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Manila Tread for English Speakers - join here!

melon82

Star Member
May 5, 2014
70
0
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
CIC-Mississauga
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Dec. 06, 2013
AOR Received.
Jan. 04, 2014
Med's Done....
Nov. 15, 2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
June 26, 2014 In Process Aug. 04, 2014 Decision Made Sep. 01, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
Sep. 03, 2014
LANDED..........
Sep. 12, 2014
Hey guys, its Alex here again, wanted to ask you about CIC client status check update, we got passport request on June 26, 2014, sent it out June 40th, 2014 letter states within 45 days they need to receive it, how long do u guys personally think it might take and also CIC status check still say the same Application and Meds received, when it will be updated (since its been down for the last week or so)), what do u guys think about that>))
 

Gumper

Hero Member
Jan 27, 2014
282
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-01-2014
AOR Received.
06-03-2014
File Transfer...
11-03-2014
Med's Done....
09-01-2014
Step said:
No need. Only fill in applicants info and if dependents.
Personal History part not sure, we never received request.
Was there any gaps in history on app. ? All time has to be accounted for,school, work, etc.
No gaps .... they're asking for info from dates BEFORE those in application. Not sure why.
 

Gumper

Hero Member
Jan 27, 2014
282
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-01-2014
AOR Received.
06-03-2014
File Transfer...
11-03-2014
Med's Done....
09-01-2014
Hwseyl said:
Heh Gumper, Congratulations!
Can't help on the personal info stuff either as we only got AppA and the letter saying they weren't convinced I was going back to Canada.
But I did want to follow up on that and let you all know what happened in the last few days. On Friday (Thursday Canada time) I sat down and finally wrote a letter to the MP in Lethbridge. Just for you that haven't followed my story, I have been a permanent resident of Japan for over 15 years and I don't have much family left in Canada. None where I grew up and where my family was known. Our plan is to move to Lethbridge, where my husband has been offered a job. So I contacted the Lethbridge MP. His Chief of Staff wrote me back on Saturday (Friday in Canada) saying that she had contacted CIC and that everything looked good. Couldn't confirm that they had received App A and the additional info from us but said sometimes it takes three weeks for things to show up on the files. Wow. With computers these days, what takes three weeks?? Anyway, she said that the agent said everything looked good now and was processing as usual. She also said she would check in again at the end of the week. Wow. Totally impressed. I really didn't think contacted my MP would do anything. Just waiting now.
Heather
Thanks for the congrats Heather, and for your update. That's nice to hear your making progress and getting MP support. Maybe a good thing you're in touch with rural Alberta rather than a busier part of the province or elsewhere that they might not be able to assist you as much. Yeah, not too sure about the lag in e-cas, frankly not too concerned about it either. As long as they seem to be processing things in good time that's all I care about.
 

Step

Hero Member
Jan 4, 2014
435
4
124
Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
August 21,2013
AOR Received.
August 26,2013
File Transfer...
September 13,2013
Med's Done....
Upfront. July 13,2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
May 29,2014
VISA ISSUED...
June 4,2014.
LANDED..........
June 24, 2014. 6:00 pm
Gumper said:
No gaps .... they're asking for info from dates BEFORE those in application. Not sure why.
I see,we supplied Personal History for my wife from a very early age. From birth if I remember right.LOL
CIC Background Checks are very through, I think.
Best of Luck.
 

Kayaker

Hero Member
Aug 4, 2013
679
50
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
05-02-2014
AOR Received.
04-03-2014
Med's Done....
08-11-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-09-2014
LANDED..........
11-10-2014
Hi everyone,

I just started reading the last few pages of this thread... I'm from Japan and I'm a February 2014 applicant.

This might have been discussed somewhere in the last few hundred pages of this post, but could someone tell me about the Appendix A? As far as I understood, when they start processing your file, they ask for your passport and Appendix A. As I'm from a visa exempt country, I assumed they would just ask me for Appendix A. Do they send this request by email or snail mail? And is the Appendix A different from what we sent with our original application package?

