Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[doctorkb]

My advice: do what we did and get legally married NOW, so you can start your paperwork and application ASAP, then worry about a nice, big family wedding later, take your time planning that AFTER you're done with your PR app (unless you don't want a big wedding at all).

This was my and my husband's plan. We got legally married at Toronto City Hall on Oct 1, 2010. We had our big wedding on Oct 1, 2011, and I'm still waiting on my PR status.   We were hoping I'd be done and ready to move in with him right after the big wedding, but Buffalo thought otherwise. Siiiiigh.

I don't know that this is good advice, but I'm not certain.

Here's why.  While *I* don't doubt the validity of your marriage, CIC might.  A small civil ceremony is more likely to be a "marriage of convenience" than a big to-do affair.  They specifically ask who was invited to the wedding, whether there was a reception and they also want photos of the wedding and reception included.  I believe that these questions are there to validate the marriage.

If your relationship is sufficient to stand on its own (without the marriage certificate), then go for it.  But if you've had a short courtship / dating phase and haven't lived together long enough to be common-law, then I'd suggest making the wedding something that appears valid and not just something on paper to facilitate the immigration process.

[doctorkb]

Anyway we order GCMS note last month (oct) via mail but not sure about the actual date and will like to know what email id we should send the inquiry to as to when should be getting the Note or should we waiting until we receive it.

Call them.  The representative at the ATIP office told me specifically that they are pushing the 30 day timeframe fairly often, but if you call them after the 30 days, they expedite the processing of your request through a supervisor.

See the previous post with the infosource.gc.ca link for their phone number.

[doctorkb]

I don't believe that the USPS can give you an update, because it's out of country. I don't think the USPS and Canada Post work very well together (I've had a few items fall into the black pit of despair between the American and Canadian line), and I know for a fact that at Canada Post they will gladly tell you that you can pay extra to track your package to its U.S. destination even though once it hits the border their tracking system abruptly stops working. My guess is that it's the same thing for USPS. I think for tracking international shipping you really have to use Fedex or UPS. I know the office where I do some volunteer work uses Fedex to ship internationally and they get an email update once the package is delivered abroad.

Honestly, I've done a fair bit of cross-border shipping and find that CanadaPost/USPS is the best option most of the time (especially if you're going from the US to Canada).

That said, sometimes the tracking systems are out of sync.  You can use the same tracking number on Canadapost.ca as you use on USPS.com, once the parcel is in Canada.

As for delivery standards -- USPS and CanadaPost seem to work fairly well together on keeping those in line.  Also, UPS & Fedex charge HUGE brokerage fees -- USPS/CanadaPost *may* charge $5... but often doesn't even do that (let alone GST/HST, etc.)

[doctorkb]

Yeah, it all ultimately depends on who you get, but a 12 month visitor record is certainly not unheard of in this situation. I'd imagine that showing them the receipt for the immigration fees basically 'seals the deal' as far as implied status goes, because if you can prove you've paid $1040 to them in order to start the process, they ought to see that you're not screwing around with them. But still, it all depends on who you get.

Exactly.  There's no consistency.  Though, it does seem as though the front-line CBSA guys are much more ridiculous than the Immigration guys.

Indeed, they don't have to extend it. This is why I still maintain a residence in Michigan, and keep all my rent receipts, copies of bills, bank statements, etc.... I also go back and forth as per usual, knowing full well that they don't have to let me back in. Ultimately, aside from the paper which doesn't express, nor imply, any other special right or privilege, and the 'implied status' from us mailing in the immigration application, I'm no different than a regular visitor running across for a butter tart from a legal standpoint. Nevertheless, all these reasons (plus many more I haven't mentioned on this forum yet) are basically why I filed outland in the first place.

There's no implied status for outland applicants.  Sorry!  Inland, yes, outland, no.

How could I have done an inland app, and still maintain a residence here, without risk of abandoning that app if they tell me 'you can't enter'? Or abandon my stuff just to stay in Canada to maintain the app, but then my grandfather dies and I have to head back into the States? Try coming back then with no proof of residence there still! Ouch! I've heard of a couple once (on the news, I think) whom the prospective immigrant was a Mexican woman, and they were doing the inland process. Once of her relatives died, and they had to go back to Mexico for the funeral. Upon reaching Canada, they refused her entry, because she had no ties back to Mexico, and so their inland app was tossed out along with all the fees that were paid for it!

Inland is a bit of a sham -- it's basically a way for out-of-status (illegal, using US terms) and soon-to-be-out-of-status applicants to stay in the country legally.  It also allows those who have found their way in without ties abroad to not risk being removed from the country.

The woman in question should have sent her best wishes to her family, but realised that this was a risk she took when applying inland.  I have little sympathy -- she knew the "rules" and chose one route, then complained when the rules actually didn't work in her favour.

