Finally received passport with the PR visa which was already... EXPIRED!!!

[diana90]

It's crazy!!!!

My 19-year-old daughter has finally received her passport on March 25th with the... expired visa in it!!!

Details: London office received my daughter's passport on March 3rd 2010;
           Date of issue of her PR visa: March 16th 2010;
           Expiry date: March 20th 2010;
           The letter with the passport left London on March 21st 2010;
           The letter arrived to Sweden on March 25th 2010.

So, they issued a visa which was valid only 4 days (!!!!!!!!!)
The letter left the office 1 day after the visa has already expired and arrived to Sweden 4 days later.

Was it a cruel joke?
We (my husband and I) waiting for the copies of my daughter's visa to arrive to Canada. It's in the mail. What to do? We are going to contact both Mississauga and our MP.

[matthewc]

Wow, that's almost unbelievable (well, actually given some of the things CIC put people through, maybe not).

Did your daughter keep the envelope? If that shows the visa was mailed after it expired, then can't even argue competence, let alone fairness.

I'd suggest faxing the embassy with a complaint. Hopefully when they realise how stupid they've been, they will re-issue the visa (and get the medical results extended if needs be).

If they don't, I'll help you go public. That's just insane.

[Paddyboy]

Fax, email AND write a Letter of complaint to London AND notify them you will be getting hold of The Minister of Immigration (fax him) and do so. It would appear they sat with the passport for 8 days before they actually issued it. Don't let it go.

[PMM]

Hi

Fax, email AND write a Letter of complaint to London AND notify them you will be getting hold of The Minister of Immigration (fax him) and do so. It would appear they sat with the passport for 8 days before they actually issued it. Don't let it go.

Before the OP goes charging to the barricades.  The question is when did the daughter have her medical.  If it was on 20/03/09 then visa would be issued to that date.  If it was later than date, then it was a clerical error and the visa and passport should be courier back with the question.  It is better to solve the problem with the processing office and get that corrected first.  Then start making your complaints.  Amended, I went back and read the earlier posts and the daughter did have the medical in 2009 and the passport was sent to London on the 19th of February.  So the daughter should send a case specific email to London, request that the medical validity and COPR be extended (which probably won't happen.  I am afraid she is going to have to have another medical.

PMM

[matthewc]

Well, even having to do another medical, while a frustrating delay, wouldn't be so bad - my main concern is they might say "we issued the visa, you didn't use it in time, so you have to reapply". Hopefully that won't happen, given the obvious error, but it's possible.

[Siouxie]

I am very suprised that they issued the Visa with such little time left on the Medicals.

When my son was asked to submit his passport, we were told he could defer and get another medical if he didn't think he could travel to Canada in time to activate the visa.  At the time, he had 5 weeks before his medical expired.

I am presuming your daughter wasn't asked if she wanted a deferment?

This is a copy of the e-mail we received for his passport request:

Dear ******

Please be advised that your file is now ready for visa issuance.
 
Please find attached instructions for submission of your passport.
 
Once issued your visa will be valid until 10-03-2010. You must enter Canada on or before this date.
 
If you cannot submit your passport immediately and make arrangements to land in Canada before the expiry of your visa, a new medical examination will be required.
 
If you choose to submit your passport by post, please send it to the address below:
 
PUP Unit - URGENT  
Immigration and Medical Services Division
Canadian High Commission
38 Grosvenor Street
London W1K 4AB


I would definitely contact CIC and explain that the passport with the visa was sent AFTER the expiration of the Visa - hopefully you have proof.  I would send a fax with all the details and a copy of the letter and envelope showing date of postage, and the COPR Visa showing date of expiry.

If you go to the London website, there is a list of phone numbers, fax numbers and CIC Representatives - I would suggest you to speak to someone before you send the fax.  The list of representatives includes CIC officers, First Secretaries, Second secretaries etc.

http://w01.international.gc.ca/cra-rce/mission.aspx?lang=eng&MID=36

Telephone Immigration  (011 44 20) 7258 6699    

Fax General Fax (011 44 20) 7258 6333

High Commissioner Mr James Wright
Deputy High Commissioner Mr C. Boucher
Minister Ms A. Arnott

Counsellor (Immigration) Ms N. Scott
Counsellor (Immigration) Mr J. Maffett

First Secretary (Immigration) Ms S. Sweetman-Griffin
First Secretary (Immigration) Ms S. Sweetman-Griffin
First Secretary (Immigration) Ms M. Purdy
First Secretary (Immigration) Mr G. Greenfield
First Secretary (Immigration) Ms L. Zadravetz
First Secretary (Immigration) Ms S. McKale
First Secretary (Immigration) Mr R. Stevenson
First Secretary (Immigration) Mr G. Stewart
First Secretary (Immigration) Mrs J. Lisko

Second Secretary (Immigration) S. Lee
Second Secretary (Immigration) Mr C. Raymond
Second Secretary (Immigration) Ms M. Sessini

Whilst normally expiration of a visa would entail re-applying one would hope that CIC are able to re-issue when there has been an obvious oversight.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

Edit:  There is a news update on the website:

Phone service to the High Commission of Canada in London has been affected by the fire at the British Telecom central office on March 31 2010. Until service is restored, the High Commission of Canada can be reached at 020 7451 0800.  I don't know if the Immigration line has been similarly affected.

