Spouse application & Costs
Oct 22nd 2002 | 6:56 am
#1
Thread Starter
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Spouse application & Costs
Hello,
My Wife is a Canadian Citizen, and I am British. We have been together for nearly three years. Fortunately she has dual citizenship, so at the start of the relationship we could both live and work in UK.
However, summer last year we found out we were expecting a baby and as a result we wanted to be back in Canada. Obviously I joined her, and our child was born premature in December, so I had my visitor status extended as our newborn could not fly back to UK. Applying for PR at this point was not an option, we were busy with our sick daughter and did not have the funds available to do so.
When the extension expired and our daughter was well, we flew back to UK for a few months to visit my family. Neither of us wanted to stay in UK as we already had a stable base in Canada for our child to grow up.
We ended up returning to Canada in June, and my new 6 months of vistors visa expires in December. My wife is now back at work full time with a good job, and I am looking after our daughter.
I would like to apply for permanent residency to avoid travelling back and forth, and to provide our daughter with the stability she needs. My problem is raising the $625 required to start off the application (and the other $1000 or so needed when it is approved). This past year has been tough financially, and we are only now starting to get straight again. Time is cutting short again, and I would like to at least have my application started by mid-November, in time for me to apply for a visitor extension.
Sorry for writing a book on this, but I was wondering if anybody knows of any help available for families in our situation.
My Wife is a Canadian Citizen, and I am British. We have been together for nearly three years. Fortunately she has dual citizenship, so at the start of the relationship we could both live and work in UK.
However, summer last year we found out we were expecting a baby and as a result we wanted to be back in Canada. Obviously I joined her, and our child was born premature in December, so I had my visitor status extended as our newborn could not fly back to UK. Applying for PR at this point was not an option, we were busy with our sick daughter and did not have the funds available to do so.
When the extension expired and our daughter was well, we flew back to UK for a few months to visit my family. Neither of us wanted to stay in UK as we already had a stable base in Canada for our child to grow up.
We ended up returning to Canada in June, and my new 6 months of vistors visa expires in December. My wife is now back at work full time with a good job, and I am looking after our daughter.
I would like to apply for permanent residency to avoid travelling back and forth, and to provide our daughter with the stability she needs. My problem is raising the $625 required to start off the application (and the other $1000 or so needed when it is approved). This past year has been tough financially, and we are only now starting to get straight again. Time is cutting short again, and I would like to at least have my application started by mid-November, in time for me to apply for a visitor extension.
Sorry for writing a book on this, but I was wondering if anybody knows of any help available for families in our situation.
Oct 22nd 2002 | 11:08 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Spouse application & Costs
Well one small improvment for you is the processing fee for just yourself is
$550 not $625, the basic fee for the person being sponsored is $475 then you
add on the $75 sponsor fee to make $550 if i recall teh figures, eitehr way
it ends up the same as in all classes, it used to be $500 then they added
the $50 to cover the PR card.
So you need to raise the $550 to apply. Hrm, is there nowhere you can borrow
the money? a bank or credit card or family?
I am aware of a landing fee loan scheme CIC have for the Right of Permanent
Residence Fee but i do not believe it covers processing fees.
I know how you feel, when we statred our application my wife was in Canada
and only just starting working full time and i was here in the UK at
university still so we had practicaly no money and ended up using money from
out wedding presents to pay for the processing fees and landing fees.
I guess you just have to try and find the money and start saving it up, you
should i would hope be able to extend yoru visitor visa again if you explain
your wife and child are both Canadian Citizens and you are staying with them
and preparing an inland PR application, but then thats another $75 and the
costs mount up i guess.
Inland applications are rather slow at the moment so you will be looking at
say 6-8 months before you can get the AIP and a work visa to work while
waiting for the PR and theoreticaly you could complete the entire process
from outside in that time, however i can understand you not wanting to leave
Canada at this time to do it.
Drew
"simonh" wrote in message
news:451792.1035312967@britishexpats-
.com...
> Hello,
> My Wife is a Canadian Citizen, and I am British. We have been together
> for nearly three years. Fortunately she has dual citizenship, so at the
> start of the relationship we could both live and work in UK.
> However, summer last year we found out we were expecting a baby and as a
> result we wanted to be back in Canada. Obviously I joined her, and our
> child was born premature in December, so I had my visitor status
> extended as our newborn could not fly back to UK. Applying for PR at
> this point was not an option, we were busy with our sick daughter and
> did not have the funds available to do so.
> When the extension expired and our daughter was well, we flew back to UK
> for a few months to visit my family. Neither of us wanted to stay in UK
> as we already had a stable base in Canada for our child to grow up.
> We ended up returning to Canada in June, and my new 6 months of vistors
> visa expires in December. My wife is now back at work full time with a
> good job, and I am looking after our daughter.
