Interview in June with Buffalo amid its office closure
- Thread starter AW2011
- Start date
Hello 2joys! So good to hear things are moving for you. Sorry to hear that you can't go for the November 13 interview. I hope you can figure things out and re-schedule with them. I forgot what was your interview date with Buffalo before?2joys said:Hey AW2011!
Good news, we received an email today saying that our spousal sponsorship new interview will be in November 13 in LA.
I hope you get your dates soon.
Unfortunately, we can't go for the interview and our case is even more complicated now.
Best of luck to you!
Hi 2joys. I just found the answer myself. Yours was supposed to be in July 2012 with Buffalo. Our was supposed to be in June 2012. You would think we should have heard something from them first. When did you put in your spousal application? And AOR?AW2011 said:Hello 2joys! So good to hear things are moving for you. Sorry to hear that you can't go for the November 13 interview. I hope you can figure things out and re-schedule with them. I forgot what was your interview date with Buffalo before?
Best of luck to you!
Hey AW2011!
Sorry for the delay, our application was received on March 31, 2011. They started processing it on May 4, 2011 and I was approved as a sponsor on July 14, 2011...
There is something you should know. It seems as though they are re-evaluating the applications before setting interview dates. Perhaps Buffalo wasn't doing a great job for processing applications. For our original interview we were asked to bring just the normal documents. For this second interview they have asked for more specific documentation that we didn't need before.
We did ask them to re-schedule the interview. They offered a new date of Sept 19, which is great but the we cannot get the documentation they require by that date. So we are sticking to the original interview date and are going to try changing my wife's working visa to a tourist visa.
I really hope you hear something soon.
Sorry for the delay, our application was received on March 31, 2011. They started processing it on May 4, 2011 and I was approved as a sponsor on July 14, 2011...
There is something you should know. It seems as though they are re-evaluating the applications before setting interview dates. Perhaps Buffalo wasn't doing a great job for processing applications. For our original interview we were asked to bring just the normal documents. For this second interview they have asked for more specific documentation that we didn't need before.
We did ask them to re-schedule the interview. They offered a new date of Sept 19, which is great but the we cannot get the documentation they require by that date. So we are sticking to the original interview date and are going to try changing my wife's working visa to a tourist visa.
I really hope you hear something soon.
Thank you 2joys for getting back to me!2joys said:Hey AW2011!
Sorry for the delay, our application was received on March 31, 2011. They started processing it on May 4, 2011 and I was approved as a sponsor on July 14, 2011...
So it makes sense that you heard something from them first as your application was filed earlier than ours. I hope we'll hear from them very soon. I was anticipating that a different officer would be looking at our file again after it's transferred. For the files transferred from Buffalo, it's like going through the whole process twice - once in Buffalo, now in Ottawa/LA. This is so unfair.
I hope you'll get your papers sorted out soon and be ready for the interview. By the way, did they mention anything about your medical? I assume yours expired too like ours. I am hoping they have extended them for all the transferred ones.
Thank you so much and let's be in touch.
Hi 2joys!2joys said:We did ask them to re-schedule the interview. They offered a new date of Sept 19, which is great but the we cannot get the documentation they require by that date. So we are sticking to the original interview date and are going to try changing my wife's working visa to a tourist visa.
I really hope you hear something soon.
Do you know when your file got transferred to Ottawa from Buffalo? We found out our was transferred on July 7th, 2012. Just trying to estimate when they are going to touch our file again. We're hoping very soon. Thank you.
Hey AW2011!
Sorry again for the late reply, we are busy getting ready to move.
It is unfair. They should have let those with interviews have them and just not schedule any new interviews at Buffalo.
Our medical is expired too, they haven't said anything about it though...
We found out our interview was cancelled on June 1. When we called them they said that all the files were collectively shipped from Buffalo to Ottawa on May 29...
We are going to send another information request. Here is the letter we received.
Hope it helps. Good luck friend
11 September, 2012
Dear Applicant:
This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada.