[prophet3]

Likely backlog.  Did you ask for anything else, like the medical file?

No just GSCM notes.

[prophet3]

I got that same email when I requested my GCMS notes.Then within a couple days I got an email saying disregard the previous email It was a mistake In the system and heres your GCMS notes.So hopefully thats what happen with you also.

hope so,,

[prophet3]

I don't know that this is good advice, but I'm not certain.

Here's why.  While *I* don't doubt the validity of your marriage, CIC might.  A small civil ceremony is more likely to be a "marriage of convenience" than a big to-do affair.  They specifically ask who was invited to the wedding, whether there was a reception and they also want photos of the wedding and reception included.  I believe that these questions are there to validate the marriage.

If your relationship is sufficient to stand on its own (without the marriage certificate), then go for it.  But if you've had a short courtship / dating phase and haven't lived together long enough to be common-law, then I'd suggest making the wedding something that appears valid and not just something on paper to facilitate the immigration process.

Agreed!!!!

[prophet3]

by the way parent and grandparent class is frozen for now, while spousal is not touched or capped ,,,
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20111104/two-year-moratorium-on-immigrant-families-111104/

[jstnmlr]

Hi everyone!  I am having trouble getting 2 photos for my husband to send with his PPR. Even though we had them done at Walmart  the measurement  from top of his head to his  chin is larger than is required for Canadian Speciications. Has anyone else have this problem and could you tell me where is a good place to get the photos done?  We are  living in PA. 
Thanks !

Ask around on Facebook or work friends. Most people have a photoshop pro friend and a picture taken on a plain white wall can easily be fit into specs in about 5 minutes. As someone else stated and pro/semi pro photographer can do this with their eyes closed. Places that do passport photos usually dont have the ability to do it because they can't adjust the measurements.

[mjh49783aa]

Exactly.  There's no consistency.  Though, it does seem as though the front-line CBSA guys are much more ridiculous than the Immigration guys.

Can't argue with that. 
I haven't had too many problems with the CBSA guys at the Sault Ste. Marie post, but the Sarnia post? Holy cow can they be mean! I'd recommend getting a NEXUS card to cross there just to save a lot of grief!

There's no implied status for outland applicants.  Sorry!  Inland, yes, outland, no.

I think I meant to say 'dual intent' here. My bad. 

Inland is a bit of a sham -- it's basically a way for out-of-status (illegal, using US terms) and soon-to-be-out-of-status applicants to stay in the country legally.  It also allows those who have found their way in without ties abroad to not risk being removed from the country.

The woman in question should have sent her best wishes to her family, but realised that this was a risk she took when applying inland.  I have little sympathy -- she knew the "rules" and chose one route, then complained when the rules actually didn't work in her favour.

Yeah, I'd have enough sympathy to say 'sorry', but not much more. They clearly state when doing the inland app not to leave Canada while the app is in process. Besides, one can stay in Canada while doing the outland route anyway. I don't think it would've mattered anyway if she broke ties with Mexico as that would violate her visitor status, but at least her app would've still gone forward. Oh well.

On a side note, the DMP where I got my medical done seemed pretty confused when I went in with my Appendix C. I ended up having to go back to the photographer twice to get immigration pictures done, and come to find out, almost all the immigration medical exams this guy does is for the inland process, and because of that, the people there were pretty confused at first. I guess a whole lot of people buy into this sham from the sounds of it. But it wasn't for me.

[cbennett]

Sigh. My address just disappeared for the third time now on ECAS.  What's going on?

[gypsy494]

ddobro2 to the rescue!!!!

Thank you I am off to mail/courier address

Have a great weekend all!

[ddobro2]

Lol, no problem. Congrats on getting that thing done and mailed off 

ddobro2 to the rescue!!!!

Thank you I am off to mail/courier address

Have a great weekend all!

[jayde]

So we've been tracking my husband's passport which left Fort Erie on Wednesday.  The post office said there was ZERO chance that we'd get it yesterday but suddenly the tracker said it was delivered!  Checked the mail and there it was!  So we decided right then to drive to the border.  We left within half an hour and my husband landed last night around 8:30!!

So thankful this is over for us, and hopeful for speedy processes for everyone else, especially for those who have been waiting longer than I did.

woo hoo

[scylla]

So we've been tracking my husband's passport which left Fort Erie on Wednesday.  The post office said there was ZERO chance that we'd get it yesterday but suddenly the tracker said it was delivered!  Checked the mail and there it was!  So we decided right then to drive to the border.  We left within half an hour and my husband landed last night around 8:30!!

So thankful this is over for us, and hopeful for speedy processes for everyone else, especially for those who have been waiting longer than I did.

woo hoo

Congrats!!! Must feel great!