VIENNA OFFICE

[mimosa86]

How would you guys feel if your Step 1 took almost 3 months AND it has nothing to do with missing documents. They just opened my envelope supposedly... Like Vienna Processing times is the least of my problems right now... I don't know anyone else who with the RIGHT forms took 3 months locally... What an addition to my timeline... Just venting.

 

[Krinkle]

Hi Folks--we landed yesterday at Trudeau!

Good luck to all those of you going through Vienna: they seem to have really picked up the pace.

 

[jagoda83]

How would you guys feel if your Step 1 took almost 3 months AND it has nothing to do with missing documents. They just opened my envelope supposedly... Like Vienna Processing times is the least of my problems right now... I don't know anyone else who with the RIGHT forms took 3 months locally... What an addition to my timeline... Just venting.

Hello,
I suggest you call the call centre and find out the status of your application. I have never received the sponsorship approval and when i called i found out that I was approved as a sponsor and my husband's application was already in Vienna. I called again to receive the official approval, they promised they will send it but i never received it.
I only got the initial email where they told me my file number and UCI.
I hope the same is for you too!

 

[chris1302]

hey guys are there any Croatians out?
Can anyone tell me what are the wait times approx for approval, from start to finish?

 

[b4roness]

hey guys are there any Croatians out?
Can anyone tell me what are the wait times approx for approval, from start to finish?

Croat right here. I applied late Jan. 2014, and on Dec. 01, 2014 i received an email that they require me to come in for an interview. That's pretty quick, considering that the posted wait times were about 17 months just to begin processing. I waited only a month for the AOR.
My interview is in a week. I have a slightly more complicated case than most so I gotta deal with that mess.

P.S. Does anyone have any experience suing or filing a reimbursement claim with FedEx? Some third party in Croatia, called Schenker d.o.o., supposedly takes over the delivery process for FedEx, and are charging me an additional $100 CAD for using THEIR (Schenker) services. Absolutely ridiculous. (still better than Canada Post lol, who have lost our stuff three times already)

 

[chris1302]

I thought the whole process would take up to a year? where is your interview? are you in canada but applying outland?
You should try DHL in croatia, not sure who they work with in canada but they are good.

 

[b4roness]

Hi Baroness. Please tell me your spouse visited already being passport exempt? Nothing can be more complicated than going to Croatia or Bosnia for 8 days at a time as a working Canadian because your spouse cannot visit yet has more free time... I hope you ace that interview.

Q: After AOR Feb 19, how long did step 1 decision take? Same email or separate? I heard it used to be in the same email.

I know. If i had a chance to visit and stay a few weeks or months at a time, THERE'S REALLY NO HARM IN IT TO CIC! I am a visitor, i follow visitor rules, no work permit, no schooling. I just wanna be with my hubbs!!! The system is messed up.

Nope he couldn't visit because he didn't apply for the PR in early 2013, because the TTC called him for an interview and said the process may take a few months to process so he shouldn't budge (lady interviewer said that), so after the initial interview with the TTC, and wait time before they replied that there is nothing else available within 2013 and to reapply in 2014, that's when he went to take out his PR card (plus, the winter season at his job has him working 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week for a period of 4 months or so. It's insane...)

He finally applied for the PR in Dec. 2013, and since then has had HELL with CIC. They lost his app more than a handful of times, and just recently, in October 2014, returned the ENTIRE PR app because one of their workers lost the photocopy of his passport (which was in there, because a previous CIC worker looked over the app and made sure it was whole! RIDICULOUS.) He called CIC a few weeks ago, and guess what... they have no idea where the app is.... again....

So, nope, he couldn't visit. Because of human error. It's ironic how it's CIC's fault. He was supposed to visit during spring of 2014, that's when the season dies down at his job, and he has 6 weeks stacked up to take off, paid vacation. Hasn't been on a vacation since he started at that job in 2011. I'm sure that Vienna can very easily verify all this within their own systems. It's all online.

Thank you for the well wishes! I'm praying I ace it too =D
In other words, I hope I do all the talking because I have a heck of a timeline to spit out, they may find it amusing lol. Hope I have a nice officer.

