Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[ihabkal]

If Buffalo did all of the pre-processing of the applications and 50% of the total processing, it would seem that in the best possible scenario one would expect to observe a doubling of processing time after they've worked through the switch-over. I cannot imagine how moving thousands of files from Buffalo to NYC and then reprocessed to be done in less than 3 months to be anything other than incredible optimism.

So my expectation is that it would be at least a doubling of the normal processing time plus 3 months for the dust to settle. This shouldn't impact applications already transferred, but it would reasonably impact any in-process Buffalo files.

At least it shouldn't affect first-stage approval (now sitting at 90 days). But it does mean that the inland versus outland sponsorship processing choice may not be as clear-cut as it has been in the past (ergo, it could be 3 months + 25 months now for outland, assuming a doubling of the 80% time and an extra 3 months for the dust settling, versus the 11+8 months for inland sponsorship.)

Hopefully I'm being overly pessimistic.

While I agree that the majority of the decisions they made was not in the best interest of the poor applicant, and that they like to screw us as much as they can, I disagree with you because they have been organising this for many months, I have been reading these forums 24/7 for the last two weeks and I am certain that the majority of the applications are already transferred and Buffalo has stopped "starting" applications for a while, they receive and they forward immediatly to another office to start.
How do I know this
"Thank you for your inquiry.
We no longer create files at the Buffalo office and your file is currently at the xxxxxxxx"
is what they reply to new applicants now and for the last few weeks.
Kenny was never truthfull to me, he tld me so many lies (like first come first served), but he said he wants to cut time not add to it. I'm 50% sure he is not lying about that.

 

[Kiri]

Well hopefully that explains the now 90 day first stage processing rather than 60 that has come upon us in the recent months and while it's stuck on Feb processing. Maybe once this is officially announced, what Mississauga has will be released to NYC and handled and what's with Buffalo will go elsewhere, not NYC.

 

[ihabkal]

my thoughts are every one who lives and works in canada wil lhave his applications processed in Ottawa and visa from NY or Detroit (they said Detroit will be affected, maybe they will issue the visas on behalf of Ottawa)
that is because anyone who came to Canada already has passed some security checks and they're there already and Kenny wants to make things easier for them.

 

[apstone]

I think we just need to relax about this Buffalo consulate closing thing. I think someone said they though that it would double the processing times, or turn it into something like 25 month wait times. I highly doubt it will take 2 years to get a visa. There are some on the spreadsheet who have gotten PPRs after as little as 4 months, there's no reason to believe that it will suddenly take 2 years.

Also, there's no timeline in the article that says exactly when it will close. And, as another poster suggested, they had to have been preparing for this and even though immigration seems a little heartless sometimes, there is also no reason to believe that they would just leave all of us high and dry and screw us.

I know the waiting sucks, and I've only been waiting a little over a month since I mailed mine, but assuming the worst and getting pissed off won't help. Maybe they could give us a little information if you call CIC.

I would try to look on the positive side. Seems the applications NOT getting processed by Buffalo are going faster, and I'm pretty sure that all of us want our cases transferred out of Buffalo anyways, so maybe the office closing isn't even a bad thing. Sure, the initial processing time went from 60 to 90 days, but as far as I know that doesn't have anything to do with Buffalo. And if the satellites are processing applications faster, you might make that month back up.

Basically....everybody needs to chill out, it's better for all of us in the long run

 

[ihabkal]

well said

 

[computergeek]

Well, my experience thus far is that when CIC institutes a change it slows things down, at least for a while, as they adjust. My first application was in the FSW category and they had just added the extra CIO step and (as I'd predicted) the three month pre-processing did nothing to "speed up" the process. It only took them 31 months to finalize my application (with a rejection as it turned out).

Inland sponsorship has observed a massive hit as they switched to a new computer system that should EVENTUALLY speed up the entire process, but it will take 2-3 years for them to achieve their goals according to the Minister. I'd guess that Buffalo learned about this change at the end of March when the new budget was unveiled, which matches pretty well with the slowdown in moving files out of Mississauga. Perhaps they've moved more of the pre-processing back to Mississauga, or maybe they're diverting people to assist in adjusting to the new process.

When I suggested a doubling of processing time, I suggested it might be for the 80% number. Thus, we might still see 20% done in 4-5 months, 50% in 8-10 months, and 80% in 22 months. It won't impact everyone equally, of that we can be sure - but I cannot see how the satellite offices can absorb double the case load with the same amount of staff and NOT experience some sort of extended delay.

Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see, but after three years of this I've become a bit cynical. At least I can live with my spouse and continue working at my job while they take their sweet time to process the application.

 

[moochops]

I agree with computergeek, it's all well and good saying relax - i'd have said that if my application had only been in a month. Now nearly a year later and with the prospect of all of our files and personal info being shipped off in cardboard boxes by guide budgies to heaven knows where, we'll sit here still biting our fingernails while the staff at the offices left to deal with our files look at the extra workload and think "screw it - i'm off for a coffee".

 

[Isometry]

I'm going to be really optimistic here.

Buffalo processed about 50% of the applications in the US, right? And there's 5-ish satellite offices--LA, Seattle, NY, Detroit, and I think another I'm forgetting at the moment. So the satellite offices had about 10% each.

Buffalo was averaging something like 8 months to complete the spousal/CL/conjugal apps, right?

The satellite offices were averaging about 3 months.

If the load on the satellite offices doubles, which it will, then they each get 20% of the US applications. Wait time goes from about 3 months to about 6 months. That's still less than the ~8 months that Buffalo is averaging now.

I'm still kinda pissed that this is happening, and worried for everyone that still has an application at Buffalo, but I wanted to add something optimistic to the worry.

 

[avocadosandcheese]

I need your help, folks!

I was thinking we could take the opportunity to start a new US thread since this thread is getting pretty long and can be slow to load and I can already see the confusion as new folks join in who don't know the history of Buffalo vs. NY, and all the changes etc. I started pulling an intro post together with links to posts that could serve as a good intro, FAQs, and place to get links to (or point folks to). I'd really appreciate your thoughts on other info that should be included so I can edit it while editing is still open.

Draft intro post below:

Really appreciate your thoughts and input

this is a great idea!! thanks for putting all this together! let us know when its all set up!

 

[Kiri]

this is a great idea!! thanks for putting all this together! let us know when its all set up!

It's been set up... just way down the page with no replies. >.>

 

[computergeek]

Buffalo processed about 50% of the applications in the US, right? And there's 5-ish satellite offices--LA, Seattle, NY, Detroit, and I think another I'm forgetting at the moment. So the satellite offices had about 10% each.

My understanding is that the numbers published for Buffalo include all satellite offices because the files start in Buffalo. But we also know the scatter of decision times is fairly broad, from three to eleven months. Of course, we can go look up the data in the open database project to confirm (I'm working from memory) but even here it seems that we see ~7 months for 50% of cases. I definitely hope I'm wrong, but I suspect that CIC will be happy with a system that encourages more inland applications rather than outland applications (that was the original driver for the visa changes - to do more processing inland) so why would they think that achieving lengths that are comparable between the systems is undesirable?

So maybe the times will now go from 3 months (20%) to 22 months (80%) which means some people will still have short waits, but others (with more complex cases) will wait longer. Even if those consulates bring on more staff members to handle the applications, it will take time before they are back up to speed. So perhaps by 2015 or 2016 they'll be able to get back to the 11 month (80%) figure.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but I don't like to set my own expectations unrealistically high because that just leads to yet more disappointment.

 

[FALL]

hi GOGOGO can you please add me to your spreadsheet.

Application filed on July 22 2011
Application transferred to Buffalo Sep 28 2011
Application in process April 9 2012

e-cas not mentioning medical received as if May 27 2012 then were done in March 2011. Ordered GCMs notes on May 25 2012

Thanks

 

[Ambber29]

Our interview is in Buffalo in June. will it be in Ny now?

 

[OhCanadiana]

Our interview is in Buffalo in June. will it be in Ny now?

When is your interview? If you don't hear from CIC soon, send them a case specific enquiry and ask them, waiting for a few days if you can afford to so that they announce this officially (if possible).

 

[OhCanadiana]

Thanks for the encouragement on the new thread and the suggestions for the FAQs

I think it's a very good idea. How about:

- CIC call center and links to VO contacts
- how to order GCMS notes
- interview questions and experience sharings

As a matter of fact, I won't be able to manage the Buffalo spreadsheet anymore. I've just got a job (starting on Monday) which requires some travelling, so my time here will be reduced dramatically. g-man (MANY THANKS!) will take over the spreadsheet updating, and he may recruit other people for help if needed in the future.

Thanks! I'll add a link to case enquiries and the list of visa offices (that also has contact info). I will also add a link to http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-interview-help-help-help-t104126.0.html, unless anyone has a better thread regarding interview questions and experiences - please chime in. Are there any specific links that come to mind?

this is a great idea!! thanks for putting all this together! let us know when its all set up!

Thanks! The new thread is at this link.