Hello! New to the boards, and thought I would post my and my hubby's process so far, since it's very similar to a couple of other members on this site. Here's hoping we all hear back quickly!
Timeline:
Nov 1, 2007 - Mailed Sponsorship/PR Application.
Nov 2, 2007 - CanadaPost confirmed receipt.
Nov 29, 2007 - Sponsorship application approved. Husband's application forwarded to Buffalo for processing.
Dec 13, 2007 - Buffalo started processing PR application.
Dec 31, 2007 - Sent in application to extend visitor status.
Feb 25, 2008 - Visitor extension received, valid until February 2009.
March 3, 2008 - E-Cas update. Decision made!
March 4, 2008 - PPR in mail!
March 14, 2008 - Landed!
Welcome!!!!
welcome! hopefully we will all be hearing good news soon!
Welcome to our family. :)
PAULA!!! caught you:p hahah you can stay away just as easy as i can hahha. god we are addicts :p
Thanks for the welcome! :)
I wanted to update, additionally... when I saw that tamee had sent an email request inquiring about medicals, I did the same.
I was advised the following day that they had not received my husband's medicals, so I called the DMP to inquire, as we had completed his medicals in October. I was advised by the DMP that they were approved, but were not attached to the file. They advised me that they would be sent to Buffalo. Great, no problem, I thought. So, I replied to the email from Buffalo to thank them for letting me know, and that the medicals should be on the way to them.
Today, I got another email from Buffalo:
"The status of your file is that it has been placed in a queue awaiting the initial (paperscreening) assessment. All applications are processed according to the date on which they are received.
(PAPERSCREENING IS CURRENTLY TAKING APPROXIMATELY 10-16 WEEKS)
Once your file has been paperscreened, you will automatically receive additional information and instructions. At that time, you may also receive medical forms with instructions. Until you have received the results of the initial (paperscreening) assessment,
we cannot respond to further status checks."
Wow okay, I did not once ask for the status of the file!
A little shell-shocked after that one.
Typical Buffalo correspondence - honestly, I think those people down there thrive on non-communication! Sounds to me like they immediately assumed yours was a Skilled Worker application. I've never heard the term "paperscreened" applied to spousal aps. I know, in our case, we received within a month a letter from Buffalo stating that they had completed the initial assessment of our application and they were missing my eldest son's medical results. I contacted the DMP who said they'd been forwarded to the Regional Medical Center in Ottawa at such-and-such date. So I contacted the RMC by fax and they confirmed that they still had them, and would forward them to Buffalo. I think I sent an email to Buffalo to let them know, but I NEVER DID hear back - ever - about whether or not they got them. In fact, Buffalo never once responded to any of my (or our MP's) inquiries with anything other than a form letter saying that processing was proceeding normally and I'd hear from them in three months or whatever. In fact, processing was NOT proceeding normally and we ended up with a refusal - issued in violation of the IRPA Regulations - on Christmas Eve yet - without a word of warning and after several assurances that everything was okay!
I still think that filing an outside application is the best option for a visa-exempt national, even when they're staying in Canada during processing, but I've gotta say that Buffalo is the absolute WORST as far as power-tripping is concerned. And now it turns out that at least one of the Designated Immigration Officers making decisions on behalf of the Canadian gov't and Canadian spousal/sponsors isn't even a Canadian!!
The other correspondence was a little confusing too... it was titled, "Re: BXXXXXXX - my name(not my husband) - Permanent residence in Canada" ... I would have assumed they would use my husband's name since it's his file number and his application.
So maybe that's what it was, they just thought it was skilled worker. Still, unfortunate to hear that polite correspondence is that low a priority.
I did see your posts in regards to your refusal - sorry to see it happened, I remember saying to my hubby that getting a decision like that on Christmas Eve was awesome... then seeing your post when you got the actual letter. :( I sincerely hope your appeal goes well.
Quote:at least one of the Designated Immigration Officers making decisions on behalf of the Canadian gov't and Canadian spousal/sponsors isn't even a Canadian
Wow, really??
RobsLuv Wrote:And now it turns out that at least one of the Designated Immigration Officers making decisions on behalf of the Canadian gov't and Canadian spousal/sponsors isn't even a Canadian!!
My husband, for a while now, has toyed with the idea of applying to become a customs or immigration officer once he gets citizenship. Guess he doesn't need to wait, eh?
[url="http://www.roadtocanada.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=34377"]Welcome to the same boat!
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laeral Wrote:Thanks for the welcome! :)
I wanted to update, additionally... when I saw that tamee had sent an email request inquiring about medicals, I did the same.
I was advised the following day that they had not received my husband's medicals, so I called the DMP to inquire, as we had completed his medicals in October. I was advised by the DMP that they were approved, but were not attached to the file. They advised me that they would be sent to Buffalo. Great, no problem, I thought. So, I replied to the email from Buffalo to thank them for letting me know, and that the medicals should be on the way to them.
Today, I got another email from Buffalo:
"The status of your file is that it has been placed in a queue awaiting the initial (paperscreening) assessment. All applications are processed according to the date on which they are received. (PAPERSCREENING IS CURRENTLY TAKING APPROXIMATELY 10-16 WEEKS)
Once your file has been paperscreened, you will automatically receive additional information and instructions. At that time, you may also receive medical forms with instructions. Until you have received the results of the initial (paperscreening) assessment, we cannot respond to further status checks."
Wow okay, I did not once ask for the status of the file! A little shell-shocked after that one.
If it's really taking 10-16 weeks for Buffalo to get to initial assessments, that's quite surprising! I wouldn't have believed it a month ago, but after seeing so many people who got AOR in Dec not receive anything yet, I believe it now :( I really, really hope you guys hear something soon.
I wonder if this is why so many files are being transferred to Seattle, Detriot, LA etc.
I received a letter requesting an RCMP check 3 weeks after receiving AOR from Buffalo (letter dated December 17 I think) so I know they were at least looking at my file.
I'm hoping that they've received the RCMP report by now since it's been about 3 weeks since we submitted them.
My guess is that they verify the file when they receive it, to ensure they don't need any more information from the applicant, and then stick it in a queue. In your case TPSmitty, they wanted more information so they requested it from you then, in order not to hold up the file when they made it to you in the queue.
Only an assumption, but it seems like a logical proceeding to me. I don't think any of us who have AORs dated December 13(three or more of us on here) received any additional information or requests for information thus far...
I still can't help but get a tiny spark of hope every time I open our mailbox. Lol. Hopefully a bunch of us will hear good news soon.
I'm expecting to hear something within the 4th month after AOR. Long way to go...