PR delay - and no sign of passport!

[a980]

Hi all,

My husband and I recd a letter from the NY consulate that all our PR formalities are now done, so send your passport and photographs. We did that, and now it's been over 5 weeks and we haven't heard from the consulate either abt the PR or abt our passports. We are getting really worried because the website says they will return passports in 15 days. Assuming it takes 7 days each way to send and return our documents (we live in Canada), the whole process still shd not take more than 30 days.

Has anyone faced the same problem? What options do we have? We have sent emails and one fax to the NY consulate office - but of course, no response.

Worriedly,
a980

 

[professional 1]

At first try to make sure about the exact date which they have received your passport through the post office or the courier company that you have used because i live in canada too and i sent my application to nova scotia at first and it took one week to get delivered to the CIO in sydney although i have used the best service in post canada (priority courier) they told me it takes 2 days and it took one week within the same country from toronto to sydney.


The second thing, am really surprised that you have sent an email and they haven't answered you yet when you already have a file number at the final stage!! because i have sent buffalo visa office emails two times without even having a file number and they answered me!!

anyway i think it is just a matter of mailing time and administrative procedures in the visa office, hope you will recieve your visas soon.

may i know your time line from the beginning if you don't mind ?

good luck

 

[a980]

Thanks for responding.

The timeline goes thus:

We applied for PR in Feb 2008.
Were given a file number in April 2008.
Notified of transfer of file to NY from Buffalo in Jun 2008.
Completed Medical exams in Oct. 2008.
Notification of PR in March 2009.
We sent our passports in May 2009. (the delay came because my husband's passport was near expiry and it took over a month to get a new one issued.)
And now silence.

We sent the passports using registered mail and not courier. I now think that was a mistake, but I was told that the best way to send passports across the border is by certified/registered mail. We cd track the package until the US-Canada border, and no further.

Also, the instructions on the letter we received did not require that we attach a pre-paid envelope, so we didn't. Another mistake, I now think. But it clearly said, that the NY office wd be sending the passports by registered mail.

I don't know what our options now are. Should we go to a local MP? But wd they even care? The Buffalo office is GREAT at responding to emails and queries. The NY office is like a mausoleum - not a word comes out!

Please let me know, should you know of a strategy for getting info. Thanks very much!
A980

 

[professional 1]

Thanks for responding.

The timeline goes thus:

We applied for PR in Feb 2008.
Were given a file number in April 2008.
Notified of transfer of file to NY from Buffalo in Jun 2008.
Completed Medical exams in Oct. 2008.
Notification of PR in March 2009.
We sent our passports in May 2009. (the delay came because my husband's passport was near expiry and it took over a month to get a new one issued.)
And now silence.

We sent the passports using registered mail and not courier. I now think that was a mistake, but I was told that the best way to send passports across the border is by certified/registered mail. We cd track the package until the US-Canada border, and no further.

Also, the instructions on the letter we received did not require that we attach a pre-paid envelope, so we didn't. Another mistake, I now think. But it clearly said, that the NY office wd be sending the passports by registered mail.

I don't know what our options now are. Should we go to a local MP? But wd they even care? The Buffalo office is GREAT at responding to emails and queries. The NY office is like a mausoleum - not a word comes out!

Please let me know, should you know of a strategy for getting info. Thanks very much!
A980

Actually i was told that registered mail is too slow same as the regular mail except of getting the signature of the person who recieves the package (post canada have told me that).therefore, i personally don't think that it was a good idea to send the passports by the registered mail because of the delay. there is a service called xpress mail within post canada to the united states it is safe and fast and you can add the signature option of the person who signs for recieving the package by paying almost 2 $ extra.

the second important point, what do you mean by you were able to track the package until the us-canada border and no further !!!!!!!!!
you must be able to track the package to the end (delivery point the visa office) becuase you have already used registered mail although it is slow but safe and give you the signature at the delivery point otherwise if you still can't see the successful delivery notification with the signature, it means that your package hasn't been delivered yet.

check again with post canada, and for your last point about the prepaid envelop the answer is yes they don't ask for it because they use the registered mail which take longer than the xpress or courier services it takes the same period as the regular mail except of getting the signature of the recipient at the end, in this regard you haven't done any mistake.

sorry what do you mean by local MP i didn't understand it.

