Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[seattlegirl]

Does anyone know if you can land at any border crossing? And are there certain hours in which you have to land? I've googled for hours you'd think it would be an easy question!!

Thanks!

[ddobro2]

Why don't you call the POE facility you expect to be visiting and ask them what hours they will accomodate you for: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/ports/ny/0901.xml.

Does anyone know if you can land at any border crossing? And are there certain hours in which you have to land? I've googled for hours you'd think it would be an easy question!!

Thanks!

[ddobro2]

The losing documents, entering email information incorrectly, entering address information incorrectly or not at all, and sending stuff to sister offices without mentioning it to the person is getting really old. I'm now starting to think that it's a lack of organization and attention to detail that may be to blame for the FUBARdom over there and not their tendency to work on whichever applications they want, no matter how old or new they are, and be completely random and inconsistent. Or maybe it's a mix of both. So I propose to CIC a new policy: from now on, please give preference to librarians to fill vacancies in immigration officer positions. Surely someone who has mastered the Dewey Decimal system is not going to have problems keeping people's files and the information in it organized.

I was just thinking that in my instance, the VO in Buffalo claimed to have emailed me an AOR over the summer, which I never got. Then after a while of waiting longer and longer without a response, they finally gave me an AOR in November after I prodded them twice for one.

Soon afterwards, I made a request for the GCMS notes on my file, and noticed they had my email address wrong, and that they've moved my file over to Detroit. So, I've went to the Case Specific Enquiry links for both the Buffalo, and the Detroit VOs, just to be safe. Three days later, they sent me an email, stating that they had previously requested me to send my passport and two passport sized photos, to the Detroit VO. I never got that particular email, either. (but at least they sent me a PPR after I gave them the correct email address) For all I really know, I might possibly have been able to land already, though from reading the notes, they said they haven't corresponded with me as of the 20th of December, aside from the AOR they claimed to have sent, that I never got.

So, I was just wondering if perhaps they may have your email address wrong? Have you requested your GCMS notes to see what's up with your file yet?

[seattlegirl]

Why don't you call the POE facility you expect to be visiting and ask them what hours they will accomodate you for: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/ports/ny/0901.xml.

Thanks ddobro!

[ddobro2]

Glad to help

Thanks ddobro!

[nhl1011]

I was just thinking that in my instance, the VO in Buffalo claimed to have emailed me an AOR over the summer, which I never got. Then after a while of waiting longer and longer without a response, they finally gave me an AOR in November after I prodded them twice for one.

Soon afterwards, I made a request for the GCMS notes on my file, and noticed they had my email address wrong, and that they've moved my file over to Detroit. So, I've went to the Case Specific Enquiry links for both the Buffalo, and the Detroit VOs, just to be safe. Three days later, they sent me an email, stating that they had previously requested me to send my passport and two passport sized photos, to the Detroit VO. I never got that particular email, either. (but at least they sent me a PPR after I gave them the correct email address) For all I really know, I might possibly have been able to land already, though from reading the notes, they said they haven't corresponded with me as of the 20th of December, aside from the AOR they claimed to have sent, that I never got.

So, I was just wondering if perhaps they may have your email address wrong? Have you requested your GCMS notes to see what's up with your file yet?

I received two gcms notes back in nov and dec...they have correct email address...and they havn't started to look into my case. I ordered another notes early jan, hope there are some progress when I receive next one...

[nhl1011]

ddobro2, I'm planning to email buffalo VO and ask them about progress status of my case...
do you think it is good idea to mention that I havn't seen any updates since july according to my GCMS notes? 
Or is it better to ask MP to do the above thing? thanks in advance

[ddobro2]

Okay, did you want to know what they say so far or what they'll say when I get the 4th batch back? Because I don't have a problem with telling you what they completed for me, but that's not necessarily going to be the same case for your file. And canuck, between you and me, if you get your PPR before me I'll congratulate you but I'm sorry, I will not be very happy. Because if a landing fee paid in November will get you PPR faster than one paid back in July or August, then even when you pay the RPRF fee really makes no difference. In fact I don't think anything makes a difference anymore, it's that completely random. If I were to do this again, and assuming I am not being slow-tracked because I have been in Canada for some time, instead of applying when I did in early May, I would have either filed in March and just sent in my police certificate whenever I got that back from the FBI because they were finally able to read my fingerprints (I waited in order to submit a complete package per the instructions, but apparently it would have behooved me to NOT follow the instructions, hindsight 20/20), or I would have filed in June, as apparently I would have already likely been done.

DDboro,

Let me know about your GCMS notes since we are on the same timeline. My wife and I are just waiting for the PPR/COPR email/mail. We paid her RPFP fee back on November 7th after they requested it and I have confirmed with both Mississauga and Buffalo it has been posted, so now were waiting.