The next step in determining your eligibility and admissibility to Canada involves your attendance at an interview with a visa officer. Your interview has been scheduled at the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles on 13 November, 2012 at 08.30am. Please announce your arrival immediately to the cashier at wicket #4 in the Immigration Waiting Room in order to avoid delays in the start of your interview. Every effort will be made to attend to you as quickly as possible following your check-in at the appointed hour but, as we cannot guarantee how long your interview will take, you should be prepared to make yourself available to answer questions at any time during the entire day.
Your spouse and all dependants 22 years of age and older who intend to immigrate to Canada should make every effort to accompany you to the interview, as a visa officer may wish to address questions to them concerning their eligibility or admissibility to Canada.
The date and time of your interview appointment as indicated above is the earliest available and it will be the only opportunity granted for you to attend an interview at this office. If you are unable to attend the scheduled interview, a decision will be made on your application based on the information available. This could result in the refusal of your application.
Please be advised that under the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into force on 28 June 2002, there is no longer a provision for transfer of your file to another office should you be unable to attend an interview at this office.
If you are residing outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to obtain legal entry to the U.S.A. in order to attend the scheduled interview. We cannot intercede should the U.S. authorities refuse your visa application to the United States. If you are residing in Canada, it is not possible to provide any assurance of re-admission to Canada following your interview.
Please read the enclosed interview information carefully and ensure that you bring the originals of all relevant documents to the interview. In the meantime, DO NOT send us any documents or questions concerning your application. Save them and bring them with you to your interview.
Finally, our request for you to attend an interview does not imply that your application for permanent residence in Canada has been approved. Please do not take any irrevocable steps to dispose of property, terminate employment, make moving or travel plans, or commit yourself in any way until you receive a positive decision on your application and your permanent residence visa.
Yours sincerely,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION/DOCUMENTATION TO YOUR INTERVIEW
Your application is now being processed by the Consulate General in Los Angeles. You will have received a letter (attached) convoking you to an interview at this office as the principal applicant being assessed for immigration to Canada.
As an applicant for permanent residence in Canada, it is your responsibility to provide the Immigration Section of the Consulate General in Los Angeles with relevant documentation supporting the information that you have provided to us on your application form. All of the forms, certificates and photocopies of documents that you have already submitted to the Consulate General in Buffalo are contained on a file created under your name that is being transferred from the Buffalo office to Los Angeles. You should be aware, however, that in a few cases we may request additional documentation to assist in taking a final decision concerning your application, including seeing the originals or certified copies of the documents that you may have already submitted in photocopied format.
On the day of your interview, we ask that you bring with you to the Consulate General all of the original documents that support your application for permanent residence in Canada. No additional documents need to be sent to us at this time. Upon checking in at cashier wicket #4 in the Immigration Waiting Room at the Consulate General in Los Angeles, we ask that you PRESENT TO THE RECEPTIONIST the FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ONLY:
1. Your interview letter
2. ORIGINAL letters of "no record" or polices certificates of "good conduct": These police certificates indicating the existence or absence of convictions or charges are required for all persons 18 years of age and over, from every area of residence where an applicant has lived for a period of six months or more, since the age of 18.
3. PASSPORTS (valid for at least the next year) for yourself and for each of your dependants (spouse/children) who are applying to accompany you to Canada. Please ensure that the names recorded on the passports for you and your dependants match those that you have used to identify you and your family members on your application for permanent residence or in previous dealings with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
NOTE: Any change in information about your family composition or in your residential or mailing address should be presented at the time of interview:
FAMILY COMPOSITION: It is very important that you advise us of any change in status of any family member, such as the birth of a child, a marriage, or a divorce or separation from your spouse.
ADDRESS: Any changes in address must be reported to this office. If you have an authorized representative and wish to have your passports mailed directly to your residential address, you must provide a letter from your representative indicating that he/she is informed of this arrangement.