 

[a980]

Thanks for your reply, pro.

Our package was successfully delivered on May 12 (i checked!!). You're right abt registered vs. express mail. I wish someone had guided us correctly at the time. I was told, that sending passports across the border has to be by registered mail. And the lady at the post office wasn't particularly forthcoming with advice either.

So I guess, all we can now do is wait. It's already been 5 wks. By local MP, I meant, local Member of Parliament or some political person who can look further into the consulate than we can.

So worried!
A980

 

[professional 1]

Thanks for your reply, pro.

Our package was successfully delivered on May 12 (i checked!!). You're right abt registered vs. express mail. I wish someone had guided us correctly at the time. I was told, that sending passports across the border has to be by registered mail. And the lady at the post office wasn't particularly forthcoming with advice either.

So I guess, all we can now do is wait. It's already been 5 wks. By local MP, I meant, local Member of Parliament or some political person who can look further into the consulate than we can.

So worried!
A980

Oh no you don't have to do anything with the local MP no need for that don't worry you will get your passports soon. don't forget that they have some administrative procedures in respect to visa stamping and sending passports such as the exact days during the week defined for the visa stamping purposes, so your passports will not be stamped immediatly upon receive, they will hold them for a while and stamp the visas on a certain days (i have no idea exactly which days during the week they use for visa stamping purposes).

Therefore, you need to count the return mailing time and the administrative procedures i think within less than a month you will receive your passports.



And don't worry embassies usually don't hold passports for more than three months.

Good luck

 

[a980]

Thanks for the reassuring words! We'll just wait and watch, I guess. Meanwhile, does it matter that my student visa expired in Feb 2009 (while the PR thing was in process?) My study permit is valid until August 2010. Similarly, my husband's student visa expires in August 2009 - of course, without our passport in hand, we can't even apply for extension of visa. And we shouldn't need to, now that we have been approved for PR, right?

a980

 

[professional 1]

Thanks for the reassuring words! We'll just wait and watch, I guess. Meanwhile, does it matter that my student visa expired in Feb 2009 (while the PR thing was in process?) My study permit is valid until August 2010. Similarly, my husband's student visa expires in August 2009 - of course, without our passport in hand, we can't even apply for extension of visa. And we shouldn't need to, now that we have been approved for PR, right?

a980

your student visa doesn't mean anything as long as you have a valid study permit. student visa is only to allow people who need a visa to enter canada and re enter again. the most important thing is your study permit to be vailid during your stay in canada.



my student visa was only one entry to canada and was expired upon arrival on the airport and i live here in canada with my valid study permit which i renewed last september from within canada.

and your study permit is valid until 2010 so you are still residing legally in canada as long as your study permit is valid no matter whether you have a valid or expired visa.

 

[a980]

LANDED! HOORAY! Re: PR delay - and no sign of passport!

We got our passports back today morning and we went and "landed" todayyyyyyy!!

What a relief! I guess, now we can just sit back and wait for the PR cards to come to us!

Just thought I'd share a happy story on the forum!

a980

 

[professional 1]

congratulation for the good news and hope that you will live a happy new life in canada

 

[rascojenkins]

Re: LANDED! HOORAY! Re: PR delay - and no sign of passport!

We got our passports back today morning and we went and "landed" todayyyyyyy!!

What a relief! I guess, now we can just sit back and wait for the PR cards to come to us!

Just thought I'd share a happy story on the forum!

a980

Congrats now you and your husband can drink a beer LOL

 

[minus360]

A brilliant way to end the long wait. Good Luck with the new start in Canada.

 

[juanda78]

Hi a980,

How many days you had to wait for your passports? I think the 15 business days is not accurate. Last friday was my 3rd week (15 business days) since they got my passports and from other people's timelines I think I might have to wait at least two more weeks.

Regards.