February 2012 Applicants - Join here!

[Fencesitter]

No updates??  Wow...February is turning into the January thread and it's nearly June. 

Why can't CIC get their act together and bring the processing times down?  I know there are a lot of applications, but seriously, it shouldn't take them this long...even with budget cuts.  One VO should be able to get through at least 50 applications in an 8-hour workday.

Let's hope more February applicants get approval this week...

FS

[Lily_TV]

Hey guys, I m soooo confused. My application was received on Feb 13, 2012 and i haven't received any word from CIC yet. However, i see people getting approved from later dates. Any comments??   

Thanks..

Me too.  Hopefully this week or next week....... 

[canadiangirl78]

No updates??  Wow...February is turning into the January thread and it's nearly June. 

Why can't CIC get their act together and bring the processing times down?  I know there are a lot of applications, but seriously, it shouldn't take them this long...even with budget cuts.  One VO should be able to get through at least 50 applications in an 8-hour workday.

Let's hope more February applicants get approval this week...

FS

Huh? We had two approvals announced today.

50 applications per officer in 8 hours? I don't really think that is realistic. We don't even know what all they have to do to approve. It is time consuming. Just entering in data to a computer takes awhile. 50 applications in 8 hours is less than ten minutes an application. It isn't just reading the paperwork quickly and stamping APPROVED.

[canadiangirl78]

I have received something in my mail from CIC, something I do not understand.
An empty piece of paper about payment fees. It has no instructions, no $$$ numbers, nothing. It just says "Copy 1 - Client's copy" and "Copy 2 - To be sent by client to Citizenship and Immigration Canada" and on the back side there's some blank information about the "client" (me I guess).

Does anyone know what this is or what's it for? What the hell do I do with this?

Good news Thundersoul. Someone from January had to resend a form and it was fast. He said he called and the agent said no updates and then he got approval 2 weeks later. Another person said they were told to address it to a SPECIFIC officer and that will make it fast. Hope you have a name. If not maybe you should call it get one so it doesn't wait in the general pile.

[Lily_TV]

Are you guys aware of anyone who has been through the interview process; do they have the interview to clarify?   

Canadian girl, how do you know you will get waived?   

[canadiangirl78]

Are you guys aware of anyone who has been through the interview process; do they have the interview to clarify?   

Canadian girl, how do you know you will get waived?   

Few people get an interview request. It is only if they are not sure your relationship is legitimate.

I know because we got a visa in 2010 but couldn't move and it expired. We didn't have an interview then. Now we have a child together so it is very unlikely.

[Lily_TV]

Few people get an interview request. It is only if they are not sure your relationship is legitimate.

I know because we got a visa in 2010 but couldn't move and it expired. We didn't have an interview then. Now we have a child together so it is very unlikely.

Thank you.

[sdfr0024]

I'm from Feb 8 and they just received my app, you're still 13 and the website still says Feb 7, so I think your situation is normal...

Hmm.. good to hear its normal.. I hope i get it soon..

[sdfr0024]

I know I was approved because I got an AOR and can login with my UCI. But if I didn't get the AOR which most people don't - I wouldn't know anything. I still haven't gotten the letter. So it is possible your letter is in the mail.

What's difference between and AOR and a letter in the mailbox? Isn't it the same thing? Either you get an E-Mail or a hardcopy of it in your mailbox? Or should an applicant get both?

[canadiangirl78]

What's difference between and AOR and a letter in the mailbox? Isn't it the same thing? Either you get an E-Mail or a hardcopy of it in your mailbox? Or should an applicant get both?

AOR is acknowledgement of receipt. Most people do not get one. I got it via email and it just said they received my application on Feb 21. But the AOR gives you a UCI and a File Number. Those let you log in to e-cas and possibly find out that a decision was made before you get an email or letter. Then comes the approval letter or email. So yes AOR and approval are different. Most people will just get approval so the wait feels a little longer since there is no word until that day. We still haven't gotten the approval letter so if I didn't get the AOR I would have no idea I was approved. I wish everyone got an AOR.

[Fencesitter]

Huh? We had two approvals announced today.

50 applications per officer in 8 hours? I don't really think that is realistic. We don't even know what all they have to do to approve. It is time consuming. Just entering in data to a computer takes awhile. 50 applications in 8 hours is less than ten minutes an application. It isn't just reading the paperwork quickly and stamping APPROVED.

Sorry, I meant that I haven't seen too many in the middle of February getting approvals.  

Okay, maybe not 50, but at least 20.  They should have a set time to finish one application and enter the information into the computer system.  30 minutes should give them enough time to do this...and if they were smart, they'd separate the cases into two categories 1) straightforward and 2) more complicated.  That way, the officers can breeze through the straightforward cases...