We ask that you please HOLD ONTO your remaining original documents until you are called for interview by a visa officer. The documents that we may request include, but may not be limited, to the following:
1. Birth certificates (long form showing parents' names) for yourself and all dependants
2. If applicable, marriage certificate for each marriage that you have contracted with another person
3. If applicable, a divorce decree for each of your marriage(s) that has ended in divorce, or a separation agreement for each of your marriage(s) that has ended in separation. Documents must be issued by a court of law. Any court documents that include rulings arising from a divorce settlement, concerning the custody of and financial responsibilities for any of your children, should be brought with you to the interview.
4. If you are being sponsored by your spouse, common law partner or conjugal partner, you must bring evidence of your relationship to your spouse or partner. Documentation in the form of wedding photos, letters between you and your sponsor, telephone bills showing contact between you and your sponsor, and financial statements that demonstrate that you share financial resources and responsibilities in common with your partner, are the sort of evidence that officers use to evaluate the genuineness of a relationship. Other evidence that may be considered includes used airline tickets and boarding passes, or copies of pages of your sponsor's passport showing entry/exit stamps to the country where you were residing when your sponsor visited you.
5. Complete school transcripts for your accompanying child(ren) who are age 22 and older
6. If applicable, your current immigration status in the country where you reside and proof of employment in the form of Income Statements and pay stubs.
PLEASE NOTE: Documents in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation - that is a translation prepared by an accredited translator.
Sorry again for the late reply, we are busy getting ready to move.
It is unfair. They should have let those with interviews have them and just not schedule any new interviews at Buffalo.
Our medical is expired too, they haven't said anything about it though...
We found out our interview was cancelled on June 1. When we called them they said that all the files were collectively shipped from Buffalo to Ottawa on May 29...
We are going to send another information request. Here is the letter we received.
Hope it helps. Good luck friend
11 September, 2012
Dear Applicant:
This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada.
The next step in determining your eligibility and admissibility to Canada involves your attendance at an interview with a visa officer. Your interview has been scheduled at the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles on 13 November, 2012 at 08.30am. Please announce your arrival immediately to the cashier at wicket #4 in the Immigration Waiting Room in order to avoid delays in the start of your interview. Every effort will be made to attend to you as quickly as possible following your check-in at the appointed hour but, as we cannot guarantee how long your interview will take, you should be prepared to make yourself available to answer questions at any time during the entire day.
Your spouse and all dependants 22 years of age and older who intend to immigrate to Canada should make every effort to accompany you to the interview, as a visa officer may wish to address questions to them concerning their eligibility or admissibility to Canada.
The date and time of your interview appointment as indicated above is the earliest available and it will be the only opportunity granted for you to attend an interview at this office. If you are unable to attend the scheduled interview, a decision will be made on your application based on the information available. This could result in the refusal of your application.
Please be advised that under the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into force on 28 June 2002, there is no longer a provision for transfer of your file to another office should you be unable to attend an interview at this office.
If you are residing outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to obtain legal entry to the U.S.A. in order to attend the scheduled interview. We cannot intercede should the U.S. authorities refuse your visa application to the United States. If you are residing in Canada, it is not possible to provide any assurance of re-admission to Canada following your interview.
Please read the enclosed interview information carefully and ensure that you bring the originals of all relevant documents to the interview. In the meantime, DO NOT send us any documents or questions concerning your application. Save them and bring them with you to your interview.
Finally, our request for you to attend an interview does not imply that your application for permanent residence in Canada has been approved. Please do not take any irrevocable steps to dispose of property, terminate employment, make moving or travel plans, or commit yourself in any way until you receive a positive decision on your application and your permanent residence visa.
Yours sincerely,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION/DOCUMENTATION TO YOUR INTERVIEW
Your application is now being processed by the Consulate General in Los Angeles. You will have received a letter (attached) convoking you to an interview at this office as the principal applicant being assessed for immigration to Canada.
As an applicant for permanent residence in Canada, it is your responsibility to provide the Immigration Section of the Consulate General in Los Angeles with relevant documentation supporting the information that you have provided to us on your application form. All of the forms, certificates and photocopies of documents that you have already submitted to the Consulate General in Buffalo are contained on a file created under your name that is being transferred from the Buffalo office to Los Angeles. You should be aware, however, that in a few cases we may request additional documentation to assist in taking a final decision concerning your application, including seeing the originals or certified copies of the documents that you may have already submitted in photocopied format.
