Spousal sponsorship doubts

[shamsia]

Hi there,

What a useful site I have come across! Thanks to all you people who are doing a wonderful job here.
Hoping that my concerns could be resolved. And I apologise if anything I ask sounds dumb

My husband is a canadian citizen, and after almost 2 years of courtship we got married in Jan 2011 in India. Actually, our dads are first cousins, and our families have known each other forvever. And when we were kids, in 1992-93 our families lived at Saudi Arabia (around 200 kms apart) and and we would meet sometimes. However, my husband shifted to canada in 1994, and we were never in touch after that. In 2009, his aunt saw me at a social gathering and ours was hence an arranged cum love marriage. My questions are:

a) Do I include our childhood association or do I only mention our history from the time his aunt arranged our match?
b) How many years of foreign travel history do I need to include on the 'SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FORM - DELHI'. I have travelled every year to Saudia right from 1985 to 2002, and again from 2009-2010.
c) My husband had to leave for canada after 13 days of marriage, but he is visiting again in May 2011. Is it ok to go ahead with gathering information to send for processing or do we wait till he visits me again. Will that increase our chances of proving our relationship is 'continuing', or are we taking a risk by filing so early.


Sorry about the long drawn questions. Thank you guys in advance

 

[Wells Dad]

Hi there!

Well, from what you've mentioned so far, it doesn't sound like you'll have too much trouble. I would start gathering your information now, for sure. And no, there are no dumb questions. That's what we're all here for, to help where we can, and be encouraged also.

The childhood meetings probably aren't a big deal, but if they ask if you've met him before the courtship began, mention that you met as children a few times between 92-93. Not that it has any real bearing, but it's better to include it if that particular question is brought up on the form, just to avoid any chance of "misrepresentation", or "omission". I'm pretty sure it was on ours, but I'm not sure if the forms for Delhi are any different or not.

You can certainly start gathering everything together now, I think....
Definitely gather all the evidence you can about your courtship - any letters, emails, phone records, places you went, things you did, etc.....anything that will help prove a genuine relationship. I'm pretty sure you'll be asked for reference letters as well. And of course the obvious - marriage certificate, etc.....

His visit in May would be a good time to try to finalize everything, signatures etc.....and get things sent in, if you can get it all together by then.

As far as the foreign travel goes, I'm afraid I have very little experience with that. Somebody more knowledgeable on the forums will have to help with that one....

I don't think you're taking a risk by filing so early after your marriage, you've got 2 years of relationship you can prove. And it wouldn't hurt for your husband to start on the sponsorship application now, too. I'm assuming your doing outland?

Good luck, and congratulations also! Feel free to ask anything, there are a lot of "experienced" folks here willing to help.

 

[nylalisa]

With regards to foreign travel, I would assume you go back to when you were 18 years old to present... It states on the checklist they want info for people 18 years and older. I took this to assume they wanted travel starting from 18years and older in Delhi. This is what my husband did for his application. However, others may have other input.

 

[canadianwoman]

a) Do I include our childhood association or do I only mention our history from the time his aunt arranged our match?

Include your childhood association. There is a question on the forms that asks if you and your spouse were related before marriage. Since you have to answer 'yes' there, the visa officer will assume you have met before. For applicants from India, arranged marriages are considered perfectly normal. CIC also has no problem with marriages between relatives, as long as it is a legal marriage in both India and Canada. Proof you've known each other for a long time is good, in any case.

b) How many years of foreign travel history do I need to include on the 'SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FORM - DELHI'. I have travelled every year to Saudia right from 1985 to 2002, and again from 2009-2010.

The form does not specify "after the age of 18", so I would include all your travels, from birth.

c) My husband had to leave for canada after 13 days of marriage, but he is visiting again in May 2011. Is it ok to go ahead with gathering information to send for processing or do we wait till he visits me again. Will that increase our chances of proving our relationship is 'continuing', or are we taking a risk by filing so early.

It is OK to file soon after marriage - the visa officers are more suspicious if spouses who are not living together wait for a long time. In India, again, the VOs are used to arranged marriages, so will not be surprised if you haven't spent much time together after the marriage. Just show the evidence you have of the 2-year courtship. If you send in the application before your husband's trip to visit you, you can still include evidence that he is planning to visit you - plane reservations, hotel reservations, etc.

One thing that the visa officers in India do expect to see is a very large, elaborate wedding celebration with hundreds of guests. If you had this kind of wedding, show lots of proof of it. If you didn't, try to explain why it was not as lavish as is normal in your country, and increase the amount of prove you show of the courtship.

 

[DNT2003]

Thanks for the inputs, the above posts did clarify my questions as well, thanks to the poster for the questions, and the respondent great advice.

Keep it up,


Laters,
DNT2003

 

[shamsia]

Thanks for the much needed advice! And so prompt too!! I am beginning to feel lot more confident about this now

@Wells Dad: Thanks so much, yes we are doing 'outland'...
@nylalisa: Your input does make sense, but just to be on safer side I think will include ALL my travel history
@canadianwoman: You have been extremely helpful Yes, we did have a very large, elaborate wedding with over a thousand guests, so I have a lot of pictures to prove that.
@DNT2003: Glad the post was of help to you Would love to know more about your situation and how you are dealing with the immigration process

Thanks once again!

 

[nylalisa]

Thanks for the much needed advice! And so prompt too!! I am beginning to feel lot more confident about this now

@ Wells Dad: Thanks so much, yes we are doing 'outland'...
@ nylalisa: Your input does make sense, but just to be on safer side I think will include ALL my travel history
@ canadianwoman: You have been extremely helpful Yes, we did have a very large, elaborate wedding with over a thousand guests, so I have a lot of pictures to prove that.
@ DNT2003: Glad the post was of help to you Would love to know more about your situation and how you are dealing with the immigration process

Thanks once again!

Best of luck with your application, come to the Delhi thread to, lots of support and help specific to Delhi cases. And my philosophy is always to err on the side of caution so you cant go wrong doing all your travel history.

 

[shamsia]

Heyloo again,

And I'm back with another question. When do the medicals need to be done? I'm applying for Police Clearance Certificates today, which takes about a month. Do I take an appointment from a DMP and go for medicals right away or will I be instructed to go for medicals after I have submitted my paperwork.

My understanding so far of the medicals is that I need to go and get them done now. They will send the results to the required office who will then refer to them once they recieve our papers. The medicals are valid for 12 months from the time the tests were done. In case of expiry I need to get them done again. Can someone please tell me if I'm on the right track? Any other input is welcome. Many thanks!

 

[nylalisa]

You got it, get them done now.. they are good for 12 months.. everything (all paperwork...application, police clearance, original medical receipt that will be given to u at ur appointment, etc etc) all goes off together..

 

[Baloo]

With regards to foreign travel, I would assume you go back to when you were 18 years old to present... It states on the checklist they want info for people 18 years and older. I took this to assume they wanted travel starting from 18years and older in Delhi. This is what my husband did for his application. However, others may have other input.

Do you mean on form IMM5562?

"Persons submitting their application to the Canadian visa office in Paris must complete the attached IMM 5562 form, Supplementary Information – Your travels."

 

[canadianwoman]

No, the region specific forms for India include their own travel form.