PR application - local visa checklists

[Coconuts]

I'm just starting my application for PR, having been in Canada for 3 years on work visas from Australia. According to the CIC website, there is no local branch I submit my application to anymore (instead it goes to CIC head branch), but I do have to choose a branch to process my PR application.

I'm from Oz, and from what I understand I can choose the visa office checklist from either Sydney, or Buffalo, because I've been living in Canada for over a year.

1. Will I need to go to the office I choose for an interview or any processing?

2. Is there any difference in submitting my form to Sydney or Buffalo? Since I'm from Oz it makes more sense to send to Sydney, but Buffalo is closer so that seems like the paperwork would be faster.

Thanks for any help!

[Pippin]

I'm afraid I can't answer your questions with intelligence, but I am sure someone will.  I am still chuckling at the idea of Buffalo and the word "faster" being written in the same sentence.  Sorry.....it isn't a joke, but applicants on the post 26 June thread have been making a lot of noise for months trying to wake the beast from its slumbers!  All the best.

[nano24482]

From your post it seems that you are already in Canada. So you'll fall under Canadian Experience Class and need to submit your documents to Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Check the attached link and do accordingly.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-who.asp

[Coconuts]

oooh, Sydney Nova Scotia, not Sydney Australia! That makes more sense XD

[nano24482]

 
You made my day.
Kinda confusing.

oooh, Sydney Nova Scotia, not Sydney Australia! That makes more sense XD

[pearl2010]

yeah, Sydney Nova Scotia 

oooh, Sydney Nova Scotia, not Sydney Australia! That makes more sense XD

[Pippin]

I found the following link with regard to your question.  Hope it helps. 
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-how.asp
CEC
5. Mail the application form and documents
Applicants in Canada Mail your application to CIC's visa office in Buffalo, United States. The address is included in your application kit.

Applicants outside Canada
Mail your application to the visa office serving your home country

[pearl2010]

hi Coconuts,under which program are u applying?

[Coconuts]

Hello again!

I am applying under category 2 in the federal skilled workers application. I can't apply under Canadian experience quite yet, as I've been in school for a year and working for just over a year; so I haven't met the qualifications for that quite yet.

But I do check out for federal skilled worker. When applying for that, they ask you:

"You must gather and submit to the CIO all the documents listed on both
the Document Checklist (IMM 5612) and the visa office specific document
checklist.

You will submit the documents from both checklists only once to
the CIO.

To determine what documents you will need to provide, consult the
Visa Office specific requirements (supporting documents) for your
country at:

cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/skilled-mission.asp"

From there, that link tells you how to choose the visa office appropriate to you:

"Consult the list of countries and visa offices to determine which Canadian visa office is responsible for:
the country in which you are residing, provided you have been lawfully admitted to that country for at least one year; or
your country of nationality."

With those specifications, I fall under two categories: Buffalo for living in Canada for over a year, and Sydney Australia for being an Australian national.
And I'm not sure which to choose. But, thanks to you guys, it sounds like I should avoid buffalo! I didn't realize it was such a mess. But my worry is, if anyone's been through this process before, is there any reason you need to go to the visa office in person? Because a ticket to Sydney Australia could be rather expensive...
It doesn't say anything about an interview in the guide, but it does say they may request more information in the future. Is all that correspondence by mail?

[pearl2010]

Hi coconuts,

Hello again!

I am applying under category 2 in the federal skilled workers application. I can't apply under Canadian experience quite yet, as I've been in school for a year and working for just over a year; so I haven't met the qualifications for that quite yet.
u mean FSW category 1 --> you have at least one year of continuous full time or equivalent paid work experience in the last ten years in at least one of the occupational categories identified in the Ministerial Instructions

But I do check out for federal skilled worker. When applying for that, they ask you:

"You must gather and submit to the CIO all the documents listed on both
the Document Checklist (IMM 5612) and the visa office specific document
checklist. Yes

You will submit the documents from both checklists only once to
the CIO. Yes

To determine what documents you will need to provide, consult the
Visa Office specific requirements (supporting documents) for your
country at:

cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/skilled-mission.asp" Yes

From there, that link tells you how to choose the visa office appropriate to you: Yes

"Consult the list of countries and visa offices to determine which Canadian visa office is responsible for:
the country in which you are residing, provided you have been lawfully admitted to that country for at least one year; or
your country of nationality."

With those specifications, I fall under two categories: Buffalo for living in Canada for over a year, and Sydney Australia for being an Australian national. correct

And I'm not sure which to choose. But, thanks to you guys, it sounds like I should avoid buffalo! I didn't realize it was such a mess. But my worry is, if anyone's been through this process before, is there any reason you need to go to the visa office in person? Because a ticket to Sydney Australia could be rather expensive...u r supposed to go to the visa office only if u r called for an interview.now,if u r going to choose Sydney Oz VO,u have to consider few things like

i)  what if u r called for an interview,u have to go to Sydney VO
ii) when u get Passport Request,is it legal to mail ur passports from Canada to Oz? or u may have to fly to Oz
iii)Also looking at below thread,it looks case processing at Sydney VO is too slow similar to Buffalo VO
   http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/any-one-from-sydney-australia-t37733.0.html

considering the situations (i)&(ii), I would suggest u to choose Buffalo VO. situation (iii) doesnt make much difference,but as u fall under post june 26 category,things would speed up in ur case.

It doesn't say anything about an interview in the guide,Regarding interview,there is this section in Application for Permanent Residence in Canada (IMM 0008‑Generic  where u have to mention following things.

Preferred language

Correspondence: Check the box to indicate in which language, French and English, you prefer to receive correspondence.

Interview: Indicate which language you would prefer to use if you are invited for an interview.
so the word Interview says everything.I wish it will be waived for everyone
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/EG74.asp.

but it does say they may request more information in the future. Is all that correspondence by mail? yes,all correspondence thru mail or email.

hope this helps
All the Best with ur preparations

Regards
pearl2010

[Dr.Hasib]

I found the following link with regard to your question.  Hope it helps. 
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-how.asp
CEC
5. Mail the application form and documents
Applicants in Canada Mail your application to CIC's visa office in Buffalo, United States. The address is included in your application kit.

Applicants outside Canada
Mail your application to the visa office serving your home country

Dear pippin,

it is applicable only for Experience class not for FSW category

[Coconuts]

Thanks so much for your help everyone! And thanks pearl2010, I missed the sentence "Interview: Indicate which language you would prefer to use if you are invited for an interview." and yeah, that makes all the difference! Now that I know which list to use, I can start chipping away at all this  @ _ @

Just to clarify, though, I am applying under category 2, because my job is no longer in the list provided by the Ministerial Instructions
(it was last year, drat!)
But I have an offer of permanent employment - where I'm working now : ) So from what I understand that's category two. That doesn't change anything, right? :S