Well, for anybody following me on Facebook, it's become apparent that I'm *hopefully* off to visit David in less than two weeks. For the rest of you, I'm *hopefully* off to visit David in less than two weeks. Not everything is completely settled yet, we're still trying to get my plane ticket figured out, but so far, everything seems to be a go. With my job and our current financial situation, two weeks is all that can be spared, but there's never a time that will be long enough except forever, so we're happy with what we do get.
We don't have much planned for while I'm there, mostly just hanging out and BEING together. Listening to each other breathe and spending a lot of time just sitting and looking at each other. Apart from missing my husband, I also miss Ghana, specifically Accra, like crazy, so I'm planning on getting out and soaking up as much of the culture, people, food, atmosphere, sounds, and smells as possible. Visiting old haunts, wandering streets, going to the beach (I miss the ocean SO bad), eating... all that kind of good stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to the food. Well, I guess I can't start mentioning all the things I'm looking forward to because it's a list that would go on for a very long time. David was frantically trying to plan and renovate and do all kinds of crazy stuff for when I was there, but I told him that I just wanted to come home and relax and act like we were never apart and I'm never going to have to leave. I, honestly, just need a break; a break from all the responsibility and worrying. I'm preparing my brain so that I can just not think about all this stuff for the two weeks I'm with David. I'm not the type that does that very well, so I'm hoping this goes better than anticipated.
We are hoping to take lots of pictures, especially of us together, since that's something that we don't have much of from when I was living over there before.
We are planning on making at least one visit to the Canadian High Commission while I'm in Ghana to drop of proof of my visit and hopefully discuss our application with someone in the visa office. I'm going to talk to the MP's office for my constituency later this week and see if they can get us an appointment. But other than that, I'd rather not spend a whole lot of time thinking about this immigrating thing. Thinking about it doesn't seem to help speed things along.
Of course, there will be more to talk about once I'm actually in Ghana and have seen David (it's been 15 and a half months since we were last together in person). He has high-speed internet in the house, so I'll be around checking email and Facebook. And if I feel like writing, I might stick something up here, or it might end up just waiting until I get back.
I just want to put a plug in here for the people at Golden Rule Travel. We had hoped to get a cheap ticket from a friend of David's who works for a travel agency in Ghana (you'd think we would have learned our lesson last time, but...), but things were just not working out with him, so I turned to Golden Rule, who has done tickets for me before. As always, they respond as if they've just been sitting around waiting for me to call them. Always so polite, helpful, friendly... just incredible customer service. I haven't yet seen an itinerary or the price quote, but I feel more peaceful right after contacting them (even at the last minute), than I have in the last 3 weeks that we've been duking things out with this travel agent in Ghana. I know that, even though we might pay a little more (a little more than what David's buddy had told us, not a little more than your average online fares. I have found in the past that Golden Rule is consistently $200-$400 less than the cheapest fare I can find in any online search engine), my flight booking and travel experience will be completely carefree. I'm looking forward to a good trip!
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Proactive Waiting
I received the CAIPS notes on our file last week, so at least now we know what the holdup on our file is. The concern the immigration officer had following David's interview in March was concerning his relationship with the mother of his two children. The officer, for some unfounded reason, is needing to be convinced that David and this woman are no longer together. You would think that it would be pretty obvious from the information we submitted with the application originally (and the little fact that he's MARRIED to somebody else), but apparently not. So we've been busy this last week getting notarized documents together to submit against this ridiculous accusation. You wouldn't think we'd have to spell it out, but apparently...
The last entry in the case notes was from the middle of May; the medicals exams David and the kids were required to have at the beginning of this process were analysed and the results entered into the file record. I would assume that's a good sign, meaning that they've decided to move on with the application. However, those medicals are only good for a year, so they expired in June and David will have to redo his before he can receive his visa. Lovely.
The good news from the notes - the immigration officer seems to be convinced of our genuine relationship, which is half the battle with this particular office. I'm breathing a light sigh of relief from this, but still half bracing myself for a refusal on this point, just in case they change their mind and can't find anything else to refuse us for.
