To all those applying from the middle east & Pakistan DO NOT apply ONLINE

[wollyking]

All those applicants whose applications will be processed in Abu Dhabi are encouraged to only apply via VFS paper application. I am aware the requirements there are highly detailed and has higher scrutiny but trust me it's worth it because then you have your local VFS to contact the embassy and retrieve most current information.
Many people are waiting for the request to submit their passports to this particular embassy but there surely is an issue. Those who have applied through VFS are lucky to be informed upon their own request. People who have applied online are helpless & stranded because their local VFS refuses to help, I made the mistake of applying online. There is something preventing embassy to request passport even when the applications are well approved.

 

[maonaunoo87]

I am doomed. My Master's program at Queen's does not even have a defer policy. I will have to re-apply for Fall 2017 admission. I cannot believe how unfair these people could get, and with students! It appears that they only want our money.

 

[wollyking]

I am assuming you'd have applied through the online mode, which country did you apply from? I can totally imagine what you're going through.
I am in the same situation as you're in, I got acceptance at Carleton for the fall programme when I asked them to defer my admission and I was told there isn't any entry in winter semester so I'd have to reapply for the following September 2017. By chance I also had an offer for January session from Laurentian university, I am contemplating to cancel my online application and make a paper application through the local VFS.

 

[Ayyan621]

I am assuming you'd have applied through the online mode, which country did you apply from? I can totally imagine what you're going through.
I am in the same situation as you're in, I got acceptance at Carleton for the fall programme when I asked them to defer my admission and I was told there isn't any entry in winter semester so I'd have to reapply for the following September 2017. By chance I also had an offer for January session from Laurentian university, I am contemplating to cancel my online application and make a paper application through the local VFS.

when did u apply?

 

[wollyking]

June 2nd.

 

[maonaunoo87]

Yes I applied online from Pakistan on 22nd July. My friend applied online as well, 2 weeks earlier than me and she got her decision in the 2nd week of August. It was a refusal. Then she re-applied online on August 19th, and she got her decision within 10 days. Even though it was another refusal, I don't really understand how they give out decisions randomly. Do you have any idea how it works?

And yeah maybe you should go for the paper application now. Online applications are supposed to be processed faster and more efficiently but apparently offices outside of Canada cannot handle the system. I have applied online a couple of times from within Canada, and they give out decisions on time.

 

[wollyking]

That's the whole reason why I applied online online on the first place. Thinking the same logic that online takes less time because in Canada that used to be pretty quick.

 

[maonaunoo87]

Oh well, we are screwed for good I guess. Btw, I am thinking of writing to a Canadian newspaper or something regarding my experience. I will also email the liberal party about it I think. They should know how messed up their immigration system is outside of Canada. Even inside Canada the processing times for paper applications are unbelievably long. I am assuming that it all started after Express Entry was introduced. Prior to that, no application took longer than 30 days both inside and outside of Canada. And they didn't even ask for tons of documents at that time as well. It used to be a piece of cake when I was an undergrad student in Canada.

 

[wollyking]

Please do. Someone indeed needs to do something about it. It hurts, I have suffered prolonged depression since the introduction of express entry.

 

[maonaunoo87]

Yes I will, and I will voice concern from all of us who are suffering.

 

[wollyking]

I don't know why I think they don't want people to return to Canada. Or maybe due to the latest political development this visa office in particular has got fishy towards applicants. This is my worst experience with the Abu Dhabi center.

 

[maonaunoo87]

If that is the case, it is completely unfair. Btw, last year I applied for a trv when applications were still being processed in Islamabad, things were good. I got my visa in 20 days on paper application when the processing time was 72 days, and that was during August as well. I think Abu Dhabi office is now overburdened or something.

 

[wollyking]

They either need a new office in the region or shift Pakistani applications to Indian center. This is detrimental to their working efficiency. Did I tell on Tuesday I called the 1888 phone number of the CIC, since I had a Canadian phone number and an address on file the agent thought I was calling from Canada. Upon listening to my issue and verifying me taking client ID, name, DOB & country of birth he came with the news it's approved. Just when he was telling me why it hasn't yet received by mentioning some issue of the system I made a mistake of interrupting him that I called from a different country. That's where he asked me to exit the call because he can't help.

 

[wollyking]

Yes I will, and I will voice concern from all of us who are suffering.

I just emailed John McCallum about the condition of the Abu Dhabi office.

 

[maonaunoo87]

I did too. I also emailed the PM. I don't think our emails even reach these people. Their assistants probably discard them because ours must be a petty issue for them.

And yeah I read your story in another thread. It is so upsetting and stressfull to know that your application is approved but you still cannot join your classes on time. I called CIC call centre too a few days back and the agent was unable to help because of my application being processed outside of Canada. She told me to fill out the webform but we all know that it is the most useless thing there is.

The funny part is that even applicants inside of Canada are suffering from the same situation. My Program Administrator told me.

Anyway, I have lost all hope for myself. I can't take the stress anymore.