Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London
Feb 26th 2015, 4:08 pm
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 33
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi, and welcome to BE.
A quick search of the forum will bring up several posts on the subject, but basically it shouldn't affect you if you're a straightforward UK applicant - the increased processing times are because it's an average, and applications from Pakistan (a high fraud country) are pushing that average up.
No, there's no way of expediting it, you just have to wait your turn in the queue, but you don't have to be apart either - the UKC can move to Canada anytime after the PR app is submitted as it's dual intent.
HTH.
A quick search of the forum will bring up several posts on the subject, but basically it shouldn't affect you if you're a straightforward UK applicant - the increased processing times are because it's an average, and applications from Pakistan (a high fraud country) are pushing that average up.
No, there's no way of expediting it, you just have to wait your turn in the queue, but you don't have to be apart either - the UKC can move to Canada anytime after the PR app is submitted as it's dual intent.
HTH.
Feb 26th 2015, 4:10 pm
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Oakville, ON, CA
Posts: 8,320
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi, can I please be added to the spousal sponsor timeline too.
Spousal sponsor form completed.
Date application received in Missussaga 20th October 2014.
Date sponsor approved 12 January 2015. (states medicals also received but cannot see a date for that).
Processing office for part 2, London, UK.
No other requests made.
My location (person being sponsored) London, UK.
Principal applicant non visa exempt (?) not too sure my husband is a Canadian citizen by birth.
When I log onto the CIC website, it says
sponsorship application status 'decision made' and
PR application status 'application recieved'.
Spousal sponsor form completed.
Date application received in Missussaga 20th October 2014.
Date sponsor approved 12 January 2015. (states medicals also received but cannot see a date for that).
Processing office for part 2, London, UK.
No other requests made.
My location (person being sponsored) London, UK.
Principal applicant non visa exempt (?) not too sure my husband is a Canadian citizen by birth.
When I log onto the CIC website, it says
sponsorship application status 'decision made' and
PR application status 'application recieved'.
The non-visa-exempt part... you are the non-Canadian, so you are the principal applicant. Are you from a country that requires a visa to enter Canada? If you are British, then no. If you are, say, Kenyan, then yes.
Feb 26th 2015, 6:08 pm
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 44
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi, just a quick, possibly silly, question. We are just in the final stages of preparing our application, and it is a pretty thick wad of paper - I was just wondering if others organised it in some way with tabs, folders or something? Or does CIC not like that kind of thing?
Feb 26th 2015, 6:09 pm
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Oakville, ON, CA
Posts: 8,320
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi, just a quick, possibly silly, question. We are just in the final stages of preparing our application, and it is a pretty thick wad of paper - I was just wondering if others organised it in some way with tabs, folders or something? Or does CIC not like that kind of thing?
Feb 26th 2015, 6:37 pm
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,035
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
London processing Pakistani applications isn't a new thing, it's been in place since 2013. And because of the lengthier background checks for Pakistani applicants, those that applied not long after applications were switched to London are only just now getting PR, which is why the average has increased massively. Those cases that have taken 2 or more years have skewed the average considerably now.
HTH.
Feb 26th 2015, 7:02 pm
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 9,708
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi
1. The most basic reason other that the background checks, fraudulent documents, that is why the list of documents required for Pakistan all have to be originals and there is a long list of documents required.
2. Islamabad is considered a hardship 5 post and (2 year assignments) and is also a single post, in that the officer's spouses and children are not allowed.
I never said they moved it to London because of fraud, I said that's why the processing time had increased so much.
London processing Pakistani applications isn't a new thing, it's been in place since 2013. And because of the lengthier background checks for Pakistani applicants, those that applied not long after applications were switched to London are only just now getting PR, which is why the average has increased massively. Those cases that have taken 2 or more years have skewed the average considerably now.
HTH.
London processing Pakistani applications isn't a new thing, it's been in place since 2013. And because of the lengthier background checks for Pakistani applicants, those that applied not long after applications were switched to London are only just now getting PR, which is why the average has increased massively. Those cases that have taken 2 or more years have skewed the average considerably now.
HTH.
2. Islamabad is considered a hardship 5 post and (2 year assignments) and is also a single post, in that the officer's spouses and children are not allowed.
Feb 26th 2015, 7:06 pm
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,035
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Yep. Such a shame though that the high fraud rate, and needing original documents to try and combat that as well as lengthier background checks, have meant UK applicants panicking over processing times.