On the day of your interview, we ask that you bring with you to the Consulate General all of the original documents that support your application for permanent residence in Canada. No additional documents need to be sent to us at this time. Upon checking in at cashier wicket #4 in the Immigration Waiting Room at the Consulate General in Los Angeles, we ask that you PRESENT TO THE RECEPTIONIST the FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ONLY:
1. Your interview letter
2. ORIGINAL letters of "no record" or polices certificates of "good conduct": These police certificates indicating the existence or absence of convictions or charges are required for all persons 18 years of age and over, from every area of residence where an applicant has lived for a period of six months or more, since the age of 18.
3. PASSPORTS (valid for at least the next year) for yourself and for each of your dependants (spouse/children) who are applying to accompany you to Canada. Please ensure that the names recorded on the passports for you and your dependants match those that you have used to identify you and your family members on your application for permanent residence or in previous dealings with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
NOTE: Any change in information about your family composition or in your residential or mailing address should be presented at the time of interview:
FAMILY COMPOSITION: It is very important that you advise us of any change in status of any family member, such as the birth of a child, a marriage, or a divorce or separation from your spouse.
ADDRESS: Any changes in address must be reported to this office. If you have an authorized representative and wish to have your passports mailed directly to your residential address, you must provide a letter from your representative indicating that he/she is informed of this arrangement.
We ask that you please HOLD ONTO your remaining original documents until you are called for interview by a visa officer. The documents that we may request include, but may not be limited, to the following:
1. Birth certificates (long form showing parents' names) for yourself and all dependants
2. If applicable, marriage certificate for each marriage that you have contracted with another person
3. If applicable, a divorce decree for each of your marriage(s) that has ended in divorce, or a separation agreement for each of your marriage(s) that has ended in separation. Documents must be issued by a court of law. Any court documents that include rulings arising from a divorce settlement, concerning the custody of and financial responsibilities for any of your children, should be brought with you to the interview.
4. If you are being sponsored by your spouse, common law partner or conjugal partner, you must bring evidence of your relationship to your spouse or partner. Documentation in the form of wedding photos, letters between you and your sponsor, telephone bills showing contact between you and your sponsor, and financial statements that demonstrate that you share financial resources and responsibilities in common with your partner, are the sort of evidence that officers use to evaluate the genuineness of a relationship. Other evidence that may be considered includes used airline tickets and boarding passes, or copies of pages of your sponsor's passport showing entry/exit stamps to the country where you were residing when your sponsor visited you.
5. Complete school transcripts for your accompanying child(ren) who are age 22 and older
6. If applicable, your current immigration status in the country where you reside and proof of employment in the form of Income Statements and pay stubs.
PLEASE NOTE: Documents in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation - that is a translation prepared by an accredited translator.
Hello 2joy,
Thanks for the post! It's a good idea to order the GCMS if you hadn't done so yet. It would show the notes & concerns they made on your file. You will have plenty of time to get it and get prepared for your interview.
We just got our 3rd GCMS dated August 22nd, 2012. That's where we saw our file was electronically transferred on July 7, 2012 to Ottawa. It shows Primary Office as Ottawa & Secondary Office still as Buffalo. We figure they still haven't assigned our file to an officer yet or Secondary Office should show LA otherwise.
Will let you know with any new movements. Take care.
Thanks for the post! It's a good idea to order the GCMS if you hadn't done so yet. It would show the notes & concerns they made on your file. You will have plenty of time to get it and get prepared for your interview.
We just got our 3rd GCMS dated August 22nd, 2012. That's where we saw our file was electronically transferred on July 7, 2012 to Ottawa. It shows Primary Office as Ottawa & Secondary Office still as Buffalo. We figure they still haven't assigned our file to an officer yet or Secondary Office should show LA otherwise.
