Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[Eddy070]

One thought: does your e-cas say "Medical results received." ? It seems they were having some issues with that part of our application -- once I faxed Ottawa RMO requesting that the medical be forwarded, it seems everything started to move (including the "Medical results received" showing up on our e-cas).

Looking at our GCMS notes, my suspicion about the correlation here was confirmed...

Wow, Congrats to you guys who PPR/PRV recently, i mean't be missing out silly me....lol
Sure Medical Received is confirm both on Ecas & on the GCMS note. Anyways there was a bring forward date on our GCMS note so maybe they are waiting till that date before opening the file.

 

[wally1961]

I finally called my MP last month. Didn't help a bit. She said we are in cue for February. I told her that I know there are people that have received PPR that filed later. She said that can't be the case and I told her about the forum. She said that she has no way of knowing that the info is correct and that I am in cue for February.

Is there anyway to move these along faster? Why are we seeing Buffalo applicants receiving PPR's filed later than the date we filed and not seeing any movement on ours?

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks

Wally

 

[Stumpedmom]

Could someone post the text of their PPR letter and include info about these pictures?

Today is the first I've heard about needing to send pics along with the passport when it's requested.

Would it be helpful for me to get the photos taken ahead of time so they're done when the PPR comes? Are they standard passport size photos or are they different? Do they need to be from a certain time frame? (I'm wondering if I can reorder prints of the application photos I had taken back in February, which I also used for the medical exam photos).

Again, I feel like everyone else knows this stuff but me. ??? It's great coming here and learning a lot, but the daily check-ins also make me increasingly anxious to hear something from CIC! Blurgh.

yes they send you specs which of course are different than previously taken and not passport...Walmart did awesome with ours and is decently priced....

 

[francohoosier]

Could someone post the text of their PPR letter and include info about these pictures?

Today is the first I've heard about needing to send pics along with the passport when it's requested.

Would it be helpful for me to get the photos taken ahead of time so they're done when the PPR comes? Are they standard passport size photos or are they different? Do they need to be from a certain time frame? (I'm wondering if I can reorder prints of the application photos I had taken back in February, which I also used for the medical exam photos).

Again, I feel like everyone else knows this stuff but me. ??? It's great coming here and learning a lot, but the daily check-ins also make me increasingly anxious to hear something from CIC! Blurgh.

It must be different at each VO. Cuz from what I read earlier, photos for LA don't have the same specs as those going to Buffalo, and sending mine to NYC was yet another story! Hopefully there should be a page in your PPR letter explaining exactly what they want. I got a nice little diagram with the dimensions of the picture, what you're supposed to write on it, etc.

For me, they wanted 4 photos, same size as my initial application, no marks/stamps on them (though the lady refused to do this, arguing it was against policy to NOT stamp official photos on the back with the date and place taken). Then they wanted me to write my name on the back of only 1 photo, and group them into 2 separate envelopes: 1 envelop with one photo, 1 with the other 3 photos (including the one I wrote on). Confusing as hell, right?

But don't take my word for it! Like I said, if your app is at Buffalo it'll likely be a whole nother scenario. :

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

I finally called my MP last month. Didn't help a bit. She said we are in cue for February. I told her that I know there are people that have received PPR that filed later. She said that can't be the case and I told her about the forum. She said that she has no way of knowing that the info is correct and that I am in cue for February.

Is there anyway to move these along faster? Why are we seeing Buffalo applicants receiving PPR's filed later than the date we filed and not seeing any movement on ours?

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks

Wally

Yeah, mine was helpful the first time then the second time that's essentially what we were told. Only decent info they gave me was that my medical report had been received and they waived my interview (I didn't know this info as my e-cas hasn't been updated since July). Other than that they told me they couldn't do anything until after the 11 mth mark, and not to worry so much because I was still within the "average" timeframe. It really is frustrating though to see some people go through the system so quickly, and then there are some of us who are sitting here twiddling our thumbs. I am hoping to get my PPR soon, but if not my GCMS notes should come within the next couple of weeks. I hope they reveal why there's such a hold up when otherwise it seems like they're on track to approve me (at least, that's what they keep telling me MP's office, who knows if they're even bothering to open my file and check it before responding. I have such little faith in CIC right now).

 

[tulamoon]

Could someone post the text of their PPR letter and include info about these pictures?

Today is the first I've heard about needing to send pics along with the passport when it's requested.

Would it be helpful for me to get the photos taken ahead of time so they're done when the PPR comes? Are they standard passport size photos or are they different? Do they need to be from a certain time frame? (I'm wondering if I can reorder prints of the application photos I had taken back in February, which I also used for the medical exam photos).

Again, I feel like everyone else knows this stuff but me. ??? It's great coming here and learning a lot, but the daily check-ins also make me increasingly anxious to hear something from CIC! Blurgh.

