Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[Rinnerz]

So... I got my CAIPS notes today. It took almost exactly 6 weeks.

The good news: They apparently decided all the way back on December 13, 2010 that our relationship is "bona fide" and waived my interview. Medicals were received; my lupus is documented but no issues there.

The bad news:

1) Both "RCMP Name check" and "UAE police check" are listed under "documents requested". They STILL don't have a result entered for RCMP name check; those checks do not take months to do. (And I have a really weird, Google-me-and-you'll-only-find-ME name, so I doubt a name check would come up with any hits anyway.) And UAE police check? Really? We sent the original along with our entire file in the very beginning, AND never received any requests for documents from them. It would take over 2 months to get another one, short of me hopping on a plane (that we can't afford without adding more CC debt) and spending a week in the UAE myself to get it done faster.

2) Related to (1). The IO notes clearly state "Pending: UAE PC, RCMP Name check results" and then actually says, "Action taken: Interview waiver letter/documents list sent" (sounds like IA). Yet neither us nor our consultant ever got anything. This is dated December 15, 2010 btw.

3) My file has a bring-forward date of April 1, 2011... yet it looks like no updates have been entered in at all. In fact, it looks like it's been untouched since December 15, 2010.

There's nothing entered in for background check decision or security check, so I'm guessing that's still pending too.

Rotted. So, so rotted.

 

[Love_Young]

So... I got my CAIPS notes today. It took almost exactly 6 weeks.

The good news: They apparently decided all the way back on December 13, 2010 that our relationship is "bona fide" and waived my interview. Medicals were received; my lupus is documented but no issues there.

Rotted. So, so rotted.

Wow 6 weeks is such a long time but glad you got them. You're lucky that CAIPS seem more detailed than FOSS notes. FOSS is just like here we will give these codes, now figure it out. We will leave you guessing type of thing. So wonderful that they waived the interview and that your lupus isn't an issue. I know it takes a long time to gather those clearances but I would probably try to gather them and give them the extra push to hurry up since they can't seem to do it themselves right now. Also, I would ask about why you both never received the "IA" letter. Seems it was either never sent or was lost in the mail. But I just have to pick on you for a bit dear when you said "Rotted. So so rotted." Only thing I could think of, she is such the Newfie now lol. Definitely a term I didn't understood until I lived here and now can't go without using. Haha. Chin up girl, I know it is tough to hear that the clearances are slowing the process down but you should be so relieved that they waived the interview. What a wonderful thing. Now lets both hurry up and get approved so we can have our party together.

 

[Rinnerz]

Wow 6 weeks is such a long time but glad you got them. You're lucky that CAIPS seem more detailed than FOSS notes. FOSS is just like here we will give these codes, now figure it out. We will leave you guessing type of thing. So wonderful that they waived the interview and that your lupus isn't an issue. I know it takes a long time to gather those clearances but I would probably try to gather them and give them the extra push to hurry up since they can't seem to do it themselves right now. Also, I would ask about why you both never received the "IA" letter. Seems it was either never sent or was lost in the mail. But I just have to pick on you for a bit dear when you said "Rotted. So so rotted." Only thing I could think of, she is such the Newfie now lol. Definitely a term I didn't understood until I lived here and now can't go without using. Haha. Chin up girl, I know it is tough to hear that the clearances are slowing the process down but you should be so relieved that they waived the interview. What a wonderful thing. Now lets both hurry up and get approved so we can have our party together.

Heh, yeah... "rotted" works wonders, doesn't it?

The lack of an IA was always strange, but it happens. The thing is, I sent them a case specific enquiry almost 2 months ago, specifically asking if one was ever sent and/or if any documents were requested, BECAUSE we hadn't received anything. They never even bothered to reply. And now this.

I've already emailed my consultant, as well as sent both a case specific enquiry and a direct email asking them if this really is the case (i.e. if the UAE PC is conveniently "missing") and, if so, can they please please look again. I find it funny my BFD is April 1, when my CAIPS notes seemed to have been printed April 18 - but there's no sign of my file having been looked at at all.