David is planning on going to the visa office on Monday to submit the additional documents and ask for permission to redo his medical now instead of waiting until they request it (the exam results get sent to a CIC office in France for... something. I'm not sure what that office does with them, but it takes approximately four months for the results to show up in the system so that the Accra office can access them). Hopefully I'll have some more news to post once he's been to the visa office.
This article was published earlier this week in the Toronto Star; it's good to see some attention drawn to the issues in Immigration, but depressing to see the official numbers for rejections. Our file is being handled by the Accra foreign visa office (46% rejection rate according to Minister Chow).
The last entry in the case notes was from the middle of May; the medicals exams David and the kids were required to have at the beginning of this process were analysed and the results entered into the file record. I would assume that's a good sign, meaning that they've decided to move on with the application. However, those medicals are only good for a year, so they expired in June and David will have to redo his before he can receive his visa. Lovely.
The good news from the notes - the immigration officer seems to be convinced of our genuine relationship, which is half the battle with this particular office. I'm breathing a light sigh of relief from this, but still half bracing myself for a refusal on this point, just in case they change their mind and can't find anything else to refuse us for.
David is planning on going to the visa office on Monday to submit the additional documents and ask for permission to redo his medical now instead of waiting until they request it (the exam results get sent to a CIC office in France for... something. I'm not sure what that office does with them, but it takes approximately four months for the results to show up in the system so that the Accra office can access them). Hopefully I'll have some more news to post once he's been to the visa office.
This article was published earlier this week in the Toronto Star; it's good to see some attention drawn to the issues in Immigration, but depressing to see the official numbers for rejections. Our file is being handled by the Accra foreign visa office (46% rejection rate according to Minister Chow).
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
*sigh*
Yes, I'm quite aware that it has been six months without an update. That means what it looks like it means: six months without anything to update with. Well, that's not completely true, as David was called for an interview in March. The visa office waived the usual 60 days notice of the interview date; they called him on the phone ten days before the scheduled interview, saying that they were afraid he wouldn't get a letter on time. We were so excited for that, hoping it would mean they were really wanting to get our application through finally, but all hopes of a speedy approval have been dashed since then.
The interview did not go well; the immigration officer was very intimidating and rough with David, hardly giving him a chance to answer her questions or defend himself against several unfounded accusations. She was actually yelling so loud that people outside in the yard heard. Needless to say, David was somewhat traumatized by that experience. He was told, just before he was dismissed, that someone would be contacting him once they'd done some more "investigating." (We're finding that this word seems to be quite popular with the immigration officers in Accra.) However, for the last two months since the interview, neither of us has heard anything.
Last week, I was able to get news through the Member of Parliament here. Unfortunately, it was pretty much what we already knew; the application is with an immigration officer for review in regard to the applicant's background and "it's difficult to say" how long until approval, "but we hope the investigation will be done soon." Oh, that word "soon!" So laden with meaning. In the meantime, I've requested the notes on our file and are expecting those in the next two weeks or so. Hopefully that will give us some kind of idea of what is being investigated, or if they are waiting on any documents that they've forgotten to ask for.
Other than that, we're both going insane with all of this sitting around and waiting indefinitely. Next week will mark 14 months since David and I have seen each other. That's an awfully long time. Fortunately, despite everything we've both been through in the last year and more, it's gone fast enough that I have a hard time believing it's really been that long. I'm not very good at passively waiting, so have been spending my time for the last several weeks writing letters to every politician and office that I can think of who might be able to help in any way. I just hope that our file is being picked up often enough to send updates to various people that somebody is going to get tired of seeing it and will just approve it to get rid of it. That's my aim anyway!
So here's hoping that something happens soon so we can get on with our lives already. The next step *should* be for David to go and get his visa... if we can get Immigration to cooperate for once!
The interview did not go well; the immigration officer was very intimidating and rough with David, hardly giving him a chance to answer her questions or defend himself against several unfounded accusations. She was actually yelling so loud that people outside in the yard heard. Needless to say, David was somewhat traumatized by that experience. He was told, just before he was dismissed, that someone would be contacting him once they'd done some more "investigating." (We're finding that this word seems to be quite popular with the immigration officers in Accra.) However, for the last two months since the interview, neither of us has heard anything.
