AOR

[Suin]

Hello,
Please do advise when the AOR is actually given - right on the sponsorship approval or when the out-land Visa Office has the application transferred to them?
Thank you

[mitamata]

AOR stands for acknowledgement of receipt. So the AOR letter is just that, them saying "we got your application".

Different visa offices have different policies about sending the AOR letter. For example, New Delhi normally does not send it.

I got mine shortly after the visa office got my application. It said "we got your application, this is the file number we're keeping it under, don't ask for updates for the next 6 months".

[Suin]

thank you very much for your reply.

as I understand - they do not issue a file number once the sponsorship is approved? that is issued only by the out-land Visa Office?

[Emmy]

Yes, it's the visa office processing your application that sends out the AOR, and not every visa office sends them out.  You will get a letter from Mississauga first though with the decision on the sponsorship portion.  For example, the sponsorship letter will hopefully say that the sponsorship application has been approved, and that the application has been forwarded to your local visa office for further processing.  Once the local visa office has received it they may send out an AOR to let you know they have it and to give you the PR applicant's file number.