"proof" That We'll Travel Together - Canadian Tourist Visa

[zoomtokyo]

My wife a tourist visa to go with me to my country, Canada. To get the visa, the Canadian embassy requires that she provide "proof that your spouse (me) will accompany you to Canada."

Anyone know what document, etc., would constitute "proof"?

And why am I not asking the embassy direct? Because I can't. They have an auto-phone service, whereby you place a message and wait for them to respond, and the proof must be submitted in four days' time.

Note that air tickets don't count.

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

[AjarnChan]

My wife a tourist visa to go with me to my country, Canada. To get the visa, the Canadian embassy requires that she provide "proof that your spouse (me) will accompany you to Canada."

Anyone know what document, etc., would constitute "proof"?

And why am I not asking the embassy direct? Because I can't. They have an auto-phone service, whereby you place a message and wait for them to respond, and the proof must be submitted in four days' time.

Note that air tickets don't count.

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

Seems 'inane and very awkward' but it is logical from the Canadian perspective, I guess they want to try to prevent people going unaided etc; or for 'other purposes'. All Governments are very suspicious of single women travelling alone.

Perhaps you need to prove 'total committment' by both of you. So what about 'proving' that she has (1) left her Job, (2) said Goodbye to her family, (3) bought 'Winter' clothes and that You have 'cut your ties' here, got a Job in Canada to return to, arranged a Tour of Canada for when you arrive, enrolled her in School to learn English etc. I know these are weak and flimsy examples, but I think if you pile on enough of them it might count.

Certainly not an easy task, but perhaps if you generate a bunch of letters, emails and so forth it will do the trick. From past experience in the UK these 'impossible' questions are often just routine bureaucracy and not 'deal breakers'. However they do expect you to try to answer, even though they also know how ludicrous it all is. Good Luck

[zoomtokyo]

thanks, Ajarn, but it's a tourist visa, so the cutting ties, etc. is not a factor. Also, only four days til deadline, so no time to generate letters, etc.

[meme]

If you work in Thailand you can get a letter from your employer that says you have this specific time off to go to Canada and you are expected to return to work at a certain date. My husband has recieved 3 tourist visas to Canada. That, along with plane tickets and the fact that my mom wrote a letter saying we would be staying at her house is all I can think of that we showed as proof that we were traveling together

[AjarnChan]

thanks, Ajarn, but it's a tourist visa, so the cutting ties, etc. is not a factor. Also, only four days til deadline, so no time to generate letters, etc.

OK, then just one letter, from YOU

Dear Canadian Embassy. I hereby confirm that I will be accompanying my wife on her trip to Canada. We will travel together, stay with my family in Toronto [or wherever], and fully intend to comply with all the rules.

In effect you are her Sponsor, so your 'word' is all they need to verify the legitimacy of Her application. But surely you have time to get at least one eMail from a friend or relative inviting you both to stay ?

Hope this helps. I had a similar hurdle back in 1997 to get my Thai girlfriend into the UK, and it worked then. I generated all kinds of 'family invitations', travel itineraries etc and bundled it all in. On the day the nice folk at the British Embassy in Bangkok ignored all of it, except briefly scanning the letter from ME. She got the Visa. Another friend I know improved on my simple solution and produced an Invitation to himself and his girlfriend inviting them to a business meeting to discuss a future joint venture they would be operating together. That worked as well; sorry it slipped my mind earlier.

Edited May 2, 2009 by AjarnChan

[zoomtokyo]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just have to write a signed letter. Seems kinda hokey, but what can you do, eh?

[canuckamuck]

Perhaps you need to prove 'total committment' by both of you. So what about 'proving' that she has (1) left her Job, (2) said Goodbye to her family, (3) bought 'Winter' clothes and that You have 'cut your ties' here, got a Job in Canada to return to, arranged a Tour of Canada for when you arrive, enrolled her in School to learn English etc. I know these are weak and flimsy examples, but I think if you pile on enough of them it might count.

Be careful with this. You don't want to show she has cut off ties with Thailand. They will want to see evidence that she needs to return to Thailand. Otherwise they think that when she gets there she will stay. It is also good to show that you too have a reason to return to Thailand. If she had a letter from her work saying she has time off and they expect her to return, that would be helpful.

[groovyc]

My wife a tourist visa to go with me to my country, Canada. To get the visa, the Canadian embassy requires that she provide "proof that your spouse (me) will accompany you to Canada."

Anyone know what document, etc., would constitute "proof"?

And why am I not asking the embassy direct? Because I can't. They have an auto-phone service, whereby you place a message and wait for them to respond, and the proof must be submitted in four days' time.

Note that air tickets don't count.

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

I hope you managed to get the visa for your wife. I just had to respond having noticed your comment about the "auto-phone service".

I didn't even get upto where you can place the message, due to the pretty inefficient phone menu which practically kept telling you to go to their website. Due to lack of necessary clarifications, I have been asked to submit "additional documents" after making two trips to the embassy. Not to mention the embassy itself is a whole Thai-only affair with no English/French speaking staff or notices to assist you. As a Canadian citizen, I hope you had voiced your grievances to the authorities concerned. I for one, am still waiting for my visa and doubt I have much of a say here.

[bino]

If you work in Thailand you can get a letter from your employer that says you have this specific time off to go to Canada and you are expected to return to work at a certain date. My husband has recieved 3 tourist visas to Canada. That, along with plane tickets and the fact that my mom wrote a letter saying we would be staying at her house is all I can think of that we showed as proof that we were traveling together

This is the right way to go- get a letter from your wife's employer as above, and a reference from your family in Canada.

Furthermore, if you are working in Thailand, make sure that your work permit validity is well beyond the return date and get a letter from your employer detailing your leave period and expected date that you will return to work - that "gibes" with the letter from your wife's company will help a lot.

[traderjm]

This is the right way to go- get a letter from your wife's employer as above, and a reference from your family in Canada.

Furthermore, if you are working in Thailand, make sure that your work permit validity is well beyond the return date and get a letter from your employer detailing your leave period and expected date that you will return to work - that "gibes" with the letter from your wife's company will help a lot.

I guess things have gotten tougher in this regard last year I took my wife to Canada for 8 weeks on a visitor visa all they wanted was us to prove we did NOT cut our ties to Thailand meaning of course that she would be coming back. We showed them our house, condo and business ownership papers and we said why would we invest all this money in Thailand to just leave it? They gave us the Visa within 24 hours

[cdnvic]

So what about 'proving' that she has (1) left her Job, (2) said Goodbye to her family,

That's the last thing you want to do. If it's a tourist visa she will almost certainly be asked to prove that she has a job to return to in Thailand, along with a letter from her employer stating such. (Yes, they will check too)

[Pakboong]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just have to write a signed letter. Seems kinda hokey, but what can you do, eh?

It helps to have your signature notarized.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

thanks, Ajarn, but it's a tourist visa, so the cutting ties, etc. is not a factor. Also, only four days til deadline, so no time to generate letters, etc.

You have an exchange of emails with family/friends there in the Frozen North (FYI, I'm from sunny Oregon) discussing your joint visit? If so, I'd be those'd work.

I did similar for an Oz visa for my then not-yet Thai wife some years ago, worked fine. Didn't even get a farang interview, just the visa.

Mac