Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[Quince777]

Wow, g-man you look like you've been waiting for your papers forever since October 2010

Sorry my mistake. For some reason I saw it as 2010.

 

[eeeeeeeelectric]

Really hoping all this same sex hullabaloo doesn't screw up my application. I thought we would never hear a debate on same sex marriage in Canada again.

 

[Quince777]

Is anyone here who had an interview request? Can you share some of your experience pls?

 

[ddobro2]

Was just reading the article (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/despite-legal-about-face-harper-has-no-intention-of-reopening-same-sex-marriage/article2299574/). While I have yet to untangle the whole issue, I think that you'll be fine as long as the country or state in which you got married (if outside of Canada) recognizes same sex marriage.

Really hoping all this same sex hullabaloo doesn't screw up my application. I thought we would never hear a debate on same sex marriage in Canada again.

 

[Calgary-Bound]

We're splitting hairs here. 11 more months sucks, any way you hash it.

Tell me about it.Ive been waiting 11months already but for some reason June apps are already done.This process is a bunch of BULLSHIT.Sorry if I affended anybody by not appreviateing but you can only sit back and watch your app get overlooked for so long while other apps are done in half the time.

 

[g-man]

Tell me about it.Ive been waiting 11months already but for some reason June apps are already done.This process is a bunch of BULL*censored word*.Sorry if I affended anybody by not appreviateing but you can only sit back and watch your app get overlooked for so long while other apps are done in half the time.

Based on your timeline, your app looks to have gotten transferred in record time but the amount of time between is crazy! Maybe they lost something? I assume you've talked to thm about the status?

 

[ddobro2]

Forget about the June apps, they're apparently onto July without even a care in the world as to people who have been waiting twice as long. They'll be onto August soon and we'll still be the ones that fell through the cracks.

Tell me about it.Ive been waiting 11months already but for some reason June apps are already done.This process is a bunch of BULL*censored word*.Sorry if I affended anybody by not appreviateing but you can only sit back and watch your app get overlooked for so long while other apps are done in half the time.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Really? Shucks! They told me to send my passport in. I was hoping to get a fair idea of how long I should wait before my passport will come back to me.

We actually never sent the passport, which is why we were confused to get a COPR without any explanation or congratulatory letter. We had sent the medicals at the beginning, as well as photocopies of the biodata portion of her passport, which was apparently enough. So confusing and wonderful! They opened and closed our case on December 23rd. That puts us at about 5 and a half months from start to finish.

Thanks everyone for the congratulations, and congratulations to AmericaninQuebec and everyone else that is landing and/or getting PR right now. To everyone else, thank you for your unfailing support and knowledge, and good luck to everyone who is still waiting to hear back. I'm so grateful for these boards!

And now it's time for us to start a whole new planning process: planning our landing. Ohhhh buddy. Still can't process this.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Wow! I hope I don't have to go through all that crap just to get a SIN number! I'm going to want a job at some point. I don't care if it's just pushing a broom somewhere!

So I really didn't expect to be posting again this soon, but I figure I should share my experience at Service Canada from this afternoon.

Before going downtown I checked on the Service Canada website and confirmed that for PRs from visa-exempt nations you only need your COPR and your passport to get a social insurance number. So I went down to the Service Canada office with just that - my passport and the official copy of my COPR that the border guard had given to me yesterday.

First the receptionist didn't want to let me see anyone, because I didn't have the original COPR. Then the agent I saw didn't want to give me my insurance number, because I didn't have a counterfoil in my passport and she'd never been notified that they were no longer issuing them to PRs from visa exempt nations. She also didn't want to accept the official photocopy of my COPR, but thankfully the immigration officer had stapled the carbon copy of my COPR to my passport and so she accepted that as an official copy (btw they don't keep a copy, they just need to see it). We were still arguing about the lack of counterfoil though, and so I actually had to make her go to the Service Canada website and showed her where it said that PRs from visa exempt nations only need the COPR and their passport. She had to read it in English and French before she believed me, then she had to track down the page that listed what nations were visa exempt (she didn't believe my word that the U.S. was visa exempt). Once she did that she finally believed me and issued me my social insurance number. It took a total of 5 minutes to actually do the registration for the social insurance number, so overall I spent 20 minutes in the office (15 arguing, 5 registering). Now all that's left to do is register for health insurance. Fingers crossed that goes smoothly! Haha.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Really? Shucks! They told me to send my passport in. I was hoping to get a fair idea of how long I should wait before my passport will come back to me.

Mine took a solid 4 weeks, but then again they were closed for like 5 days during that thanks to Christmas and New Year's.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Wow! I hope I don't have to go through all that crap just to get a SIN number! I'm going to want a job at some point. I don't care if it's just pushing a broom somewhere!

I know right? I had to fight with them to give me a social insurance number just so I can pay taxes. I was fighting with them so I can pay taxes! Haha. The absurdity of it.

Seriously though, I'm not in Montreal so I think I may have actually been the first permanent resident from a visa-exempt country that they've seen since the new regs took place. Hopefully if you're in a bigger city they won't even bat an eye. Either way, bring along the explanation paper that will come with your COPR to make sure. I can't believe I forgot it at home, when I actually thought about it this morning and how I needed to bring that form.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Well, since the Soo on my wife's side isn't all that large, I may as well bring the explanation letter once I get it, along with the COPR.

I know right? I had to fight with them to give me a social insurance number just so I can pay taxes. I was fighting with them so I can pay taxes! Haha. The absurdity of it.

Seriously though, I'm not in Montreal so I think I may have actually been the first permanent resident from a visa-exempt country that they've seen since the new regs took place. Hopefully if you're in a bigger city they won't even bat an eye. Either way, bring along the explanation paper that will come with your COPR to make sure. I can't believe I forgot it at home, when I actually thought about it this morning and how I needed to bring that form.

 

[throwmyapples]

Really? Shucks! They told me to send my passport in. I was hoping to get a fair idea of how long I should wait before my passport will come back to me.

I'm sorry I can't help you out. We never got a letter saying anything really, the last we heard was that they had received the file in Buffalo. Then yesterday we got a her official form from Detroit. Does anyone think there is a congratulations/approval letter that just got lost somewhere? It's seriously so confusing that the COPR just appeared out of thin air. Not that I'm complaining!

 

[sandraqi]

Would you like to add me to the spreadsheet please?

Status as of 12Jan2012 - Application Received
Visa office: Buffalo
27Sep2011 - Application received by CIC
9Dec2011 - Sponsorship approved
4Jan2012 - Email from visa office confirming the receipt of application

According to your timesheet, I post mine as below:
Visa office: Buffalo
09 Sept 2011-Application received by CIC
25 Nov 2011 - Sponsorship approved
After that, we received nothing from Buffalo office, no "AOR", no update changes on website status, is it normal?

 

[ddobro2]

yes, it's normal

According to your timesheet, I post mine as below:
Visa office: Buffalo
09 Sept 2011-Application received by CIC
25 Nov 2011 - Sponsorship approved
After that, we received nothing from Buffalo office, no "AOR", no update changes on website status, is it normal?