88 days doesn't start until they open the application?

[DCGelfling]

How do you know that? She was emphatic about it...

For one thing, look at any of the spreadsheets here. The historical data doesn't support the idea that it will take forever for them to open the file, and then an additional forever to make a decision on the sponsor.

 

[kaede1977]

Also, wonder if they take into account the date of the medical when opening packages...according to the CIC website, the medical is valid only for a year and must be landed within that year. My husband had his medical back in Feb but we didnt send out application til April due to having to wait for the Option C printout, police certificates etc...according to the London office, it takes 7-9 months to process, which would be cutting it quite close-hoping we hear good news before that, we sure dont wanna have to pay 300euro for another medical!!!

 

[mc1234]

Also, wonder if they take into account the date of the medical when opening packages...according to the CIC website, the medical is valid only for a year and must be landed within that year. My husband had his medical back in Feb but we didnt send out application til April due to having to wait for the Option C printout, police certificates etc...according to the London office, it takes 7-9 months to process, which would be cutting it quite close-hoping we hear good news before that, we sure dont wanna have to pay 300euro for another medical!!!

300 euro?! Yikes. You raise a very good point.

 

[kaede1977]

300 euro?! Yikes. You raise a very good point.

Yep, unfortunately thats the going rate here in Dublin Ireland on the list of qualified medical practitioners on the CIC website

 

[cms418]

CMS, what was the processing time for sponsor approval at the time you submitted your application?

I think 54 days

 

[canadianwoman]

The agents at the call center don't always know what they are talking about. If you call several times with the same question, you will get different answers.
If it really took 88 days from when they opened the application, then the average time to get approved for sponsorship would be about double what it is. And it certainly doesn't take 60 days for an officer to look over the sponsor's application and approve it or not. That 60 days includes time waiting.

And the sponsor does not have to submit a police check from the RCMP with the application. During the background check the gov't will do their own.
Maybe she got the inland and outland procedures and timelines mixed up?

 

[torroloco]

I'm sure it's been said already, but in a nutshell, the processing time displayed on the CIC website for outland applications is accurate and up to date. What it means is that it will take about that long for them to get to an application, review it and react to it (make a decision). Following that the sponsor will receive a letter with the decision (which takes a few days depending where in Canada it goes).

As for medicals, they are valid for a year since they were taken. It is wise, if you're close to their expiry, to redo them before they ask (saves time). They will only issue a visa if they think it's reasonable that you will land before the medicals expire. In fact the visa will have the same expiration date (ours did).

Good luck to all,

torro

 

[tintin79]

Cic received my app Oct 31 and I was approved as a sponsor on Dec 28. For the medical I do agree you should do it over to avod any longer processing. With immigration you're mind will go crazy but it's all about patience. And sponsor do not need police check, we live in Canada so we don't need to be that deeply investigated.

Don't call CIC for advice, theyre all idiots.

 

[podkayne8]

When we phoned they said it was from days received. But who knows. Honestly, I think the call centers agents know about as much as we do..lol (meaning not alot) about this process.

From the way my application was handled I am pretty sure they opened it & approved it the very same day. We had called just a few days before my approval and they had no record of us in the system yet. I think it probably depends on the individual application - ours was very straightforward, we included the option c and everything. I am sure others take longer. This whole process is incredibly frustrating. My husband was amazed we actually had to send in all this paper stuff and couldn't do most of it online/electronically.

 

[Sweetmine]

I have had the same experience with CIC agents as well. I was given different answer by different agents. It is true that some of them are not very knowledgeable, they give misleading info, but there are others who can be very helpfull.
The processing time is from the time they receive the application. I also think that it does not take long for them to finalize a sponsorship application once they open the application.
From my experience, i sent my application to Mississauga in Oct. 2010 when the processing time was about 35-38 days. It took them about 28 days to get to my application and it seems as if they made the decision the same day.

 

[canadiangirl78]

The truth lies in the spreadsheets. The agents give conflicting advice and some are dumb. It's days since the app arrived. They're usually approved same day. The website even says number of days since app was RECEIVED.

 

[GOGOGO]

Here is my timeline I deduced from my GCMS notes:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/thread-for-outland-buffalo-applicants-t41886.0.html;msg1418456#msg1418456

Note: I filed in September 2011. It took them 3 months from receiving my application to first opened my file, and just 1 day to approve the sponsorship.

 

[canadiangirl78]

Interesting!!

 

[englishmaninCAN]

It starts from the time its received. For instance these are the times for my application.

It was sent on 12th January 2012
It was received on 13th January (according to Canada post)
Rang up multiple times to check if it had been opened in March as had no confirmation, finally got confirmation it had been opened by call centre around 19th March
Sponsorship was approved 5th April (I got my ecas details which allowed me to login)
Login shows Applicaton was received by CPC-M 16th January

Call centre agents told me about 2-4 weeks from when its opened to decison for sponsorship.

From official application received to approval was 80 days.

 

[Lemondrop78]

Another thing she told me that through me was that I might need to get a police clearance from the RCMP. She said it's a possibility. I never saw anything about that in the guide.

It seems that no one from the Canadian government can provide definitive answers...

FS

Oh gosh, I hope not. The sponsorer or the sponsored?