Processing time for OWP

[MattK]

HI everybody,

I am a Slovakian guy married to a Canadian girl (in London,UK). My wife is 6 months pregnant and we are currently in Edmonton. Because the baby's gonna be here in not even 3 months I'm kinda freaking out. It took forever to get my police checks from Slovakia. My questions are: how long is it gonna take before I get my open work permit if we apply next week? Do I need to apply for an extension of my 6 month visitor's "visa"(a stamp in my passport) , expiring on June, 14 as well?

thank you

Matt

 

[scylla]

It will take around four months from the time you submit your application inland to get the OWP.

Yes - I would apply to extend your status before it expires in June. Time to time applications are returned due to missing signatures, outdated forms or other small errors - and people end up out of status. Applying for an extension will avoid this risk.

 

[MattK]

thanks for your reply,

What do I need to do to make sure that my application won't get returned?

Also my wife doesn't have an Option C printout because we lived in London last few years. Is that gonna be a problem?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

thanks for your reply,

What do I need to do to make sure that my application won't get returned?

Also my wife doesn't have an Option C printout because we lived in London last few years. Is that gonna be a problem?

Follow the guide and checklist and pay the right fees.

Your wife doesn't need an Option C. She can include a letter explaining she doesn't have one because she has been outside of Canada for several years.

 

[MattK]

Cheers.

Another question: 1) My Police check and Birth certificate were translated to english in Slovakia and then verified by the Canadian Embassy in Slovakia.
Will that translation be accepted by CIC or do I need to get a verification in Canada too?

2)What about the blank forms that were not applicable to me (Additional Dependants IMM0008DEP, Use of a Representative IMM5476) should I just not include them in ?

3) Is a Cover letter necessary? And if so what should be in it?

 

[MattK]

anyone? anyone? anyone? anyone?

 

[TorontoFox]

1. My husband is from Germany and his was translated and stamped by German officials in Germany - you should be okay there - just make sure there is an official stamp
2. We sent in ALL the forms - and the ones that didn't apply we wrote a big "N/A" on the forms that didn't apply. better safe than sorry.
3. It's always good to back your stuff up with something in writing ... just explain WHY you're extending, that your visa expires, wife, baby etc and that you're being proactive. (we rolled the dice and my husband ALMOST got declined for the work permit, which would have left him out of status. RENEW RENEW even if it costs money, don't roll the dice like we did) (we made it out okay though ] make sure you do this extension at least 30 days before your visitor visa expires

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend/visa.asp

 

[MattK]

Thanks a lot,

did you send in the original of the translation or just a photocopy?

 

[volkov]

how long does it usually take to get initial acknowledgement that they received your OWP application? will they email that, or should we keep checking online every day as we have been?

 

[Ay Ne]

how long does it usually take to get initial acknowledgement that they received your OWP application? will they email that, or should we keep checking online every day as we have been?

we usually receive AOR for PR app but not for OWP... so if you haven't received OWP after 4 months, you should call CIC call center and follow up.

 

[volkov]

we usually receive AOR for PR app but not for OWP... so if you haven't received OWP after 4 months, you should call CIC call center and follow up.

ok, thanks, so how soon should we hear anything at all back from them saying they received our PR app?

 

[MattK]

Also how does one know that their status has been changed to implied status if there's no notification or anything like that?

ok, thanks, so how soon should we hear anything at all back from them saying they received our PR app?

 

[TorontoFox]

how long does it usually take to get initial acknowledgement that they received your OWP application? will they email that, or should we keep checking online every day as we have been?

There is NO acknowledgement that they received your OWP. If you are applying under the pilot program like we did, the only acknowledgement you'll get is that of the courier company you sent it with. THey will sign for the package, that's how you know it's there. you'll only be notified for PR if it's received and complete. which takes about a year INLAND right now.

if your application for PR is complete, you will receive AIP, approval in principle, which means your stuff is complete - it'll move on to the next stage.

MattK - I emailed you about the implied stuff -

 

[volkov]

There is NO acknowledgement that they received your OWP. If you are applying under the pilot program like we did, the only acknowledgement you'll get is that of the courier company you sent it with. THey will sign for the package, that's how you know it's there. you'll only be notified for PR if it's received and complete. which takes about a year INLAND right now.

if your application for PR is complete, you will receive AIP, approval in principle, which means your stuff is complete - it'll move on to the next stage.

MattK - I emailed you about the implied stuff -

thanks, so does "implied status" begin on the day that Canada Post shows the package was delivered?

how long until AIP?

sorry for all the questions, but everything my spouse has, OWP, Social Insurance, Health Card, etc expires in one month and we have heard nothing at all from CIC even though they received our packages for inland PR application and another package for OWP based on PR application.

when the current OWP expires, my spouse will have no documents to prove any kind of status, so it is an extreme stress, even an email from CIC saying they got it would be some reassurance. should we just relax and consider that we are covered by implied status because we sent in the applications? and keep on working?

 

[scylla]

thanks, so does "implied status" begin on the day that Canada Post shows the package was delivered?

how long until AIP?

sorry for all the questions, but everything my spouse has, OWP, Social Insurance, Health Card, etc expires in one month and we have heard nothing at all from CIC even though they received our packages for inland PR application and another package for OWP based on PR application.

when the current OWP expires, my spouse will have no documents to prove any kind of status, so it is an extreme stress, even an email from CIC saying they got it would be some reassurance. should we just relax and consider that we are covered by implied status because we sent in the applications? and keep on working?

If you don't have the new OWP by the time your current OWP is set to expire, I would apply to change your status to visitor as insurance. There's always some possibility that either your PR application or your OWP application might be returned due to an error. When this happens, people sometimes find themselves out of status and this complicates life greatly. So I would apply to extend your stay as insurance.