Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[cgagnon]

Has anyone had any correspondence with Ottawa? I still havent heard back after contacting them numerous times. I checked my e-cas today and they had updated my address that I had changed a couple of weeks ago, anyone know if this is a good sign? I contacted my MP so hopefully she will be able to help. Its frustrating watching so many people get their ppr who applied months after me! (although I am happy for them! )

when was your file sent?

 

[caledonia]

ive been waiting since october 2011 which i know is technically within the maximum time it can take but mine was a straightforward case. I was asked to pay my RPRF in March and my medicals have been submitted since last July (now expired I believe) so Im not sure what the hold up is. Im not even sure my file is in Ottawa as they havent responded to any inquiries at all,

 

[scottandlisag]

ive been waiting since october 2011 which i know is technically within the maximum time it can take but mine was a straightforward case. I was asked to pay my RPRF in March and my medicals have been submitted since last July (now expired I believe) so Im not sure what the hold up is. Im not even sure my file is in Ottawa as they havent responded to any inquiries at all,

I'd call them and speak to someone... I just called them about an hour ago and got thru on the 3rd try. Guess all the applicants are on vaykay this week!

 

[muffy1]

Caledonia-
You are not alone. We are in the same boat! Applied end of Sept 2011, asked to pay RPRF December. Everything done within a week. Still waiting to hear something. Hope you get some good news soon

ive been waiting since october 2011 which i know is technically within the maximum time it can take but mine was a straightforward case. I was asked to pay my RPRF in March and my medicals have been submitted since last July (now expired I believe) so Im not sure what the hold up is. Im not even sure my file is in Ottawa as they havent responded to any inquiries at all,

 

[computergeek]

Any time you want to know what's going on, it's worth sending in an ATIP request (CAIPS/GCMS/FOSS notes). These don't cost anything if you are in Canada, $5 otherwise, and they must be requested by someone in Canada. They DO take 30 days to send the notes to you. In my experience they pull them within a day or two of receiving your request and then ~30 days later they send you those old results. Thus, if something happens in those 30 days, the info you get is stale, but if 30 days from now you'll at least know something about your file.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-personal.asp

 

[mapleleafs2011]

Re: Thread for outland Buffalo applicants

Hey guys!

Anyone with updates? My case processing date has passed and still no update from their end. I feel like cic is on summer holidays?

Dunno if this counts but around mid June, I got an email requesting a police certificate. I sent it in around mid July.

Other then that, I haven't heard anything. Nothing in ECAS has been updated since I got approved as the sponsor which was around March or May I think.

 

[kitchloo]

My husband finally received his PR card yesterday. The letter says it's from the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Wow, what a journey. I'm glad this is finally over. Next: citizenship in 3 years.

 

[happylaw]

Any time you want to know what's going on, it's worth sending in an ATIP request (CAIPS/GCMS/FOSS notes). These don't cost anything if you are in Canada, $5 otherwise, and they must be requested by someone in Canada. They DO take 30 days to send the notes to you. In my experience they pull them within a day or two of receiving your request and then ~30 days later they send you those old results. Thus, if something happens in those 30 days, the info you get is stale, but if 30 days from now you'll at least know something about your file.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-personal.asp

Hi! Do you (or anyone else on here) by chance have any tips for filling this form out? I will be filing under the Privacy Act as I am the principal applicant and am currently in Canada. I am thinking the electronic file is enough? There is an option for CD, physical, etc but Im thinking its all the same and electronic will be faster via email. I am unsure what to check off under electronic file....just the status of the application or also the "Immigration File in Canada: Permanent Residence"? My thinking is that just the status box should be checked off. Will this request give me access to all three types of the notes you mentioned (CAIPS/GCMS/FOSS notes)? THANK YOU!!!


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5563E.pdf

 

[computergeek]

Hi! Do you (or anyone else on here) by chance have any tips for filling this form out? I will be filing under the Privacy Act as I am the principal applicant and am currently in Canada. I am thinking the electronic file is enough? There is an option for CD, physical, etc but Im thinking its all the same and electronic will be faster via email. I am unsure what to check off under electronic file....just the status of the application or also the "Immigration File in Canada: Permanent Residence"? My thinking is that just the status box should be checked off. Will this request give me access to all three types of the notes you mentioned (CAIPS/GCMS/FOSS notes)? THANK YOU!!!


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5563E.pdf

Generally, you do not need to request a copy of the PHYSICAL file. Further, such a request requires that someone in the visa office pull your file and make a copy of it, which means you lose your place in the queue - people usually report longer processing times when requesting a file copy. Thus, unless you have a strong reason to get a copy of your file, all you normally want are the computer notes (FOSS/CAIPS/GCMS) because these tell you status information.