I'm not sure how much "hurrying up" my file's going to be doing if they claim they don't have my police check... but yeah.

 

[Love_Young]

Heh, yeah... "rotted" works wonders, doesn't it?

The lack of an IA was always strange, but it happens. The thing is, I sent them a case specific enquiry almost 2 months ago, specifically asking if one was ever sent and/or if any documents were requested, BECAUSE we hadn't received anything. They never even bothered to reply. And now this.

I've already emailed my consultant, as well as sent both a case specific enquiry and (soon) a direct email asking them if this really is the case (i.e. if the UAE PC is conveniently "missing") and, if so, can they please please look again. I find it funny my BFD is April 1, when my CAIPS notes seemed to have been printed April 18 - but there's no sign of my file having been looked at at all.

I'm not sure how much "hurrying up" my file's going to be doing if they claim they don't have my police check... but yeah.

Yeah "rotted" works for a lot of things. I too am rotted today so you are far from alone in that. I really hope all of this gets solved soon, I really do. I hate that you are having to wait longer just because of fault on their part and for background checks. Seriously it isn't like those take a long time. Come on girl, we can pull through this together. We really can.

 

[sparkle]

Congrats Sparkle!! I can't wait until I get an AOR...

If it is not too much of a bother can you add me to the spreadsheet, thanks so much!
Outland Buffalo - fam. class. USA to Canada
App Sent 2/16/2011
App received 2/18/2011
Sponsor DM 3/16/2011
In Buffalo 3/24/2011

Thanks again!

Thank you

You've been added to the spreadsheet !

 

[Rinnerz]

Update:

I've already received a reply from Buffalo. They insist they mailed me an IA, and even quoted my consultant's address and asked me to correct them if it's wrong (it's not, it's accurate). They also insist they "have no record" of having received my police certificate.

My consultant's livid. I've forwarded scans of my CAIPS notes to him and he says he's "going to contact Buffalo immediately".

...It looks like we'll have to decide soon how to go about affording -- and obtaining -- me a new UAE police certificate, if Buffalo doesn't get their act together. Sigh.

 

[Love-Buf-Wings]

CONGRATS SPARKLE!!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR PROGRESS -ALL THE BEST!!!

 

[rjessome]

Update:

I've already received a reply from Buffalo. They insist they mailed me an IA, and even quoted my consultant's address and asked me to correct them if it's wrong (it's not, it's accurate). They also insist they "have no record" of having received my police certificate.

My consultant's livid. I've forwarded scans of my CAIPS notes to him and he says he's "going to contact Buffalo immediately".

...It looks like we'll have to decide soon how to go about affording -- and obtaining -- me a new UAE police certificate, if Buffalo doesn't get their act together. Sigh.

You consultant should have kept a copy of the PCC for UAE. I'm sure he's going to contact Buffalo and tear a strip off of them but he will probably also request that they accept the copy of the PCC since "they" lost it. It might not work, probably won't, but it's worth a try. Best of luck.

 

[Rinnerz]

You consultant should have kept a copy of the PCC for UAE. I'm sure he's going to contact Buffalo and tear a strip off of them but he will probably also request that they accept the copy of the PCC since "they" lost it. It might not work, probably won't, but it's worth a try. Best of luck.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking, too. I haven't heard back from him ever since I forwarded the CAIPS notes scans and Buffalo's reply, but I guess we'll see how things go. Thanks for the hopeful reply, btw.

 

[kerianne]

Rinnerz, that sounds awful! I'm sorry you're going through this. Hopefully after your consultant tears B'lo a new one, your case will get straightened out. Sometimes B'lo will magically "find" your "missing" background checks. It's happened before, so here's to hoping they "find" it

Where do you have to go to get a UAE PC and what does the UAE mean?

