US outland applicants' thread :)

[Confused987]

What I don't understand is why some countries visa offices process application faster than Ottawa? I know Canada has to be careful with fraud but I always figured foreign documents are lot easier to forge than American documents. Also some couples are married for over five years and have kids, shouldn't those files be easier to determine if any forgery or not? I guess I always thought US citizens married to Canadian citizen wouldn't take as long as other countries.

 

[lleahdoll]

What I don't understand is why some countries visa offices process application faster than Ottawa? I know Canada has to be careful with fraud but I always figured foreign documents are lot easier to forge than American documents. Also some couples are married for over five years and have kids, shouldn't those files be easier to determine if any forgery or not? I guess I always thought US citizens married to Canadian citizen wouldn't take as long as other countries.

I think it's more about how many applications they have to go through at any particular office. I think Ottawa is quite a busy one as they take US applicants among others and also process other types of applications I believe.

 

[Ontariobat]

Thanks, Aquakitty!

Oh I had a question. I'm not 100% sure a trip will happen before I get my PR card, but I was wondering if the CoPR could be used on bus travel across the border? I was told it was for land travel so I assume that's okay.

 

[deweysmith]

Thanks, Aquakitty!

Oh I had a question. I'm not 100% sure a trip will happen before I get my PR card, but I was wondering if the CoPR could be used on bus travel across the border? I was told it was for land travel so I assume that's okay.

You would have a hard time getting on the bus without your PR Card, but since you are visa-exempt, your passport is acceptable as proof that you can enter the country, so the bus company is off the hook for your return. You should be just fine. Same goes for air.

 

[Majromax]

I guess I always thought US citizens married to Canadian citizen wouldn't take as long as other countries.

They don't. In my own case, I went from no progress to DM in under a month. From the GCMS file I received, my file had been moved to processing by the start of June but none of the checks (save for medical) had begun; I received DM on June 30. That meant that eligibility, security, and background checks all took less than that month.

Ultimately, we're down to administrative delay. From CIC's own evaluation, the department is supposed to be processing more family-class applicants with fewer resources.

With that in mind, CIC has to "touch" applications as little as possible, which is ultimately terrible news for us. It means visa-office e-mails that are usually nonresponsive, call centres that are not trained for outland applications, and visa officers that want to put applications back in a queue unless they can be rubber-stamped.

There's no personal failure or incompetence at all, but simply CIC trying to do more with less.

 

[fruitball4u]

Hey everyone,

So our ECAS updated on July 23rd to show that we had DM (stage 1) as of July 20th and it said that correspondence had been sent. We still haven't received an email - should we expect an actual letter?

I generally don't mind waiting, but unfortunately my health insurance lapsed (my work permit has expired) and according to health insurance BC they need a letter showing that my fiance has been approved to sponsor me before they can reinstate it. Just wondering whether we should start harassing CIC yet, or if the post is just really slow.

 

[rugrat907]

Hey everyone,

So our ECAS updated on July 23rd to show that we had DM (stage 1) as of July 20th and it said that correspondence had been sent. We still haven't received an email - should we expect an actual letter?

I generally don't mind waiting, but unfortunately my health insurance lapsed (my work permit has expired) and according to health insurance BC they need a letter showing that my fiance has been approved to sponsor me before they can reinstate it. Just wondering whether we should start harassing CIC yet, or if the post is just really slow.

If they have the sponsor's email, you should get something that way...but it can take a bit. I got DM two days after you and also don't have the correspondence. I'm calling on Friday if I don't have something before then.

 

[Confused987]

They don't. In my own case, I went from no progress to DM in under a month. From the GCMS file I received, my file had been moved to processing by the start of June but none of the checks (save for medical) had begun; I received DM on June 30. That meant that eligibility, security, and background checks all took less than that month.

Ultimately, we're down to administrative delay. From CIC's own evaluation, the department is supposed to be processing more family-class applicants with fewer resources.

With that in mind, CIC has to "touch" applications as little as possible, which is ultimately terrible news for us. It means visa-office e-mails that are usually nonresponsive, call centres that are not trained for outland applications, and visa officers that want to put applications back in a queue unless they can be rubber-stamped.

