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Why are these Visa applications taking so long to process?

DanMac

Member
Jun 18, 2014
16
0
I'd be interested to know if anyone knows the reasons why the Entrepreneur class visa are taking so long to process for UK applicants.
I made my initial application in February 2010, the payment receipt and acknowledgement letter I received in March 2010 stated that the approx processing time would be 12 to 18 months.
I had no correspondence from CIC until March this year (2014) in which they gave me 90 days to complete and return all the required forms and documents.
This correspondence also states not to expect any further contact for 6 to 12 months, and I still have no idea if my application process has even begun yet as the CIC website does not yet recognise my file number. The CIC website also state the estimated processing time to be 95 months.

Is this really the length of time people are expected to wait for a visa if accepted?

I was 33 years old when I first applied - considering the 4 years I've already waited and the further 8 years estimated processing time puts me at around 45 years old if I ever get it!

I mean - Really? 12 years wait for a Visa...........
 

sckel

Star Member
Mar 20, 2011
107
2
Category........
Visa Office......
Port of Spain Trinidad
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20/09/2007
Doc's Request.
12/12/2011
AOR Received.
15/10/2007
Med's Request
12/11/13
Med's Done....
16/12/13
Passport Req..
26/2/14
VISA ISSUED...
27/3/14
LANDED..........
12/4/14
Hi DanMac, did you apply federal entrepreneur? if so and they have requested those documents in March 2014 you may want to consider pushing to get them in. Not sure if you are aware but there is a bill before parliament that once passed (and it is expected to be passed shortly) will see all fed entrepreneur applications being cancelled and the applicants being refunded their fees (similar to what was done with the Skilled Worker class). However applications that have reached a certain stage in the process will be completed.

FYI, I had applied in 2007, did my meds in December 2013 and got my visa in March 2014. Also not that the posted processing times are from the date that you first put in your application so the eight years would be from 2010.
 

Lubs64

Star Member
Sep 12, 2010
67
5
Hi DanMac,

I applied for the Federal Entrepreneur visa through London, I got my AOR in June 2009. When I applied average processing time was 30 - 36 months.

In 2011 London took over the processing of Business Visa application from Islamabad, Pakistan. All applications were put in a queue, oldest first, processing times then started to shoot up.
Are you sure you're not mistaken about your 12 to 18 months processing time?
Did you make the initial application yourself or through an agent?
If you have had a document request (90 day letter) then you are doing well. As sckel says you better get a move on with the documents as all federal entrepreneur application are about to be cancelled.
Lubs64
 

DanMac

Member
Jun 18, 2014
16
0
Hi sckel - the Visa I've applied for is Business class, self employed which I believe is part of the Investor/entrepreneur series of visa's, I may be wrong on that though. However, the visa I've applied for is definitely as stated above.

Hi Lubs - it clearly states on my acknowledgement letter that the processing time is estimated 12 to 18 months, but I did see those estimation times rise when checking my status on the CIC website. I made the initial application directly - no agents and the second lot of paperwork have been submitted.
 

noosh

Full Member
Mar 13, 2014
48
0
Category........
Visa Office......
Nairobi
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-08-2008 SAP
Doc's Request.
22-04-2013
AOR Received.
26-08-2008
Med's Request
14-03-2014
Med's Done....
20-03-2014
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
14-03-2014
VISA ISSUED...
05-06-2014
LANDED..........
23-06-2014
DanMac said:
Hi sckel - the Visa I've applied for is Business class, self employed which I believe is part of the Investor/entrepreneur series of visa's, I may be wrong on that though. However, the visa I've applied for is definitely as stated above.
Hi DanMac,
yes you applied for the business class, but do you remember if your application was under Federal or for Quebec? That's the biggest concern right now, as the other members are trying to point out; federal pending applications are being terminated.

Either way, the estimated processing time on the website is not that reliable, neither is the check your application status tool (it is updated rarely and slowly). Estimated times at the time I applied, plus the letter of acknowledgement quoted 34 months but it actually took 72 months. It is quite a slow journey, and unfortunately CIC can change their rules any time while you wait.
 

XpressEnterprise

Hero Member
May 21, 2014
603
68
Montreal, Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Islamabad, PK (old)
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
03-01-2008
Doc's Request.
21-02-2012
Nomination.....
13-07-2007 (Investor)
AOR Received.
19-08-2008
IELTS Request
Waived
File Transfer...
20-04-2011 (London, UK)
Med's Request
29-08-2012 / 29-03-2014
Med's Done....
05-10-2012 / 20-06-2014
Interview........
01-12-2010 (Damascus, Syria)
Passport Req..
21-02-2012 (PPR1) / 15-10-2014 (PPR1 with chart) / 17-11-2014 (PPR2)
VISA ISSUED...
17-11-2014 (Received on 01-01-2015)
LANDED..........
12-04-2015 (PR Card : 09-07-2015)
There is still some confusion about Federal applications too. Those who have been selected for processing already will not be affected by C-31 bill, but I'm not sure. That's what I've heard. can someone please verify this?
 

DanMac

Member
Jun 18, 2014
16
0
Yes it was under Federal, not Quebec. I've scoured the net for info and find it hard to get any solid info' on what's actually going on. I would have thought that considering how many peoples lives are in limbo at the moment, information from the relevant departments would be a little more fourth coming.
 

noosh

Full Member
Mar 13, 2014
48
0
Category........
Visa Office......
Nairobi
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-08-2008 SAP
Doc's Request.
22-04-2013
AOR Received.
26-08-2008
Med's Request
14-03-2014
Med's Done....
20-03-2014
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
14-03-2014
VISA ISSUED...
05-06-2014
LANDED..........
23-06-2014
DanMac, the realiable information for this termination is mostly found on CIC's website, plus the parliament's website that showed the progress for the bill that proposes the end of the programs. In case you haven't read the last post, from yesterday, bill-31 is now the law, and CIC announced pending applications have been terminated and fees will be refunded, with the exception of 2 cases:

1) If prior to 11-Feb-2014, you have passed the selection criteria for your program, then your application will continue to be processed.
2) If your application has been finalized before enactment date of bill-31, i.e. before yesterday.

Anyways, you might want to read my post in this forum "termination of federal investor/entrepreneur category", it has details of the relevant information. CIC will be informing each applicant on whether their application has been terminated or not based on the selection criteria passing and date.