Last week, I was able to get news through the Member of Parliament here. Unfortunately, it was pretty much what we already knew; the application is with an immigration officer for review in regard to the applicant's background and "it's difficult to say" how long until approval, "but we hope the investigation will be done soon." Oh, that word "soon!" So laden with meaning. In the meantime, I've requested the notes on our file and are expecting those in the next two weeks or so. Hopefully that will give us some kind of idea of what is being investigated, or if they are waiting on any documents that they've forgotten to ask for.
Other than that, we're both going insane with all of this sitting around and waiting indefinitely. Next week will mark 14 months since David and I have seen each other. That's an awfully long time. Fortunately, despite everything we've both been through in the last year and more, it's gone fast enough that I have a hard time believing it's really been that long. I'm not very good at passively waiting, so have been spending my time for the last several weeks writing letters to every politician and office that I can think of who might be able to help in any way. I just hope that our file is being picked up often enough to send updates to various people that somebody is going to get tired of seeing it and will just approve it to get rid of it. That's my aim anyway!
So here's hoping that something happens soon so we can get on with our lives already. The next step *should* be for David to go and get his visa... if we can get Immigration to cooperate for once!
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Nothing
Well, I keep thinking that I should update this, but I keep waiting, hoping that something will happen with which to update. Since the good news that David's application is in Accra, we've not really heard anything. I was writing letters to the visa office, but after five or six, received a polite, but rather curt, reply that the application is in line to be reviewed, but will be processed as received, so could I please leave them alone. Not wanting to upset anybody and possibly slow the process down more than it already is, I've ceased the communication. But, with not hearing anything from anybody for the last two months, we're both getting a little antsy. Each morning brings the possibility of news, but each evening comes without anything. Very discouraging... especially now that there is absolutely nothing we can do.
We continue to have the smallest hope of being together for Christmas, but that would mean David would pretty much have to get his visa in the next week, and then there's a very good possibility that we would not be able to afford a plane ticket for during the holiday season. Your prayers are most appreciated, not only for us to be reunited soon, but also just for patience and peace of mind.
We continue to have the smallest hope of being together for Christmas, but that would mean David would pretty much have to get his visa in the next week, and then there's a very good possibility that we would not be able to afford a plane ticket for during the holiday season. Your prayers are most appreciated, not only for us to be reunited soon, but also just for patience and peace of mind.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
A little tidbit
On September 30, David received an email from the visa office in Accra, Ghana, confirming that they have received his application and begun processing it. There wasn't much other information in the email, just details of what he can expect as the process goes on. But I still thought it was rather nice of them to have given us some kind of communication that they have received the application and begun the process.
We still have no idea of what kind of time line we're looking at in order for David to get his visa. The email from the visa office states that Family Class sponsored applications like his take an average of 18 months for processing. We're just praying that that is very generously overstated! Hopefully he'll hear within the next couple weeks if he needs to go for a personal interview or needs to supply additional paperwork. Both seem unlikely, knowing what I know was in the application, but one can never read the minds of those in government positions! But if one or both extra steps are required, it will only prolong the process as the visa office is required to schedule any such appointments 60 days in advance. So for now, we're both just waiting to hear something. I guess this whole thing has taught us patience if nothing else!
As of October 5, it is six months since I left Ghana, six months since David and I have been able to talk to each other face to face. One other thing I've learned... never take for granted the privilege of being able to look into your spouse's eyes as you speak!
We still have no idea of what kind of time line we're looking at in order for David to get his visa. The email from the visa office states that Family Class sponsored applications like his take an average of 18 months for processing. We're just praying that that is very generously overstated! Hopefully he'll hear within the next couple weeks if he needs to go for a personal interview or needs to supply additional paperwork. Both seem unlikely, knowing what I know was in the application, but one can never read the minds of those in government positions! But if one or both extra steps are required, it will only prolong the process as the visa office is required to schedule any such appointments 60 days in advance. So for now, we're both just waiting to hear something. I guess this whole thing has taught us patience if nothing else!
