Applicant from PhD program after 5 Nov, 2011 connect here to get status

[mkrp21]

Hello all,

I've also applied under the PhD program (CPP-O) along with my wife. I'm a resident of Canada while my wife is Iran. I was going through the forum to see what the post-medical process looks like and from my understanding if the application is successful passports are to be sent to CPP-O for visa stamping. Now, I've gotten rather confused here as to whether I'm supposed to submit my wife's passport to CPP-O as well considering that my wife is currently abroad or would she have to send it to her local Visa Office.

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could share any experiences.

To my understanding, wherever principal applicant's visa office is, all passports should go to that visa office only.

 

[JVJ]

More good news here...just got MR...seems like they are really on top of things, astleast my file at the moment!! ;D

and thanks to all those who shared their experience about BLS for Indian PCCs, I went in in person today and submitted the application...we'll see when i get the PCCs back!! :

hey Anjuku, what is BLS and what is it about indian PCCs? Could you please just give me a recap on this. BTW Congrats for the MR..that was really fast !!


Thanks.

 

[anjuku]

hey Anjuku, what is BLS and what is it about indian PCCs? Could you please just give me a recap on this. BTW Congrats for the MR..that was really fast !!


Thanks.

hey...thanks!!...so if we are to apply for PCCs from Canada, then we have to do it through BLS (formerly, we had to do it through an agency called VFS)...VFS was so much better and this BLS just started recently and is a total mess...through VFS PCCs were issued within 10-15 business days while BLS claims they'll take 4-6 weeks!...and the funny thing is they keep your passport during this entire time (insane!)..since i got MR at the same time, i was concerned that i needed my passport for that...but fortunately, you just need to show the doctor's office your drivers license and photocopies of your passport...so you can still do your medicals without actually getting your passport back from BLS...
now regrading the updated PCCs in my case, so if you recall from my earlier posts, i didn't submit PCCs with my original application...but my family took a trip to India shortly after submitting the application in April 2012...we got PCCs in may 2012...but we retuned to canada only in july 2012...that's when we sent in the PCCs along with my huband's FBI clearance and state PCCs from the US...so there is that 2 month period between may and july that maybe they want to confirm that we didn't do anything bad!...because my understanding was that PCCs are valid for a year...so i should have been borderline since mine would expire may 2013 ...but anyway, i'm glad this is the only thing they requested!....it could have been worse!!

 

[Stuck In Quebec]

hey...thanks!!...so if we are to apply for PCCs from Canada, then we have to do it through BLS (formerly, we had to do it through an agency called VFS)...VFS was so much better and this BLS just started recently and is a total mess...through VFS PCCs were issued within 10-15 business days while BLS claims they'll take 4-6 weeks!...and the funny thing is they keep your passport during this entire time (insane!)..since i got MR at the same time, i was concerned that i needed my passport for that...but fortunately, you just need to show the doctor's office your drivers license and photocopies of your passport...so you can still do your medicals without actually getting your passport back from BLS...
now regrading the updated PCCs in my case, so if you recall from my earlier posts, i didn't submit PCCs with my original application...but my family took a trip to India shortly after submitting the application in April 2012...we got PCCs in may 2012...but we retuned to canada only in july 2012...that's when we sent in the PCCs along with my huband's FBI clearance and state PCCs from the US...so there is that 2 month period between may and july that maybe they want to confirm that we didn't do anything bad!...because my understanding was that PCCs are valid for a year...so i should have been borderline since mine would expire may 2013 ...but anyway, i'm glad this is the only thing they requested!....it could have been worse!!

Keep passports??? In my case they didn't. Recheck with them. Maybe Brampton office works different.

 

[Feb2004]

Keep passports??? In my case they didn't. Recheck with them. Maybe Brampton office works different.

BLS Toronto too has kept my passports.

 

[anjuku]

Keep passports??? In my case they didn't. Recheck with them. Maybe Brampton office works different.

these guys are crazy..i specifically asked them why they are keeping our passports especially since it takes 4-6 weeks to get the PCC...they said that they need it for reference or something...i said then why don't you take a photocopy since they verified my original ( i did a walk-in to submit the application)..i also asked if they would send the passports to India and they said NO!..so i don't have a clue why they still keep it!!

 

[Stuck In Quebec]

BLS Toronto too has kept my passports.

Weird, even if Montreal BLS made a mistake, Ottawa would send back the package. Maybe regulations changed. I applied March 26, received April 12th.

 

[Stuck In Quebec]

these guys are crazy..i specifically asked them why they are keeping our passports especially since it takes 4-6 weeks to get the PCC...they said that they need it for reference or something...i said then why don't you take a photocopy since they verified my original ( i did a walk-in to submit the application)..i also asked if they would send the passports to India and they said NO!..so i don't have a clue why they still keep it!!

