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August 2018 AOR - join here

andy108

VIP Member
Nov 26, 2015
8,054
2,524
Australia
Visa Office......
Sydney
NOC Code......
2171
App. Filed.......
**-09-2017
Hello Friends,

Starting thread for those who have AOR in August 2018 - please join for discussion and knowledge sharing.

If you want to be added to whatsapp group, leave a request.

Below I will post some information which you may find useful going forward.

Some FAQ:

Q: How to find my visa office?

A: Send E-mail to: CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca
Subject: E000xxxx - Visa Office
Body of the mail:
Hello,

I am trying to find out in which Visa office my application is being processed?

Application number: E000xxxx
Date of Birth: 19xx-xx-xx
Last Name: xxx
First Name: xxxx
UCI: -
Category of Immigration: Federal Skilled Worker

More tips to follow.


Tracker: https://myimmitracker.com/en/ca/trackers/august-2018-aor-permanent-residency-tracker
 

andy108

VIP Member
Nov 26, 2015
8,054
2,524
Australia
Visa Office......
Sydney
NOC Code......
2171
App. Filed.......
**-09-2017
I also wanted to know why have you left our May 2018 AOR WA group?

Hey mate! I didn't know they no longer do. Thanks for updating me on that.

I left due to other commitments (in terms of time), but i've left a great admin team there, would love to get back one day maybe!
 
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Reactions: amafhh

tobs

VIP Member
May 25, 2018
3,879
2,484
Nigeria
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
2145
App. Filed.......
10-07-2018
AOR Received.
10-07-2018
Passport Req..
04-01-2019
Hi @andy108! You must be aware that they are no longer replying to the emails requesting visa office information
No wonder there's been no reply to my email.

Asides ordering GCMS notes, is there any other way of finding out?
 

fmk8890

Hero Member
Dec 10, 2017
453
170
Visa Office......
London
NOC Code......
6231
App. Filed.......
04-05-2018
AOR Received.
04-05-2018
File Transfer...
08-08-2018
Med's Request
01-05-2018
Med's Done....
01-05-2018
Passport Req..
24-09-2018
VISA ISSUED...
26-09-2018
LANDED..........
11-11-2018
No wonder there's been no reply to my email.

Asides ordering GCMS notes, is there any other way of finding out?
As per your AOR, it's a little too early.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alex SA2C and tobs

legalfalcon

VIP Member
Sep 21, 2015
19,030
9,888
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
4112
App. Filed.......
03-09-2015
Doc's Request.
01-10-2015
AOR Received.
03-09-2015
Med's Done....
17-08-2015
Passport Req..
05-04-2016
VISA ISSUED...
12-04-2016
LANDED..........
05-05-2016
Sharing some useful info here:

Visa Office


There has been an obsession of finding which visa office the application is at. Many threads on this forum start with explaining how to find your visa office. Let's get to the crux of it. Finding the visa office was very relevant pre- express entry. Even after the introduction of express entry in 2015, the same practice was followed which usually was for the paper based application, but that is no longer the case. Earlier all application followed the following trajectory:

Central Intake Office - Case Processing Centre - Local Visa Office

However, this has radically changed and for all express entry, all application follow the following:

1. Central Intake Office -
The R10 (completeness check) is done at the Central Intake Office for all classes (FSW / PNP / CEC). Now even the criminality and medicals are done at CIO.

2. Case Processing Centre - There are 4 case processing offices of IRCC, which are as follows:

Sydney, Nova Scotia - Seals with the following:
  • provincial Nominee Program (PNP) – Non-Express Entry applications
  • Centralized Intake Office – Immigrant Investor Program (IIP)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Start Up Business Class
  • Centralized Intake Office – Self Employed (SE)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Quebec Business Class (QBC)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
Now has started doing eligibility for EE applications in limited numbers.

Vegreville, Alberta
Deals with Specialized permanent resident application. Those following in the category of Medical needs, work permits, work permits for spouses, study permits, co-op permits. EE applications which have a downgraded category.

This is the place where you EE application will land if any of the members in the application have a medical condition. This is where determinations of refusal, monitoring etc are made.

Now has started doing eligibility for EE applications in limited numbers.

Mississauga, Ontario
Only deals with family class PR applications.
No EE applications are dealt here so far.

Ottawa, Ontario
This is the most important processing office for all EE, and it is also the Local Visa Office for in-land applicants and those applying from USA.

Local Visa Office - This is the office where you will be asked to submit your passport after your application has been approved. Usually the consulate in your home country.

