Thread for Outland LONDON, UK Applications!

[dcooper]

So..... they emailed you on Sept 29th to confirm they'd received your application. Did you email them first?

Do you know why your sponsor approval took so long?

Ecas seems to be messed up fpr lots of people with the dates in the wrong order. If sponsor approval was Oct 25th, then London will have receive your application around beginning November.

Confusing.

yeh, a little confusing. I just assumed the email on the 29th of Sept was to let us know when theyd acknowledged that they had received the application.. ie: they know they got it on the 20th July but didnt get around to letting us know that til they began looking at the sponsor application on the 29th Sept.. thats my sort of wonky logic anyway... and yes I figured London would have sort of end of Oct+time it takes to get to London VO.. Hoping, November +2 and a bit months means we'll know something around end of Jan 2012..

I'm going to give CIC a call about this recent bulletin to see whether it means I dont need to send a passport in.

I get the impression from a few people here that they are doing the same thing we're thinking about but I'm a little nervous about - We are thinking of going [back] to Canada to stay with my fiances parents in late January, me on a visitor visa, whilst we wait for the PR visa to be completed. Is this a horrendous idea?

 

[Schintz]

Hello! Just wanted to say thank you all for your very helpful posts - I've been creeping this forum for a few months now, gleaning all sorts of useful information.

I was hoping to contribute to the spread sheet, as we are finding it incredibly encouraging; genius idea! Please could someone point me in the direction of how to do so?

Bit of background - I'm born & bred in Canada, but have been living in the UK with my British husband for five and a half years, during which time I have become a British citizen. Our times so far have been:

App sent: 26 Aug 2011
App received: No idea, didn't get confirmation!
Sp. Approval: 9 November 2011 (received by post today - don't know why it wasn't emailed)

 

[alasken]

It's tough to say why it takes a certain time to process - I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the office, to see what's happening in there!

Yeah, I'm in Canada already, as a visitor between a working holiday visa and my PR. We live in Winnipeg. Looked at FedEx but my quote came to over $100! Whereas the nice lady at the post office can get it there tracked in 5 days for about $60. Am even toying with just sending registered mail, as it's about $25 and might get there in a week. With Christmas looming, I figure I might get caught up in it and not get my passport back before the new year anyway. Funny how much more laid back I feel now I've got that email!!

And I echo what TGR says, this forum has been a real lifeline. Thanks everyone, esp PinkLady (the unofficial guardian angel of this thread) x

Congrats! What the nice lady at the post office probably didn't tell you though is that Canada post will not track your package after it leaves Canada. I've already received my passport back and landed, but my Canada Post tracking of my passport still doesn't say it has arrived in London. It only says "international item left Canada". So be aware that you won't know what's going on with your passport once it leaves the country if you use Canada Post.

 

[dcooper]

Crikey - just got an email from London VO saying:

Dear Applicant,

Your application has reached the final stage of processing. Please follow the instructions in the attached letter carefully. Your file number is indicated in the subject line of this email. It is a 'F' followed by 9 digits.

Unless your passport or the passport of one of your accompanying family members (if any) expires on an earlier date, your permanent resident visa(s) will all expire on 2012/05/15.

eCAS hasnt been updated yet - stupid question but does this mean the application was successful?? The attached letter basically says send in some photos and my passport. It doesnt say specifically anywhere that its been approved but I'm assuming... (and I dont like to assume!)... anyone??

And whats the deal with the PR visa expiring on the 15/05/2012?? Then what happens? Doesnt sound very permanent to me.... again, sorry if these questions are stupid... just sort of, panicked!

 

[dcooper]

oh - im guessing its 1 year after my medical exam. So do I just get another medical in Canada or something..?

 

[vic.aj]

Thats your PPR... The date on the letter indicates the deadline by which you must arrive in Canada! Youre sorted, now get your passport sent off!

 

[vic.aj]

Whichever comes first, date of medical or expiry of passport... but thats very good news you have there, your application has been approved!

 

[dcooper]

Whichever comes first, date of medical or expiry of passport... but thats very good news you have there, your application has been approved!

sweeeeeeet!

So even stupider (if thats a word) question then, I assumed all this expiry passport stuff was the actual length of the permanent residence visa.. not the expiry of the 'how long I've got before I have to enter canada' bit.. So does that mean the visa that I'll get back from the London VO has no expiry date on? So, like, this is it..?

 

[vic.aj]

The visa you recieve from London will have the date on it.. that is the date you recieved in that email.. when you arrive in Canada, you will get your PR card after 6-8weeks... this card is permanent... well until you become a canadian citizen.... So basically you have to arrive in Canada before the date in your email as it cannot be renewed!

 

[dcooper]

The visa you recieve from London will have the date on it.. that is the date you recieved in that email.. when you arrive in Canada, you will get your PR card after 6-8weeks... this card is permanent... well until you become a canadian citizen.... So basically you have to arrive in Canada before the date in your email as it cannot be renewed!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[pinklady]

As vic.aj said, the visa they put in your passport is a one time entry visa. You have to have 'landed' in Canada before the expiry date on the visa (which is one year from the date of your medical or expiry of your passport). When you land, they will go through the paperwork with you (When london send your passport back they will also send a COPR - confirmation of permanent residence) and you will provide a Canadian address which your permanent resident card will be sent to. The card is valid for around 5 years before you need to renew it. No more medicals are required.

Congratulations, thats just fantastic news though!!

So the email on Sept 29th, what did it say? Was it your sponsor approval?

 

[dcooper]

As vic.aj said, the visa they put in your passport is a one time entry visa. You have to have 'landed' in Canada before the expiry date on the visa (which is one year from the date of your medical or expiry of your passport). When you land, they will go through the paperwork with you (When london send your passport back they will also send a COPR - confirmation of permanent residence) and you will provide a Canadian address which your permanent resident card will be sent to. The card is valid for around 5 years before you need to renew it. No more medicals are required.

Congratulations, thats just fantastic news though!!

So the email on Sept 29th, what did it say? Was it your sponsor approval?

Thanks and thank you for the clarification, that helps a lot

The email on the 29th said:

UCI: xxxxxxxx
Application No.: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Quote these numbers when corresponding with our office.

This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxx,

This confirms that your application for permanent residence in Canada has been received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on 2011/07/20.


and then had a load of links to how to check the online status and stuff..

Pretty weird email. We'd not contacted them requesting that email or anything!

Anyway, all in the past now I hope. We'll get the passport off pronto

 

[pinklady]

Yep!!
Great news though, you must be thrilled!

 

[dcooper]

We are indeed! Thanks to everyone for the help and guidance. What a relief!!

Feel free to update the spreadsheet Pinklady and thanks to you all !

 

[pinklady]

I was hoping to contribute to the spread sheet, as we are finding it incredibly encouraging; genius idea! Please could someone point me in the direction of how to do so?

Hey!
Welcome to the London group
I have now added you to the spreadsheet. I try and keep on top of all the updates but please feel free to let me know if i've missed something!
Good luck!
Pinklady