If I didn't have bad luck....

[Rvrwind]

I woudn't have any luck at all!!!
I figured after my recent unprovoked attacks on some people, to whom I offer my oplogies, I figured I should explain why.
As many of you already know I lost my Younger Brother quite recently , which was a big blow but has been compounded expodetialy by more recent bad news.
Many of you helped in the effort to help me with the paperwork & filing to have my wife accompany me to Canada when I leave in October. We just recievd word from CIC at the beginnng of last week that that will not be possible & all our efforts were in vain.
My own fault I suppose as I should have known that they would get a bee in their bonnet & their panties in a bunch over it, but I remained optimistic.
Their reasoning is because I have not lived in Canada for almost 5 years & have not filed income tax I cannot provide proof that I can support her if she returns with me. I tried using the statements from the company here but it does not reflect near enough income & all other income I have had here was under the table cash & I cannot prove I was even working. I did submit the tax papers from 5 years ago which they accepted but claim that was then, I'm 5 years older now & times have changed, I may find the work force has no place for me at my advanced age. Think if I kick his a$$ he'll change his mind about that advanced age stuff??
I phoned them late Wednesday & tried to reason with them to no avail. My only option, according to them, & not one I am happy at all with, is that I return to Canada alone, secure employment & show a track record for 6 months, file my taxes in the coming year & get that all in order & perhaps if that shows a reasonable income etc. I can re-apply. The one good thing is I don't lose the money I paid I just have to re-open the case later once I am more established in Canada. But it will still be a minimum of 6-8 month after I re-apply before she will be allowed to immigrate!! That means no matter what we will be apart for at least a year!!! Uness I can make enough & take time off enough to come back & visit every couple to three months.
This has really put a dent in our plans & suffice to say my wife is severly upset about it, which is of course being directed at me & I am depressed enough over it. As if there is anything I can do to change the buearucratic machine!!
I sort of knew in the back of my mind that this was a possiblity but was hoping not. Nothing like being wrong again.   Getting to be a bad habit...
So that with the loss of my brother has made this a very trying month in my life & one I'm sorry to say I will be very glad to get past & forget ever happened if that is possible....
Thank you all again for your help/support & I apologize for things not working out as expected. I will however once I return, work my a$$ off to make it happen!!!

[neo]

Im sorry to hear about your brother rvrwind.

re your visa situation. Welcome to my own personal hell.

A lot of guys said the "pack your life up and move to russia" at me in repsonse to my problems, and now you can see how thats not always possible.

With my visa situation i was stuck between a rock and a hard place. that basically:

I had to be present and settled in the UK and show i could support and house her properly, to do that they wanted at least 6 months bank statements, work record, housing etc that wasnt possible because my job meant i spent a lot of time working offshore in switzerland germany etc i didnt have a "stable" track record in my own country and they woundt accept any paperwork from other countries.

Second they wanted that i proved my "marriage subsisted" up to teh date of application.

Given they refused her any form of entry clerance even as a tourist they were asking me to live with my wife at the same time as i was working to fulfill all the other criteria, sure i said, i can do that, give her a 6 month tourist visa and we will subsist and ill work and do all that. "no but we cant give her a tourist visa becauses shes your WIFE and she is ONLY coming to the UK to LIVE with you and not be a TOURIST".

hold on.

So what you are saying is you WONT give my WIFE a TOURIST visa because you think she WONT leave me, but you WONT give her a SPOUSE visa because you think she WILL leave me.

So basically there is now ay to beat the rap, other than living and working in your own country while flying to russia every weekend to "subsist" your marriage to the date of application - but of course i also pointed out to them that they wanted i had a "good financial position" to support my wife. Exactly how i got a good financial position from paying 2 lots of rent and bils in 2 countries and 1000 airfrare a week plus other travelling costs wasnt in theri scope of thought.

net result - complete and utter stalemate.

Net solution for future - moved to 3rd independent country (France) pay no more taxes to former country (UK) for stupid beaurocratic attitude to citizens.

good luck with your problem, at least you guys are together.

the bears are prettier in Russia anyway, if thats what you are going to canada for

[Kuna]

Rvrwnd,

That's terrible news but with patience and persistence you will overcome all of the "noise" around you at the moment.

All the best mate!

Kuna

[Jack]

Richard I don't see so much as bad luck but more as a well established and acknowledged Canadian policy.

Richard everything you described is quite common under current and past Canadian immigrant policies.  I know many cases where it has taken quite some time for a man to get his wife to Canada.  I know of one couple right now who have been married OVER a year, she married him in Canada over a year ago, she had to leave the country per Canadian law and file all the proper paperwork.  This man, as all Canadian men I am aware of, also had to show and be able to provide proof of support for there Russian/Ukraine wife.

