Bryanna, Need help !! TRV for an IEEE Conference

[adityassripada]

I am attending an IEEE Conference with a special event code as IROS17, happening in Canada from 24th September. I have submitted my documents to the VFS Global in Chennai on 21st August and the website says that my application is under process. I booked a flight that departs on 21st September. I've provided all the necessary documents. I have been to the US twice in the last 2 years and I have a valid US B1/B2 visa till 2025. I have attached the copies of my passport stamps and visa along with the application. I am now worried if I will get my visa before the time I would have to leave, that is on 21st September. If possible, can I ask the embassy to process my application in the CAN+ Category ? I am extremely worried. Please help me out.
Thanks in Advance.

 

[Bryanna]

It's somewhat late to request for CAN+ processing.

Would you be visiting the US before/after your IEEE conference?

 

[adityassripada]

I'm not going to US after the conference. I just meant to say that I've been to the US Twice, so may be I'm eligible for CAN+. I am worried, because it is one of the greatest robotics conferences and publishing my work in it will have a huge impact on my grad school application. I can't miss this opportunity. My whole future depends on it. What are my chances of getting visa before 21st September ?

 

[Bryanna]

I'm not going to US after the conference. I just meant to say that I've been to the US Twice, so may be I'm eligible for CAN+. I am worried, because it is on of the greatest robotics conferences and it will have a lot of impact in my grad school application. I can't miss this opportunity. My whole future depends on it.

I asked if you're going to the US before/after the conference because that could have become a reason for the visa office to expedite processing your application.

Nonetheless, you can email the visa office + scan your US visa and entry stamps.... and request for a faster decision.

I think you will get a decision pretty quickly. You can also try linking your paper application to your MyCIC account to get a better idea of your processing

 

[adityassripada]

I am not going to the US after the conference, unfortunately. I have submitted the visa copy and the entry stamps copy along with my application. I have linked the paper application to the MyCIC account, it says the application is under process. I will mail the visa office too.

 

[Bryanna]

I am not going to the US after the conference, unfortunately. I have submitted the visa copy and the entry stamps copy along with my application. I have linked the paper application to the MyCIC account, it says the application is under process.

Then there's nothing else you can do currently but to wait.

Try not to panic or get worried. I would hit the panic button mid-September. There's plenty of time

 

[adityassripada]

Few other guys from a different university got visas for the same conference in 15 days when they applied in July, My friend who applied on 8th August still has his status as under process. I'm very scared

Would mailing the visa office help ?

 

[adityassripada]

And thanks a lot Bryanna
It's so nice of you.

 

[Bryanna]

Few other guys from a different university got visas for the same conference in 15 days when they applied in July, My friend who applied on 8th August still has his status as under process. I'm very scared

Every application is unique. So don't go by the visa processing times taken for your friends' apps.

Would mailing the visa office help ?

It won't hurt to email the Bangalore visa office and request for CAN+ or expedited processing. You can include the US visa and entry stamps again just to emphasize that your application is a CAN+ one

 

[adityassripada]

Will do that. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[adityassripada]

Dear Bryanna,
This is the reply I received from the consulate:

Due to exceptionally high volumes of applications, our processing times are longer than usual. In the interests of fairness, applications are processed in the order in which they are received, thus we are unable to accommodate your request for expedited processing.

Tell me what I should do now
I am very scared.

 

[Bryanna]

Dear Bryanna,
This is the reply I received from the consulate:

Due to exceptionally high volumes of applications, our processing times are longer than usual. In the interests of fairness, applications are processed in the order in which they are received, thus we are unable to accommodate your request for expedited processing.

Tell me what I should do now
I am very scared.

This is a standard reply which is normally given when the processing time has not crossed the estimates posted on the IRCC website.

There's nothing you can do but to wait. Don't get scared. You still have two weeks to go. You can send another email next week

Don't worry

 

[syedahraza]

@Bryanna . My TRV was approved after applying from within Canada. Submitted my passport on 5th Sep and received it back on 8th Sep with multiple visa till next year May. It gives me ample time to finalize my PR application.

Thanks Bryanna for your help.

 

[adityassripada]

Hello Bryanna,

I have requested the event organizers to help me out. The organizer has mailed the consulate. His mail is as follows:
Dear Officers of the Bangalore Canadian Consulate,

We humbly request that you expedite the issuance of visas for the following individuals, who are members of the SRM HRC Team Humanoid robotics team from Kattankulathur, India, slated to compete in the Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Vancouver, BC on September 24-28. On behalf of the entire organizing committee, including Prof. Hong Zhang of the University of Alberta (Program Chair), Prof. Richard Vaughan of Simon Fraser University (Program Co-Chair), myself and Prof. Daniel Lee of the University of Pennsylvania (Competition Co-Chairs), and the competition organizer, Prof. Yu Sun of the University of South Florida, we hope you will consider our request and process their applications in time for the team to attend IROS 2017. We have confirmed their registrations at the competition and provided supporting letters for their application, please let us know if there is anything further we can do.

http://iros2017.org/competitions/2nd-robotic-grasping-and-manipulation-competition

https://www.facebook.com/srmteamhumanoid/

Sincerely,

Steven Waslander

Competition Co-Chair, IROS 2017

Associate Professor, University of Waterloo

http://wavelab.uwaterloo.ca


Will this be of any help ?

 

[adityassripada]

Hello @Bryanna

It's 15th already, I have my travel scheduled in less than a week. I am representing my country at the event, it would be so disheartening if I don't make it to the event. I got the co-chair of the committee to mail the embassy and he did that yesterday. I would like to know what I should do next ? Is it a good idea to mail the embassy ? Or submit a case specific enquiry ? Does the consulate even read the mails they receive ? Please Please Please kindly help me out.