Robert Martin's Page

Hi Robert,

The latest I have learned is that my wife received a call from the Canadian Consulate in South Africa yesterday, requesting their passports so that visas can be issued!! I don't know whether this is the fastest immigration application in history............15 days!!!!, or just a definite sign that it is something we have to do!!
In any case this now will fast forward our plans and suddenly things are looking very real.

All the best to you and yours

Shane

Hi Robert,

Congratulations on your immigration progress.

The status of my application is that I received a letter back from the Case Processing Centre in Mississisauga saying that I had been approved as a sponsor for my wife and child. I got this back last Monday the 15th, dated 1 February. I had mailed this on 18 December, meaning that approval was given in a little over 3 weeks. This is quicker than the estimated time suggests. What I gather now is that a letter will be forwarded to my wife (as the permanent resident applicant), from the Canadian Embassy in South Africa, with further instructions etc. The anticipated time for the visas to be issued is about 4 - 6 months or so.
When I am sure that the process is well and truly underway, I will likely travel across in about mid June or so in order to find employment, rent, vehicle etc in anticipation of my wife and son getting their visas in about July or August or so (maybe sooner). When they are ready to come across (school year starts early September), I will perhaps fly back to South Africa and help with the "loose ends" and packing etc.

All of the best to you

Regards

Shane

Yes, it is getting quite difficult. I am astounded that immigrants may file for their own and their childrens' citizenship at the same time, before they even have citizenship. Conversely, we- who have citizenship and are only awaiting proof- cannot file for our childrens' PR at the same time! I am patient, but I do not want the kids to have to go through mroe than they need to. Each age puts them in a different category.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the info. My wife and son had their medicals on 30 November and I presume these results will soon (if not already), go to the designated Canadian doctor based in Nairobi, Kenya. We got her police clearance back about 10 days ago and have up to now been getting all the necessary papers together. We plan to go to the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria tomorrow, to hand in all the paperwork and fees to the Visa and Immigration people. There are still some questions which cannot be answered on the Internet and you cannot actually speak to a person in the Immigration section over the phone!!!! Hopefully it will run smoothly. Another weird thing... they are only open to the public between 8 and 10 am, meaning that we have to leave our home at about 4.30am for the 3 - 4 hour drive there. Nice!!

Once I know that I have been accepted as a sponsor (about 2 months I think), I would then know that it would be possibly less than 6 months before they get their PR visas. Still unsure at this stage, but maybe I would go ahead in about April or May to organise work, car, rented house etc. so that when my wife and son arrive in about July or August, at least they are not left stranded at the airport like urchins!! I have family in the London and Sarnia areas, so we would be looking at places within about an hour or so from them. Possibly south of London, stretching west and east, basically north of Lake Erie area.

Speak again soon

Regards

Shane

Birmingham, Sunday 13. Dec. 2009


Dear Robert,

I am in my second year of study at university, doing a BSc (Hon) Health and Wellbeing, (Nutrition pathway) graduating in the spring of 2011. My father, who was born in London between the wars fled the "Blitz" with my grandmother and my aunt via Bermuda to the US when he was a teenager and never moved back to England went on to move to Canada as a young man and stayed there only to come back to the States years later. He became a Canadian while living in the Ontario area.

I haven't made up my mind yet what exactly I want to do with my newly gained Canadian citizenship. I will definitely consider it once I have finished my BSc but not before I've also completed my Masters in Public Health and Public health Promotion, in which by that time I will almost be 50. We will see what the future will bring for me. But for the time being; I'm firmly rooted here in Britain, for I'm having the time of my life here.

Kind regards,

Howard.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the reply.

As it stands now we have scheduled the medicals for my wife and son for 30 November in Johannesburg. I intend to submit all documentation to the Embassy on 1 December, providing her police clearance certificate is then back with us.
I understand that this then all goes off to Mississauga in Ontario, where it takes about 40 - 50 days or so to confirm whether I may be the sponsor. If it is confirmed as such, I think everything is then done from the South African side. The current time for a spouse and dependent child is about 6 months for PR visas to be issued once the documentation comes back to SA. I am perhaps taking a chance and doing this without an immigration lawyer, due to us losing about 1000 pounds in the past (once bitten.....??), when we initially went through an immigration service (also lawyers), who did not really do much in any case, seeing as the laws and/or regulations were changing and it seemed likely that I would become a citizen anyway.

Regards and all the best. See you in Ontario in 2010!!

Shane

Shane, the best way to transfer money from S.A. to Canada is via SWIFT. You will need to do it via your bank and if the sum is greater than C$10,000 you will be asked to declare what the funds are for.

The charge will be around C$50, but it depends on the bank.

Hello again Robert,

Hope you are well.

I was wanting to know if your application has gone in and whether anything else was needed from you. I am still awaiting some form of response from an MP's office in Canada (a contact I established before going over to Canada), about the same questions I asked you. It seems that the Canadian Visa and Immigration people (in South Africa at any rate), are not keen to actually talk to, or advise anyone. They say everything that is needed is on their website. This is all very well unless you have specific questions to be answered. I do not want to lodge documents and the payments, only to be told that something is wrong with them (eg I am not eligible to sponsor) some weeks later and then more time is wasted and payments cannot be reversed perhaps??

Regards

Shane
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