Help! Agent said I didn't need to restore my status??

[koko01]

Making a long story short, our initial Inland PR Sponsorship Application was returned due to a missing signature, and I lost my status during that time. We re-applied with me out of status, being told that we just had to submit a status of restoration application with the package and it should be enough.

An important side note is that I applied for an OWP as well.

Anyway, we get the AOR for the PR yesterday and I call to see how the restoration of status application is going. She basically lets me know that the VO was confused over that application and that since I was applying for an OWP, I didn't need the status restoration, and she was going to put in a note for him to disregard it. I told her I was out of status when applied, she said it didn't matter.

Now I'd love to just take her word for it (she was super lovely on the phone) but it contradicts what people on the forum have been saying, which is that you need to have a status to get the OWP.

Should I be worried?

 

[k.h.p.]

You need to have status to get an OWP.

Agents on the phone don't always know what's going on.

 

[kcward7]

Making a long story short, our initial Inland PR Sponsorship Application was returned due to a missing signature, and I lost my status during that time. We re-applied with me out of status, being told that we just had to submit a status of restoration application with the package and it should be enough.

An important side note is that I applied for an OWP as well.

Anyway, we get the AOR for the PR yesterday and I call to see how the restoration of status application is going. She basically lets me know that the VO was confused over that application and that since I was applying for an OWP, I didn't need the status restoration, and she was going to put in a note for him to disregard it. I told her I was out of status when applied, she said it didn't matter.

Now I'd love to just take her word for it (she was super lovely on the phone) but it contradicts what people on the forum have been saying, which is that you need to have a status to get the OWP.

Should I be worried?

If you were out of status when you submitted the OWP app you will not receive the OWP unitl the approval in principle stage. However, if you applied for the OWP while you were in status and the OWP app was not returned (just the PR potion was) you would have been under implied status. Can you confirm?

 

[koko01]

If you were out of status when you submitted the OWP app you will not receive the OWP unitl the approval in principle stage. However, if you applied for the OWP while you were in status and the OWP app was not returned (just the PR potion was) you would have been under implied status. Can you confirm?

I am so embarrassed to say that I can't tell you if it was returned or not. I don't remember. Once we got it back, I realized that they had updated several forms after I initially sent them in, so we scrapped it all and printed out all new forms just to ensure that there wasn't any small technicality they could fail us on. If the case was that they didn't return it, I'd have two of the same applications sent in.

It's frustrating because an agent initally told us to put the restoration app in the PR package, and now another one said there wasn't any need for it, and that the VO doesn't know what to do with it since restoration applications aren't processed at that place.

 

[kcward7]

I am so embarrassed to say that I can't tell you if it was returned or not. I don't remember. Once we got it back, I realized that they had updated several forms after I initially sent them in, so we scrapped it all and printed out all new forms just to ensure that there wasn't any small technicality they could fail us on. If the case was that they didn't return it, I'd have two of the same applications sent in.

It's frustrating because an agent initally told us to put the restoration app in the PR package, and now another one said there wasn't any need for it, and that the VO doesn't know what to do with it since restoration applications aren't processed at that place.

You'll need to figure that out, if you were truly out of status you would need to restore or wait until AIP stage.

 

[koko01]

You'll need to figure that out, if you were truly out of status you would need to restore or wait until AIP stage.

I am calling them back right now to see what's going on. We can't really afford to wait for the AIP stage. This is so sad.

 

[kcward7]

I am calling them back right now to see what's going on. We can't really afford to wait for the AIP stage. This is so sad.

Either way if you have to restore your status there will be a wait there as well so don't anticipate working anytime in the immediate future.

 

[koko01]

Either way if you have to restore your status there will be a wait there as well so don't anticipate working anytime in the immediate future.

What the hell? That's awful! When we called in to see how to go about it we were told they would process the restoration and OWP together. It's already been over 1,5 months since we sent it all in. You're saying it's going to take several more months?? We might have to withdraw the inland application then.

I went from being nervous this morning to then relieved to now heartbroken in the span of like an hour. Sending this in feels like a Great Filter.

 

[kcward7]

What the hell? That's awful! When we called in to see how to go about it we were told they would process the restoration and OWP together. It's already been over 1,5 months since we sent it all in. You're saying it's going to take several more months?? We might have to withdraw the inland application then.