By the way, my ecas only says "application received on February 6, 2014" and says nothing about medicals. Hope that doesn't mean they didn't receive my medicals, which were included in the application...

One last question - we applied 2 months after we were married by civil ceremony in Japan, after a relatively short courtship. (met in person in June 2013, engaged August 2013, married December 2013) Since then, a lot has changed - I've come to Canada to visit my husband and we've bought a house together (technically He did; my name isn't on the deed or mortgage, but I did buy some of the furniture) and have a joint bank account now, and we also had a wedding reception in Canada. Do you think I should send Manila a package with the additional proofs like photos and receipts, or would that slow them down? Is it better to wait for them to ask for additional proof? The only thing I've done so far is update my mailing address to Canada. (Planning to extend my visit and wait out the application here.)

Thanks all!
 

O_guy

Hero Member
Aug 11, 2013
720
12
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Kayaker, I do not have answers to all of your questions but here is what I know. The VO will not request additional proof. If your application is strong, you will simply get PPR (Passport Request), if not you will be called for interview in which case you would have to return to Japan. Personally, if I were worried that my application is not strong enough and I had additional "proofs", I would mail those to the VO because it is much cheaper to do that than to pay for flight back to South East Asia. So you will have to judge your own case and think about whether it is strong enough. In my experience, the folks who were called for interview had "red flags" such as big age difference, wedding photos that looked like they were manufactured on a computer, etc.
 

Step

Hero Member
Jan 4, 2014
435
4
124
Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
August 21,2013
AOR Received.
August 26,2013
File Transfer...
September 13,2013
Med's Done....
Upfront. July 13,2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
May 29,2014
VISA ISSUED...
June 4,2014.
LANDED..........
June 24, 2014. 6:00 pm
Kayaker said:
Hi everyone,

I just started reading the last few pages of this thread... I'm from Japan and I'm a February 2014 applicant.

This might have been discussed somewhere in the last few hundred pages of this post, but could someone tell me about the Appendix A? As far as I understood, when they start processing your file, they ask for your passport and Appendix A. As I'm from a visa exempt country, I assumed they would just ask me for Appendix A. Do they send this request by email or snail mail? And is the Appendix A different from what we sent with our original application package?

By the way, my ecas only says "application received on February 6, 2014" and says nothing about medicals. Hope that doesn't mean they didn't receive my medicals, which were included in the application...

One last question - we applied 2 months after we were married by civil ceremony in Japan, after a relatively short courtship. (met in person in June 2013, engaged August 2013, married December 2013) Since then, a lot has changed - I've come to Canada to visit my husband and we've bought a house together (technically He did; my name isn't on the deed or mortgage, but I did buy some of the furniture) and have a joint bank account now, and we also had a wedding reception in Canada. Do you think I should send Manila a package with the additional proofs like photos and receipts, or would that slow them down? Is it better to wait for them to ask for additional proof? The only thing I've done so far is update my mailing address to Canada. (Planning to extend my visit and wait out the application here.)

Thanks all!
The Appendix A is different, CEM uses Appendix A ( PHL). Main reason for Appendix A is to update where to send PP or in your cases COPR back to you .
Our app never showed Meds received until about 3 weeks prior to " in process" so no need to worry about this.
Also e- mail is the preferred mode CEM will contact you.
The rest has been covered in previous post.
 

elaineevan

Star Member
Apr 28, 2014
82
0
Step said:
The Appendix A is different, CEM uses Appendix A ( PHL). Main reason for Appendix A is to update where to send PP or in your cases COPR back to you .
Our app never showed Meds received until about 3 weeks prior to " in process" so no need to worry about this.
Also e- mail is the preferred mode CEM will contact you.
The rest has been covered in previous post.

