French and Canadian citizen - CR1

[T&S_MTL 113]

I'm a French citizen, naturalized Canadian. I have been living in Montreal for about 10 years now. My wife and I will apply for the CR1 visa through Canada. Did anyone went through that kind of situation ?

 

We are about to submit the 130 application and wanted to make sure we are not missing anything and doing it the right way. (We will submit my French police record and birth certificate in addition to the Canadian police record at the NVC stage when the time comes)

[gad33 47]

On 1/25/2020 at 8:03 PM, Tom & Steph said:

Did anyone went through that kind of situation ?

What kind of situation do you mean? Exactly the same as you - French and Canadian - more than one citizenship - spousal visa in Canada?

[T&S_MTL 113]

11 minutes ago, gad33 said:

What kind of situation do you mean? Exactly the same as you - French and Canadian - more than one citizenship - spousal visa in Canada?

I was wondering if there is any extra document I need to give, even though I apply for CR1 while living with my wife in Canada, as a Canadian citizen.

Also is applying as a Canadian citizen (naturalized) is ok or if I should do it as a French citizen (born in France) ?

Edited January 31, 2020 by Tom & Steph

[canadavisa22 202]

4 hours ago, Tom & Steph said:

I was wondering if there is any extra document I need to give, even though I apply for CR1 while living with my wife in Canada, as a Canadian citizen.

Also is applying as a Canadian citizen (naturalized) is ok or if I should do it as a French citizen (born in France) ?

You would do it as a Canadian citizen since you live here and will be going through the Montreal consulate.

 

You have no ties to France now as you're a resident and citizen of Canada.

[canadavisa22 202]

5 hours ago, gad33 said:

What kind of situation do you mean? Exactly the same as you - French and Canadian - more than one citizenship - spousal visa in Canada?

Tell me all about the year 2011 when the 1-130 was approved in 12 days and the whole process took four months lol.

[T&S_MTL 113]

This is insane! I never thought it could be that short 😭

Edited February 1, 2020 by Tom & Steph

[gad33 47]

22 hours ago, Tom & Steph said:

I was wondering if there is any extra document I need to give, even though I apply for CR1 while living with my wife in Canada, as a Canadian citizen.

Also is applying as a Canadian citizen (naturalized) is ok or if I should do it as a French citizen (born in France) ?

Because users like the terminology to be correct, it is the USC (your wife I presume) who is applying for the visa. You are the beneficiary. But you want to do this with your Canadian Citizenship and the visa placed in your Canadian passport. On the application you state all your nationalities and obtain police certificates for all the places you have lived (except US). I can't remember off the top of my head if it is over age 18 and how long you have to have lived somewhere but that will be easy for you to find out.

[gad33 47]

17 hours ago, canadavisa22 said:

Tell me all about the year 2011 when the 1-130 was approved in 12 days and the whole process took four months lol.

 

17 hours ago, Tom & Steph said:

This is insane! I never thought it could be that short 😭

Timing.

 

Canada and Mexico used to have Direct Consular Filing. (DCF) Which if we had applied at that time would have saved us money as we wouldn't have had to go to Montreal. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly when DCF was stopped in Mexico and Canada but some time in 2011 I'm guessing. So when the change was first made, applications that would have normally gone to the local consulate were fast tracked. This is why ours was quick and would have been quicker if we had been speedier in obtaining tax transcripts. Still had to deal with reestablishing residence.

I don't know when they stopped the fast track.

[NikLR 13,227]

2 hours ago, gad33 said:

Because users like the terminology to be correct, it is the USC (your wife I presume) who is applying for the visa. You are the beneficiary. But you want to do this with your Canadian Citizenship and the visa placed in your Canadian passport. On the application you state all your nationalities and obtain police certificates for all the places you have lived (except US). I can't remember off the top of my head if it is over age 18 and how long you have to have lived somewhere but that will be easy for you to find out.

sending the petition*

The beneficiary applies for the visa.  

 

The only addition for the OP is if they lived in France after age 16.  They would also need a police certificate from France. 

[gad33 47]

3 hours ago, NikLR said:

sending the petition*

The beneficiary applies for the visa.  

 

The only addition for the OP is if they lived in France after age 16.  They would also need a police certificate from France. 

That's why you shouldn't listen to an old person like me. LOL. It's so long since I've done any of this that I don't remember all the minutiae. So the USC sends the petition and then the beneficiary applies for the visa?

 

I was thinking 18 and resident for 6 months but as that's so easy to check didn't want to say for sure.

[gad33 47]

On 1/31/2020 at 12:04 PM, Tom & Steph said:

I was wondering if there is any extra document I need to give, even though I apply for CR1 while living with my wife in Canada, as a Canadian citizen.

Also is applying as a Canadian citizen (naturalized) is ok or if I should do it as a French citizen (born in France) ?

I was just looking at my review of my experience at my interview in Montreal. And I have written that I took both my passports to the interview and that the first person I saw said that they always put the visa in the Canadian Passport.

[T&S_MTL 113]

13 minutes ago, gad33 said:

I was just looking at my review of my experience at my interview in Montreal. And I have written that I took both my passports to the interview and that the first person I saw said that they always put the visa in the Canadian Passport.

Oh that's a thing I was actually curious about! We're actually able to keep your second passport?

 

I am worried to be stuck without any passport when the time of the interview comes. I thought that I could still travel with my French one.

 

I have the wedding of my best friend in a year and two months in Mexico...and I'm really afraid of being stuck not being able to go there because of the interview / passport given to the CO.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Tom & Steph

[NikLR 13,227]

1 hour ago, Tom & Steph said:

Oh that's a thing I was actually curious about! We're actually able to keep your second passport?

 

I am worried to be stuck without any passport when the time of the interview comes. I thought that I could still travel with my French one.

 

I have the wedding of my best friend in a year and two months in Mexico...and I'm really afraid of being stuck not being able to go there because of the interview / passport given to the CO.

If you interview in Canada as a Canadian citizen then your visa will go into your Canadian passport and you will retain the French passport. But you should take it to interview as well. 

[T&S_MTL 113]

41 minutes ago, NikLR said:

If you interview in Canada as a Canadian citizen then your visa will go into your Canadian passport and you will retain the French passport. But you should take it to interview as well. 

Does this mean that if I ever need to travel the day after the interview, to Mexico for the wedding of my best friend, I could use my French passport while my Canadian one is getting ready for my Visa ?

[NikLR 13,227]

12 minutes ago, Tom & Steph said:

Does this mean that if I ever need to travel the day after the interview, to Mexico for the wedding of my best friend, I could use my French passport while my Canadian one is getting ready for my Visa ?

assuming the french don't need some sort of special visa for Mexico, yes.