Will let you know with any new movements. Take care.
Hey guys,
Our interview was with Buffalo on June.19/2012. It was cancelled. Nothing was received after this. I contacted my MP and her assistant found out the update.
The file was transferred to Ottawa on July.27/2012. Medical is expired and they will forward the letter with new medical instructions. How long does it take for medical?
She also mentioned that background check is not done. How come? If interview was set up for June.19, it should be done long ago. Do you guys know what is going on?
Also should we get another FBI done?
Any updates for those who had their interviews in June or July?
Our interview was with Buffalo on June.19/2012. It was cancelled. Nothing was received after this. I contacted my MP and her assistant found out the update.
The file was transferred to Ottawa on July.27/2012. Medical is expired and they will forward the letter with new medical instructions. How long does it take for medical?
She also mentioned that background check is not done. How come? If interview was set up for June.19, it should be done long ago. Do you guys know what is going on?
Also should we get another FBI done?
Any updates for those who had their interviews in June or July?
I also want to order notes.
Do you guys have required forms:
I already have access to information and personal information. I think I will need consent form as well. Where can I get that from?
Also do they email notes? because it asks how do you wish to receive the records?
Email, CD, Paper Format and examine in person.
4: Are you requesting on your own behalf? No because it is for my husband
1: Access to information act
2: English
Please let me know.
Do you guys have required forms:
I already have access to information and personal information. I think I will need consent form as well. Where can I get that from?
Also do they email notes? because it asks how do you wish to receive the records?
Email, CD, Paper Format and examine in person.
4: Are you requesting on your own behalf? No because it is for my husband
1: Access to information act
2: English
Please let me know.
I am surprised that your file didn't get transferred on July 07/2012. Through readings of the other forums, I understand July 07, 2012 was the day Buffalo did most of the transfers, that includes ours too. Maybe your MP's assistant mis-read "07" as "27". Our medical shows expired too but no instruction to re-do yet. Not sure if they would extend it or request redo before or after the interview(if they'll still request the interview). I wouldn't worry about the background check. It'll show Not Started till file is closed but that doesn't mean they are not working on it. You might have seen that 2joys already got the interview re-scheduled with LA. I think their file must have been transferred earlier than July 07, 2012. As for the FBI, other people might be able to give you the inputs. Best of luck.Ambber29 said:Hey guys,
Our interview was with Buffalo on June.19/2012. It was cancelled. Nothing was received after this. I contacted my MP and her assistant found out the update.
The file was transferred to Ottawa on July.27/2012. Medical is expired and they will forward the letter with new medical instructions. How long does it take for medical?
She also mentioned that background check is not done. How come? If interview was set up for June.19, it should be done long ago. Do you guys know what is going on?
Also should we get another FBI done?
Any updates for those who had their interviews in June or July?
Hi Ambber29,Ambber29 said:I also want to order notes.
Do you guys have required forms:
I already have access to information and personal information. I think I will need consent form as well. Where can I get that from?
Also do they email notes? because it asks how do you wish to receive the records?
Email, CD, Paper Format and examine in person.
4: Are you requesting on your own behalf? No because it is for my husband
1: Access to information act
2: English
Please let me know.
This gives you all the forms you need:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/completed.asp
Email would be the easiest way to receive. They will send you the whole file including notes. I requested on behalf of my spouse from within Canada each time. It normally took around 30 days. Good luck and keep us posted.
You can't just order notes. They are part your file.Ambber29 said:What if I just want to order notes and not everything? I heard your file will be placed in last if you order everything. Is it right?
Any luck to you guys? How about your re-scheduled interviews? Is there a new date to your case? My interview was set in July,nothing comes to me yet sine it was cancelled, though I was told my case was transferred to LA office in September 7th. LA hasn't contacted me and ignored my inquiry E-mails sent last month. I don't know what to do next. I've been waiting for a long time. Anybody happens to know what's the meaning of transferring to LA? Does that mean it's the last step? Somebody said we need to wait another two and three months since your case being LA?That's horrible!