 

[Rinnerz]

Rinnerz, that sounds awful! I'm sorry you're going through this. Hopefully after your consultant tears B'lo a new one, your case will get straightened out. Sometimes B'lo will magically "find" your "missing" background checks. It's happened before, so here's to hoping they "find" it

Where do you have to go to get a UAE PC and what does the UAE mean?

UAE = United Arab Emirates. I'm a US citizen (so are my parents, grandparents, etc) but I was mostly raised in the UAE because my father (doctor) got a job at a charity organization there when I was only about 8 years old. There are only 2 ways to get a UAE police certificate now:

1) Apply from here, i.e. Canada. This means getting scheduled for the fingerprints (about 1 week wait time last time), get them notarized, then mail them to DFAIT in Ottawa to be authenticated (this takes 6+ weeks), then sending everything to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa to be authorized for use in the UAE (another week or so), then getting photos taken and FedEx'ing everything to the UAE. Last time, my dad received it all for me and then submitted it in person to Dubai police on my behalf. It took them another week to process the request and issue the police certificate. Then he had to FedEx it all back to me (took 4 days).

2) Book a $1,600+ return flight to the UAE to get the fingerprinting done right there, wait the week or so for it to be issued, then come back - hopefully without too much hassle from the IO's when I return. It cuts the waiting down from 2+ months to about a week, but... sigh, costs. It's also already ridiculously hot over there, which is... not good for my lupus and might cause a flare-up, but if I'm smart and stay indoors most of the time, probably not.

 

[kerianne]

Jeez that's crazy! You're in my prayers

 

[Love-Buf-Wings]

UAE = United Arab Emirates. I'm a US citizen (so are my parents, grandparents, etc) but I was mostly raised in the UAE because my father (doctor) got a job at a charity organization there when I was only about 8 years old. There are only 2 ways to get a UAE police certificate now:
_______________________________________________________________________

Hi Rinners, I was born in the UAE and left when I was four to Canada. My mother lost my birth certificate, and I was thinking of going to the embassy in Ottawa to get a new one. Any tips would help, no real time crunch with my case. I just need a birth certificate in case I ever decide to move to the US in the future (my husband is American).

 

[Rinnerz]

UAE = United Arab Emirates. I'm a US citizen (so are my parents, grandparents, etc) but I was mostly raised in the UAE because my father (doctor) got a job at a charity organization there when I was only about 8 years old. There are only 2 ways to get a UAE police certificate now:
__________________________________________________________

Hi Rinners, I was born in the UAE and left when I was four to Canada. My mother lost my birth certificate, and I was thinking of going to the embassy in Ottawa to get a new one. Any tips would help, no real time crunch with my case. I just need a birth certificate in case I ever decide to move to the US in the future (my husband is American).

I wouldn't know the first thing about having to obtain a birth certificate from the UAE, unfortunately. I did do some Googling for you, though. The UAE Embassy in Ottawa doesn't mention providing birth certificates at all; from what I can tell, all they will do is authenticate already-issued documents for use in the UAE. But maybe they'd still be able to tell you how to go about getting your birth certificate (make sure to tell them whether you're a UAE national or a foreigner): http://www.uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/ca/

All the other scattered posts I found only pertain to new born babies, and involve getting an Arabic birth certificate from Al Buhara hospital -- which apparently requires the child's parents' original passports and their marriage certificate, plus 50 AED. And then it's another 50 AED to get it translated to English. It all looks like a convoluted mess. So hopefully the UAE Embassy can tell you what to do to apply for this without you having to do it in person and dig up your parents' info.

Someone also said this:

"Every baby born to foreigners has to be registered to the Embassy concerned to register the child birth in the home country of the parents to issue the baby's passport. Therefore the authorities in your own country should be able to provide you with a certified copy of your birth certificate.
If not, get in touch with your Embassy in the UAE."

 

[Love-Buf-Wings]

Thanks Rinnerz for researching this for me. I will contact the embassy when I get a chance. I hope they don't ask me for my parent's documents.