> I would like to apply for permanent residency to avoid travelling back
> and forth, and to provide our daughter with the stability she needs. My
> problem is raising the $625 required to start off the application (and
> the other $1000 or so needed when it is approved). This past year has
> been tough financially, and we are only now starting to get straight
> again. Time is cutting short again, and I would like to at least have
> my application started by mid-November, in time for me to apply for a
> visitor extension.
> Sorry for writing a book on this, but I was wondering if anybody knows
> of any help available for families in our situation.
> --
$550 not $625, the basic fee for the person being sponsored is $475 then you
add on the $75 sponsor fee to make $550 if i recall teh figures, eitehr way
it ends up the same as in all classes, it used to be $500 then they added
the $50 to cover the PR card.
So you need to raise the $550 to apply. Hrm, is there nowhere you can borrow
the money? a bank or credit card or family?
I am aware of a landing fee loan scheme CIC have for the Right of Permanent
Residence Fee but i do not believe it covers processing fees.
I know how you feel, when we statred our application my wife was in Canada
and only just starting working full time and i was here in the UK at
university still so we had practicaly no money and ended up using money from
out wedding presents to pay for the processing fees and landing fees.
I guess you just have to try and find the money and start saving it up, you
should i would hope be able to extend yoru visitor visa again if you explain
your wife and child are both Canadian Citizens and you are staying with them
and preparing an inland PR application, but then thats another $75 and the
costs mount up i guess.
Inland applications are rather slow at the moment so you will be looking at
say 6-8 months before you can get the AIP and a work visa to work while
waiting for the PR and theoreticaly you could complete the entire process
from outside in that time, however i can understand you not wanting to leave
Canada at this time to do it.
Drew
"simonh" wrote in message
news:451792.1035312967@britishexpats-
.com...
> Hello,
> My Wife is a Canadian Citizen, and I am British. We have been together
> for nearly three years. Fortunately she has dual citizenship, so at the
> start of the relationship we could both live and work in UK.
> However, summer last year we found out we were expecting a baby and as a
> result we wanted to be back in Canada. Obviously I joined her, and our
> child was born premature in December, so I had my visitor status
> extended as our newborn could not fly back to UK. Applying for PR at
> this point was not an option, we were busy with our sick daughter and
> did not have the funds available to do so.
> When the extension expired and our daughter was well, we flew back to UK
> for a few months to visit my family. Neither of us wanted to stay in UK
> as we already had a stable base in Canada for our child to grow up.
> We ended up returning to Canada in June, and my new 6 months of vistors
> visa expires in December. My wife is now back at work full time with a
> good job, and I am looking after our daughter.
> I would like to apply for permanent residency to avoid travelling back
> and forth, and to provide our daughter with the stability she needs. My
> problem is raising the $625 required to start off the application (and
> the other $1000 or so needed when it is approved). This past year has
> been tough financially, and we are only now starting to get straight
> again. Time is cutting short again, and I would like to at least have
> my application started by mid-November, in time for me to apply for a
> visitor extension.
> Sorry for writing a book on this, but I was wondering if anybody knows
> of any help available for families in our situation.
> --
Oct 23rd 2002 | 5:59 am
#3
Thread Starter
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Re: Spouse application & Costs
Thanks for the response.
From what I gather (source: in-land application guide), the fee for the principle applicant (me) is $550, and another $75 for the sponsor. The prices must have increased.
I am not too concerned about how long the application takes, just as long as I can stay here whilst it is being processed. I am the primary carer for my daughter, so not being able to work is not too much of an issue right now. My wife provides for us financially.
Gathering the money will not be a big problem, but its not fair that my daughter - a Canadian Citizen - has to go without just so that her father (and primary carer) can stay here to look after her. The current immigration policy as of June 2002 is to "reunite and bring together families". If this was true, why inflict so big a barrier for those families who are already suffering hardship.
The whole thing drives me crazy!! Guess I am just venting my frustration more than anything...
From what I gather (source: in-land application guide), the fee for the principle applicant (me) is $550, and another $75 for the sponsor. The prices must have increased.
I am not too concerned about how long the application takes, just as long as I can stay here whilst it is being processed. I am the primary carer for my daughter, so not being able to work is not too much of an issue right now. My wife provides for us financially.
Gathering the money will not be a big problem, but its not fair that my daughter - a Canadian Citizen - has to go without just so that her father (and primary carer) can stay here to look after her. The current immigration policy as of June 2002 is to "reunite and bring together families". If this was true, why inflict so big a barrier for those families who are already suffering hardship.
The whole thing drives me crazy!! Guess I am just venting my frustration more than anything...