They don't send passports to India. High Commission checks online through secure system and DC office that I mentioned in my earlier post sends them report based on database. If DC office doesn't respond in required time (they are bound to), HC issues it anyways assuming no adverse report. It seems its a BLS decision for GTA to retain passports and very much understandable for reasons that can't and should not be mentioned here. I have applied 3 times, 2 with VFS and 1 with BLS, every time it came in 15 days. The system is linked to interpol. Even once I was stuck in Europe for "random" verification" and the verification came back in 40 minutes with the stupid homeland guys watching football during the whole time. This BLS system is juvenile and crappy. Hang on, go with the flow. limited options.

 

[mkrp21]

They don't send passports to India. High Commission checks online through secure system and DC office that I mentioned in my earlier post sends them report based on database. If DC office doesn't respond in required time (they are bound to), HC issues it anyways assuming no adverse report. It seems its a BLS decision for GTA to retain passports and very much understandable for reasons that can't and should not be mentioned here. I have applied 3 times, 2 with VFS and 1 with BLS, every time it came in 15 days. The system is linked to interpol. Even once I was stuck in Europe for "random" verification" and the verification came back in 40 minutes with the stupid homeland guys watching football during the whole time. This BLS system is juvenile and crappy. Hang on, go with the flow. limited options.

I also got my PCC in 2011 and it was through BLS. They kept my passport also. I think they sent my passport to Indian Consulate Office along with my PCC application. I can see one stamp on my passport page. it says that PCC issued on...

 

[Stuck In Quebec]

I also got my PCC in 2011 and it was through BLS. They kept my passport also. I think they sent my passport to Indian Consulate Office along with my PCC application. I can see one stamp on my passport page. it says that PCC issued on...

Interesting, I never submitted mine and thus doesn't carry any stamps. Thanks for the info.

 

[anjuku]

They don't send passports to India. High Commission checks online through secure system and DC office that I mentioned in my earlier post sends them report based on database. If DC office doesn't respond in required time (they are bound to), HC issues it anyways assuming no adverse report. It seems its a BLS decision for GTA to retain passports and very much understandable for reasons that can't and should not be mentioned here. I have applied 3 times, 2 with VFS and 1 with BLS, every time it came in 15 days. The system is linked to interpol. Even once I was stuck in Europe for "random" verification" and the verification came back in 40 minutes with the stupid homeland guys watching football during the whole time. This BLS system is juvenile and crappy. Hang on, go with the flow. limited options.

Ya, i am going with the flow at the moment...i actually wouldn't mind too much how long it takes if it hadn't been that all our permits (study and work) and visas (student and work) expire August 31, 2013...so if i got everything done before that, i could save alot of time and money without renewing all these

 

[mkrp21]

Ya, i am going with the flow at the moment...i actually wouldn't mind too much how long it takes if it hadn't been that all our permits (study and work) and visas (student and work) expire August 31, 2013...so if i got everything done before that, i could save alot of time and money without renewing all these

haha I actually already applied to extend my study visa as I was not sure when could I get PPR and I need to travel abroad in August. and visa office has also asked for my passport to extend my visa LOL ;D

 

[anjuku]

haha I actually already applied to extend my study visa as I was not sure when could I get PPR and I need to travel abroad in August. and visa office has also asked for my passport to extend my visa LOL ;D

haha...but when would have your student visa expired?...and i assume you had to extend your study permit as well??...so you sent in your passport for PR stamping and then got requested to submit it again for student visa extension??...

 

[mkrp21]

haha...but when would have your student visa expired?...and i assume you had to extend your study permit as well??...so you sent in your passport for PR stamping and then got requested to submit it again for student visa extension??...

My visa expired last year itself. I already extended my study permit but not Visa. I requested to extend visa just now but then I got PPR for my PR. Yes, they requested to send passport for Temporary Resident Visa (study visa) extension as well, but by that time I had already sent my passport after PPR and it had reached ottawa. May be it was sitting on the next table when one officer requested passport for study visa.

I think TRV and PR is taken care by two different offices in Ottawa. or probably since I had already paid for TRV, they requested the passport anyway.

 

[anjuku]

My visa expired last year itself. I already extended my study permit but not Visa. I requested to extend visa just now but then I got PPR for my PR. Yes, they requested to send passport for Temporary Resident Visa (study visa) extension as well, but by that time I had already sent my passport after PPR and it had reached ottawa. May be it was sitting on the next table when one officer requested passport for study visa.

I think TRV and PR is taken care by two different offices in Ottawa. or probably since I had already paid for TRV, they requested the passport anyway.

Well i guess you don't need the TRV anymore ;D ;D ;D ;D...maybe i'll do the same, extend just my study and work permits if i need to and then wait to extend the study and work visas...but then, if there is an emergency and i need to go to India, i'm screwed!...well i'll wait and see how this is going...