Canuck

[ddobro2]

I don't know, it's up to you. I suppose you can use the MP option as a last resort and email first. A key difference is that they are required to reply to the MP whereas they're not required to reply to you.

ddobro2, I'm planning to email buffalo VO and ask them about progress status of my case...
do you think it is good idea to mention that I havn't seen any updates since july according to my GCMS notes? 
Or is it better to ask MP to do the above thing? thanks in advance

[nhl1011]

I don't know, it's up to you. I suppose you can use the MP option as a last resort and email first. A key difference is that they are required to reply to the MP whereas they're not required to reply to you.

Okay, I will try to email them by myself...
But do you think it is a good idea to mention that they havn't done anything to my file since july according to GCMS notes?
Cuz they are in charge of my case,  I don't wanna piss them off. lol

[Quince777]

Okay, did you want to know what they say so far or what they'll say when I get the 4th batch back? Because I don't have a problem with telling you what they completed for me, but that's not necessarily going to be the same case for your file. And canuck, between you and me, if you get your PPR before me I'll congratulate you but I'm sorry, I will not be very happy. Because if a landing fee paid in November will get you PPR faster than one paid back in July or August, then even when you pay the RPRF fee really makes no difference. In fact I don't think anything makes a difference anymore, it's that completely random. If I were to do this again, and assuming I am not being slow-tracked because I have been in Canada for some time, instead of applying when I did in early May, I would have either filed in March and just sent in my police certificate whenever I got that back from the FBI because they were finally able to read my fingerprints (I waited in order to submit a complete package per the instructions, but apparently it would have behooved me to NOT follow the instructions, hindsight 20/20), or I would have filed in June, as apparently I would have already likely been done.

Now I'm worried if I sent mine at the right time - September I should have consulted an astrologist instead of lawyer to pick the right date for my app file date. I hope Mercury wasn't in retrograde or some weird planet in a wrong angle to my sign  

But honestly it's not applicant's fault on who is getting processed first. Let's be happy for all and not be happy at Buffalo only. It would be fair that way.

[ddobro2]

I can't answer that question for you. I'm sure you can find a way to phrase it politely in any case.

Okay, I will try to email them by myself...
But do you think it is a good idea to mention that they havn't done anything to my file since july according to GCMS notes?
Cuz they are in charge of my case,  I don't wanna piss them off. lol

[ddobro2]

ROFL - that was a good one, Quince. No but seriously, I am not blaming anyone for finishing before people waiting 2-3 times longer (let's call it finishing prematurely). Like I told canuckofchicago, I would be happy for him and send him a congrats, but unless you want me to lie, I would at the same time not be very pleased at what that meant in terms of actions that applicants take having an effect on the processing of their applications. Sorry, but I just can't hide that. When I first applied and was on this thread I saw the same feelings being communicated by the "older" applicants and as much as I wanted my PPR, I acknowledged that it was only fair that Buffalo finish with the people whose patience has been tested the most before they move on to giving out visas to those that are newly-arrived to the waiting game. And obviously I still feel that way as my patience continues being tested.

Now I'm worried if I sent mine at the right time - September I should have consulted an astrologist instead of lawyer to pick the right date for my app file date. I hope Mercury wasn't in retrograde or some weird planet in a wrong angle to my sign  

But honestly it's not applicant's fault on who is getting processed first. Let's be happy for all and not be happy at Buffalo only. It would be fair that way.

[nhl1011]

I can't answer that question for you. I'm sure you can find a way to phrase it politely in any case.

Done~~~ Thanks

[Bargeld]

Okay, did you want to know what they say so far or what they'll say when I get the 4th batch back? Because I don't have a problem with telling you what they completed for me, but that's not necessarily going to be the same case for your file. And canuck, between you and me, if you get your PPR before me I'll congratulate you but I'm sorry, I will not be very happy. Because if a landing fee paid in November will get you PPR faster than one paid back in July or August, then even when you pay the RPRF fee really makes no difference. In fact I don't think anything makes a difference anymore, it's that completely random. If I were to do this again, and assuming I am not being slow-tracked because I have been in Canada for some time, instead of applying when I did in early May, I would have either filed in March and just sent in my police certificate whenever I got that back from the FBI because they were finally able to read my fingerprints (I waited in order to submit a complete package per the instructions, but apparently it would have behooved me to NOT follow the instructions, hindsight 20/20), or I would have filed in June, as apparently I would have already likely been done.

The biggest irony of all, is that when we filed in May we submitted my no criminal record FBI document that was dated in December 2010. On the cover letter I had my wife write down that we already sent off for a new FBI document and as soon as Buffalo requested one we'd send it to them -- going by the logic of it surely being back in Canada by the time someone in Buffalo touched it to send off a request. They never even requested another, and on the same night our daughter was born, I was hit with a PPR email.

More than that, through my experience with both the CIC and the USCIS, is that akin to social workers, these employees work at.. whatever pace they work at. Quite a number of them take their job seriously and do things both thoroughly and in a timely fashion, some others perhaps have a bad day and put an app in limbo with security checks, or flat out just move slowly. Mayhaps your file (and others) got placed in a stack with a worker who isn't in any rush.

Nonetheless, one of the reasons I visit the forum so often is to see that post that you've got your PPR/COPR. Crossing my fingers for you, I really am.