When to be concerned about family class visa correspondence

[Paulmori]

Hi Everyone,

Myself and my partner sent our application to Mississauga, ON back in late Aug for the family class sponsorship visa. We followed the checklist to a tee and paid the initial visa fees as requested, however, we have still not received any confirmation from CIC that our visa has been received.

I sent the application with everything they requested by registered post and saw it had been delivered and signed for by R Mahmood a few days later. I am worried now as I have not heard anything from them to say they have all our information and without some sort of proof I have applied for the visa I can not apply for the open work permit which I should be entitled to get. I assume that in order to be granted the open work permit I would need to include an application/case/file number as a reference point?

My current visa expires in July and its states I would need at least 6 months left on my current visa to apply for the open work permit, so time is running out quick and fast.

Does anyone have any experience as to when I can expect a reply from CIC with some sort of proof I have applied for a visa? Or is it time to think that my application has been lost?

Thanks in advance

 

[scylla]

You should have included the open work permit along with your application (i.e. as part of the same application package). Can you confirm that you applied using the inland / within Canada method? (Not outland?)

There is no rule that states you need at least 6 months on your current visa in order to apply for an open work permit.

 

[Paulmori]

Hi Scylla,

Sorry, yes it is an Inland application - I was unaware of the option of even applying for the open work permit WITH the family class visa until a few weeks ago.

I am simply unaware now as to how I should proceed? Re-apply? wait it out for another few months? etc

 

[fruitball4u]

Does anyone have any experience as to when I can expect a reply from CIC with some sort of proof I have applied for a visa? Or is it time to think that my application has been lost?

Thanks in advance

Are you referring to your family class application for permanent residence?

If so, acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) can take two-three months from when they signed for it. What happens is you mail your application, someone signs for it, it goes into a giant stack, and then takes some time for someone to enter your name and assign you an application number. For example, I mailed my application in May, they received it within a week and someone signed for it, and I did not receive an acknowledgement of receipt email until the end of June.

Have you checked your spam folder? It's quite possible that it ended up there. You could also try calling CIC to confirm whether or not you've been given AOR, though I do believe that there is a threshold you have to pass before they'll talk to you (so you don't call after two weeks and start harassing them, basically). Someone else may know the exact times on that.

 

[krishnalynn]

I've also heard from others on this site the AOR may never come and you might just receive SA.

 

[Paulmori]

Thanks for the info guys.

It has been nearly 3 months since I sent my application, but I do know that CIC have turned there attention to refugee status's and may have less focus on family class at present.

I just want the AOR and then at least I know I haven't lost all my documents and my application has a chance of being processed.

If anyone else has had this sort of delay please let me know so I know im not the only one.

 

[scylla]

You'd be better off posting your questions to the 2015 Inland thread.