I went from being nervous this morning to then relieved to now heartbroken in the span of like an hour. Sending this in feels like a Great Filter.

Don't know, OWP takes 3-5 months to process but when you restore your status you're adding another layer and step of processing. You'll need to figure out exactly what is going on when you talk to them.

 

[k.h.p.]

What the hell? That's awful! When we called in to see how to go about it we were told they would process the restoration and OWP together. It's already been over 1,5 months since we sent it all in. You're saying it's going to take several more months?? We might have to withdraw the inland application then.

I went from being nervous this morning to then relieved to now heartbroken in the span of like an hour. Sending this in feels like a Great Filter.

Okay, but "processing the restoration and the OWP together" is significantly different from "the agent said she'd put a note to disregard the restoration."

OWPs take 3-5 months from application to be granted. Since yours was returned, they would consider the restoration and the OWP together. But it would still take 3-5 months for the OWP to be granted.

 

[koko01]

Okay, but "processing the restoration and the OWP together" is significantly different from "the agent said she'd put a note to disregard the restoration."

OWPs take 3-5 months from application to be granted. Since yours was returned, they would consider the restoration and the OWP together. But it would still take 3-5 months for the OWP to be granted.

My bad, my emotions are clearly seeping into my ability to make myself clear. When our PR app was first returned and I was out of status, we called CIC and 2 agents for advice and they told us the same thing - put the restoration app in with your PR app + OWP.

We got our PR AOR yesterday, but nothing on the restoration of status app. I called in today to see if it was at least in the system, and the agent went back and forth confirming a bunch of things until she finally told me that there wasn't any need for me to send in the restoration application since I'd sent in an OWP with my PR app, and that she would tell the VO to just go ahead and process the OWP. Sounds like a recipe for rejection.

 

[kcward7]

My bad, my emotions are clearly seeping into my ability to make myself clear. When our PR app was first returned and I was out of status, we called CIC and 2 agents for advice and they told us the same thing - put the restoration app in with your PR app + OWP.

We got our PR AOR yesterday, but nothing on the restoration of status app. I called in today to see if it was at least in the system, and the agent went back and forth confirming a bunch of things until she finally told me that there wasn't any need for me to send in the restoration application since I'd sent in an OWP with my PR app, and that she would tell the VO to just go ahead and process the OWP. Sounds like a recipe for rejection.

So you did submit the restoration of status & paid for it?

 

[koko01]

So you did submit the restoration of status & paid for it?

Just wanted to say thank you so much for the help kcward, and k.h.p. as well. So I just got off the phone with the agent. He clarified what the previous agent meant by telling them to disregard it, and said she had followed the correct procedure.

Essentially they told the VO to disregard actually giving me a visitor record and instead just go ahead with the OWP so that I'd instead just have a work status. So he summed it up saying that because the restoration application is there, it confirms that I have applied to restore my status, but that instead of processing that and then the OWP on top, they'll just process the OWP directly.

I didn't know they could do that. I guess there's not much to do but wait and see if it actually works.

100 years ago people travelled for weeks on a dirty, disease-ridden boat just to get to Ellis Island and face potential rejection at the gates. I guess I should remember that whenever I feel like the wait is killing me.

 

[k.h.p.]

There we go. That makes much more sense - and it is a good development.

 

[canuck78]

Just wanted to say thank you so much for the help kcward, and k.h.p. as well. So I just got off the phone with the agent. He clarified what the previous agent meant by telling them to disregard it, and said she had followed the correct procedure.

Essentially they told the VO to disregard actually giving me a visitor record and instead just go ahead with the OWP so that I'd instead just have a work status. So he summed it up saying that because the restoration application is there, it confirms that I have applied to restore my status, but that instead of processing that and then the OWP on top, they'll just process the OWP directly.

I didn't know they could do that. I guess there's not much to do but wait and see if it actually works.

100 years ago people travelled for weeks on a dirty, disease-ridden boat just to get to Ellis Island and face potential rejection at the gates. I guess I should remember that whenever I feel like the wait is killing me.

Sounds like they still have to apply for the restoration first so I would anticipate an extra delay when it comes to getting the OWP.