Hi all,
My fiancee (an American) and I (a Canadian citizen) are getting married soon and are preparing to fill out the spouse visa forms so that she can become a permanent resident and move back up with me to Canada. (We currently live separately but visit each other frequently as work and university permit.)
I think I have an overall pretty good grasp on the process after reading these forums and the Canada immigration website, except for one thing - I just realized that she will need to get an FBI criminal check, and that this can take up to 12 (or 16?) weeks.
Do we need to submit this check WITH the application, or can we submit the visa application while the FBI processes her fingerprints? It would suck to have to wait another 4+ months before we can submit the visa application...
Thanks in advance.
Hi
(10-31-2010 03:13 AM)markleton Wrote: [ -> ]Hi all,
My fiancee (an American) and I (a Canadian citizen) are getting married soon and are preparing to fill out the spouse visa forms so that she can become a permanent resident and move back up with me to Canada. (We currently live separately but visit each other frequently as work and university permit.)
I think I have an overall pretty good grasp on the process after reading these forums and the Canada immigration website, except for one thing - I just realized that she will need to get an FBI criminal check, and that this can take up to 12 (or 16?) weeks.
Do we need to submit this check WITH the application, or can we submit the visa application while the FBI processes her fingerprints? It would suck to have to wait another 4+ months before we can submit the visa application...
Thanks in advance.
1. Yes, you need to submit the FBI criminal records check with the applicaiton and the sponsorship.
2. Your fiancee should be applying for the FBI check NOW, as long as it no older than 3 months when you submit the application. If you don't submit with the application, the application will sit until it is received.
I do agree with PMM - it's best if you submit the FBI check with the application because it helps avoid delays in processing once Buffalo gets the file. If the FBI isn't included, they'll suspend processing until they get it. That isn't to say, though, that they'd return the application or anything. If you're getting married in a couple of months, then request the FBI now and you should have it by the time you've actually got everything ready to submit. If you're getting married next week, still submit the request for the FBI now, but it's okay to send in the application before you get it back. Include a cover letter explaining that you're still waiting on the FBI check, and CPC-Mississauga will still assess you as a sponsor and then transfer the file to Buffalo if you're approved. It'll be about six weeks time from when you submit to CPC-M before Buffalo is doing the initial assessment. When they see they have no FBI clearance, they'll write to your spouse and tell her that she still needs to submit it (and anything else she might have forgotten to include, or that they think they need [State clearances, etc] to assess it) and they'll give her 60 days to reply. By that time the FBI should be back and she just forwards it to them. It will delay processing, but not significantly.
Don't forget she also needs to include proof of having undergone medical examination with the initial submission. This one seems to be a stickler - I've heard of CPC-M returning aps when there's no proof of medical. The medical results are valid for one year - the PCCs are valid for 6 months, but need to be submitted to the processing office before they're 3 months old.
Also on this subject...we have been waiting for an FBI report since February of this year (that's right, folks, 9 months!!!).
The first two were returned because they said they couldn't read the prints. We are waiting for a response on the last set we sent.
We did call and were told to put "Urgent - third request" on the application and the envelope. However, it just shows things can get held up. We have submitted our app without the report. Don't know what will happen, but everything else is starting to be out-of-date due to this hold up.
As an aside...have you ever wondered how CSI can find someone from the tiniest smidge of a print, but you have multiple sets done through a police agency and the FBI can't read them? LOL
Don't know how this is going to turn out, but here's hoping!
Hi,
So I sent out for FBI took about 2 months say 10 weeks!!! I it really seems so non-formal is that normal??? How long is the FBI paper good for? Also when we get married is that when I do my medical or can I get that done now? Is it ok for all of this stuff to have my maiden name since we are not married yet?
Thanks