Immigration Interviews - Focus on Communication and Family

sangria · #1 10-11-2009, 10:27 AM

In light of the outcomes of the last few rounds of interviews and the discussion in October Interviews - Immigration Canada....

How many people include proof of communication in some form other than calling cards...ex..detailed phone bills, emails, chat records etc....and were still asked for an interview?

How many people can now look back after the interview and see why Haiti would want to interview their spouse?

Was there anything specific that you would have done/do differently if you were starting over again?

The visa that our spouses are applying for is based on family reunification. Why do you think Haiti is placing so much focus on having children or being capable to have children together when there is more than 1 way to have/be a family?

Please share if you have an experience or opinion on these questions...

Barbie38 · #2 10-11-2009, 11:06 AM

Sangria, I agree good topic of discussion about proof sent regarding communication and family involvement together is another good area to talk about.

My husband and I speak every morning on the phone and every evening using SKYPE videocall. I sent all of my phone bills from cellphone, home phone and I use SKYPE to call in the morning because it is cheaper. I then included screen shots of all of our SKYPE videocalls and SMS messages. In total I sent over 200 pages of information regarding our DAILY communication!

I would love to hear back from those of you that did NOT require an interview about how you communicated with your spouse and how often...

Ellie2008 · #3 10-11-2009, 01:13 PM

I agree, a very interesting topic. My husband required an interview, and i had sent in over 2 years of monthly bills from my long distance company. We were approved at the interview, however i believe maybe not the communication, but possibly something else in the application gave them the "uneasy" feeling which is why we needed to prove further.

I tried to look at my application as a third party to see what would jump out at me, and I have to say....i was not surprised an interview was required. For example...we had no big fancy wedding....other than my best friend coming with me...no other family was with me, but then again i am not close with my family. I am sure that could have been a red flag

cathay · #4 10-11-2009, 02:39 PM

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we sent proof of all that: pictures of family together, proof of communication, a copy of my will with my husband as my beneficiary, a letter of offer of employment here in Canada, proof that he and his son are insured on my medical insurance plan at work, receipts for improvements we made on his house so that I could stay with them rather than continue to stay at all-inclusive hotels, pictures of us at school meeting with our son's teachers. Receipts from all my trips since we made our application, should I go on.....? In short, the interview should have been about how we have combined our affairs the way a normal married couple would be expected to do, however it was not.

sangria · #5 10-11-2009, 02:59 PM

Cathay,

The interview can be about whatever they want to ask you.

If you feel that you have submitted sufficient proof (which is sounds like you have) then in your case they had another focus.

There is never an easy answer but there is no bubble to burst...just discussion to try to figure it out and help everyone.

Barbie38 · #6 10-11-2009, 11:01 PM

It's not about having the right answers it's about understand this process and trying to help others. We all have so many questions about how immigration makes their decisions and a large focus seems to be on communication and family ties or reunification. I am eager to hear the differences and similarities of those who had interviews and didn't have interviews or where asked to bring forward more proof and how it relates to their daily communication and building a family together in Canada. There are so many factors that can affect the immigration officers decision and it isn't arbitrary they do have a 'set of rules' they follow when processing the applications.

twillis · #7 10-12-2009, 01:32 AM

I think if there is a age difference, it doesn't matter how much proof you send in, you will need an interview. Bottom line.

I hate that a 41 year old man can marry a 26 year old woman and nobody blinks. It BS.

The original question is interviews, and why ... and age is a reason. Bottom line.

missrnb · #8 10-12-2009, 11:44 AM

I send over like 150 pages of telephone bills (no calling card), chat, messages, I even copy all 300 texto my hubby send me.

I had too a little wedding, with 2 friends and 1 sister-in-law. At that time I did not had great relation with my mother in law.

I have 5 years older than my hubby.
I'm too much educated, and my hubby is not.
I was not preagnant.
These are reasons Matas told my Husband at the interview.

Cathay, I think you should appeal, and you should tell them right away before they send you the refusal letter.
In my case, it worked. In July when I dropped more proofs during my 90 days, I wrote on the enveloppe that my appeal papers were ready!!! Now we are wating for the visa, my hubby drope is passeport oct 5.

sangria · #9 10-12-2009, 01:41 PM

missrnb,
you bring up another interesting point about education.

i wonder how many other couples have similiar or very different education levels and if that could be another reason to request an interview.....or that in combination with some of the other possible red flags such as age difference etc.

brown_girl103 · #10 10-12-2009, 11:13 PM

Hi Sangria, I am the same person who started the thread about PAP on immigration.ca.

I just wanted to say, you have always given wisdom and encouragement to all who are still going through this horrid process.

My situation is different than all of the cases here, because I am actually not sponsoring a Dominican man, but Haitian. It's funny because I have yet to meet a Haitian being sponsored through PAP, or rather someone sponsoring a Haitian.

Well, it is going to be interesting to see what happens in my case. I only had his side of the family present at my wedding considering that we are from two totally different cultures, me being East Indian and him being Haitian. Our parents decided that we would have the "white dress" wedding in Haiti with his parents and my parents are going to give us an Indian ceremony (hopefully this summer, if he is here) in the US where they reside. That ceremony is going to entail our big wedding reception and bridal parties with all of our friends and maybe his family (if they are given visas). I explained in detail in my application about the reasons that my parents or friends were not present at my ceremony and why we have not yet had a reception. I even emailed them to see if they could give me a tentative date so we can go ahead and book our banquet hall. I was told not to contact them again until March of 2010. In my culture the woman's side pays for the wedding and usually there is a dowry as well, but when two people from totally different cultures like us, we have no choice but to make compromises with traditions and what not.

My husband and I met while I was in the US as a greencard holder (I am a Canadian Citizen) and he was a student. We both have degrees from the states, and we decided we'd rather live in Canada as opposed to the US because of our own personal beliefs, hence me moving back here to live and sponsoring him through CIC. That may have been a mistake I see, as CIC seems to be worse than US immigration.

I sent in about five hundred phone cards, about two months worth of 2000.00 dollars in phone bills... and an explanation as to why I discontinued using my phone to call him. The prices to call Haiti are ridiculous. As well as the flights to Haiti, I might add.

We had applied for a visitor's visa and were denied.... that was before we sent in our application, but I am thinking of applying again for the visitor visa, as it seems that some people who have done so, get their PR's approved as opposed to their visitor visa's if they apply for it.... I don't know if that brings attention to one's file or what... but, I will gamble with the 75 bucks and try it out.

I also sent in over 100 pic's of when my husband and I were dating, his graduation ceremony from school with my mom at the celebration banquet for the international students, his bday party in my apartment, us hanging out in his apartment, us going out together and our wedding pix's in Haiti.

I have no seen my husband in ten months and most likely will not be able to see him this December for X'mas or our anniversary. It may be easy for some to afford the back and forth tickets to visit their spouses, but not for me, especially since this process has drained me so much financially.... the unemployment rate in Haiti is 70% and my husband has had no luck finding a job in his field either... so that doesn't help... but, his degree is in environmental water management... so, I would think that could help our case for immigration to Canada?

Well, I wrote a long long story here, but I just wanted to get your feedback, and see if maybe you have seen any cases like mine? If not, I guess it will be interesting to see where this leads us.... We do have a 1.5 year age difference, as I am older than him... I would hope they wouldn't scrutinize us for that!