them, and unlike other documents for which the timeline can be slow and somewhat unpredictable (marriage certificate for example, sometimes the police certificate), these sorts of photos are usually printed within the hour (or so), or at least within a day. My medical got scheduled sooner than I wanted (anticipating timeline for obtaining other documents and especially the marriage certificate), but this is not a big city and the DMP available was headed out of the country for an extended stay in England, so it was do it sooner or travel to see someone else. I got the FBI cert way early. FBI website said . . . cannot recall specifically, but it was at least several months, yet I got the cert back in four weeks or a little less (others reporting longer timelines during the last year) and thus they were nearly five months old by the time I applied, and of course the conventional wisdom is that they must be dated less than three months old at the time of applying. Did not cause a problem. But yeah, timing obtaining the police certificate can be a bit tricky. Marriage certificate was our main wait. Ontario's "expedited" service turns out to be, probably, the slower way to obtain the certificate, since you have to wait for a certain number of weeks to pass before they even allow you to make the expedited request. Whereas if you submit a routine certificate request (at least three weeks after the marriage, allowing time for the paperwork to be submitted and received), most report getting the Ontario marriage certificate back much sooner than one can even submit a request for an expediated one. You should be in good order. We did not even decide to marry and have me apply for PR until early November, and we had the application submitted by late April (and PR visa was issued early August). ------------- Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions. BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration |
Posted By: Harmonia
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2010 at 10:18am
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RE: expidited marraige cert. in Ontario.
What we did was handle everything ourselves. The priest gave us the documentation that he's normally supposed to send in... but we sent it in ourselves, with a cover letter requesting expedited processing due to immigration sponsoship - we also mentioned in the letter that we were going to order the certificate online in advance. The day it was received at the Registrar General, I went online and ordered the marriage certificate via the 'regular channel' (i.e. not expidited). We got the marriage cert in the mail 3 weeks after they received it (which is about a month and a half faster than normal.
------------- Citizenship App Sent: December 2012 |
Posted By: Megen
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2010 at 1:46pm
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Our marriage certificate was sent to us in Vancouver about 4 weeks after our wedding. Our marriage commissioner sent everything in for us. I expected it to take longer. The FBI clearance on the other hand took 3 months to get back. Thats what I was waiting on before I could send in my application. The day I got that in the mail I was so happy! I went straight to the post office and sent in my application. ------------- Spousal Outland (Buffalo) App Rcvd: 7/19/10 Sponsor Approved: 8/20/10 Buffalo Processing: 9/7/10 Decision Made: 9/28/10 PPR: 9/30/10 COPR and PP in hand 10/12/10 Landed 10/29/10 PR Card Rcd 12/6/2010 |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2010 at 12:55am
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Thank you, dpenabill, Harmonia and Megen. I'm so thankful for the added info. We paid the 1040 fee today, and I put the sponsor's name as the payer. I also included Tim's name as well, but over the other. We'll see if it gets rejected or if we have to pay again or whatever. I guess that means fingerprints are next and I'm leaning to send two sets instead of just one, as a just-in-case scenario. I think we can have them scanned but then printed on a sheet to send in, but I'll look again at the specs. Thanks again, all! |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2010 at 11:58am
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Dear heavens. I went to Western Union yesterday to acquire an $18 Money Order in US funds for the US Treasury. That was explained twice, clearly. I was charged the small fee, and after the calculations paid what I owe. Signing the back of it, I then flipped it over and wrote "US TREASURY" on the 'pay-to' part, and went home. Never before have I gotten a money order, and yes, I was in a bit of a rush to get me and my groceries home. I did not look at it more than a cursory glance. Upon arriving home, I look at this thing more closely. Claims it's in Canadian funds at the top of the slip. The amount is for $18.80. They want exact change, in US funds. Alright then, what do I do, please? Also, when I *do* get the man to the fingerprinter, they scan his fingers and then print on the sheet provided? I'm still confused on that one. |
Posted By: audball
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2010 at 12:09pm
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Not sure what your fingerprinter will do. Mine were done in ink, but at a US police station. As far as the money order goes, western union may not be the best place. If you go to the post office, they will easily give you a money order in US funds. I've never had a problem at all going through the PO. |
Posted By: dpenabill
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 2:14am
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For finger prints follow the specs for the relevant agency -- I forget, are you American and thus talking about FBI certificate? If so, while I do not know the status of using digital prints (many states are set up to use digital prints) but I do not think digital prints are "scanned" versions. Authorized digital prints are available in only select locations (none within a day's drive of me); and digital prints are not accepted by all agencies . . . again, if FBI, check with FBI site for their specs. Otherwise, official fingerprints are old-fashioned ink. Thus, if not digital I am pretty sure they must be the original ink version. I had my done by the RCMP (took awhile to get in to get them done . . . a couple or three weeks as I recall . . . since I am in Ontario and RCMP offices are relatively skeletal offices) and they have fingerprint cards that meet the FBI requirements; they automatically did two cards, gave me both, but I only sent one in to the FBI. Not just anybody can do fingerprints that will suffice, for obvious reasons (including identification of the individual being fingerprinted . . . that is, being sure the named individual is the same as the fingerprinted individual), though most police agencies can do them, and some private companies with authorization. Hopefully, as the purchaser, you can get a refund for the money order obtained from Western Union. Ditto audball on this: Canada Post is an excellent resource for obtaining money orders in U.S. funds. ------------- Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions. BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 12:28pm