Your situation is absolutely no different than any other Canadian man. I'm sure you knew you had to show proof of your recent income, or savings in bank, or assets you maintained in Canada.

I think you were being quite naive in thinking she was going to be able to come over with you so easily.  And your damn sure not going to like hearing this, once you get to Canada it will be one year, if your lucky, before you will see your wife in Canada.  If you are able to show enough income from a good paying job after 6 months in Canada the Canadian government will then proceed with the paperwork to get your wife to Canada. As I said you will be damned lucky if they allow this in 6 months but it is possible.


The good news Richard is that in many parts of Canada they have a real shortage of workers and I expect you should have no problem getting a job.  In fact as we speak there are Canadian men in Ukraine today who are trying to get some 30-40 Ukraine workers to Canada now.  The work visa's are fairly quick. This particular Canadian operation have the work visas in there hands, they can pass them out and are doing such now.  The Ukraine workers chosen have to go thru a medical exam and then they will be flying over to Canada in late September.

[Shadow]

Jack, not to get Richards hopes up, but could his wife not get a work visa in Canada while he is accumulating tax data ?

[Misha]

Richard everything you described is quite common under current and past Canadian immigrant policies.  I know many cases where it has taken quite some time for a man to get his wife to Canada.  I know of one couple right now who have been married OVER a year, she married him in Canada over a year ago, she had to leave the country per Canadian law and file all the proper paperwork. 

Actually, the law changed 2 years ago. Now, a woman (or man) who is married to a Canadian citizen and is in Canada has a right to stay in the country while their application is being processed. If a woman, for example, enters Canada as a tourist or on a student visa and gets married, and if her partner sponsors her, she has the right to stay in the country until Citizenship and Immigration processes her application for permanent residence. This is a nice change, however, it does make it more difficult to get a visa: the Canadian consulates will be wary of any young, unmarried women wishing to go to Canada as a tourist and visit a male friend. Likewise, in this case, it is unlikely that a work visa would be issued, because they know that she is married to a Canadian. As soon as she would clear customs and immigration in Canada, she would have a right to stay until her CIC application was processed.

[Jack]

Well gabaub your going to have a tough time convincing this one lady in Krivoy Rog today who was married August 20th 2006 that she really did not have to leave the country despite the Canadian government telling her she had to leave.  She entered Canada on a tourist visa, got married and thought the same as what you are trying to say.  Those Canadian government officials who told her she had to leave sure were not telling her of any new law.


Shadow I suspect there would be a good chance that Richards wife could get such a work visa "if" she or Richard could find someone who were looking for workers in an area close to where Richard lives and she did not disclouse she was trying to get a fiancee visa.   There is a real effort for such workers underway in Ukraine right now.  Not aware of any intense programs in Russia but sure there must be.  Right now there is a great effort to find workers to go to Alberta Canada. 

And Richards wife could face the same problem as this one lady in Ukraine. These people trying to find workers I think are fearful that once this lady get's her fiancee visa, she leaves, she no longer needs the work program visa so she leaves this particular job which she only took to enter the country.   If the people in Russia who might give Richards wife a work visa find out she is also applying for a fiancee' visa I think they would have the same reservations.  There investment just walks out the door and there is nothing they can do about it once the lady has her fiance visa.

[Rvrwind]

Not too worry guys, we'll work it out.
Lots of work in Alberta, my home, so I ain't too worried.
It just frosts my nuts that a leaky boatload of Chinamen can get in easier than my wife. I guess thats what I get for paying taxes for so many years (not including the last 5 of course).
I can already see the problems I'm going to have without having to worry about her too, so maybe in a way its best she stays here for the time being. Close to family & friends she knows. It'll be hard without her but I have a feeling it would be much harder with her. If I'm alone I can head out into the oil patch & make some decent money, if she was with me I'd have to stay close to home & probably have to settle for a lower paying job.
Six of one, half dozen of the other as they say.
She knows I'll get her there as quick as I can.
Everything happes for a reason they say, so we'll take what little comfort we can from that.

[ScottinCrimea]

Rvrwind,
     When we decided to have my wife come to the US, I was in much the same situation as you.  Maybe one slight difference was that I didn't have to leave Ukraine as you are now required to leave Russia.  I had lived in Ukraine for a couple of years so it would be difficult to show sustainable income and a US residence.  What I did was go to Texas and live in a second home that my father owns there.  I found whatever work I could that would meet the income requirement, knowing it would only be for 6 months.  At the end of those 6 months I had a work history and filed a tax return.  I then returned to Ukraine to be with my wife while we waited on the visa application process, which I had begun three months into my US stay.  It sucked being away from my wife for those 6 months, but it had to be done.  After three months I returned to the US to prepare things for my wife to come, expecting that the visa process would take no longer than a couple of months.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case and now, 5 months later, she is finally coming.  The end result was that in the past 14 months, we have been together only 3 of those.  But hey, we had made a decision to go this route and we have done what we had to do.  If anything, our bond is stronger for it.