As of October 5, it is six months since I left Ghana, six months since David and I have been able to talk to each other face to face. One other thing I've learned... never take for granted the privilege of being able to look into your spouse's eyes as you speak!
Friday, 26 September 2008
Halfway there!
Yesterday, I received an exciting letter from Immigration Canada. My application to sponsor David was reviewed and a decision made about it on September 17. I have met the requirements and been pronounced eligible as a sponsor. Exciting news since my part of the application was the only thing we were really worried about. Even more exciting since we weren't expecting to hear anything about this until the middle or end of October.
David's application has been sent back to Ghana, to the Canadian High Commission in Accra, which is in charge of permanent residence applications for several countries in West Africa. They will be reviewing it and contacting him for any further documents or interviews as needed. Being the one who put everything together, I don't foresee any need for information to be added to what was sent, so I'm hoping that within a couple months, David will be called to come get his entrance visa.
Our prayer for the last several months has been that God would reunite us before the end of the year... even though that seems pretty doubtful when looking at the timelines given by Immigration Canada. But we know that God is more than able to do this and are believing that He knows what's best for us. I really can't see the benefits of this husband and wife being seperated for any longer than we already have been (next week will be six months!), but am praying for strength should God have more for us to learn. After the encouraging speed with which my application was processed, there is a good deal more hope in both of us that we really could get to spend Christmas together. I hope you will join us in praying for God's mercy and comfort in this trial, as well as asking Him, if He sees fit, to reunite us again with all speed.
I'll be sure to update as soon as any information is known on David's application.
David's application has been sent back to Ghana, to the Canadian High Commission in Accra, which is in charge of permanent residence applications for several countries in West Africa. They will be reviewing it and contacting him for any further documents or interviews as needed. Being the one who put everything together, I don't foresee any need for information to be added to what was sent, so I'm hoping that within a couple months, David will be called to come get his entrance visa.
Our prayer for the last several months has been that God would reunite us before the end of the year... even though that seems pretty doubtful when looking at the timelines given by Immigration Canada. But we know that God is more than able to do this and are believing that He knows what's best for us. I really can't see the benefits of this husband and wife being seperated for any longer than we already have been (next week will be six months!), but am praying for strength should God have more for us to learn. After the encouraging speed with which my application was processed, there is a good deal more hope in both of us that we really could get to spend Christmas together. I hope you will join us in praying for God's mercy and comfort in this trial, as well as asking Him, if He sees fit, to reunite us again with all speed.
I'll be sure to update as soon as any information is known on David's application.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Quick update
Not that there's much to say. We haven't heard anything from Immigration Canada yet, but the website says that they're working on applications received the week before ours, so hopefully in a few weeks, we'll hear something.
David and I are both fine, but extremely lonely. We've learned a lot about ourselves, about each other, and about making a marriage work in these past five months. As grateful as I am to learn those things, it's still VERY hard to be seperated from him for so long. All you wives out there, never take for granted the pleasure of welcoming your husband home at the end of the day with a kiss, hug, and warm dinner. I feel as if I've been deprived of all of my duties as a wife. Perhaps some wives feel like they'd enjoy that, but I absolutely loved, and thrived in, the months that I was able to be a wife. Yes, I'm very eagerly looking forward to having someone to take care of again.
As always, your prayers are appreciated. I know we're going to get through this thing okay, but having your prayers, thoughts, and concerns will only make it easier.
David and I are both fine, but extremely lonely. We've learned a lot about ourselves, about each other, and about making a marriage work in these past five months. As grateful as I am to learn those things, it's still VERY hard to be seperated from him for so long. All you wives out there, never take for granted the pleasure of welcoming your husband home at the end of the day with a kiss, hug, and warm dinner. I feel as if I've been deprived of all of my duties as a wife. Perhaps some wives feel like they'd enjoy that, but I absolutely loved, and thrived in, the months that I was able to be a wife. Yes, I'm very eagerly looking forward to having someone to take care of again.
As always, your prayers are appreciated. I know we're going to get through this thing okay, but having your prayers, thoughts, and concerns will only make it easier.
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