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Thank you again, audball and dpenabill. I'm the Canadian sponsor, but yes, the man is a US Citizen. We are talking about the FBI certification. I shall take myself to the post office for said US Treasury request. Have just made in a call to Revenue Canada for the Option C printout; I will not file until April 15 exactly (Yes, I'm one of THOSE people. lol) My most recent taxation year therefore shall still be 2009, and that's what was ordered today. I don't want to 'jump the gun' however I read that I will need a letter from my employer stating my period of employment, etc, according to the checklist. Should I wait a little while longer for that, or "git'r'dun" now? I do so appreciate you good folk! |
Posted By: dpenabill
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 4:46pm
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Wait. The thing is, the relevant information in the application should be current as of the date the application is signed (so long as it is signed within a reasonable time of it being submitted), so employment information should be current up to that date. This is obviously something that can change between now and nearly six months from now. Remember, the details of your employment do not matter (least not much -- there are some scenarios in which it might, but probably not yours) so even if you are unemployed as of the date of the application that should not cause any problems. That said, obviously you can obtain the letter a reasonable time prior to the date the application is signed; how long ahead of time you actually ask the employer for the letter depends on the employer and how long (or difficult) it may be to obtain a letter. Some employers and/or their HR departments are very responsive to employee needs in this regard. Others not so much. Note, in general: you want your documentation to be as current as possible relative to the date you sign and submit the application forms; again, this can be a bit tricky with things like the FBI certificates, even the Medical exam, given having to wait for the marriage certificate, but less tricky with other things over which you maintain more control. I think this is particularly true, as well, as to proof of the relationship: do not overlook presentation of evidence for the last couple months leading up to submitting the application -- the "continuing" nature of the relationship is just as important as its commencement and maintenance. ------------- Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions. BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration |
Posted By: ArityMonk
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 5:45pm
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For fingerprints, I went to Tacoma, WA for mine which is a good-sized city, and they had the digital fingerprinting for FBI. They didn't want my copy of the page, as they had their own identical version to print on. I didn't know which to expect, but if they do digital, they'll handle the printing for you. ------------- Married 1/22/10 Sponsorship decision made 5/20/10 AOR to Buffalo 6/16/10 PPR 10/19/10 Landed 10/29/10 |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 2:23am
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Thank you! We shall wait for the letter of the employment then, and I do appreciate the eye to the 'ongoing' nature of the relationship, dpenabill. ArityMonk, that is good news! Thank you! If that is the case, I don't have to worry about smudging or what have. Another quick question: Taxes. Yes, I filed last year and got a refund. (We will be getting that Option C 2009 for the packet, as I will not have filed by time we apply for the visa) When I file this year I expect to need to pay, but I won't be filing until April 15, or a little before. I may not have enough money to pay them all, even working overtime. How big of a problem will this be? :( |
Posted By: sugahmonstah
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 2:42am
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Just wanted to throw my experience in about fingerprints for the fbi clearance. We printed a fingerprint card and used a basic stamp pad and my husband fingerprinted himself. We sent the forms in (from canada) and got his clearance back in a couple of weeks! ------------- Outland Sent 11/30/2010 Received Miss 12/2/2010 Sponsor approved 01/17/2011 Received Buffalo 01/26/2011 Applied for VR extension 03/14/2011 extension approved until MAY 2013!!! 05/09/2011 |
Posted By: Patience Tuesday
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 12:37pm
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*That* is something that I never thought to do, but I'm a little afraid that we'd botch it big-time. ^^ Thank you, sugahmonstah, for that suggestion! |
Posted By: audball
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 1:17pm
| hahah I was the same. I was too worried about not doing it right. So I just spent the $5 getting the police tod o it. Figured they have the experience. :P |
Posted By: dpenabill
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2010 at 3:08am
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Well hopefully sugahmonstah will report back eventually (some months from now) as to how this went. I would generally advise against this. Foremost since even prints taken by qualified technicians are sometimes not of sufficient quality for the FBI to act on them, in which case no cert comes back and one will need to send in another set. Obviously sugahmonstah's partner passed this hurdle, but generally I think it is more of a hassle than it is worth. But, and this is the part that I hope there will be a report as to the results eventually, the CIC page regarding police certs from U.S. says to have the fingerprints taken by a local police department or a private fingerprinting business, and further notes that photo identification will be needed. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp - "how to obtain a police certificate U.S.A." Thus, while the FBI site itself does not indicate any requirements as to who actually takes the fingerprints, note that the process there is for the purpose of sending the individual a check on their own record. If the purpose is to find out about one's own record, there is no point, of course, in swapping prints. CIC in contrast is indeed concerned that the individual named and the individual printed are indeed the same person. I also know that in other contexts where fingerprints are required (such as security checks for certain types of licensing) "who" takes the prints is often specifically limited to law enforcement or certain authorized businesses; and again, part of the reason for this is to control quality of the prints but also to assure that the person being printed is the person named. To what extent this is examined or a potential issue (which, however, would merely result in the brief delay inherent in having to submit an addtional cert) I have no idea. I do know, though, that a number of people have reported having to submit additional police certs during the processing of their applications (for various reasons, though many of the reports do not offer an explanation). ------------- Bureaucracy is what bureaucracy does, or When in doubt, follow the instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions. BTW: Not an expert, not a Can. lawyer, never worked in immigration |