I don't think you need to get them ahead of time, they gave us 15 days from the date of the letter to get it to them. We got the letter last Monday, got the photos done over the weekend and its being couriered today, so there's plenty of time to get it all together when you get your ppr. They asked us for 2 recent photos that are 35mm by 45mm, your passport, the confirmation letter with your Name, Birth Date, Height and Eye Colour in a specific section and then a prepaid return 9"x12" envelope. That was going to LA though, I don't know if its different for Buffalo.

 

[tulamoon]

I finally called my MP last month. Didn't help a bit. She said we are in cue for February. I told her that I know there are people that have received PPR that filed later. She said that can't be the case and I told her about the forum. She said that she has no way of knowing that the info is correct and that I am in cue for February.

Is there anyway to move these along faster? Why are we seeing Buffalo applicants receiving PPR's filed later than the date we filed and not seeing any movement on ours?

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks

Wally

That's pretty much how it went with my MP as well. She said that we were on track to get ours in March 2012, and that I probably misunderstood the people that I claimed had all ready been approved because it was very unlikely for files to be done before 11 months. (Essentially said people were liars). But 2 weeks later we got our PPR... It could be a lot closer than you think.

 

[mcmasters]

Do you all think the squeaky wheels get the grease in this process? That doesn't seem very fair, but from dabbling on the forum there seems to be a correlation between making phone calls, requesting GCMS notes, sending in letters, and getting to the next phase of the process faster.

Maybe I have some haranguing to do in the next couple of weeks... hmmmmmm....

That's pretty much how it went with my MP as well. She said that we were on track to get ours in March 2012, and that I probably misunderstood the people that I claimed had all ready been approved because it was very unlikely for files to be done before 11 months. (Essentially said people were liars). But 2 weeks later we got our PPR... It could be a lot closer than you think.

 

[Calgary-Bound]

Well apparently Buffalo mailed me a letter on Sep 11th saying they needed criminal background clearance which I never recieved and of course has already been sent with my app.If It wasnt for my friend looking into my app we would have never known anything.This system is such a joke.First they want medicals redone and now this.I cant wait to see whats next.

 

[ddobro2]

The GCMS notes have nothing to do with the IOs processing the files. It's a completely different office. The Access to Information and Privacy office (ATIP). As long as you don't select the physical file on the request form, it just goes to the ATIP people who print off screenshots from the GCMS system. As far as letters and phone calls.....are you referring to the MP offices? Bothering Buffalo doesn't really work. Besides emailing them for the AOR, which they'll send you, they have a scripted response ready to give you about how they will contact you if they need something, so stop asking. Doctorkb had speculated that they have a completely different set of people working on this email management and I can totally see why. As for MPs, yeah that is a good question, isn't it? A lot of people have gotten PPR shortly after having their MP look into the case for them. Then again, some people have been writing to their MP constantly and really struggling for some assistance and they might get PPR without any sort of inquiry from their rep's office.

Do you all think the squeaky wheels get the grease in this process? That doesn't seem very fair, but from dabbling on the forum there seems to be a correlation between making phone calls, requesting GCMS notes, sending in letters, and getting to the next phase of the process faster.

Maybe I have some haranguing to do in the next couple of weeks... hmmmmmm....

 

[Calgary-Bound]

Do you all think the squeaky wheels get the grease in this process? That doesn't seem very fair, but from dabbling on the forum there seems to be a correlation between making phone calls, requesting GCMS notes, sending in letters, and getting to the next phase of the process faster.

Maybe I have some haranguing to do in the next couple of weeks... hmmmmmm....

Ive done it all and look what Its gotten me NOWHERE!If It wasnt for my friend which works for immigration I wouldnt of even known what was going on.

 

[buffalo-toronto]

Well apparently Buffalo mailed me a letter on Sep 11th saying they needed criminal background clearance which I never recieved and of course has already been sent with my app.If It wasnt for my friend looking into my app we would have never known anything.This system is such a joke.First they want medicals redone and now this.I cant wait to see whats next.

what kind of criminal background clearance do they need?

 

[ddobro2]

I wanted to mention another thing. I hesitate to use the term "correlation" but I think it is true that people who know what's going on with their file (for example, by ordering GCMS notes) are in a better position to "move to the next phase of the process" as you put it. I certainly feel better when I have more information, not less, don't you? My husband, by the way, came to Canada on the FSW applicant stream. He likes to make fun of me and how I babysit this process. He told me, "well, I just sent in the forms and waited, and then I got permanent residency, and my application type was much more difficult and complicated!" :

Do you all think the squeaky wheels get the grease in this process? That doesn't seem very fair, but from dabbling on the forum there seems to be a correlation between making phone calls, requesting GCMS notes, sending in letters, and getting to the next phase of the process faster.

Maybe I have some haranguing to do in the next couple of weeks... hmmmmmm....

 

[Calgary-Bound]

Were not sure yet they have to resend the letter stateing what they want.My FBI check was sent with the original app.

 

[Calgary-Bound]

My friend Is trying to get them to email the request to speed it up but she said she cant promise anything.Especialy since they already stated my process wouldnt be done until after the new year.So if I have to redo the medicals and send in more records Its realy going to take awhile.