Passport Request and visa issued??

[shadowfoot17]

Hi,

We recieved a passport request for my partners passport on June 23, 2007 and sent his passport off the same day. It has now been four weeks and we have yet to hear anything back. Calling the Canadian high commission in London is a joke because you just get the automated service telling you to press one for this and two for that..

Can anyone tell me how long it normally takes to recieve a passport back?? (we are in England, waiting to move to Canada)

OUR TIMELNE SO FAR:
March 15, 2007: Sent our application to office in mississauga
April 16: Canada sent me a letter saying I am eligible to sponsor
April 16: Canada sent the application to the office in London
June 23: Recieved a passport request for partner's passport.
June 23: Passport sent to London office
__________: Recieved passport back and moving to Canada!!

[shadowfoot17]

i mean 2008!! (I said 2007 by accident! whoops!!)

OUR TIMELNE SO FAR:
March 15, 2008: Sent our application to office in mississauga
April 16: Canada sent me a letter saying I am eligible to sponsor
April 16: Canada sent the application to the office in London
June 23: Recieved a passport request for partner's passport.
June 23: Passport sent to London office
__________: Recieved passport back and moving to Canada!!

[shadowfoot17]

If i had waited one more day... i wouldnt have had to post anything at all! We got his passport this morning by recorded delivery!

Thats it! It's all done. No more steps, no more forms, no more anything! All that's left is to get on that plane on August 15th! (booked the tickets this morning!)

[markdrocker]

...It's all done. No more steps, no more forms, no more anything!...

Congratulations!

If you want to import your personal goods without any duties/taxes, fill out more forms. See Forms B4 and B4A at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications ... 5-eng.html . Fill out one set to list goods accompanying you on first arrival. Fill out another set to list goods to arrive later via mail or via your future entries into Canada. Make copies. Present all lists on your first arrival---no changes will be accepted after first arrival.

On arrival, best if you can give immigration officers a Canadian address that is willing to accept mail for you (they will send your Permanent Resident Card there 20-30 days after your arrival). Do you have any friends with a Canadian address? Arrange that before arrival.

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[shadowfoot17]

Hi,

Yep, we know all about those forms We'll be filling those out any day now.

As for the address, we're staying with my parents for a few months while we save up for a place of our own, so that address is all good for our mail.

I do have a question though... when we arrive, I know he has to go for an interview, but do I go with him? (im canadian, he's biristh) Or does he go on his own and I go get the bags? Also... is the interview a big deal? (he's a bit worried about it)

[markdrocker]

...when we arrive, I know he has to go for an interview, but do I go with him? (im canadian, he's biristh) Or does he go on his own and I go get the bags? Also... is the interview a big deal? (he's a bit worried about it)

I am a sponsored Permanent Resident, too. What I experienced was not an "interview" at all. More like "processing" right at the counter. Just forms, documents, signatures, payment, they enter data into computer, and done. No judging, just easy questions---nothing to worry about.

The link below explains that he needs to bring documents, and maybe a bank statement for proof of funds to survive just in case he cannot find a job for 6 months (if they think his funds are low, just mention he will live rent-free at your parents' house). I recommend putting ALL his documents in a folder and bring EVERYTHING---just in case the officers ask for a document you forgot about. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/ ... /index.asp

I suggest you go with him, but just stand behind him, eavesdropping a few steps back. That way, if he gets stuck on a question like “What is your Canadian address where we can mail your Permanent Resident Card?â€

[shadowfoot17]

Oh he'll like that! We were under the impression that they were going to take him away to another room and grill him. Ikept telling him it wasn't going to be as bad as we were making out, but he'll really like knowig now that it'll most likely be dealt with at the counter!

I can't go with him can I? I have to go to a different line when we go to customs...

Thanks for the reply! I know he'll be relieved when he finds out about the "interview"!

[markdrocker]

...I can't go with him can I? I have to go to a different line when we go to customs...

All the ports of entry I have been through from USA (Vanc airport, Toronto airport, 2 car entrances in BC, 1 car entrance near Detroit) are basically the same. First, you two talk to Customs officer together at the same booth. The Customs officer might stamp your passport or your Customs declaration form, but no stamp for your man yet. The officer will say your man needs to go straight to the Immigration office behind the Customs officer, and that you may go straight out the door to "freedom" without your man. But instead of you going straight to freedom, you can choose to go to Immigration Office area with your man and wait for him to get processed.

Although unlikely, sometimes a Customs officer will be in a nice mood and will allow your man to go straight to freedom with you, without visiting Immigration office at all. DO NOT ACCEPT SUCH KINDNESS THIS TIME. Tell the Customs officer your man NEEDS to "land" and get processed at the Immigration office this time. And YOU can ask the Customs officer to look at your personal B4/B4A forms, and ask if you need to go to Immigration office to get any benefit from those forms (if you have no goods to follow, and if the Customs officer chooses not to charge you any fees for the goods you have with you, then he might tell you to just throw away those forms and you may walk straight to freedom without any need for fees or forms for YOU).

After your man is processed at Immigration office, both of you start to leave the Immigration office area together and head towards the door to freedom, and if officers give YOU funny looks for leaving without YOU getting processed by any Immigration officer, just say the Customs officer never sent YOU to the Immigration office in the first place---you just chose to enter the Imimgration office area to wait for your man to get processed. Then Immigration will let you go, or maybe at most they'll make YOU show your passport or stamped Customs form again---just to prove that Customs approved YOUR passage to freedom without any required stop at the Immigration office for YOU. At the final door, you both might have to show the stamped Customs form one more time.

.

[shadowfoot17]

Thanks so much for all your help!! It all seems very straight forward now.

Two weeks and six days to go! I'll let ya know when we land exactly what happened!

Thanks again!!