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Online TRV: Passport sent to CPP-Ottawa from the US

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
The letter to me dated September 23 was posted at my CIC account just yesterday.

I'm posting my timeline here. Please give me your opinions...

(I sent the following email to NYC):

"Dear Canadian Consulate General New York,

I am writing the following email to you to update you about a situation regarding my visa application. Here is the timeline of the events:

September 9 2013: I applied for a visit visa to Canada via the online system.

September 24 2013: I wrote to your office in New York inquiring about the status of my application.

September 27 2013: Your office wrote back to me saying that since I had applied via the online system, I needed to email the Case Processing Pilot in Ottawa instead.

October 1 2013: I emailed CPP-Ottawa asking the status of my application.

October 2 2013: CPP-Ottawa replied saying that they confirm receiving my application and that it is in process as per regulatory procedures and that they will post a message to MyCIC account when it will be the time to submit my passport to their office. I replied acknowledging the email.

October 16 2013: I emailed CPP-Ottawa again, asking the status of my application. At that time, it had been 38 days since my application was submitted. There was no response.

October 21 2013: I emailed CPP-Ottawa yet again, asking the status of my application.

October 22 2013: CPP-Ottawa replied to me stating that they had sent me a message on MyCIC account on September 23 2013, asking to submit my passport to their Ottawa address (365 Laurier Avenue West). I replied to their email immediately stating that I did not receive ANY message on MyCIC account (I attached screenshots as evidence) and that I have dispatched my passport to their Ottawa address (as I was instructed) via FedEx overnight service (return service requested).

October 23 2013: I emailed CPP-Ottawa stating that according to the FedEx online tracking system, my passport was delivered to their office on the morning of October 23rd 2013.

October 24 2013: I received a message on MyCIC account asking me to submit my passport this time to the New York consulate. The letter was dated September 23rd 2013 but was posted to MyCIC account on October 24th 2013. I wrote to CPP-Ottawa telling them about this error on the letter and attached a screenshot and the automated email alert as evidence that the message was posted to my account yesterday. I have not yet received a response from them.

October 25 2013: I called your NYC office this morning concerned about the location and status of my passport but the operator was not able to assist me. She was confused that I was even asked to send my passport to Ottawa and was not sure if the visa processing regulations and procedures had changed. She gave my your NYC email address and asked me to contact your office directly.
Could you please update me as to what exactly is the status of not only my application but my passport as well?

I am forwarding you the emails related to the timeline above. This is all incredibly confusing for me and I am not sure what steps I need to take next.

Please feel free to contact me should you need any more information from me.

I look forward to your response.

Thank you so much for your time and assistance.

Kindest regards,"

I have asked them to update me on the situation. Has anyone been through the same thing? Please let me know. Any information would be very useful for me.

Thank you!


p.s. I am an Indiana resident, Pakistani student on an F1 visa.
 

t30

Member
Oct 27, 2013
11
0
Hi,

I applied for my TRV on Sept 11, 2013 for the Los Angeles office. I still haven't heard back from CIC even after emailing them to enquire about the status.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
That is crazy. I had to send them bazzilion emails. They messed up the date on my letter. I have no idea what will happen next...
t30 said:
Hi,

I applied for my TRV on Sept 11, 2013 for the Los Angeles office. I still haven't heard back from CIC even after emailing them to enquire about the status.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
I got this reply from NYC Consulate this morning:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

Applications submitted online are processed by our office in Ottawa. You will be notified by email once your application has been finalized.



Thank you for your interest in Canada."

I guess they are processing all online applications from the US in Ottawa now.
 

t30

Member
Oct 27, 2013
11
0
Hmm I guess so. I hope you get your passport soon. How many more emails should I send? Should I try calling the ottowa office or the l.a office
 

t30

Member
Oct 27, 2013
11
0
Can you please tell which email address you used for CPP-Ottawa. I tried calling their call centre but i can't seem to reach through. It was so much easier 2 yrs ago when I applied in person at their NY office. It took me only 3 days. Now that I reside in California, I applied to the The L.A office but they haven't responded to any of my emails.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
I used this address: "CPP-CTP-OTTAWA-TRV-VRT" <cpp-ctp-ottawa-trv-vrt@cic.gc.ca>

t30 said:
Can you please tell which email address you used for CPP-Ottawa. I tried calling their call centre but i can't seem to reach through. It was so much easier 2 yrs ago when I applied in person at their NY office. It took me only 3 days. Now that I reside in California, I applied to the The L.A office but they haven't responded to any of my emails.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
You should email them again. If they don't reply by the end of Friday, email them again on Friday and see if they respond next week. You won't be able to call the Ottawa office. They have no phone service for the public AT ALL.

t30 said:
Hmm I guess so. I hope you get your passport soon. How many more emails should I send? Should I try calling the ottowa office or the l.a office
 

ozooxo

Member
Oct 1, 2013
17
0
I submitted online on Sep 11 2013 (transit visa), and did receive request of sending passport from CIC on Sep 23. When CIC had a message for me that day, the system sent me an email, so I can log in and download the letter.

However, unlike you that they do reply emails, they never reply any of my emails after that.

P.S I received my stamped passport on Oct 18.
 

ozooxo

Member
Oct 1, 2013
17
0
I think it doesn't matter which consulate you send your passport to (at least from the message from CIC, they didn't mention whether we should send it to NY or LA -- their website say east/west of Mississippi river, but that should be just a rough division).

I don't know the case of directly send to Ottawa, but I think in case the postal service works (it does happen that the customs of some countries check letters with passport in it), it should be fine. As even though I sent my passport to NY, the stamped visa show it was issued in Ottawa.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
Thank you!

Your reply was helpful. I will wait it out before writing to them again. I still don't have my passport back. It might be the case that they will send my passport to NYC first and then NYC will send it to me? I don't know. I was aware that the online visas are issued in Ottawa even if you send your passport to your local consulate. I will wait at least a week before contacting them again.

Thanks again!

ozooxo said:
I think it doesn't matter which consulate you send your passport to (at least from the message from CIC, they didn't mention whether we should send it to NY or LA -- their website say east/west of Mississippi river, but that should be just a rough division).

I don't know the case of directly send to Ottawa, but I think in case the postal service works (it does happen that the customs of some countries check letters with passport in it), it should be fine. As even though I sent my passport to NY, the stamped visa show it was issued in Ottawa.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
I think transit visa is a different thing as it is time-sensitive. I'm still waiting to receive my passport.


ozooxo said:
I submitted online on Sep 11 2013 (transit visa), and did receive request of sending passport from CIC on Sep 23. When CIC had a message for me that day, the system sent me an email, so I can log in and download the letter.

However, unlike you that they do reply emails, they never reply any of my emails after that.

P.S I received my stamped passport on Oct 18.
 

azarme09

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2013
327
18
App. Filed.......
22-10-2018
I sent Ottawa two more emails and they replied:

"Dear Applicant,

Please be informed that your application has been approved and your passport will be returned to you by the end of this week."

Yay! :D