PASSPORTS / COPIES TO CPC-OTTAWA IN DECEMBER 2015 - LETS CONNECT!!

[sukhdeep1234]

So here's my flagpoling experience:

I got my PPR on Dec 7 2015
Sent passports the next day, tracker showed that the passports were received on Dec 9 2015
I was planning to travel outside of Canada and booked tickets for Dec 27
I was worried not to get my passports back in time, and started calling CIC in order to find out status. Once reached, the agent told me that the passports, in fact, were opened on Dec 15 only.
so long story short, I never got my passports back on time and missed my flight.
Application was approved and closed on Dec 30. return tracker activated same day.
I received my passports on Dec 31. Btw Visas' validity period started from Dec 15 (the date that agent told me on the phone)
On January 2 my husband and I went to Lewiston bridge (we live in Toronto, this one was the closest).
We drove to US customs where we explained that we just need to re-enter Canada. US Border officer asked us to park the car and wait. Then the other guy went out from the building and brought us a white paper with our names and DOBs scribbled on it. The name of the paper was Administrative Refusal Entry or something like that.
Then they showed us where we should drive and even gave us some comments on what's gonna happen next.
So we drove to Canada customs. Some tired-looking lady asked us whether we were carrying cash, guns, etc. Their standard questions. We said "no" and she gave us a yellow paper and told us to enter the building.
There were about 7 officers inside that building and absolutely nobody in the queue. A very nice guy asked us to write down our phones and addresses on both copies of our CORPs and asked us to sit down.
I was worried about which docs I should bring but he took our passports and CORPs only. I left our folder with bank statement and WPs on his desk, don't know if he had a chance to look at them. Anyways, he did not ask for anything at all.
Few minuted later he called us and asked us to answer questions on CORPs (about other dependents and criminal charges). We wrote down our answers on both copies and put our initials. Then he said "congratulations, you are PR now", stapled our CORP copies (without photographs) into our passports and kept his copies. He said that we will receive our PR cards in 6-8 weeks (which is, in reality, 78 days, according to CIC's web site) and with these papers we could travel by land (to US) only.In case we decide to travel by air, we gonna have to apply for authorization to return.
So everything went smooth, no additional questions or docs were requested from us, I wish you guyz all the same smooth landing!

thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[ntwkengg]

yes, that's what we did. you go US border, they ask you to park and then show you the way.
but make sure you talk to US border officers and get issued an "administrative refusal". otherwise there is no proof that you left Canada.

thanks alice...

good luck.... pr card processing time is way to large right now. lets see if they go back to 30-40 days in few weeks then it will help...

 

[JK_CAD]

My passports have been delivered today. Now starts the last wait time before PR which is more killing... Do they send reply that your passports have been received or only when they will stamp and return it? I just want to make sure that they have received the passport since I've read that someone lost the passport due to Canada Post error.

 

[alicefox]

My passports have been delivered today. Now starts the last wait time before PR which is more killing... Do they send reply that your passports have been received or only when they will stamp and return it? I just want to make sure that they have received the passport since I've read that someone lost the passport due to Canada Post error.

You can always call and check whether they received it.

 

[HB.Agenda2]

Passport sent to Ottawa on 4th Jan, received the following day...

Change of VO applied for spouse - awaiting local PPR for spouse...

 

[tomneversfield]

I don't think it depends on the officer... from what I understood the procedure is quite standard. If you send copies of your passports, you get it back in a week (+/- 2 days), if you send actual passports, you get it back in 15 days (also +/- 2-4 days).

Really? I didn't know that the timeline differed if you send passport copy vs actual passport. I'm a US citizen so I sent copies of our passports, and if your timeline is correct i should be getting a response tomorrow or after. Ottawa received the passport copies on December 29th, so today is the 5th business day (excluding the 29th and also Jan 1st which was a public holiday).

Are you sure about those timelines? Did you hear from folks who sent their passport copies to CPC-Ottawa and got approval in about a week?

 

[dukhi]

i got my PP back today ... thanks God and thanks every one for being so helpful....now its turn for flagpoling

 

[HB.Agenda2]

congrats dukhi....

now you must be sukhi

 

[ajm436]

So I received my Ready for Visa letter on Dec. 24th. Mailed my copies of my passports to Ottawa on Dec. 30th. They received them on Dec. 31st. Just waiting on my return tracking to be activated. Also my online application hasn't been updated since my last correspondence with immigration when they requested some additional documents. Has anyone else had this issues with the online application being updated? Even my ready for Visa Letter I received on Dec. 24th came through email and not my application like all other correspondence. Hoping to get something back soon!!

 

[jamason]

i got my PP back today ... thanks God and thanks every one for being so helpful....now its turn for flagpoling

Congratulations Dukhi. it took almost 12 to 13 business days to get back your pp after CPC recd.

 

[ajm436]

I sent my passport January 4th, received on the 5th, cant wait to get it back!!

Can anyone suggest where I should do my landing if I reside in Ottawa?

There are 3 borders close to Ottawa - Prescott, Cornwall and Thousand Island Not sure which is better for flag poling. But Prescott is the closet. I used this border when I crossed over with my work permit and temporary residency.

 

[ksk_fsw]

i got my PP back today ... thanks God and thanks every one for being so helpful....now its turn for flagpoling

Congrats!! so the Passports received @Ottawa on 29/30, may be we can expect it by end of next week at least the return tracker...

 

[SAJ_ee2015]

i got my PP back today ... thanks God and thanks every one for being so helpful....now its turn for flagpoling

congrats

 

[KingOfGoodTimes]

Congratulations Dukhi. it took almost 12 to 13 business days to get back your pp after CPC recd.

My passport was received by CIC on 31 as per Canada post.

On calling CIC today the call center , they said its is marked in their system as received just yesterday, so should I count 14 days from yesterday ?

 

[ntwkengg]

So I received my Ready for Visa letter on Dec. 24th. Mailed my copies of my passports to Ottawa on Dec. 30th. They received them on Dec. 31st. Just waiting on my return tracking to be activated. Also my online application hasn't been updated since my last correspondence with immigration when they requested some additional documents. Has anyone else had this issues with the online application being updated? Even my ready for Visa Letter I received on Dec. 24th came through email and not my application like all other correspondence. Hoping to get something back soon!!

i have same thing. its normal....