Oct 23rd 2002 | 7:38 am
#4
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 10
Re: Spouse application & Costs
Good luck, our thoughts and prayers - may I say that in this politically correct world - are with you. I had terrible problems with the UK immigration with my 'whiter than white' Canadian wife.
What is really important now, is your relationship with your wife. She needs your support and very much your love. Having been through all the problems of the red tape of imigration, the main thing is not to let it colour you relationship. You marry the woman not her country nor her immigration department.
Your objective is to find someone to help. This site is great but also make it a daily objective to find other people, who can help you. Speak to every one, filter what they tell you every evening. Most is of no use but then you strike lucky. and it becomes clear.
As I said we had terrible problems - my wife was nearly deported because of an 'unfortanate error', as they latter descibed it. But now it is just the past. There is a way round every system, you just every day have to have the hope and the faith. You will also find that 80% of people are genuinely helpfull.
Just don't give up.
What is really important now, is your relationship with your wife. She needs your support and very much your love. Having been through all the problems of the red tape of imigration, the main thing is not to let it colour you relationship. You marry the woman not her country nor her immigration department.
Your objective is to find someone to help. This site is great but also make it a daily objective to find other people, who can help you. Speak to every one, filter what they tell you every evening. Most is of no use but then you strike lucky. and it becomes clear.
As I said we had terrible problems - my wife was nearly deported because of an 'unfortanate error', as they latter descibed it. But now it is just the past. There is a way round every system, you just every day have to have the hope and the faith. You will also find that 80% of people are genuinely helpfull.
Just don't give up.
Oct 23rd 2002 | 11:06 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Spouse application & Costs
I wonder if there is a misprint there, i was jsut reading it. Reading the
guide to inland applicants:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/e-
nglish/pdf/kits/guides/5289E.PDF
and going to fees section on page 8 it does indeed say the sponsor fee is
$75 and the principal applicants is $550, however i wonder if someone has
just transplanted this table from the skilled workers guid ethen added the
sposnors fee at the top because if you go to the guide for sponsoring a
spouse from outside Canada:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/e-
nglish/pdf/kits/guides/3900E.pdf
and go to the fees section on page 20 where ther eis no table but it has
been typed out it clearly says the sponsor fee is $75 and the principal
applicants fee is $475 making it a total of $550 the same as everyone else.
It seems odd to me that every class and category would total $550 except
inland spouses who have to pay $75 more.
Drew
"simonh" wrote in message
news:453012.1035395940@britishexpats-
.com...
> Thanks for the response.
> From what I gather (source: in-land application guide), the fee for the
> principle applicant (me) is $550, and another $75 for the sponsor. The
> prices must have increased.
> I am not too concerned about how long the application takes, just as
> long as I can stay here whilst it is being processed. I am the primary
> carer for my daughter, so not being able to work is not too much of an
> issue right now. My wife provides for us financially.
> Gathering the money will not be a big problem, but its not fair that my
> daughter - a Canadian Citizen - has to go without just so that her
> father (and primary carer) can stay here to look after her. The current
> immigration policy as of June 2002 is to "reunite and bring together
> families". If this was true, why inflict so big a barrier for those
> families who are already suffering hardship.
> The whole thing drives me crazy!! Guess I am just venting my
> frustration more than anything...
> --
guide to inland applicants:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/e-
nglish/pdf/kits/guides/5289E.PDF
and going to fees section on page 8 it does indeed say the sponsor fee is
$75 and the principal applicants is $550, however i wonder if someone has
just transplanted this table from the skilled workers guid ethen added the
sposnors fee at the top because if you go to the guide for sponsoring a
spouse from outside Canada:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/e-
nglish/pdf/kits/guides/3900E.pdf
and go to the fees section on page 20 where ther eis no table but it has
been typed out it clearly says the sponsor fee is $75 and the principal
applicants fee is $475 making it a total of $550 the same as everyone else.
It seems odd to me that every class and category would total $550 except
inland spouses who have to pay $75 more.
Drew
"simonh" wrote in message
news:453012.1035395940@britishexpats-
.com...
> Thanks for the response.
> From what I gather (source: in-land application guide), the fee for the
> principle applicant (me) is $550, and another $75 for the sponsor. The
> prices must have increased.
> I am not too concerned about how long the application takes, just as
> long as I can stay here whilst it is being processed. I am the primary
> carer for my daughter, so not being able to work is not too much of an
> issue right now. My wife provides for us financially.
> Gathering the money will not be a big problem, but its not fair that my
> daughter - a Canadian Citizen - has to go without just so that her
> father (and primary carer) can stay here to look after her. The current
> immigration policy as of June 2002 is to "reunite and bring together
> families". If this was true, why inflict so big a barrier for those
> families who are already suffering hardship.
> The whole thing drives me crazy!! Guess I am just venting my
> frustration more than anything...
> --