Feb 26th 2015, 7:46 pm
Weegie in Calgary
Joined: Dec 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 810
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Hi, just a quick, possibly silly, question. We are just in the final stages of preparing our application, and it is a pretty thick wad of paper - I was just wondering if others organised it in some way with tabs, folders or something? Or does CIC not like that kind of thing?
I used paperclips for the individual documents/forms and then I used two big bull clips for the sponsor and applicant parts.
Feb 26th 2015, 7:53 pm
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 44
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Last edited by jk94441; Feb 26th 2015 at 7:55 pm.
Feb 26th 2015, 9:03 pm
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,483
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
The problem in Islamabad office is security and terrorism plus some fraud. All hard to deal with and time consuming.
Feb 26th 2015, 9:22 pm
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 27
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Oh no. 
But he's living in the UK and that's why he's applying via London I take it?
What a shame he can't come over there and apply inland, then at least he could work whilst he is waiting for PR and be with you.
Is a work permit an option for him maybe?
Best of luck, hope his application is processed quickly, although do be aware that as a Kenyan his background checks are likely to take longer than a UKC's, as it's another high fraud country, so it may not be as quick as others on the forum.
for you.
But he's living in the UK and that's why he's applying via London I take it?What a shame he can't come over there and apply inland, then at least he could work whilst he is waiting for PR and be with you.
Is a work permit an option for him maybe?
Best of luck, hope his application is processed quickly, although do be aware that as a Kenyan his background checks are likely to take longer than a UKC's, as it's another high fraud country, so it may not be as quick as others on the forum.
for you.
Feb 26th 2015, 9:33 pm
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Oakville, ON, CA
Posts: 8,320
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Do you think there's a chance my husband's application will be transferred to Nairobi then? We live in UK and requested the London office but if there's such a backlog might it go to Kenya (which would royally suck). Or could it end up wherever? Plus, postal tracking indicated it was received January 12 but we haven't heard a thing yet and can't track it on the CIC website with our receipt number. Is that normal? Thank you in advance!
There was one person on here a few months ago whose husband was Turkish. They had been living in London for ages, applied using the London package. When they got sponsor approval, they were told their application had been transferred to Ankara for processing, instead of being held in London. CIC reserves the right to select the office where you'll be processed, based either on your residency, or on your citizenship. There are tons of applicants in the UK and US from countries with much higher processing times (particularly India, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc) who are hoping for their apps to be processed where they are resident, only to find their applications end up being processed where they are citizens instead.
All you can do is wait and see. The address of the office that has your package will be listed on your sponsor approval.
And also, be aware that just because your application STARTS in London does not mean it will STAY in London. There have been cases where after sponsor approval, the application begins to be processed in London, but is later transferred to the PA's citizenship-based processing office.
So as frustrating as it is, you'll have to just wait and see.
Feb 26th 2015, 11:23 pm
Perfer et obdura
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Birmingham 26 years, Germany 20 years, in Toronto since 2015
Posts: 146
re: Timeline For Spousal Sponsorship via London & Inland
Yes, this is entirely possible, and honestly, likely.
There was one person on here a few months ago whose husband was Turkish. They had been living in London for ages, applied using the London package. When they got sponsor approval, they were told their application had been transferred to Ankara for processing, instead of being held in London. CIC reserves the right to select the office where you'll be processed, based either on your residency, or on your citizenship. There are tons of applicants in the UK and US from countries with much higher processing times (particularly India, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc) who are hoping for their apps to be processed where they are resident, only to find their applications end up being processed where they are citizens instead.
All you can do is wait and see. The address of the office that has your package will be listed on your sponsor approval.
And also, be aware that just because your application STARTS in London does not mean it will STAY in London. There have been cases where after sponsor approval, the application begins to be processed in London, but is later transferred to the PA's citizenship-based processing office.
So as frustrating as it is, you'll have to just wait and see.
There was one person on here a few months ago whose husband was Turkish. They had been living in London for ages, applied using the London package. When they got sponsor approval, they were told their application had been transferred to Ankara for processing, instead of being held in London. CIC reserves the right to select the office where you'll be processed, based either on your residency, or on your citizenship. There are tons of applicants in the UK and US from countries with much higher processing times (particularly India, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc) who are hoping for their apps to be processed where they are resident, only to find their applications end up being processed where they are citizens instead.
All you can do is wait and see. The address of the office that has your package will be listed on your sponsor approval.
And also, be aware that just because your application STARTS in London does not mean it will STAY in London. There have been cases where after sponsor approval, the application begins to be processed in London, but is later transferred to the PA's citizenship-based processing office.
So as frustrating as it is, you'll have to just wait and see.