Canada Visitor Visa Issued with Wrong Expiry Date

[rajat.chamria]

Hi All,

My wife applied for a new Canada Visitor Visa as her old Visa on her old passport was going to expire on 02/02/2020. In Sept 2019, she got her passport renewed and she now has a valid passport until 2029. However, when she applied for Canada Visitor Visa in December 2019, they sent the new visa again with the same old expiry date of 02/02/2020. However, we had explicitly mentioned in the application on IRCC website that we intend to travel to Canada on 6th Feb 2020. We also attached the invitation letter from our host, mentioning the dates of 6th Feb to 15th Feb.

It almost feels like there has been a mistake in stamping the visa on her new passport. We tried to reach out to the authorities.
1. We sent email to CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca and described the situation
2. We filled out the web form https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp, describing the situation.

We did both of these on 2nd of January 2020, the day when we received her stamped passport. But it's been over a week, and we haven't got any response from #1. The only response we got from #2 is that

"We verified the information you provided regarding the expiration date and have forwarded it to the responsible office. They will contact you if further information is required or if a decision is made on your application." [on 7th Jan 2020].

Our flights are booked for 6th of Feb to Ottawa for the event. And we are very worried about getting the visa corrected before that. The event is important and cannot be postponed or missed.

Please suggest what can be done in this situation and how can we get a faster response from IRCC team.

Thanks,
Rajat

 

[k.h.p.]

Had she travelled on the earlier visa? The visa office may have misinterpreted and re-issued you the previous visa - as it is still valid.

You've done what you can to reach out to IRCC - the webform and email are your only options.

To be honest, you may not get a response. I would consider seeing if you can travel earlier than 6th of Feb. As long as she arrives in Canada before the visa expires (ie, Feb 2) you're allowed in.

 

[rajat.chamria]

Yes we have traveled on her old visa multiple times. I wonder how they made such a huge mistake when the invitation explicitly mentioned the dates of travel; which were beyond current visa's validity.

Not getting a response is scary. But If we land in Canada on 1st Feb, can we just stay until the 13th? Can she be stopped at USA or Canada airports?

and What happens to the current USD $180 I spent on getting a new visa. Will I have to apply from scratch?

PS: We'll be flying from USA.

 

[k.h.p.]

They don't care about invitation letters, to be honest. It isn't a factor in visa approvals. Many people get visas approved well after travel dates.

The response can take up to 30 days. You should get one, but you only sent your inquiry three days ago. You need to be patient, but patience doesn't fit into your travel plans.

You should have no issue being admitted to the country on February 1 if she has traveled to Canada before, and provided the CBSA officers don't stamp your wife's passport or give her a shorter stay, she should legally be allowed to stay for up to six months. The visa is only an "enter by" date, not a "leave by" date.

The money you spent on the visa will be up to IRCC, I can't answer that. Best case scenario, they'll issue a new visa coincident with the new passport. However, no one can guarantee that will (a) happen, or (b) happen before February 1, or (c) happen in a timeframe that gets your wife's passport back before you have to fly.

 

[rajat.chamria]

Thanks for the response. We intend to stay until 14th Feb. So in the case CBSA officer decide to stamp her visa for a certain duration, can we request the officer to give us 2 weeks (from Feb 1st)? Do they entertain such requests.

 

[k.h.p.]

The default is six months. Don't request anything up front, because that may actually cause issues.

If you are questioned as to how long you intend to stay, have copies of your onward travel documents for 14th February with you.

It really should not be an issue.

 

[rajat.chamria]

yes, that makes sense. We can have return tickets booked for 14th February . Can you please share any reference link from Canada Visa website which confirms that we can actually legally stay for 6 months after the valid entry date?

 

[rajat.chamria]

Actually I found this. https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1016&top=16

please share if you happen to have a more concrete reference.

 

[k.h.p.]

No, I can't. But it's the policy.

 

[bellaluna]

it’s much more in control to reschedule to arrive in Canada on Feb 1, although it may cost a bit more money to stay in Canada an extra few days.

she’ll likely get the 6 month stay/visitor status. Visa expiry and status are different.

 

[rajat.chamria]

it’s much more in control to reschedule to arrive in Canada on Feb 1, although it may cost a bit more money to stay in Canada an extra few days.

she’ll likely get the 6 month stay/visitor status. Visa expiry and status are different.

Thanks Bella. I guess arriving early is our best bet. At this point money isn't a concern. I am just stunned how ignorant people on customer care side can be. No response in last 7 days

 

[k.h.p.]

Don't be "stunned," that sounds a bit arrogant. There are tens of thousands of people applying for visas and a much smaller number of visa officers reviewing files. Webforms generally take 30 days for review, and can take much longer. It's not really "customer care" as much as it is immigration and national security.

 

[rajat.chamria]

The surprise comes from that fact that
1. the webform claims to respond to the query in 2 to 5 business days.
2. There is no dedicated channel for time-sensitive issues like mine.
3. There is no phone support for outside Canada applicants.
4. The fee for applying for visa is quite high, hence the expectation of services. And such a mistake is not expected from people who process so many applications.

That said, I do acknowledge the efforts it requires to go through so many applications. I hope IRCC team has employed enough number of people to handle incoming application volume.

 

[rajat.chamria]

Just want to update the thread. I got a positive reply on the email that I had sent to CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca.

They accepted the mistake and have asked for passport for re-stamping. They also suggested that to expedite it, I give a Canada Post Xpresspost Return label. I just shipped out the passport and hoping it'll come back in 5 days. fingers crossed.

 

[bellaluna]

^ Glad to know it worked our favorably.