These days all application after starting at CIO (where R10 is met), either start the processing of eligibility at CIO itself, or move to CPC (wither Ottawa, Sydney, or Vegreville), or are straight sent to the LVO. The trend has been to complete most of the processing between CIO and CPC. Since the applications are electronically stored, there is no movement of physical files.

SUGGESTION - There is no point sending emails to ask which VO your application is at, as that process is moot since the eligibility can even start at CIO. So save yourself some time and efforts and also save the human resources of IRCC and stop sending emails. Even if you know which VO your application is at, it means nothing. Most applications which are processed within weeks and get PPR, are processed at CIO, and this is a much faster way.

A few applications will see eligibility passed, and then go to not started when the application is sent to the LVO. This is because the final review is done at the LVO, and the local agent may decide to conduct additional review, or identification before the eligibility is finally set to PASSED.



Tracking your application

Unfortunately the only thing that you see is your MyCIC account. There has been a growing trend of speculation where change of status on MyCIC has been attributed to eligibility being passed, etc. The whole NA, IP IP2 is speculation and has no bearing on determining which stage your application is at. While any change of status is a good sign, but merely relying on NA and IP is not the correct way.

Most applicants will find it irrelevant, as their applications will be processed and approved within the first 3-4 months. It is those who wait for more than 4 months, where things go crazy as they keep relying on NA, IP etc, and see no movement or progress. Many other are stuck on so called IP2, and the PPR never seems to come.

So put these speculative theories to rest. As per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, regulations and the ministeral instructions every application goes through the following stages:

R10 (Completeness check)
Medicals
Criminality
A11.2 Eligibility (The most important stage)
Security

To read more on each stage click here. While most applicants will not need to go this deep, but for those who have concerns about the application or it is taking too long should see which stage they are at. Also, the only way to determine the stage is by GCMS notes. To read more on GCMS notes, see the thread here.

ECAS (Electronic Client Application Status) -

This was the most important tool pre EE to track an application and provided much more in-depth status than what MyCIC does. However, after the IRCC moved to the Global Case Management System (AKA GCMS) applications are no longer linked to ECAS.

So there is no point going there and checking.

Letter of Explanation -
As the name suggests, the LoE is exact what it sounds like. It is not an idea for the documents and you do not have to explain each document you are submitting in your application.

The simple rules to follow for LoE -

  • Should be 1-2 pages in length. If you cannot explain it in 1-2 pages, it is probably not worth it.
  • Only use LoE to explain an issue. Eg. you could not obtain a reference letter on letterhead, could not meet PoF 6 months avg balance, seeking exemption or extension from PCC, or to explain something in your application which is not clear.
  • IRCC Agents do read LoE, but if its too long and not to the point, it loses its importance.
  • You DO NOT need an index for your documents. There are placeholders for the documents just put each document there and when it is stored on the IRCC system it is names and stored in an organized way.


THESE ARE MY VIEWS AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THESE. IF YOU HAVE CONTRARY VIEWS, JUST OGNORE IT AND DO WHAT YOUR CONSULTANT ASKED YOU, OR WHAT YOU DEEM FIT.
 

legalfalcon

VIP Member
Sep 21, 2015
19,030
9,888
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
4112
App. Filed.......
03-09-2015
Doc's Request.
01-10-2015
AOR Received.
03-09-2015
Med's Done....
17-08-2015
Passport Req..
05-04-2016
VISA ISSUED...
12-04-2016
LANDED..........
05-05-2016

cansha

VIP Member
Aug 1, 2018
6,675
5,853
Sharing some useful info here:

Visa Office


There has been an obsession of finding which visa office the application is at. Many threads on this forum start with explaining how to find your visa office. Let's get to the crux of it. Finding the visa office was very relevant pre- express entry. Even after the introduction of express entry in 2015, the same practice was followed which usually was for the paper based application, but that is no longer the case. Earlier all application followed the following trajectory:

Central Intake Office - Case Processing Centre - Local Visa Office

However, this has radically changed and for all express entry, all application follow the following:

1. Central Intake Office -
The R10 (completeness check) is done at the Central Intake Office for all classes (FSW / PNP / CEC). Now even the criminality and medicals are done at CIO.

2. Case Processing Centre - There are 4 case processing offices of IRCC, which are as follows:

Sydney, Nova Scotia - Seals with the following:
  • provincial Nominee Program (PNP) – Non-Express Entry applications
  • Centralized Intake Office – Immigrant Investor Program (IIP)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Start Up Business Class
  • Centralized Intake Office – Self Employed (SE)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Quebec Business Class (QBC)
  • Centralized Intake Office – Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
Now has started doing eligibility for EE applications in limited numbers.

