Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[ddobro2]

Any clues from the GCMS notes as to what the IO wanted to verify in the interview about the relationship?

Hello all, well I haven't posted in a few months, our application was sent back in April, and I guess I'm the only awaiting for an Interview, we received a letter in August 12 stating that an Interview will be required and me (sponsored) and my wife (sponsor) have to attend, I sent a request for my GCMS and received them 30 days after I requested them, basically I guess they want to make sure everything is legit. I have been in Canada for 2 months already, me and my wife celebrated 2 years of marriage yesterday and we are hoping this will be done before the year ends. At this point I'm still in queue awaiting for a date of the interview, which make things even more hard to digest. I know I'm well under the time frame other people has shared but still not being able to make plans or anything is frustrating. I wish luck to everyone.

B.

 

[ddobro2]

This is excellent advice for anyone.

There are a couple things I can think of:
1. get your GCMS notes. Knowing where your file is at puts you in a much better position to be probing both the MP and CIC.

2. check for discrepancies. If you had your meds done, but they're not in the GCMS notes, get Ottawa to forward them to Buffalo. If your notes have something about a doc request, but you've not received it, get your MP to find out what they need.

 

[ddobro2]

It's true that he did not submit the medicals or background checks until his visa office asked for them, but I wouldn't say that makes the FSW process any less potentially cumbersome. First off, there's the time - he submitted the file to Quebec in August of 2002 and by the time he got his PR visa it was November 2004. Obviously, at some point in there, once he got his CSQ from Quebec (which he had to go through an interview for and send in more proof of education and funds), he had to apply to the federal government. He was applying from France, which thankfully had a super easy criminal check process (free, and you print it offline, no wait needed), but he also needed a criminal check from Morocco, which was a huuuuuuge pain in the butt. He basically had to wait 11 months to get it, and it magically appeared soon after he made a visit to the Moroccan consulate and made a big stink about it being 11 months and no police cert. Unfortunately, they held on to the thing for almost three months before he got it, so he had only 15 days to send the police cert to Canada before it expired. He also paid the landing fee (this was before they slashed the price) only when it was requested, which delayed him, and he had to go to a bank and get it in Canadian dollars. Apparently, though, he was very nonchalant about the whole process and didn't feel the need to investigate that all these moving parts were indeed moving.

My only point is that different strokes for different folks. I am someone who needs to know what is going on with my immigration application, and I don't feel like waiting around forever clueless if I can help it. A student who's focused on other things while his or her PR application is in process, or who just doesn't mind a long wait is obviously going to feel less of a need to "babysit" then someone who wants to start working and get on with his or her life quickly, or someone who is about to have a baby and needs to get coverage before the baby arrives.

Now back to Family Class applicant stream fabulousness!

I don't know the FSW process, but many applications follow a different process order than spousal. For instance, we have to get the meds done and criminal background check(s) done before submitting the package in the first place. Other application classes have those requested at the appropriate time. I think this leads to much more babysitting -- to have to get meds or crim checks redone is costly -- we all want to avoid having to pay those fees a second time because CIC didn't get around to opening our file. If they requested them when they were ready to deal with them, I think we'd be a lot less antsy.

 

[Merik]

Omg, Checked my email this morning and i got something i never expected. For four months my status has been application received. now? I got the Passport request. I will be leaving NOW to get the stuff needed to submit this thing. It's nearing and end

 

[cbennett]

Omg, Checked my email this morning and i got something i never expected. For four months my status has been application received. now? I got the Passport request. I will be leaving NOW to get the stuff needed to submit this thing. It's nearing and end

Congrats!!! We have the same application submitted day. Fingers crossed I hear something soon. Welcome to Canada

 

[mcmasters]

Hoooorraaaay for new PPRs!

And thanks for posting the text from your PPR letter. I like to know stuff ahead of time. The only surprises I genuinely like are when monsters jump out at me at Halloween haunted house attractions.

On getting odd-sized photos: the whole non-passport size thing is a PITA - I called several places that do passport photos and they all claimed they couldn't resize their machine to take the photos I needed (for the application).

I'm pretty old school (read: not especially technologically savvy) so I went to a private photographer with my spec sheet and had him take the photos. It was a nice experience because I didn't have to deal with Big Business, he took his time, and read the instructions sheet about 12 times to make sure he got all the specs right. I think it was $24 for 6 prints, and he got me the prints the same day.

He was also helpful when I needed reprints for the medical exam. I called him and requested them and they were ready the same day. I think the reprints were $12.

Immigration plans for the week are to request the GCMS notes on Friday and check my CIC application status online. Depending on what the GCMS notes say, I might have hubs make a call to his MP.