There's no personal failure or incompetence at all, but simply CIC trying to do more with less.

I am being impatient compared to many other people. My application was received by CIC on April 2nd. I received a SA within 30 days. I checked some on March and April threads and noticed many from Philippines and Brazil are receiving DMs within 3 to 4 months. I guess I was expecting a similar result. I wish they would hire more people in Ottawa because many people who do come to Canada are usually educated and ready to work.

 

[fruitball4u]

If they have the sponsor's email, you should get something that way...but it can take a bit. I got DM two days after you and also don't have the correspondence. I'm calling on Friday if I don't have something before then.

Yeah, we just called and spoke with some old lady that works there who refused to give any information on our application (we even told her we didn't care about an answer on whether he'd been approved or not, we just want to verify that they have in fact sent out correspondence to us) but said that they haven't sent anything yet and to wait another two weeks.

 

[msbigshot]

Just landed by car in Sarnia. Those guys made this process so easy. I was there at the border maybe 10 minutes. He spent more time typing everything into the computer. He wasn't even interested in what I was bringing in..lol, just my goods to follow. Good Luck everyone!

 

[Aquakitty]

Just landed by car in Sarnia. Those guys made this process so easy. I was there at the border maybe 10 minutes. He spent more time typing everything into the computer. He wasn't even interested in what I was bringing in..lol, just my goods to follow. Good Luck everyone!

Awesome, congratulations msbigshot! ;D

 

[lleahdoll]

Just landed by car in Sarnia. Those guys made this process so easy. I was there at the border maybe 10 minutes. He spent more time typing everything into the computer. He wasn't even interested in what I was bringing in..lol, just my goods to follow. Good Luck everyone!

Congrats!!

 

[Sunset0505]

In my case I am upset about the 9 months that our case sat and no one touched it...I read so many people reviewed their case notes and boxes got checked within a month of "in process"...Our "in process" did not appear until over a year from application received and now they are requesting meds be repeated because they expired....all the "boxes" in the case notes still say not started....I wonder what they are waiting for???...I also read that once the case goes in process should not be long...in our case that is not true...the due date is not until Sept 2015 and the call centre has advised that once they new medical is rec'd its going to take at least 6 months...So maybe March of 2016...this process is not all a bed of roses..the sad thing is my mother has Alzheimer's and not getting any better and i can't be there for her but hey CIC is working for families, not sure which families but...

 

[rugrat907]

In my case I am upset about the 9 months that our case sat and no one touched it...I read so many people reviewed their case notes and boxes got checked within a month of "in process"...Our "in process" did not appear until over a year from application received and now they are requesting meds be repeated because they expired....all the "boxes" in the case notes still say not started....I wonder what they are waiting for???...I also read that once the case goes in process should not be long...in our case that is not true...the due date is not until Sept 2015 and the call centre has advised that once they new medical is rec'd its going to take at least 6 months...So maybe March of 2016...this process is not all a bed of roses..the sad thing is my mother has Alzheimer's and not getting any better and i can't be there for her but hey CIC is working for families, not sure which families but...

The agents at the call center often don't know that much about the process itself, so I would take that 6 months comment with a grain of salt. They are always going to give outer limit timelines on the phone.

 

[Aquakitty]

In my case I am upset about the 9 months that our case sat and no one touched it...I read so many people reviewed their case notes and boxes got checked within a month of "in process"...Our "in process" did not appear until over a year from application received and now they are requesting meds be repeated because they expired....all the "boxes" in the case notes still say not started....I wonder what they are waiting for???...I also read that once the case goes in process should not be long...in our case that is not true...the due date is not until Sept 2015 and the call centre has advised that once they new medical is rec'd its going to take at least 6 months...So maybe March of 2016...this process is not all a bed of roses..the sad thing is my mother has Alzheimer's and not getting any better and i can't be there for her but hey CIC is working for families, not sure which families but...

Yea that's pretty messed up, I see LA listed on your sidebar, does that mean you've been selected for an interview?

Seems a few US/CAN apps took much longer than one would expect, but I guess this time next year we will hear the same thing about some of the 2015 apps.