When IRCC just won’t open your file

[luckyrabbit13]

I know there must be people who have been waiting even longer than me... but how can it take so long to even start background checks? I applied in August and I know I’m not alone. It can’t be security delays or waiting for information from other governments/CBSA when the check hasn’t even started! Zero movement on some files for months and months while people who applied months after are all done with their processing... How common is this?

 

[laport2018]

Oh my friend you are not alone ! We are Sept applicants and still waiting for some sort of movement after Medicals passed. The only thing we received was in April asking for Schedule A again. Hang in there

 

[Hurlabrick]

I know there must be people who have been waiting even longer than me... but how can it take so long to even start background checks? I applied in August and I know I’m not alone. It can’t be security delays or waiting for information from other governments/CBSA when the check hasn’t even started! Zero movement on some files for months and months while people who applied months after are all done with their processing... How common is this?

I am afraid it is perfectly normal and yes, it happens all the time.

 

[luckyrabbit13]

It’s such a frustrating, helpless feeling! No updates, no timeline, no rhyme or reason. Calling does no good at all — the representatives are all kind enough, and I appreciate how busy they must be, but they can’t do or tell us anything. Yet people who applied later are breezing right along...

 

[AlgCad0218]

They started our background check less than a month before our 12 months were up. Today we have been waiting for 15 months, we are in security screening. The criminality part can be super fast and if you don’t get chosen for security screening they can finalize your file in just a few days.

 

[laport2018]

It’s such a frustrating, helpless feeling! No updates, no timeline, no rhyme or reason. Calling does no good at all — the representatives are all kind enough, and I appreciate how busy they must be, but they can’t do or tell us anything. Yet people who applied later are breezing right along...

It sure is but patience is the key . I personally know of two people that are at 15 almost 16 months with no answer. You can’t compare your application to others , and only pray it gets completed within 12 months

 

[laport2018]

They started our background check less than a month before our 12 months were up. Today we have been waiting for 15 months, we are in security screening. The criminality part can be super fast and if you don’t get chosen for security screening they can finalize your file in just a few days.

Wow I also know of two people who’s spouses are in Dominican Republic that are at 15 months . I do hope that this is over soon for all of us

 

[AlgCad0218]

Wow I also know of two people who’s spouses are in Dominican Republic that are at 15 months . I do hope that this is over soon for all of us

I wish everyone a quick resolution

 

[canuck78]

It’s such a frustrating, helpless feeling! No updates, no timeline, no rhyme or reason. Calling does no good at all — the representatives are all kind enough, and I appreciate how busy they must be, but they can’t do or tell us anything. Yet people who applied later are breezing right along...

You have to remember about the volume of applicants they have to process between students, family, parents, visitors. IRCC is upfront about the 1year target so people should be planning around this target. People call the 1-800 weekly or even daily. No matter how you increased the customer service volume it would never be enough. The agents can only see what is on their screens so it is pointless to call most times.

 

[luckyrabbit13]

There’s no way it will happen within the 12 month window for those of us who haven’t had checks even start yet, and there are plenty of people waiting more than a year with no updates or movement — while people who applied in late 2018 are already done in quite a few cases.

I understand the volume is high and that they’re upfront about it taking an average of a year or more... but they clearly aren’t processing things on a first-come, first-served basis, and while that’s great for those who get lucky, it’s certainly not very fair, and there doesn’t seem to be any oversight. People would call less often if they weren’t being left hanging.

 

[kcward7]

There’s no way it will happen within the 12 month window for those of us who haven’t had checks even start yet, and there are plenty of people waiting more than a year with no updates or movement — while people who applied in late 2018 are already done in quite a few cases.

I understand the volume is high and that they’re upfront about it taking an average of a year or more... but they clearly aren’t processing things on a first-come, first-served basis, and while that’s great for those who get lucky, it’s certainly not very fair, and there doesn’t seem to be any oversight. People would call less often if they weren’t being left hanging.

Actually really not true at all. It hasn't been that uncommon that the online updates haven't been accurate and reflecting what's actually happening. Just because you don't see something in progress on GCKey does not mean you will not be done within the 12 months, so don't make that assumption. The online updates are inconsistent at best.

And no - they don't process by order of application received. This would never work and doesn't make much sense - it winds up being down to efficiency/workload of the officer, what visa office you get sent to, delays incurred on information sharing. They can't hold up everyone else because one application is taking longer to process than others.

All in all though don't generalize and assume you won't be done in 12 months. Even with lack of updates it does not mean that will be the case. Try and stay positive, I know it's hard.

 

[canuck78]

There’s no way it will happen within the 12 month window for those of us who haven’t had checks even start yet, and there are plenty of people waiting more than a year with no updates or movement — while people who applied in late 2018 are already done in quite a few cases.

I understand the volume is high and that they’re upfront about it taking an average of a year or more... but they clearly aren’t processing things on a first-come, first-served basis, and while that’s great for those who get lucky, it’s certainly not very fair, and there doesn’t seem to be any oversight. People would call less often if they weren’t being left hanging.

Think you have unrealistic expectations. FIFO doesn’t work when you are waiting for documents to be submitted or you’re waiting for background checks to be done that involve other countries. A very large percentage is processed in under 1 year which is in line with similar countries or even faster than some. Nobody said immigration is fair. Also not what most Canadians consider a high priority so wait times are unlikely to be decreased.

People call the 1-800 number to find out if their application has been received after paying for tracking. Tons of people who call when they haven’t heard anything that week or month even when targets are 1 year. Lots of unnecessary calls on top of needed calls.

 

[luckyrabbit13]

It can’t be an information delay if they haven’t started background checks, though. The delay is in the starting! At least they could start the checks! Now we’ll have whatever ordinary delays crop up in addition.

It’s unlikely to be an issue with GCKey/ecas not updating; when I called they said BGC hadn’t started yet. Same is true for lots of other June and August people, many of whom had files sent to Montreal for work-sharing. (And then no one ever worked on the work-sharing files, apparently, haha.) But people who escaped that fate have had a lot more progress done, even those who applied later.

It’s like how people who applied after the new 12-month targets were launched got their cases handled more quickly than pre-changeover applicants who just stayed stuck in the backlog. That wasn’t fair either.

 

[kcward7]

It can’t be an information delay if they haven’t started background checks, though. The delay is in the starting! At least they could start the checks! Now we’ll have whatever ordinary delays crop up in addition.

It’s unlikely to be an issue with GCKey/ecas not updating; when I called they said BGC hadn’t started yet. Same is true for lots of other June and August people, many of whom had files sent to Montreal for work-sharing. (And then no one ever worked on the work-sharing files, apparently, haha.) But people who escaped that fate have had a lot more progress done, even those who applied later.

It’s like how people who applied after the new 12-month targets were launched got their cases handled more quickly than pre-changeover applicants who just stayed stuck in the backlog. That wasn’t fair either.

Applicants who applied pre December 2016 were part of the longer processing times, and IRCC made it clear anyone who applied beyond that date would fall into the new 12 month targets. It wasn't intended to speed up pre December 2016 applications. How is that unfair? This is one of the major optimizations to the process they made.

In any case, IRCC has a target of 80% of applications being processed in 12 months. You have not even hit that mark, so you are jumping to conclusions believing that you will. If processing goes past 12 months, they never promised that 100% of applications would be processed within that timeframe.

 

[canuck78]

You are 3 months or longer away from your 1 year timeframe. Don’t think you will find much sympathy on this forum compared to others who have waited over a year. Many who are at the 17+ month point.