 

[b4roness]

I thought the whole process would take up to a year? where is your interview? are you in canada but applying outland?
You should try DHL in croatia, not sure who they work with in canada but they are good.

Unfortunately I'm in Croatia. I'm like a hermit here LOL. Long story.
My interview is on Jan. 22. I gotta find my way around Vienna. I don't even know how to say 'hello' in German... this shall be fun.
OMG I wish we'd used DHL, this is ridiculous. I don't even speak Cro well enough to comprehend wtf that Austrian shipping company was asking for. Hubby is filing a complaint with FedEx today to reimburse third party costs which he said are not mentioned on any forms he signed.
I just want this nightmare to end.

 

[b4roness]

Woah you have 60 posts. You must be deep in the process. I always wonder if there are actual insiders/employees chiming in on here. Not saying you are, just made me think how up close and personal we all get... Looking at my timeline they'd know my UCI right away I'd say...

LOL I'm actually kind HOPING that Vienna and CIC are listening in on the fun!
They need to know the depth of the crap we are put into, because of bureaucracy and bad employment politics (has anyone read that Sun article recently?)

If anything, we can consider ourselves lucky. Previous applicants that have dealt with Vienna, especially interviews, have given it quite positive feedback. I hear the officers are nice and understanding, that they don't try to twist your words around.

 

[b4roness]

Mimosa, totally forgot to answer your question, "Q: After AOR Feb 19, how long did step 1 decision take? Same email or separate? I heard it used to be in the same email. ":

Same email, if I'm understanding your question correctly. The email just stated that my hubby was approved as a sponsor and that the app was sent out to Vienna for processing.

 

[b4roness]

Can you link us? I am always in the search of CIC news.

http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2015/01/05/high_error_rate_found_in_canadas_immigration_processing.html

I'm using this as evidence against CIC in regards to them losing my husband's PR card application. No one should wait a year for it because of internal mistakes. It's not fair to us nor to our case. I hope my VO will understand that.

 

[jagoda83]

INTERVIEW SCHEDULED on 5 FEB!!!!!

Please share all the details of the interview, my husband does not speak English. They do have translator for Serbian language. We are excited but scared. We did not see each other in a year and I am hoping that will not be a problem.

Please share all the details with me so i can prepare him. I am nervous, he is not but I really want this over asap.

His medical was done in April and I hope he will not need to re-do it. Application status still says: Application Received.
Hope all of you get answers soon!

 

[verna]

INTERVIEW SCHEDULED on 5 FEB!!!!!

Please share all the details of the interview, my husband does not speak English. They do have translator for Serbian language. We are excited but scared. We did not see each other in a year and I am hoping that will not be a problem.

Please share all the details with me so i can prepare him. I am nervous, he is not but I really want this over asap.

His medical was done in April and I hope he will not need to re-do it. Application status still says: Application Received.
Hope all of you get answers soon!

hello there.
You have to confrim intreviw. and they have there somene to translate for him i have interviw on feb 17

 

[chris1302]

it seems to me that Vienna is interviewing everyone? whats up with that?
My husband applied in inland, i know its a long process but were hoping he wll get his OWP soon.
I'm follwoing the Vienna thread just in case I have to withdraw his application and apply outland. He is from Croatia, we both are.
Good luck on the interviews, hope all goes well

 

[b4roness]

INTERVIEW SCHEDULED on 5 FEB!!!!!

Please share all the details of the interview, my husband does not speak English. They do have translator for Serbian language. We are excited but scared. We did not see each other in a year and I am hoping that will not be a problem.

Please share all the details with me so i can prepare him. I am nervous, he is not but I really want this over asap.

His medical was done in April and I hope he will not need to re-do it. Application status still says: Application Received.
Hope all of you get answers soon!

I'll give you the full details, and everyone else on here, as soon as I settle down near some wifi after the interview.
=)
If his medical was done in April, then it's still valid during the interview and he'll be fine (unless the medical showed something they don't like, in that case they'll ask him to redo it.)
I wish you both all the best and God bless!