National Background checks???

[krofnica]

My husband has been waiting for the completion of his background checks for a while now. Does anyone know what the time frame for National Background checks are? I know there is no defined answer, but I am looking for average time frame. I have heard that the average is 19 months. Is this true?

[iarblue]

  Well no it just depends on where your from and immigration can get background checks done pretty fast,unless they have found something or a person with the exact name and birth but usually not that long i never heard it taken 19 months.

[krofnica]

Well it's been 15 month for us and still waiting. No one can tell us anything...just to keep waiting.
Very frusturating.

[iarblue]

15 months where is your app,did you contact the MP

[krofnica]

He is living in Serbia, but the visa office processing the app is in Vienna.
I am in contact with the MP office. However, the MP office only provides us with updates.
Apparently everything is ok with our application, but they are still awaiting the completion of the background checks.
They do provide us with Forward Dates...meaning the date they will revisit the application to see if background checks have come in.
We just had a review in April and there was nothing new. Now we are waiting until July 4th for the next time they will review our case.
If nothing is rec'd in July than they move the review date by another 3 months.
My husband has a perfect record. I would think that 15 months is plenty of time to complete all kinds of checks.  This is why I am trying to see what other people have experienced.  Usually the processing time for Vienna is 6-9 months.  For us it has been 18 months since my sponsporship approval. 

[iarblue]

  Oh god i would go crazy well lets hope someone on here is going through vienna.But if you go to the search button on the top of the page and type vienna you will see everything people have posted in here about it.

[whoopi83]

CSIS can take an awfully long time particularly with applicants who have served in the military or are from areas considered high risk for want of a better phrase.  Serbian, Bosnian etc checks do appear to take longer than most due to the earlier conflicts and various international requirements.

[tam.1979]

Hi Krofnica,
I'm going through a pretty much the same situation just for a little less time...
We filed in February 2010, I was approved in March 2010, and by end of March 2010 case was send to Vienna.... They are also now bugging my (Serbian) husband for all kinds of military information (even though it was mandatory army)... They told us that the bring forward date will be July 27, 2011! That will be 18 months if all goes well! it's insane!
What makes things even worse a few months after he was forced to join army the whole war with Kosovo started (he wasn't in the battle - but terrible situation!)
I would love to get an update on your case....
Good luck to both of us, either way!

[krofnica]

Thanks for sharing. No update on our case. Our last Bring forward date was August 1st. Since then we have been trying to get an update and they are not responding to us. In the past our MP would get updates for us after the Bring forward dates, but now they are not sending anything. MP requested an update and we still haven't heard anything. I was so fed up so I emailed the embassy in Belgrade and they are not responding either. I'm hoping that it's a good thing. Maybe they are finalizing his application, but who knows. It's very frustrating. My husband was born in Croatia but during the war moved to Serbia, since his nationality is Serbian. He too is being screwed around because he had to attend the military. He was never in the war. I don't know why it would take them this long to complete background checks. It must be even more frustrating for you, knowing that nothing is going to happen until next July. In our case, we didn't know so we kept hoping each day, until we realized this could take a while. I'm hoping that we will here good news soon. In December it will 2 yrs since the file was transferred to Vienna. Good luck to you too.

[angelbrat]

OH wow!!!!!!

Just sends positive thoughts to those going through this situation.

[tam.1979]

Hi Krofnica, I noticed that you're still around on this forum since your last active date. Wanted to find out if your husband FINALLY got his visa, and hopefully you two are together now? Please provide update, as we're still waiting. They are working on my husband's file for 17 full months now, and his file was sent for background checks in July of 2010. TODAY i called Vienna to find out what in the world is taking so long and they told me that background checks last 12-18 months (where before hand they told me that the whole sponsorship takes about 12-18 months)!
My husband and I are seriously considering getting an attorney at this point, any thoughts about that from anyone?
Thanks an any and all help is appreciated!!!!

[Kedeisha]

Hi tam.1979 an attorney can not speed up the process nor can they make anything goes faster there are people on the forum that have attorneys and that does nothing so save your self the money and don't get an attorney if CIC sometimes refuse to answer to MP's which they should they for sure will not answer to an attorney especially in a case of "national security" try going the MP route its free and they are suppose to answer to MP not all does though as Krofnica mentioned in 1 of her post so good luck to you but save your money and don't get a lawyer.

[krofnica]

HI! We are still waiting hahahah It's not funny but what can I do. We are actually expecting for him to get his visa any day now. Let me give you the updates...
Feb 2009 - interview and background checks started
Dec 2010 - request for 2nd interview (security interview)
Feb 2011 - interview done - advised that the interview summary had to be sent back to CBSA for them to complete their background assessment
May 2011 - I emailed CBSA and they advised me that they have submitted their decision to CIC in regards to background checks
June 2011 - rec'd request for new police certificate and new medicals
June 30th - my husband sent in the police certificate and also completed the medical examination on that day
Last week I emailed Vienna and this morning I rec'd a response saying that they are awaiting for the assessment of the medical results and as soon as this is done, they will contact us.
I am hoping any day now for them to be completing the application and that we will get the passport request.

I do agree that a lawyer is a waste of money. They really can't do anything in the matter. You just have to be patient. We waited about 20 months to here an update. It was frustrating but you make it though.
Even now I am frustrated why it has been 2 months since my medicals and they still haven't made a decision.

Hang in there

[turquoise]

Krofnica,

I remember they already requested for a new PCC & medical re-do to you.  does that mean that their national background check is already done? I remember I emailed Vienna to follow-up on updates of my case & they said they were still doing background verification on my hubby's application. Later, I called CSIS & CSIS sent a letter to me that it was already done. after that, my e-cas status says "medical results been received" & later Vienna requested via email a new PCC for my hubby. meaning after the background check was done they request for new updated documents....just hypothetical thinking the sequence of how vienna do things in order since we are dealing with the same embassy.   

turquoise

[cleo]

I was just thinking about you Krofnica and wondering if your husband got his visa yet.  I seem to remember you saying it would take 6 weeks for that.  You certainly deserve the patience award.

Turquoise, how do you go about calling CSIS?   I'm wondering if I should do that.  But I'm still waiting for the CAIPS notes.  Maybe they will come this week.