I recently read in another thread that having a child is not a positive thing.  I don't agree and can't think of any reasons why it would be a negative thing.  I think it takes away the question about whether the marriage is legitimate or not...I cannot imagine a VO still questioning the genuineness of a marriage if the married couple have a child together, especially if the child is a Canadian citizen.  When I spoke to the call center agent a few days ago, he gave me the impression that they do not want to separate families (i.e. Canadian sponsor, Canadian child with the applicant, and the applicant).  

Hope to see more approvals for mid-February this week!!

FS  

[mameelynn]

Huh? We had two approvals announced today.

50 applications per officer in 8 hours? I don't really think that is realistic. We don't even know what all they have to do to approve. It is time consuming. Just entering in data to a computer takes awhile. 50 applications in 8 hours is less than ten minutes an application. It isn't just reading the paperwork quickly and stamping APPROVED.

I think it is very realistic that they could at least be doing 20 applications a day!!  I printed off a hard copy of all the paperwork to fill in by hand ( I had to go to a friend's place to fill it out and print it because we don't have a printer) so that all I had to do was type it in and filling out all of the paperwork (sponsorship and sponsor) and typing out the descriptions of all of our photo's took me about 3 hrs including reading over all the forms and reading over our letters of our relationship.  I don't see why it would take them more than 40 mins... they aren't even looking at the person being sponsored papers!  I really doubt that when it is all and said and done they are even looking at the average full paperwork from start to PR for more than 5 hours.  Break that down into an hourly rate for the $1040 for only a spouse it works out to over $200/hr so how they can say that they need to do budget cuts I don't get it!  We are paying for it so if there are more people applying then there is more money coming into the office so they should be hiring more people...  This wait is ridiculous!

[canadiangirl78]

Sorry, I meant that I haven't seen too many in the middle of February getting approvals.  

Okay, maybe not 50, but at least 20.  They should have a set time to finish one application and enter the information into the computer system.  30 minutes should give them enough time to do this...and if they were smart, they'd separate the cases into two categories 1) straightforward and 2) more complicated.  That way, the officers can breeze through the straightforward cases...

I recently read in another thread that having a child is not a positive thing.  I don't agree and can't think of any reasons why it would be a negative thing.  I think it takes away the question about whether the marriage is legitimate or not...I cannot imagine a VO still questioning the genuineness of a marriage if the married couple have a child together, especially if the child is a Canadian citizen.  When I spoke to the call center agent a few days ago, he gave me the impression that they do not want to separate families (i.e. Canadian sponsor, Canadian child with the applicant, and the applicant).  

Hope to see more approvals for mid-February this week!!

FS  

I agree about 20. But maybe they are doing 20 a day each. We don't know how many officers there are. We don't know how many applications there are. But I do agree the processing time is TOO slow!

A child being a negative is RIDICULOUS. Canada is very family oriented compared to the US. I saw that big time when I was in Ontario. And it definitely proves a legitimate marriage.

Yes I hope February gets more approvals this week too. People have been waiting much too long.

[canadiangirl78]

I think it is very realistic that they could at least be doing 20 applications a day!!  I printed off a hard copy of all the paperwork to fill in by hand ( I had to go to a friend's place to fill it out and print it because we don't have a printer) so that all I had to do was type it in and filling out all of the paperwork (sponsorship and sponsor) and typing out the descriptions of all of our photo's took me about 3 hrs including reading over all the forms and reading over our letters of our relationship.  I don't see why it would take them more than 40 mins... they aren't even looking at the person being sponsored papers!  I really doubt that when it is all and said and done they are even looking at the average full paperwork from start to PR for more than 5 hours.  Break that down into an hourly rate for the $1040 for only a spouse it works out to over $200/hr so how they can say that they need to do budget cuts I don't get it!  We are paying for it so if there are more people applying then there is more money coming into the office so they should be hiring more people...  This wait is ridiculous!

I understand where you are coming from but it is all speculation. I'd love to know the inner workings of CIC but we just don't. 20 applications a day seems reasonable, that is way different than 50. And like I already said maybe they are doing that many. I hate not knowing - I wish they were more open about the process in detail.

According to some CAIPS notes I have seen it seems that there is also a security check on the sponsor. That takes time. And I think sometimes there is a second officer involved, maybe to confirm, which could keep things more objective. Who knows.

I don't know why it is so slow but I think it is pretty awful and they need to change it.

[rehan1981]

My Time Line ,

Dec 2011 - Full Hearing successfull
Jan 2012 - New Delhi Received the Application
Feb 2012 - PPR, PCC and Medical Requested

May 2012 - Waiting Waiting Waiting