Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[pcdmontreal]

Congrats to all who got PPR this week, it has been a great week and hopefully it will continue. It's just a little hard to be still waiting when people who applied after you have already landed... it's a lot of frustration too when you can't have any information about what's going on with our file, especially when you think you have a very straight forward case.
Anyway, negative energy won't solve any problem, so let's hope for a lot of PPRs next week !!!! (incuding my husband's one please )

 

[francohoosier]

Wow! If my rusty math skills serve me well, we're up to a PPR-a-day rate! That's fantastic!! I hope for everyone's sake that this means Buffalo is over the hurdle and churning out cases! ;D

 

[laryn1231]

Hi, I haven't posted on this thread yet, but I am at a point in this process where my ignorance is getting obvious, and I just need someone to spell it out for me! I applied through Buffalo and sent my papers in to Mississauga the end of May. Today I received an e-mail with a request for my passport. Does this mean I've been approved? And if so, when can I anticipate landing? Based on the 11 month processing time stated on the website, I wasn't expecting anything until next spring! After landing (which I assume means coming through the border?), do I still have to apply for a card before I am officially a permanent resident? The reason I ask is that I am looking to begin studies here next spring, and I was thinking I would have to apply for a study permit for the first term, but maybe I won't?

Although I applied outland, I have lived here on a temporary work permit for a while, so all my stuff is already here. Does anyone know how this affects the importing of my goods?

I feel really stupid asking some of these things, but I don't know what a lot of the abbreviations mean (i.e. PPR, AOR, etc.) and I am having a hard time telling where I am in the process! Thanks for any help!

 

[Eddy070]

Congratulations....
That is really a great news.
Just my suggestions.....If you can land before the start of your studies there are no reason for you to apply for study permit.

Someone with better knowledge on this can help you. Goodluck

 

[Ellan]

It seems to me that people immigrating from the states receive their PPRs much quicker than non-Americans... Is anyone here from Europe?? I feel like an outsider

 

[Stumpedmom]

Hi, I haven't posted on this thread yet, but I am at a point in this process where my ignorance is getting obvious, and I just need someone to spell it out for me! I applied through Buffalo and sent my papers in to Mississauga the end of May. Today I received an e-mail with a request for my passport. Does this mean I've been approved? And if so, when can I anticipate landing? Based on the 11 month processing time stated on the website, I wasn't expecting anything until next spring! After landing (which I assume means coming through the border?), do I still have to apply for a card before I am officially a permanent resident? The reason I ask is that I am looking to begin studies here next spring, and I was thinking I would have to apply for a study permit for the first term, but maybe I won't?

Although I applied outland, I have lived here on a temporary work permit for a while, so all my stuff is already here. Does anyone know how this affects the importing of my goods?

I feel really stupid asking some of these things, but I don't know what a lot of the abbreviations mean (i.e. PPR, AOR, etc.) and I am having a hard time telling where I am in the process! Thanks for any help!

That does mean that you are done the process in Buffalo. You need to send your passport along with the pictures and requested information and wait for your visa to come back in your passport. Then all you have to do is cross the border and land. There is no need to apply for a study visa as you will be a PR and can just apply to go to school. You don't have to worry about international student fees or anything. All you will need to show them is your COPR, which you will get at the border when you land. You also need to take that into Service Canada and get your SIN switched from your temporary one to your permanent one....

Congrats!!

I am in complete disbelief at the amount of PPRs....so happy for everyone....and fingers crossed for all those that have been waiting....

 

[Stumpedmom]

^ That's the wife, who wanted to post.
Yay! Thanks everyone for the responses, btw ddobro2 put in the topic our timeline for you to put on the spreadsheet several pages back now wherever last week was. but here's the updated version then:

App Sent: May 27th 2011
App Received: May 30th 2011
In Process: July 5th 2011
Sponsorship Approval Date/Xfer to Buffalo: July 5th 2011
Buffalo received applicant's part (we didn't figure out if this = AOR): July 14th 2011
PPR: October 6th 2011 (day email was received)

I totally didn't expect this either, my wife just gave birth and most of my day was being occupied by checking on our little girl in the NICU and checking on wife who had to have an emergency c-section following a pretty quick and crappy turn during later stages of labour. I had just paid for wi-fi at the hospital and went to do my obligatory bedtime CIC app check to see if there were any updates, use e-mails I sent to myself with the info to copy/paste both mine and my Canadian wife's ID numbers i.e. looking at both of the separate numbers we were given to see if they might say anything different, but the email inbox had that email from Buffalo there which, being completely dead tired (like "almost nodding off while typing and nearly dropping the laptop out of my lap" tired), I almost had mistaken for spam until I read it again and remembered 99% of spam doesn't include my first/last/middle name and my application number in the subject part.