Wow.. they are really working on feb applicant n pala.. so excited..
 

melon82

Star Member
May 5, 2014
70
0
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
CIC-Mississauga
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Dec. 06, 2013
AOR Received.
Jan. 04, 2014
Med's Done....
Nov. 15, 2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
June 26, 2014 In Process Aug. 04, 2014 Decision Made Sep. 01, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
Sep. 03, 2014
LANDED..........
Sep. 12, 2014
Hey guys do you know if CEM lets u know by email or call etc. when they send you back the passport along with visa stamped in it OR DHL delivers it without any notifications, thank you so much

Also guys, if you send in your passport, why does CEm take their sweet time on sending in it back, i mean logically speaking i mean how long does it take to stamp the passport and send it back, i just don't get it why does it take them so freaking long :(

P.S. Sorry agaion to ask you guys i just want some folks here ot shed a light on that issue for me, thank you and God Bless
 

xxdieselxx

Star Member
Jun 18, 2013
101
6
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
August 2, 2013
AOR Received.
August 17, 2013
File Transfer...
SA Received: August 29, 2013
Med's Done....
July 24, 2013
Interview........
not required
Passport Req..
May 22, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
June 16, 2014
LANDED..........
July 2, 2014
melon82 said:
Hey guys do you know if CEM lets u know by email or call etc. when they send you back the passport along with visa stamped in it OR DHL delivers it without any notifications, thank you so much

Also guys, if you send in your passport, why does CEm take their sweet time on sending in it back, i mean logically speaking i mean how long does it take to stamp the passport and send it back, i just don't get it why does it take them so freaking long :(

P.S. Sorry agaion to ask you guys i just want some folks here ot shed a light on that issue for me, thank you and God Bless
Hi Melon82,

My wife received a phone call on her cell from the Manila office, they said that her pr was approved and asked where to send the package. We were both in Canada already, so we asked them to send the package here direct. It took a few more days for them to send an email stating that the package had been sent along with a tracking number. Ecas went from in progress to decision made a few days after that.

I may be wrong but in my opinion the Manila office doesn't even look at your file or do any checks until the passport request and if people have red flags, it takes longer and if they don't, it takes a shorter time to get it sent back.

Best of luck with yours.
 

ericibebe

Newbie
Jun 13, 2014
9
0
xxdieselxx said:
Hi Melon82,

My wife received a phone call on her cell from the Manila office, they said that her pr was approved and asked where to send the package. We were both in Canada already, so we asked them to send the package here direct. It took a few more days for them to send an email stating that the package had been sent along with a tracking number. Ecas went from in progress to decision made a few days after that.

I may be wrong but in my opinion the Manila office doesn't even look at your file or do any checks until the passport request and if people have red flags, it takes longer and if they don't, it takes a shorter time to get it sent back.




Best of luck with yours.

Hi!Congrats!
Would you like to tell me how long did Manila office take from in process to passport request ?
 

Step

Hero Member
Jan 4, 2014
435
4
124
Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
August 21,2013
AOR Received.
August 26,2013
File Transfer...
September 13,2013
Med's Done....
Upfront. July 13,2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
May 29,2014
VISA ISSUED...
June 4,2014.
LANDED..........
June 24, 2014. 6:00 pm
xxdieselxx said:
Hi Melon82,

My wife received a phone call on her cell from the Manila office, they said that her pr was approved and asked where to send the package. We were both in Canada already, so we asked them to send the package here direct. It took a few more days for them to send an email stating that the package had been sent along with a tracking number. Ecas went from in progress to decision made a few days after that.

I may be wrong but in my opinion the Manila office doesn't even look at your file or do any checks until the passport request and if people have red flags, it takes longer and if they don't, it takes a shorter time to get it sent back.

Best of luck with yours.
I think it all depends on the Officer doing the application.
Our app was "in process" May 20, 2014.
PPR and Appendix A May 29,2014.
Meds showed up on E-CAS as received May 13,2014.
But it seems like every app is different, which is silly CEM should process all apps the same way. In my opinion .
 

Step

Hero Member
Jan 4, 2014
435
4
124
Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
August 21,2013
AOR Received.
August 26,2013
File Transfer...
September 13,2013
Med's Done....
Upfront. July 13,2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
May 29,2014
VISA ISSUED...
June 4,2014.
LANDED..........
June 24, 2014. 6:00 pm
ericibebe said:
Hi!Congrats!
Would you like to tell me how long did Manila office take from in process to passport request ?
Ours was 15 days, but all apps are different. No way to tell for sure.