I have done both. The electronic notes generally come about 30 days after the request (and are usually 25-30 days old). The one time I requested a physical copy of my application I was not concerned about processing time, because it was for a rejected application. It took around 3 months to receive the material. It was interesting, as it showed where the officer had made notes. But the most interesting information was still in the computer notes. While refused, because it is subject to litigation they continue to add notes to the computer record, and one of the notes was some interesting communications between their legal counsel and CIC. I'd have expected the information to be redacted, as it is privileged communications, it was not.

At any rate, just ask for the computer notes - and normally they will just e-mail them to you.

 

[happylaw]

Generally, you do not need to request a copy of the PHYSICAL file. Further, such a request requires that someone in the visa office pull your file and make a copy of it, which means you lose your place in the queue - people usually report longer processing times when requesting a file copy. Thus, unless you have a strong reason to get a copy of your file, all you normally want are the computer notes (FOSS/CAIPS/GCMS) because these tell you status information.

I have done both. The electronic notes generally come about 30 days after the request (and are usually 25-30 days old). The one time I requested a physical copy of my application I was not concerned about processing time, because it was for a rejected application. It took around 3 months to receive the material. It was interesting, as it showed where the officer had made notes. But the most interesting information was still in the computer notes. While refused, because it is subject to litigation they continue to add notes to the computer record, and one of the notes was some interesting communications between their legal counsel and CIC. I'd have expected the information to be redacted, as it is privileged communications, it was not.

At any rate, just ask for the computer notes - and normally they will just e-mail them to you.

Thanks for your reply and sharing your experience. I will submit mine for the electronic files only. I wasnt sure if I should check off only the status but thats what I checked off. I hope that is enough. The second box asked for the permanent residence File in Canada so I wasnt sure what exactly that was for so I left it blank. Thanks again!

 

[ELOH]

Has anyone had any correspondence with Ottawa? I still havent heard back after contacting them numerous times. I checked my e-cas today and they had updated my address that I had changed a couple of weeks ago, anyone know if this is a good sign? I contacted my MP so hopefully she will be able to help. Its frustrating watching so many people get their ppr who applied months after me! (although I am happy for them! )

I have also emailed them three times since the Buffalo office was closed and have not heard one response. Nothing. I have never received anything saying where my file even is. I was through the interview stage (they waived it) and thought I was nearly done. But I changed my address too. They updated it but that was the last I heard. No word from CIC since March. Please let me know if you find out anything. My medicals expire next week. I applied in Sept 2011. Thank you and good luck. It is frustrating. My husband has tried to contact CIC since he is the Canadian but cannot get through as "all agents are busy" and then it disconnects.

 

[computergeek]

I have also emailed them three times since the Buffalo office was closed and have not heard one response. Nothing. I have never received anything saying where my file even is. I was through the interview stage (they waived it) and thought I was nearly done. But I changed my address too. They updated it but that was the last I heard. No word from CIC since March. Please let me know if you find out anything. My medicals expire next week. I applied in Sept 2011. Thank you and good luck. It is frustrating. My husband has tried to contact CIC since he is the Canadian but cannot get through as "all agents are busy" and then it disconnects.

Have you ordered your case notes? In your position, I would. That way in a month you will at least hear SOMETHING.

 

[caledonia]

I have also emailed them three times since the Buffalo office was closed and have not heard one response. Nothing. I have never received anything saying where my file even is. I was through the interview stage (they waived it) and thought I was nearly done. But I changed my address too. They updated it but that was the last I heard. No word from CIC since March. Please let me know if you find out anything. My medicals expire next week. I applied in Sept 2011. Thank you and good luck. It is frustrating. My husband has tried to contact CIC since he is the Canadian but cannot get through as "all agents are busy" and then it disconnects.

Your case is almost exactly like mine timeline wise. I applied October 31st 2011, the only time my ecas has been updated is after i changed my address and that was the last sign of anything going on with my application. It still says application received and thats it! My medicals have expired and no word from them on whether I need to redo them! I have tried calling almost every day and the same thing happens, its so frustrating because I think that if Buffalo hadnt have closed I'd be done by now! Even an email letting me know where my file is, I cant believe they have handled this office closure so badly

 

[ELOH]

I'm a little tired of this. I have to interview for a new job next week not knowing if I will be here for a month or six months or forever! I have let the lease go on my apartment because it was up and I thought I was about done. I see my husband who is 2000 miles away in Canada every four months now. Every day I too wait for news. For that email. Or that letter... saying something!

 

[ELOH]

I'd call them and speak to someone... I just called them about an hour ago and got thru on the 3rd try. Guess all the applicants are on vaykay this week!

Call who? My husband, who is in Canada, cannot find who to call and none of the offices in the US will answer phone calls. Where should we call? Our case is almost identical.