Is your wife the one becoming a PR or is it you?? If you wife is Canadian, and had the baby in Canada, I do not believe that you need to notify CIC about the change in circumstance as the baby is a Canadian by birth....you can always call and ask, but my understanding is, that the child is Canadian and living there, so it does not change anything as you will not have to add them to your PR application!!!

 

[Eddy070]

The waiting is not getting better anymore as everyone is getting there PPR/PRV instead Buffalo sent a request for additional document after all this time...Something has to change. We just have to wait and hope for the best that someday it will be our turn. We all need the good news too.

Congrats to those who have gotten PPR/PRV and have Landed.

 

[destanova]

Does anyone know of, or have, a list of items to be completed after landing? Such as applying for a SIN, provincial health care, getting a drivers license, etc? I've made a pretty good 'to-do' list, but I'm sure I'm missing things. I'll be landing, trying to get health care and entering my third trimester of pregnancy, so it's pretty likely that things will slip my mind until it's too late!

 

[doctorkb]

An update of, well, nothing.

I'm not sure when I last posted, so here goes.

We e-mailed the requested police clearances (and updated answers) to Buffalo on Sep 20.

We received the physical copy of the translations on the 27th and mailed them to Buffalo the next week (27th), along with all physical copies of the requested documents.

We also inquired of our MP's office to look into this. We received a response from that office that suggested that Buffalo had no record of either the e-mail or the snail mail copies on file -- by Oct 5.

We clarified the dates and I forwarded the MP's assistant our e-mail to Buffalo. The response from her suggested she'd take that back to CIC.

Still waiting... and hopefully not with a request for a new medical on the way.

By the by... we requested the GCMS notes on Aug 29. Still haven't received them. Isn't it supposed to be within 30 days?

 

[francohoosier]

Does anyone know of, or have, a list of items to be completed after landing? Such as applying for a SIN, provincial health care, getting a drivers license, etc? I've made a pretty good 'to-do' list, but I'm sure I'm missing things. I'll be landing, trying to get health care and entering my third trimester of pregnancy, so it's pretty likely that things will slip my mind until it's too late!

I could DEFINITELY also use this haha! Landing on Nov. 13th!

 

[argenta]

Happy Thanksgiving! I was so excited when my husband's passport request came through last Tuesday that I forgot to thank all of you for your quick answers and solidarity over the last 11 months. This forum is such an important place to find support and hope when all feels lost. It is so encouraging to see all this activity - but like Stumpedmom, my fingers are crossed for all those still waiting.

I am in complete disbelief at the amount of PPRs....so happy for everyone....and fingers crossed for all those that have been waiting....

 

[QCSunshine]

Well, after being transferred to NYC a few weeks back, we finally saw some action on our file... in the form of an e-mail from NYC requesting our CSQ.

So Buffalo apparently did nothing for 6 months, and lost our CSQ (or never received it in the first place).

The e-mail from NYC doesn't specify whether they want the original, or whether they will return it when they're done. Since the CSQ is actually used for a few things in Quebec (proof of residency, French classes), this has us a bit worried. Obviously I will make some copies of it and send it FedEx, but it would be ideal to be able to keep the original...

Has this happened to anyone else? What did you do?

Do not send the original, because as you said, the original is needed for certain things in Quebec. Send a copy and keep your original with you; immigration knows you need to keep the original so they should have no problem with this.

 

[francohoosier]

Do not send the original, because as you said, the original is needed for certain things in Quebec. Send a copy and keep your original with you; immigration knows you need to keep the original so they should have no problem with this.

SPEAKING of originals - I glanced briefly at the required documents to get on the waiting list for Assurance Maladie, and they want either the original or a "certified copy" of my landing documents I think. Only problem is - I can't give them the originals since I'll have to leave the country before I get my PR card. Knowing this, is it possible to ask up front for certified copies when I land? It defines a "certified copy" as being only issued by the original authority. :/ I don't want my trip back to the states to delay my getting health insurance.

 

[QCSunshine]

You can call RAMQ as soon as you land or go in to one of their offices in person to apply and start the waiting process. If you have already landed and not registered with them, you should do this immediately to start the 3 month waiting time. They don't keep the forms, they just look at them. Did you say you are in Mtl? If so, you could just go down there in person with your forms. It doesn't take too long, and they will go ahead and take your picture for the RAMQ card. (You have to pay about $8 for the card fee.)