I understand what you are feeling and what you are going through, but from everything I know about you and your wife, you'll sail through this and things will work out fine in the end.  Marriages are about making the short term sacrifices to produce the long term happiness, and I think you'll get there.

[Misha]

Well gabaub your going to have a tough time convincing this one lady in Krivoy Rog today who was married August 20th 2006 that she really did not have to leave the country despite the Canadian government telling her she had to leave.  She entered Canada on a tourist visa, got married and thought the same as what you are trying to say.  Those Canadian government officials who told her she had to leave sure were not telling her of any new law.

 
When did the woman from Krivoy Rog leave? My wife did come to Canada as a tourist and we were married in Canada and we applied for her permanent residence status while she stays in Canada.

For more information, you or she can read the Citizenship and Immigration guide "Applying for
Permanent Residence from Within Canada. Spouse or Common-Law Partner  In Canada Class." This document can be downloaded here: http://cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5289E.PDF.

The guide specifies: "On February 18, 2005, the Minister announced a new public policy under which legal immigration status is no longer a requirement for spouses and common-law partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Canada who wish to apply permanent
resident status provided that they have an eligible sponsor. "

The guide also writes: "Warning: If you leave Canada before permanent residence is approved there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to return or re-enter Canada. This is especially true if you require a visitor visa. Your application may be refused or delayed if you no longer have temporary resident status to qualify as a member of the Spouse or Common-law partner in Canada class."

Simply put, do not leave the country and wait for your application to be processed. In the meantime, apply to have the visitor visa (or other visa) extended as a formality.

We hired immigration lawyers to ensure that all the paperwork was in order and we are waiting for my wife's application to be processed, and this is all legal.

Even if the spouse has overextended their stay, they can still apply for permanent residence in Canada and CIC spells this out in their "Frequently Asked Questions":

"If I have overstayed my visa or visitor record or if I have been working or studying without a permit, can I apply for permanent residence under the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada Class?  If yes, how do I apply?

Yes. You can apply for permanent residence under a public policy that creates exceptions to the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada Class, if you are still in Canada." (http://cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/immigrate/sponsor/spouse-faq02.asp).

Not only was my wife able to stay in the county, she was even able to sign up for Canadian health care while waiting for her application for permanent residence.

[Eastguy]

Richard:

I am very sorry to hear the bad news..

The problem with western democracies is, that often their lawmakers are just as dumb as the majority of their constituents...


Losing  a year of one life togther is horrible.

Maybe securing work in a third country and building a life there would ne possible?

Eastguy

[jb]

Richard,

You could always go back home and become one of those "ice road truckers", seems they make a years wages in just a few months "on the road".

I'm jesting, of course, but western Canada is crying for workers right now, your Embassy shouldn't be too overly concerned about your ability to earn a living if you brought your wifey home. 

[Rvrwind]

Iused to do that very thing jb. In fact I've logged over 300,000 miles running up & down the Alaska Hyway & more than a million miles running the Rockies with only one non-preventable accident to my name. But I am afraid I won't be able to add to those totals. As impressive a record as it is after my heart attack they relieed me of my class one licence. I'm afraid my truckin' days are history.
Nope, gonna have to find another road to travel. Still have my forklift experience & certificate so maybe instead of drivin' them, I'll wind up loading them. Should be plenty of wharehouses looking for an old codger with a good driving record & plenty of experience, at least I'm hoping so.

[Admin]

Iused to do that very thing jb. In fact I've logged over 300,000 miles running up & down the Alaska Hyway & more than a million miles running the Rockies with only one non-preventable accident to my name. But I am afraid I won't be able to add to those totals. As impressive a record as it is after my heart attack they relieed me of my class one licence. I'm afraid my truckin' days are history.
Nope, gonna have to find another road to travel. Still have my forklift experience & certificate so maybe instead of drivin' them, I'll wind up loading them. Should be plenty of wharehouses looking for an old codger with a good driving record & plenty of experience, at least I'm hoping so.

Richard,

Reports are the tar sands operators around Ft. McMurray are in HUGE demand of skilled operators.

Doubt you will have any problem at all lining up some decent pay - and in a few months, the problem of qualifying for Valya's visa sponsorship should be well behind you.

