# Process underway



## Chrisd (Feb 15, 2010)

Hi everyone,
been stalking the forums for a while now and finally thought it was time to post. My partner is from Canada originally and is doing commonlaw sponsorship, so hoping we will have a smooth application process. We visited Toronto and southern Ontario last September and I feel in love with the area and people, so upon our return to not so bonny Scotland we started the paperwork. I'm very lucky that my partner is very skilled at filling in forms but still it took a lot of running around getting correctly sized photographs, notaries signatures and my medical. By this point Christmas had arrived and it wasn't until the start of January that we got it sent away. Side story DHL won't deliver to a postal box so we had to send to my partners parents in Caledonia who then sent it on to Mississauga. We checked the E-CAS site last night and discovered that that a decision had been made the same day, waiting on some sort of notification to as to if its was successful or not. Does anyone know if they would say if it was unsuccessful at this stage or do we just have to wait to see it in the unreliable post? Does anyone know what kind of time line to expect with spouse sponsorship at this point?

We are both have IT backgrounds, currently finishing off a Cisco CCNP (both unemployed due to the terrible job market in scotland) we will be initially staying in Caledonia though we could end up in Cambridge if my partners 96 year old relative (a really amazing lady, hope i can be that active and mentally aware at that age) moves into assisted living as she plans. Other than RIM is there any other IT employers that we should look for jobs with in those areas or will we have to move closer to Toronto to get IT work?

Looking forward to moving over and have my "Timmy's" fix, if anyone has any advice i would love to hear it.

Chris


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Chrisd said:


> Hi everyone,
> been stalking the forums for a while now and finally thought it was time to post. My partner is from Canada originally and is doing commonlaw sponsorship, so hoping we will have a smooth application process. We visited Toronto and southern Ontario last September and I feel in love with the area and people, so upon our return to not so bonny Scotland we started the paperwork. I'm very lucky that my partner is very skilled at filling in forms but still it took a lot of running around getting correctly sized photographs, notaries signatures and my medical. By this point Christmas had arrived and it wasn't until the start of January that we got it sent away. Side story DHL won't deliver to a postal box so we had to send to my partners parents in Caledonia who then sent it on to Mississauga. We checked the E-CAS site last night and discovered that that a decision had been made the same day, waiting on some sort of notification to as to if its was successful or not. Does anyone know if they would say if it was unsuccessful at this stage or do we just have to wait to see it in the unreliable post? Does anyone know what kind of time line to expect with spouse sponsorship at this point?
> 
> We are both have IT backgrounds, currently finishing off a Cisco CCNP (both unemployed due to the terrible job market in scotland) we will be initially staying in Caledonia though we could end up in Cambridge if my partners 96 year old relative (a really amazing lady, hope i can be that active and mentally aware at that age) moves into assisted living as she plans. Other than RIM is there any other IT employers that we should look for jobs with in those areas or will we have to move closer to Toronto to get IT work?
> ...


Initial esponse time for SW applications is usually 2-3 months so you are still within that time frame. RIM is, of course, the major employer of IT people in the Waterloo area but I'm sure there are some contractors in that area feeding into them. There is some IT work in the Oakville/Mississauga areas and commuting from Cambridge is doable, but of course Toronto is the country's major financial/insurance centre so you may have to look there.
Much good luck and I hope you hear soon that your application is successful.


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## Chrisd (Feb 15, 2010)

Auld Yin said:


> Initial esponse time for SW applications is usually 2-3 months so you are still within that time frame. RIM is, of course, the major employer of IT people in the Waterloo area but I'm sure there are some contractors in that area feeding into them. There is some IT work in the Oakville/Mississauga areas and commuting from Cambridge is doable, but of course Toronto is the country's major financial/insurance centre so you may have to look there.
> Much good luck and I hope you hear soon that your application is successful.


thanks for the fast reply, didn't realise there where IT employers in the Oakville Mississauga areas, would be very nice to live and have only a short commute to work there. Also if memory serves correctly the GO train has stations in both places so would make public transport more of an option. We passed through Mississauga on the way to centre1, so don't really know too much about either area.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Chrisd said:


> thanks for the fast reply, didn't realise there where IT employers in the Oakville Mississauga areas, would be very nice to live and have only a short commute to work there. Also if memory serves correctly the GO train has stations in both places so would make public transport more of an option. We passed through Mississauga on the way to centre1, so don't really know too much about either area.


