Hello? Right hand, meet Left Hand! Crazy red-tape and double-talk

[bonacker]

Okay, how is this for red-tape and double-talk:

Yesterday, we received the letter informing us that my husband had been approved as the sponsor. On page three of the letter, we were advised that our Original Medical Form was missing from my application, and in the next sentence were instructed: "To avoid further unnecessary delays, please forward all additional supporting documentation pertaining to the Application [...] to the visa office indicated above [Buffalo]."

So following the instructions in the letter to a T, I express-mailed the Original Medical Form to Buffalo yesterday, and also emailed and faxed Buffalo to inform them that it was on its way.

Today, I got a reply from Buffalo via email:

"Please allow at least 30 weeks between our receipt of an application and its return to you or our sending of the acknowledgment of receipt letter. Please wait until you hear from us with further instructions and do not contact our office or send in any further documentation during that period."

What?

Your other office just specifically instructed me to mail the form to you ASAP!

And.... 30 weeks? I shouldn't contact you for 30 weeks?

The letter I received yesterday specifically provided me with the Buffalo email, fax, and mailing addresses, instructing me to use them, "should need to contact the visa office or submit additional information."

Wow.

 

[gypsygirl]

I understand your frustration but do not panick. It will not take Buffalo 30 weeks to send you an acknowledgment of receipt. Give it about 3 weeks and by then they should have a file number for you which you will get in a letter when they start processing your application.

Hang in there!

 

[RobsLuv]

Welcome to the world of Immigration Canada. I do agree with gypsygirl - it won't take 30 weeks for Buffalo to send an Acknowledgment of Receipt - that's a typo. It's about 3 weeks. And all they're saying is that you should NEVER send anything to them without including the file number - which will be on your AOR. This is very practical advice when you consider that they receive tons of paperwork per day, and you really don't want to have to redo some important piece of the application because you send the proof to them (that should have been included with the original application) before you have their identifying numbers, and it ends up lost in some pile somewhere.

CPC-Mississauga would definitely do applicant's a favour to include instruction that you forward the medical exam information to the overseas visa office AS SOON AS you have confirmation from them that your application has been received and you have your file number - but they don't seem to be interested in helping out or babysitting . . . that would be too easy. Alternatively, they actually should (and sometimes do) send the whole application back to you because the required information was not included.