- Dan

[Maxx2]

Sorry to hear this is all happening to you Richard. We all know you are resourceful and not afraid of work. This sitution will pass.



Maxx

[Donhollio]

Hi Rich

 I've read a bit of your past posts and to me it sounds like your shutting down your agency there, and returning to Canada!   
  I don't know what family you have here,but is it not possible for them to sponser you and your wife ? Much like a landed immigrant does to bring over a family member ?
 Perhaps not because your a citizen of Canada,but it may be something to look into.

 There's lot's of unskilled jobs in Alberta, coffee shops, retail, and that kind of stuff. The big buck labour jobs are alot harder to come by. I tried last year to land a pipe trade job there,but without having my top level finished yet , I was told I'd have to start back at level  1  !   
 Even guys I knew there, told me to come on out and than search, I tried for a week and said forget it ,after hearing stories from guys who let me know there's lot's of foreign workers plying away up there. The big companies save huge cash having to skirt around all the " benefits" a Canadian expects. 
 Your wife may be able to get a work visa alot easier than you think. the hospitality sector is cring for workers,and sign Mexicians to 3 year work visas.

 Incase you haven't heard Saskatchawan is having a boom as well,so your job hunt may be easier at this time there.

 I called CIC 2x's a few months ago ,and inquired about the yearly income. On both occasions they told me income would not prevent you from bring a wife over. However since you have no income filed in 5 years, I guess this is killing that idea.  Try the family route.
 

[Rvrwind]

Reports are the tar sands operators around Ft. McMurray are in HUGE demand of skilled operators.

Doubt you will have any problem at all lining up some decent pay - and in a few months, the problem of qualifying for Valya's visa sponsorship should be well behind you.

That's what I'm hoping for Dan...I trucked parts, equipment & materials into Ft. Mac too many times to count. I know quite a few people in the right places & hopfully with their help getting a job won't be difficult at all.
I am also a second year apprentice heavy equipment mechanic & a second year apprentice welder. They used to love me when truckin' because they never had to worry about what would happen if my truck broke down on the road, they knew I'd get it home safe & sound where they could repair it.
I have a story regarding that that had the shop mechanic just shaking his head in disbelief.
My ex-wife & I were running double for an outfit out of Edmonton called Instinct Trucking. Our specific route was from Edmonton, up the Alaska Hy way & into Ross River, Whitehorse, Beaver Creek & a few other little towns & hamlets hauling Super B fuel tankers.
Well this one trip we had to take the back way into Ross River, which meant leaving the Alaska Hy way at Watson Lake & taking the Dempster, a deserted dirt road. When they call it a Hi way, I believe their tongue was firmly planted in their cheek!. Well it was mid winter & the roads were treacherous but not anything we weren't used to. Being as the Dempster is pretty much deserted we phoned ahead to the customer & told them we were coming & should we not arrive by a certain time, send out a search party. SOP for running desolate area's.
I was in the bunk catching some zzzz's & my ex was at the wheel. The next thing I feel is the truck stopping & upon rising I noticed we were at a hell of an incline. I stuck my head out through the curtain & asked her what happened. She had no idea, she said she ran the hill had her speed up to make the climb & bang all of a sudden, no air pressure & all the brakes came on.
Well I get my dressed & climb out of the bunk & look around & I can see we got a problem. First we are at least 200 miles from anywhere. Second we are sitting on a 25-30% grade facing uphill & it is all packed snow & ice so even if I do get us moving there is no way in hell we are gonna climb this hill from a dead stop. We are going to have to fix whatever is broken & back it down & as far up the other hill as we can & get a running start. Anybody who has driven truck knows the difficulty of backing up multi trailer units & when your fully loaded & the trailers are actually pulling you backwards there is no room for error & on ice & packed snow, sliding is going to happen.
Anyway, first things first. We are not going anywhere without air to release the brakes. So I climb out, put my coveralls on & start looking for the problem. As I round the back of the trailer I can see truck parts laying on the ground. Well, this is not a good sign. After picking some of them up & examining them I realize it is the remains of a brake pod. This is not good as I don't carry a spare. So now I know where to look & I crawl under the trailer & check every axle all the way to the tractor & there it is. Rear axle on the tractor on the right side & its totally trashed. Thankfully however the actual airline is intact.
I crawl out, get my toolbox from under the bunk & tell my ex to start chewing some gum. She laughs as though I am making a joke but I explain I am serious. You got a pack of gum on the dash, start chewing. She obeys while I crawl back under the truck. After closer inspection I can see what had happened, not why but what. The brake pod for some reason totally exploded. It was still attached to the axle housing, half of it, the other half being somewhere back down the road, not far I'm betting as it don't take long to loose the air with a totally open line.
I look & that fact alone that the front half of the pod is still here & intact & the airline undamaged will make this much easier.
I take the airline off & crawl out from under the truck for a cigarette. I can see the ex is dutifully chewing away sitting in that nice warm cab while I'm out on the ground freezing my ass off. It was around -18 C at the time. Not incredibly cold but when your laying on the ice it sure feels a hell of a lot colder. So I finish my smoke & ask her for the cellophane off her cigarette pack,  the chewing gum & a dime (10 cent piece) from the change we carry for toll roads & suchlike. She still can't figure out what I am up too.
I crawl back under the truck with these assorted goodies & set about my task. First the gum inside the cellophane & squashed into the end of the airline. Now left like that the air pressure would eventually just blow it into the brake pod & we'd be back to square 1. Hences the dime, which fit perfectly into the end of the hose swivel nut. I then reconnect the line to the broken pod squashing the gum inside the cellophane against the dime. The reason you can't use gum without the cellophane is in the winter we add brake line antifreeze to the lines to keep the moisture within from freezing & it will eat the gum quite quickly & again back to square one. Also  the air at high pressure may force the gum past the dime but the cellophane makes a superb seal. In this manner I effectively isolated the brakes for that set of duals but allowed the rest to function normally.
Worked like a charm.
After finishing that we had to put the tire chains on & back her down the hill & run the hill we had been stuck on. While we were putting the tire chains on the client showed up with an RCMP officer as we were past our arrival time & they decided a search party was in order, LOL. They were quite happy to see I had things in hand.
Upon our return to Edmonton 3 days later I was given a commendation by the company & a $1,000.00 bonus on my paycheck for saving the company a ton of money not having to come & rescue us.
The moral of the story - Don't be afraid to think outside the box!!!

