Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[AllisonVSC]

Did anyone else have a visitor record stapled into their passports when they had to send it in after PPR?  I'm trying to decide if I'm supposed to just leave it in there or if I should take it out before I send it.

I did, though I took my passport to B'lo in person. Leave it in your passport. The will either take it out at the visa office, or more likely they will remove it when you land.

The officer at the border gave me a bit of lip about my VR still being stapled to the passport when I landed because it expired in Aug and I landed in Nov. She said I should have submitted it when I left Canada. I had to explain to her that I never left Canada until that day (to go get my PR visa), that I had applied for an extension but my PR application was processed before I ever heard about my extension. She was satisfied with that and removed it (I think she stamped it too or wrote on it but I don't really remember for sure) and then she cancelled my app for the extension of my temporary status and I got a refund in the mail a bit later.

[AmericaninQuebec]

My passport and COPR were just delivered!! They came with a document explaining that they no longer issue visas to visa-exempt nationals, etc. I have until Oct. 20, 2012 to land, but will do it by the end of this week. I'd go today, but I'm going to Montreal later in preparation for a job interview tomorrow morning up that way. I can't believe it's finally over! Thanks so much for the advice and support that you've all provided over the past few months! It's been quite the journey.

Btw, they didn't do anything to my visitor record that was attached to my passport. Now that I think about it I'm glad, since at the border it's important proof that I was here legally this whole time.

Anyway, I'm not going to disappear just yet, but I'm sure as the weeks go by you'll see less of me on here. Good luck to everyone still waiting!

[AllisonVSC]

Ohh my.. Was their circumstances any more different from ours which is why they had to wait for so long to get processed?

I couldn't find you in the spreadsheet. What line are you or how long have you been waiting?

There are several issues with these applications; mostly B'lo losing stuff though two have had perfectly fine medicals somehow magically become problematic (TB on the x-ray according to the VO NOT according to their DMPs).

The one who finally finished processing about 3 weeks ago had some minor detail issues with her background. First she had no birth certificate (I think her parents were hippies living on a commune or something, lol) and she traveled a good bit before applying and could not fully account for her whereabouts (though she didn't leave the US!) and could not give a permanent address. She is now on medical surveillance and has been in Canada for all of her processing time.

[mjh49783aa]

My visitor record was never stapled into my passport, and it didn't go with my passport after I got my PPR. I guess they don't do that here in the Soo.

Did anyone else have a visitor record stapled into their passports when they had to send it in after PPR?  I'm trying to decide if I'm supposed to just leave it in there or if I should take it out before I send it.

[Kess]

I don't know about that. From my view, I'd be much more willing to give CIC $75 for a visitor record extension, than I would give an immigration lawyer $1000 plus, or even $300. Especially when I'm at the point in the process where I might not have even needed that visitor record extension after all. 

We applied for the $75 visitor extension by mail and received PPR before the extension was processed (over 6 months backlog for those).  CIC gave us our $75 back without even asking!

[gypsy494]

Absolutely. I swear the waiting is the worst of it all, and it can place a strain on any marriage that has to contend with this process.

I know every step is so slow and makes you in limbo. S T R E S S ...
1)EVERYTHING from getting married here ( had to get attorney to look at my divorce papers and say yup look good $$$$
2)getting the marriage licence SUPPOSED TO TAKE 2 MONTHS well its 3 now GRRRR
3) send in my papers takes them over 2 months to say they have them
4) waiting for the first step sponsorship SIGH
5) paying for the extention....asked for it 6 weeks before I need it...it says 30 days...and since everything takes FOREVER...SIGH who knows it will prob come after I am  supposed to leave
I have only begun...alot of you all have been on this for a long time...I guess its my nature...I am a go getter....get er done....the waiting is  so stressfull The not working is killing me...worked since I was 16

BUT I AM GRATEFUL
1) with the one I love ( hope I get the bloody extention)
2)happy I found this site and all of you
3)having the time to try new recipies
4)exploring my new home
5) have not taken up drinking yet...lol

I came on here to see how all my fellow Buffalo applicants are doing and had a mini rant. I try not to even bring it up to hubby so thanks for the outlet.

[mjh49783aa]

I'm glad for you that it's finally over.  

My passport and COPR were just delivered!! They came with a document explaining that they no longer issue visas to visa-exempt nationals, etc. I have until Oct. 20, 2012 to land, but will do it by the end of this week. I'd go today, but I'm going to Montreal later in preparation for a job interview tomorrow morning up that way. I can't believe it's finally over! Thanks so much for the advice and support that you've all provided over the past few months! It's been quite the journey.

