19 in-Canada CIC offices closing; all front counters closed (appt only now)

[OhCanadiana]

Well, folks, (Bulletin 431) announced the closures of19 in-Canada CIC offices and the closure of all front counters (services will be by appointment only going forward)

"Operational Bulletin 431 - June 1, 2012
In-Canada Office Closures and the Elimination of Front Counter Service
Issue

To provide information on the closure of 19 local Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offices and the elimination of front counter service at domestic CIC offices across Canada as of June 1, 2012.
Background

Effective June 1, 2012, the following offices are closed: Kelowna, Nanaimo, Prince George, Victoria, Lethbridge, Regina, Barrie, Kingston, Oshawa, Sault Ste-Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Gatineau, Québec, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Saint John, Moncton, and Charlottetown.

In addition, local CIC offices across Canada that remain open will no longer provide front counter service and clients will only have access to these offices by appointment. Signs have been posted at all offices inviting clients to access CIC services through CIC’s website or by contacting CIC’s Call Centre.

CIC continues to explore with partners measures to provide service to clients in remote areas, including directed interviews, video conferencing and itinerant services."

For further details on where files are being transferred see the table at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2012/ob431.asp

 

[Zouk Princesse]

I guess they're trying to cut back on operating expenses. If they redeploy staff to other VOs and speed up processing times, then it's all good.

 

[PMM]

Hi

I guess they're trying to cut back on operating expenses. If they redeploy staff to other VOs and speed up processing times, then it's all good.

Except most the staff will be getting "pink slips" the jobs aren[t being transferred.

 

[oreidapennsyltucky]

I'm so glad to be most of the way through the process at this point. For US-Canadian couples, it looks like it's going to be a tough decision in the future about where to live (from an ease of immigration standpoint).

 

[Zouk Princesse]

Hi


Except most the staff will be getting "pink slips" the jobs aren[t being transferred.

Well then that's just sad

 

[parker24]

This is getting ANNOYING!

The one in Kingston was open two hours a day, THAT'S IT! And my husband and I had to go there to get a receipt because they lost ours in the mail.

Oh my word I need some sort of stress management. We were going to go to Kingston(That being Kingston, Ontario) to get his COPR but obviously that ain't gonna work.

Thank you CIC, for all the damn stress ??? :-X :-\ :'( (All my emotions right now)