Vegreville, Alberta
Deals with Specialized permanent resident application. Those following in the category of Medical needs, work permits, work permits for spouses, study permits, co-op permits. EE applications which have a downgraded category.

This is the place where you EE application will land if any of the members in the application have a medical condition. This is where determinations of refusal, monitoring etc are made.

Now has started doing eligibility for EE applications in limited numbers.

Mississauga, Ontario
Only deals with family class PR applications.
No EE applications are dealt here so far.

Ottawa, Ontario
This is the most important processing office for all EE, and it is also the Local Visa Office for in-land applicants and those applying from USA.

Local Visa Office - This is the office where you will be asked to submit your passport after your application has been approved. Usually the consulate in your home country.

These days all application after starting at CIO (where R10 is met), either start the processing of eligibility at CIO itself, or move to CPC (wither Ottawa, Sydney, or Vegreville), or are straight sent to the LVO. The trend has been to complete most of the processing between CIO and CPC. Since the applications are electronically stored, there is no movement of physical files.

SUGGESTION - There is no point sending emails to ask which VO your application is at, as that process is moot since the eligibility can even start at CIO. So save yourself some time and efforts and also save the human resources of IRCC and stop sending emails. Even if you know which VO your application is at, it means nothing. Most applications which are processed within weeks and get PPR, are processed at CIO, and this is a much faster way.

A few applications will see eligibility passed, and then go to not started when the application is sent to the LVO. This is because the final review is done at the LVO, and the local agent may decide to conduct additional review, or identification before the eligibility is finally set to PASSED.



Tracking your application

Unfortunately the only thing that you see is your MyCIC account. There has been a growing trend of speculation where change of status on MyCIC has been attributed to eligibility being passed, etc. The whole NA, IP IP2 is speculation and has no bearing on determining which stage your application is at. While any change of status is a good sign, but merely relying on NA and IP is not the correct way.

Most applicants will find it irrelevant, as their applications will be processed and approved within the first 3-4 months. It is those who wait for more than 4 months, where things go crazy as they keep relying on NA, IP etc, and see no movement or progress. Many other are stuck on so called IP2, and the PPR never seems to come.

So put these speculative theories to rest. As per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, regulations and the ministeral instructions every application goes through the following stages:

R10 (Completeness check)
Medicals
Criminality
A11.2 Eligibility (The most important stage)
Security


To read more on each stage click here. While most applicants will not need to go this deep, but for those who have concerns about the application or it is taking too long should see which stage they are at. Also, the only way to determine the stage is by GCMS notes. To read more on GCMS notes, see the thread here.

ECAS (Electronic Client Application Status) -

This was the most important tool pre EE to track an application and provided much more in-depth status than what MyCIC does. However, after the IRCC moved to the Global Case Management System (AKA GCMS) applications are no longer linked to ECAS.

So there is no point going there and checking.

Letter of Explanation -
As the name suggests, the LoE is exact what it sounds like. It is not an idea for the documents and you do not have to explain each document you are submitting in your application.

The simple rules to follow for LoE -

  • Should be 1-2 pages in length. If you cannot explain it in 1-2 pages, it is probably not worth it.
  • Only use LoE to explain an issue. Eg. you could not obtain a reference letter on letterhead, could not meet PoF 6 months avg balance, seeking exemption or extension from PCC, or to explain something in your application which is not clear.
  • IRCC Agents do read LoE, but if its too long and not to the point, it loses its importance.
  • You DO NOT need an index for your documents. There are placeholders for the documents just put each document there and when it is stored on the IRCC system it is names and stored in an organized way.


THESE ARE MY VIEWS AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THESE. IF YOU HAVE CONTRARY VIEWS, JUST OGNORE IT AND DO WHAT YOUR CONSULTANT ASKED YOU, OR WHAT YOU DEEM FIT.
SOME USEFUL LINKS:

**Guide to Landing and Setteling** - https://goo.gl/8vQzcd
**Proof of Funds** - https://goo.gl/mPejMN
**Medicals** - https://goo.gl/Xpmj5e
**Age and EE** - https://goo.gl/u8bqAU
**Stages of EE Application ** - https://goo.gl/AmdtgR
**GCMS Notes** - https://goo.gl/Jhk1Un
**Keep GCMS Notes Safe** - https://goo.gl/97J7AT
**Add Spouse to app** - https://goo.gl/ZgRP6C
**PNP and its obligations** - https://goo.gl/XUva1e

All the best!!
Thanks for the information. Seems like Montreal is a new processing center then. My case is in express entry FSW-O and applied from US and IRCC agent told me it was being processed at Montreal. Montreal is not listed on IRCC wesbite as well only Sydney and Ottawa are listed.