Btw, they didn't do anything to my visitor record that was attached to my passport. Now that I think about it I'm glad, since at the border it's important proof that I was here legally this whole time.

Anyway, I'm not going to disappear just yet, but I'm sure as the weeks go by you'll see less of me on here. Good luck to everyone still waiting!

[mjh49783aa]

That's good of them to do. In hindsight, I guess I should've applied for mine through the mail, as well. That way, I can also get my $75 back. Alas, it's too late for that now. 

Given the information I had at the time, and with no word of a PPR in the horizon, it seemed like renewing online was the right thing to do.

We applied for the $75 visitor extension by mail and received PPR before the extension was processed (over 6 months backlog for those).  CIC gave us our $75 back without even asking!

[AmericaninQuebec]

I know every step is so slow and makes you in limbo. S T R E S S ...
1)EVERYTHING from getting married here ( had to get attorney to look at my divorce papers and say yup look good $$$$
2)getting the marriage licence SUPPOSED TO TAKE 2 MONTHS well its 3 now GRRRR
3) send in my papers takes them over 2 months to say they have them
4) waiting for the first step sponsorship SIGH
5) paying for the extention....asked for it 6 weeks before I need it...it says 30 days...and since everything takes FOREVER...SIGH who knows it will prob come after I am  supposed to leave
I have only begun...alot of you all have been on this for a long time...I guess its my nature...I am a go getter....get er done....the waiting is  so stressfull The not working is killing me...worked since I was 16

BUT I AM GRATEFUL
1) with the one I love ( hope I get the bloody extention)
2)happy I found this site and all of you
3)having the time to try new recipies
4)exploring my new home
5) have not taken up drinking yet...lol

I came on here to see how all my fellow Buffalo applicants are doing and had a mini rant. I try not to even bring it up to hubby so thanks for the outlet.

Sorry to hear that you're so stressed! We've all been there. All you can do is take a deep breath, find something else to occupy your time, and come on here when you need to vent to people who understand.

Also, it sounds like you're worried about getting your visitor record extension before the expiry date on your current one. Since you've already applied for the extension you can stay in Canada on implied status until you receive your new extension. One less thing to worry about!

[AmericaninQuebec]

Oh funny, I just looked at my COPR again. They list the date that I have to land by as Oct. 20, 2012, but in a different section they say that my COPR is only valid until April 7, 2012 (the day my current passport expires). So weird that they wouldn't just use the same date as the cut-off date for my landing. Just wanted to throw that out there so everyone else makes sure to check both dates when they get their COPRs.

[imp]

I did, though I took my passport to B'lo in person. Leave it in your passport. The will either take it out at the visa office, or more likely they will remove it when you land.

Btw, they didn't do anything to my visitor record that was attached to my passport. Now that I think about it I'm glad, since at the border it's important proof that I was here legally this whole time.

Okay thanks so much for the answers.  I will leave it in and send it off today  

Also congrats on being so very close to landing AmericaninQuebec

[ddobro2]

My time isn't worth that much that I'd pay an immigration consultant/lawyer either. I said that cuz americaninquebec and I were joking about the possibility of working as those folks - you'd have to deal with CIC again, but at least you'd get paid to do it instead of paying CIC like we do when we're the ones going through the process.

I don't know about that. From my view, I'd be much more willing to give CIC $75 for a visitor record extension, than I would give an immigration lawyer $1000 plus, or even $300. Especially when I'm at the point in the process where I might not have even needed that visitor record extension after all. 

[ddobro2]

I have a study permit stapled in there which I doubt they would remove......and makes me think why they'd want to remove anything at all.

I did, and my passport is currently out for delivery with the mailman according to the tracking info, so when it gets here later today I'll post and let you know if they left the visitor record in there or not.

[Quince777]

I couldn't find you in the spreadsheet. What line are you or how long have you been waiting?

There are several issues with these applications; mostly B'lo losing stuff though two have had perfectly fine medicals somehow magically become problematic (TB on the x-ray according to the VO NOT according to their DMPs).

The one who finally finished processing about 3 weeks ago had some minor detail issues with her background. First she had no birth certificate (I think her parents were hippies living on a commune or something, lol) and she traveled a good bit before applying and could not fully account for her whereabouts (though she didn't leave the US!) and could not give a permanent address. She is now on medical surveillance and has been in Canada for all of her processing time.

Yeah, I don't think I'm on Buffalo spreadsheet but I'm on September group spreadsheet.
So it seems like they two have some minor issues and that's why they are taking so much time to get PR.

[Quince777]

I know every step is so slow and makes you in limbo. S T R E S S ...

I totally understand you, as I'm going through very difficult times in my life too. I'm hoping to pass through this period as painlessly as possible.