Of the two Oakville, in my opinion, is much more desirable from a living perspective. If not the highest then secondly the second wealthiest town/area in Canada. It's located on the lake and has a very pleasant lakeside village atmosphere. Good housing but can be expensive. Mississauga is a large spread-out city, area wise, but with some nice housing areas also. Lots of light industrial companies.


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

Chrisd said:


> Hi everyone,
> been stalking the forums for a while now and finally thought it was time to post. My partner is from Canada originally and is doing commonlaw sponsorship, so hoping we will have a smooth application process. We visited Toronto and southern Ontario last September and I feel in love with the area and people, so upon our return to not so bonny Scotland we started the paperwork. I'm very lucky that my partner is very skilled at filling in forms but still it took a lot of running around getting correctly sized photographs, notaries signatures and my medical. By this point Christmas had arrived and it wasn't until the start of January that we got it sent away. Side story DHL won't deliver to a postal box so we had to send to my partners parents in Caledonia who then sent it on to Mississauga. We checked the E-CAS site last night and discovered that that a decision had been made the same day, waiting on some sort of notification to as to if its was successful or not. Does anyone know if they would say if it was unsuccessful at this stage or do we just have to wait to see it in the unreliable post? Does anyone know what kind of time line to expect with spouse sponsorship at this point?
> 
> We are both have IT backgrounds, currently finishing off a Cisco CCNP (both unemployed due to the terrible job market in scotland) we will be initially staying in Caledonia though we could end up in Cambridge if my partners 96 year old relative (a really amazing lady, hope i can be that active and mentally aware at that age) moves into assisted living as she plans. Other than RIM is there any other IT employers that we should look for jobs with in those areas or will we have to move closer to Toronto to get IT work?
> ...


 Know what you mean chris, we are going back to ontario on march 30th and the first thing were doing when we get out of the airport is going to get our TIMMY'S..... can't beat the TIMMY'S.....


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## Chrisd (Feb 15, 2010)

Seems to be endless amount of information to read from areas to living to advice on searching for jobs how to "canadianize" your CV. Am i jumping ahead of myself as we are still waiting to hear back from the london embassy.


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

Chrisd said:


> Seems to be endless amount of information to read from areas to living to advice on searching for jobs how to "canadianize" your CV. Am i jumping ahead of myself as we are still waiting to hear back from the london embassy.


Nothing wrong with getting as much info as you can!!...Researching as much as you can is good. I hope you hear back soon and everything is good.
If you visit London, Ontario, you can look us up.


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## Chrisd (Feb 15, 2010)

jen45 said:


> Nothing wrong with getting as much info as you can!!...Researching as much as you can is good. I hope you hear back soon and everything is good.
> If you visit London, Ontario, you can look us up.


Thank you for the kind words Jen, finding myself mentally pacing back and forth. I realise how lucky we are that we are able to apply through spouse sponsorship as I think i would go mad going through the skilled worker scheme waiting years on a decision. 

My time line so far

Medical : 10th December
(Christmas distractions)
DHL documents to Canada:11th Jan
Canada post to CIC Mississauga: 14th Jan
Documents Officially Received by CIC: 19th Jan
Started Processing: 5th Feb
Decision made: 5th Feb
Now just waiting on any post from CIC (not even received post card saying that they have received the application)


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

Chrisd said:


> Thank you for the kind words Jen, finding myself mentally pacing back and forth. I realise how lucky we are that we are able to apply through spouse sponsorship as I think i would go mad going through the skilled worker scheme waiting years on a decision.
> 
> My time line so far
> 
> ...


I agree with you, I cannot imagine waiting for an OK through the skilled workers.
The time you have had to wait is long enough...would drive me crazy. Thank god I dont have any of this hasstle!!...Your wait should be over soon I expect and just think soon you will be over in Canada enjoying your new life. If you ever miss the scottish accent, just give us a call in London... if you need any more info about anything just email [email protected] are always here and if we can help in any way, we would be glad too...


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