Donhollio - thanks for the tip, but I ain't sure that a work visa for an artist is going to be easy to obtain, LOL. Saskatchewan, Stubble Jumper Country & as flat as a table top!!
I hear housing there is much cheaper as well so anything is posible.

Not worried to much. I have the experience & I have the motivation & no I am not shutting down Tver Angels. Although I won't be here I will still be actively working over the net as much as possible & the gang here can handle everthing quite effectively & efficiently. I got way too much money invested to just close the doors & walk away.

So everybody is still quite welcome!!!

[Phil dAmore]

Richard, I may well be the only other person on this board who knows exactly what you are talking about. 

An excellent example of creative thinking.  I probably would have tried to fold the brake line over and clamp it with a pair of vise grips and a generous amount of duct tape!

[Rvrwind]

  No doubt Phil, probably not too many truckers on the board!!!
That was just one example, I could site plenty more. LOL
I do have a good reputation in the trucking world, unfortunately my damn heart betrayed me....
Used to be I could get a job with a phone call, not any more sad to say.
But that still may help me break into other things...

[Donhollio]

Hello Richard ,so how is it going with CIC ?  Something is not right with the info you have been told. You should get someone working on it.

[Rvrwind]

I am working on it. I am bacvk in Canada & started a full tme job 4 days after I landed. I am going to work till Feb & refile. I am waiting that long because I have a 3 month probationary period on my new job so want to finish that before I refile the papers. ai'm also hoping I can save enough between now & then I can fly back for a short visit.
The information I got was straight from CIC & makes perfect sense when you think about it. I have been out of the country for almost 5 years, I cannot prove I can support her. In fact when I think about it its probably just as well. I'm having trouble adjusting to my new life & get through my culture shock. I can't imagine had she come with that I would be able to hold her together as well as myself. I'd be a wreck.
I've been a truck driver/bus driver most of my life. The last 5 years I soent sitting behind a desk. This job requires I be on my feet 8 hours every day. Needless to say, my feet arn't taking too kindly to it & niether is my back.
But I am going to do whatever it takes to see her here.
I will have her here before next summer.    Hey I can be optimistic!

[DizzyD]

Hey Richard...

Sorry to hear about the loss of your brother and the grief from CIC & CRA, I know from my own pespective that getting into difficulty with any government agency can be a nightmare... I had some problems with CRA a few years back and i know the frustration you are dealing with, At times i am embarrassed to say i work for the gov't, sometimes their policies and processes seem idiotic. Hopefully you'll get through it all and have your lady here as soon as possible.. what kind of work did you end up doing, are you back in trucking business? if you ever get down toward NS be sure and let me know..

Dizzy

[BradSTL]

I I will have her here before next summer.    Hey I can be optimistic!

I am a died-in-the-wool believer!   After what you have overcome in all this... I am certain you will!