Any time estimates on how long it takes to get GCMS notes? I'm guessing it varies a lot.

-Maddy

 

[jayde]

Hoooorraaaay for new PPRs!

And thanks for posting the text from your PPR letter. I like to know stuff ahead of time. The only surprises I genuinely like are when monsters jump out at me at Halloween haunted house attractions.

On getting odd-sized photos: the whole non-passport size thing is a PITA - I called several places that do passport photos and they all claimed they couldn't resize their machine to take the photos I needed (for the application).

I'm pretty old school (read: not especially technologically savvy) so I went to a private photographer with my spec sheet and had him take the photos. It was a nice experience because I didn't have to deal with Big Business, he took his time, and read the instructions sheet about 12 times to make sure he got all the specs right. I think it was $24 for 6 prints, and he got me the prints the same day.

He was also helpful when I needed reprints for the medical exam. I called him and requested them and they were ready the same day. I think the reprints were $12.

Immigration plans for the week are to request the GCMS notes on Friday and check my CIC application status online. Depending on what the GCMS notes say, I might have hubs make a call to his MP.

Any time estimates on how long it takes to get GCMS notes? I'm guessing it varies a lot.

-Maddy

GCMS notes are "supposed" to be back to you within 30 days, you can order and request by e-mail. If they take longer, they tell you you can complain (like that will do any good), but it seems they like to push that 30 days as far as they can. They printed my notes over a week before they e-mailed them. They just don't send them until 30 days is up. no clue why... it's such an arbitrary thing but yeah... don't expect them in less than a month

 

[AllisonVSC]

Thanks for sharing your landing story, so happy for you and everyone else at the end of this rigorous process! Do you know if there's a time limit on how much later the goods to follow can follow? ie if I go back to the states 2 months later and bring back another load of stuff with me, will it be ok? Or say, if I leave things there but list them as goods to follow, and then decide I don't need them until much later (maybe 6 months +)?

There is no deadline for bringing your goods to Canada; and you can do it over several trips if you want. Just bring your papers each time. Custom's will ask if that is everything and note it on your paperwork. I brought a truckload about 2 months after landing. Then a month or so later I drove down with my car (which was already in Canada) and imported that. I thought there would be a deadline of a year or so and asked on the forum. A senior, I think Leon but not sure, told me there was no deadline.

 

[ddobro2]

Congrats!

Omg, Checked my email this morning and i got something i never expected. For four months my status has been application received. now? I got the Passport request. I will be leaving NOW to get the stuff needed to submit this thing. It's nearing and end

 

[ddobro2]

About 30 days.

Any time estimates on how long it takes to get GCMS notes? I'm guessing it varies a lot.

-Maddy

 

[TryingToGetHome]

Congrats to all the new PPR's!

I'm a little jealous. I'm having a bit of a whiney, hormonal pregnant woman day. I'm thinking I should just reprogram the software that CIC uses to track documentation (like an RPRF receipt) so that as soon as the bank or online gets payment confirmation it goes directly to Buffalo onto your file. One large database for each site would do the trick! But of course that'd make most of the CIC employees obsolete.

Sigh. If only I were that motivated I'd get off my lazy bum and stop eating a mini-strawberry cream cake for breakfast at 10 am...

 

[francohoosier]

But of course that'd make most of the CIC employees obsolete.

I'd LOVE to be able to trade in the current ones for newer models with more memory and faster processors....

 

[ddobro2]

You're on. What's the date the file was received at CPCM, not Buffalo (just for consistency's sake)?So you have "in process July 11" in e-cas? I'm just wondering why you didn't do your medicals before sending in the application?

I don't think you've added me to the spreadsheet, but maybe you want to wait until I get my GCMS notes so I can give more detailed updates?

So far the only concrete ones are, mailed app March 1, app was received March 31, they began processing my application July 11, 2011. Meds were requested July 11, 2011, and have been received, but I don't know the official date for that.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

I'm pretty old school (read: not especially technologically savvy) so I went to a private photographer with my spec sheet and had him take the photos. It was a nice experience because I didn't have to deal with Big Business, he took his time, and read the instructions sheet about 12 times to make sure he got all the specs right. I think it was $24 for 6 prints, and he got me the prints the same day.

I know the local camera store near us does something like that since they take digital photos and can resize them as needed right there for you. I had some done that way, and it took maybe 15 minutes and cost pretty much the same as passport photos.

 

[Timemachine]

Hi all,

this might be a silly question but i've seen people on this thread mentioning RCMP checks. I was under the impression that only the applicant must undergo a police check in the countries they have resided in for more than 6 months...am i totally off on this? Thanks!