[diana90]

Thank you, everybody for your replies, support and encouragement!!! People on this forum are great and supportive.

Siouxie: Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and for the advice.

Yes, my daughter medical expired on March 20th and we were aware of that. We were assuming that we either will get a letter from CIC London asking to renew the medical or to get her visa issued in time. My daughter was waiting literally with her suite-case packed and we thought as soon as she receives her visa, she will get on the plane...

When I was visiting her in Sweden in December, we went to the doctor to ask if we can redo the medical as we had only 3 month left till its expiration but the doctor said that they don't redo/ renew medical unless there's a paper from High Commission about it. So, we though that if the High Commission needs her new medical, they'll send us new instructions/ letter etc. But there was nothing about it.

We only received her Passport and Photographs request by mail on February 18th. There was a letter saying that she must enter Canada on or before March 20th. My daughter sent her passport to the same address you indicated; the High Commission received her passport on March 3rd and they issued her visa on 16th. So, there's 4 days long visa in her passport. In the envelop there were Proof of Landing and instructions to newcomers. No dates, no signatures, no names who issued it - just very general information.

I just received from my daughter the envelope and tracked it one more time. So, the letter was sent from London on March 22th (not even 21 as I thought) -- two days after the visa expired...

Now, when I have this tracking info and all other things, I'm going to contact the High commission and then, if it won't help, MP, Mississauga...

Thanks again for the support!!!

[Siouxie]

I hope that you are able to persuade them to re-issue, particularly as the date of postage was 2 days AFTER the COPR expired!

One question though - if your daughter received the letter requesting her passport on the 18th February, why did it take until the 3rd March for them to receive her passport?  Was it a postal problem or did she delay sending it?  (Not that it is any of my business, just curious!)

Good luck and  please let us know what happens 

[vamsi001]

I just want to share my personal experience with you diana90. First of all, i did not apply through the family class, I applied through Skilled worker class. i was single when i applied August in 2005. I got my medical request in august 2008 still as Single. My medical was done on AUGUST 5 2008. I then got married in december of 2008. In february of 2009, london asked for my passport for the visa to be issued. I sent my passport and they issued the visa which expired in august of 2009. This visa and the COPR came with a letter that says my visa would be invalid if my status has changed. I quickly e-mail london office to inform them of my change in status and to my surprise, I mailed them on a sunday evening and got a brown-envelope letter 2days after(tuesday). This letter says 'I must return the visa and the COPR for cancellation'. After waiting for 4years, to see your visa being cancelled is really depressing and frustrating. They also asked me to some some documents for my wife for re-issuance of both visas. I did send all these back in march. Got a mdeical request for my wife in May2009.(I was actually expecting a medical request letter for both of us as mine was going to expire in 3months).
I hope you are really following this story?
Now on July 3 of 2009, i got a letter requesting for my wife's passport for the visa to be issued. I sent my wife's passport same day, they received it on july 4 in london (Remember my own medical was done in august of 2008!).
On the 31st of July  2009 (around 2:30pm), I received our passports back with expiry dates of AUGUST 4 2009. Meaning we had ONLY FOUR DAYS TO LAND OTHERWISE THE VISAS WOULD BE GOOD FOR NOTHING. Actually, they issued the new visas on July 26 2009.
My wife was living in Nigeria, I was living in the u.k!
No DHL or courier company could deliver my wife's passport within 2-3days. I didn't know of anyone going to naija who I could give my wife's passport to deliver by hand.
I had to quickly book a flight from u.k to nigeria then from nigeria to toronto. It was hectic for me. It took me about a week to recover from the tiredness. We finally arrived here on august 4 2009 (the date the visa expired).

You have a good case in that your daugther's visa had already expired even before it was despatched. I give u my total support to fight this. I am also thinking of letting london office know how this had affected me health-wise and psychologically but i don't know how to present my case and who to present it to. Because a lot of people were not in my shoes, they would not understand where it pains. I know that eventually we are here but I almost ran mad!