Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[mumbles]

I GOT IT! OMG I'm so happy I'm crying! I got my PPR today....was checking my email while eating cereal and I just about spit it out when I saw the email!
"In Process" was January 26th
PPR Feb 10th

gotta go call everyone i know!

OMG OMG!!   I am so excited for you i got tears too!!!  This is so nice to see so much progress!!  YAY!!  Buffalo doesn't hate us after all! LOL (just kidding)  ....I was hoping to see more of the Aug apps approved soon....was getting a little worried!   SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!

[mumbles]

I GOT IT! OMG I'm so happy I'm crying! I got my PPR today....was checking my email while eating cereal and I just about spit it out when I saw the email!
"In Process" was January 26th
PPR Feb 10th

gotta go call everyone i know!

Curious....When did they waive your interview?  just curious of timeline...

[GOGOGO]

Great to hear your fantastic news!

I GOT IT! OMG I'm so happy I'm crying! I got my PPR today....was checking my email while eating cereal and I just about spit it out when I saw the email!
"In Process" was January 26th
PPR Feb 10th

gotta go call everyone i know!

[GOGOGO]

Welcome to the Buffalo family. Yes, please keep us posted, and we all try doing the same here.

Sure, thanks. I'll keep the board posted if I hear anything.

[Avila]

Curious....When did they waive your interview?  just curious of timeline...

The passport request email is the only way I know they waived my interview, I never recieved any updates on the website or via email about an interview... My application on the website still says "In Process"

[AmericaninQuebec]

The passport request email is the only way I know they waived my interview, I never recieved any updates on the website or via email about an interview... My application on the website still says "In Process"

They don't normally tell people that the interview has been waived unless you go through your local MP to get info about the status of your file, or you request your GCMS notes. When I got mine in November I saw that they'd noted in July that my relationship appeared genuine and that there was no need for an interview. Otherwise they never mentioned it to me directly.

[ddobro2]

Agreed, they don't divulge that interview has been waived unless 1) in fact it hasn't been, in which case you'd get an interview request, 2) you receive an Initial Assessment letter (usually asking for more documents) which mentions that they expect to finalize your file without an interview, or 3) you order GCMS notes at a sufficient enough stage in the process that that information is included. I suppose you could find out through your MP as well.

[ddobro2]

Congrats!

I GOT IT! OMG I'm so happy I'm crying! I got my PPR today....was checking my email while eating cereal and I just about spit it out when I saw the email!
"In Process" was January 26th
PPR Feb 10th

gotta go call everyone i know!

[mumbles]

or 3) you order GCMS notes at a sufficient enough stage in the process that that information is included. I suppose you could find out through your MP as well.

do you think its a good idea to get GCMS?  our application seems to be fine....and its not out of the normal for waiting and time line....

[ddobro2]

I think it has the potential to be more helpful than anything else you can do to get info on your file, and that outweighs the cost of getting it (I'm not even talking about the $5 for people not in Canada but the other stuff, like waiting up to 30 days, for example). So bottom line is it can't hurt, so why not.

do you think its a good idea to get GCMS?  our application seems to be fine....and its not out of the normal for waiting and time line....

[g-man]

August approvals!? Here's to hoping I get mine by my birthday (end of March)!

[ddobro2]

I guess you missed the November-filed approval then.....

August approvals!? Here's to hoping I get mine by my birthday (end of March)!

[York Region]

I guess you missed the November-filed approval then.....

i think May 2011 applicants stucked there a great number of us:(

[Kiri]

I was in Canada already as a visitor before getting married. The difference though, is that once we decided to get married (we hadn't yet decided when I had come to stay) we chose to do it quickly. We had planned a ceremony for about a month later (so Nov. 2010), and only invited close family. When I went to the border to get my visitor status renewed (I didn't know about extensions at the time, and we're close to the border anyway) my then-fiance (now husband) and I informed them that we were getting married 2 weeks later and then starting the PR process shortly thereafter. They actually gave us a hard time about it (lots of questions, wanted to see proof of funds, looking back they were definitely asking if I had ties to the U.S. still), and at that point only gave me a 3 month entry. I was told repeatedly that I had to bring proof with me the next time around that we'd started the application process. The next time I went was before we'd sent the application in, and I didn't know you could apparently pay fees a long time in advance, so I just brought with me copies of our marriage certificate, marriage contract (a Quebec thing), my forms completely filled and signed, copy of the paper I got from the DMP after my exam, and explained that we were just waiting on my FBI check to come back and the file would be sent in. Again, they were not super happy with this proof, but they gave me another 3 month entry. I think the next time I went it may not have been showing up in their system yet, so they only gave me another 3 months (seeing a pattern here yet? haha). When I went back after that, which was I believe September 2011, the application was finally showing in their system, and they were much friendlier (wishing me good luck, telling me they hoped my PPR came soon, etc.). They gave me a full 6 month entry at that time, which covered me up until I got PPR and landed.

I wouldn't say they were mean at all at the border (really they weren't), just appropriately skeptical of me and my status. Essentially they were doing their jobs. Haha.

My one concern for you is that you've already been in the country a significant period of time and you're asking for an extension to stay another 6 mths so you can plan your wedding and get married. I know when I saw them just two weeks before my wedding they were skeptical, and I'd only been in the country 6 mths at that point. I'm just concerned that they will deny you an extension, since you're essentially asking to be allowed to live in Canada for close to a full year before getting married and making your PR application. This was why I counseled you on your other thread to consider getting married sooner, especially if you aren't planning a big wedding. For the record we had about 10 people at our first wedding and it was no less special than the 100 person wedding we had 8 months later.

Of course, all of that said, my experience is just one out of thousands. I cannot claim to know what CIC will say when you send in your extension, and I think for $75 it is definitely worth doing. I just would make sure to have a plan B in place in case they inform you that your extension has not been granted.

Thanks so much for the advice on this.  We might just push for something in June and it'll only become a small extension that way.  Unsure yet.  Doing a civil then another later just feels like it's taking away from things.. Still weighing my options.

[vivam]

Hello guys, coming out of lurkville to say hello. Have not posted here before because I am the queen of the search here and google search . So was able to get all my questions answered.  Just now patiently waiting.  I am here in Canada with my DH, so no worries really.  I am hoping get some luck by participating in the forum.