Application timeline and process question

[afolkl]

Hi,

My wife and I live in the US. She's Canadian, I'm American. We sent our PR Family Class application to CPC-Mississauga at the end of March. I'm wondering what happens now? Do we receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt from CPC-M, or will the first contact we have with them be when they approve or deny her sponsorship application? And, when will our application be viewable on the electronic tracker system? I have a receipt number from the fees we payed when we sent in the application, but this number is not linked to anything on the electronic system.

Finally, when I look at CIC's estimated processing times, I see that they're "Currently processing applications arrived Feb 17th" (as of today), and that the average processing time is 65 days. Does that mean that I should expect 65 days from the end of March (when I submitted it) or 65 days from whenever they start processing it (which will likely turn into well more than 65 days)?

I guess I'm just feeling nervous- I don't like waiting in limbo and I'm confused with respect to how CIC gets in touch with people, and how fast the applications actually move along.

Any help appreciated,


Alex

 

[AllisonVSC]

Hi Alex,

Here are a couple things from my experience...I assume you are going outland through Buffalo

AOR...I did not receive an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) from CPC-M, but I sent my app registered with signature required. Our first contact was approval of the sponsor which we got by postal mail about a month later (we applied in Aug 09...processing times seem a bit longer now). When our file was transfered to Buffalo I did not get an AOR then either.

E-CAS...I also tried using my fee receipt number to view the e-cas status, but it was not linked as you say. The letter of sponsorship approval contained our client ID number and once we received it I was able to access e-cas, but all it ever showed was "in process." Even when I received the passport request e-cas still showed in process. After I landed I checked e-cas out of curiosity and it didn't change to "decision made" for several more days.

I know you are anxious, believe me (insert the been there, done that... t-shirt comment), but there is nothing that worrying about timelines will do now except drive you mad. When you get your sponsor approval letter try e-cas again. Then after that, I suggest only checking e-cas on a weekly basis. I vaguely remember reading they only update e-cas on a weekly basis, if at all, anyway. In the meantime, get out and enjoy yourself and the short time you have left in the US. If you need something else to do, start thinking about packing and documenting the goods you will be bringing with you.

And processing times are just that...average time it takes to process the application. It does not include the time it sits in a stack waiting to be opened. Best wishes for a speedy and easy process. Allison

 

[afolkl]

So, I should wait until I see "Now processing applications received March-whatever (whatever the date was it was received; I don't remember off the top of my head)" and add 65 days to that? That sucks. But I see people posting on here who say their applications were approved in something like a month from when they sent it in. So, is it random?

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

 

[AllisonVSC]

Probably the one month approval is for sponsorship which people celebrate as a milestone in the process. The whole process for me took just less than three months ~ 1 month for sponsorship, 2 months in Buffalo.

65 days in an average processing time; so some are processed quicker and some take longer. The cic website posts processing times here
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//information/times/international/05-fc-spouses.asp#west

If you click on the link for Americas you will see that for Buffalo (for example) 30% of the applications are finalized within 3 months; 80% are finalized within 10 months. Processing times seems to depend on how complicated your situation is, how complete the application is and/or whether or not you will have to be interviewed.

 

[bantaloni]

Hi Alex,

Yes I am also confused by the 62 days wait. As I have read from most people, it took them about a month to get confirmation from cpc. Now, its 2 months!!! What luck... I thought the wait would be in the outland visa office but I thought ithe cpc part would be processed efficiently. Its been 40 days for me and still no response.

I am early in the process and I am already starting to get frustrated. I sometimes wonder what I pay so much taxes for. When you need service from the government, it takes them forever. Whether its medical care, immigration, etc..

Anway, good luck to us all.

 

[afolkl]

Just thought I'd update this and say that my wife's sponsorship application was approved in ~4 weeks (much faster than anticipated) and my application is now in Buffalo. So, apparently CIC's estimated timetables aren't set in stone.

 

[bantaloni]

Hi Alex,

I dont understand. you say that it was processed in 4 weeks? When did you get your confirmation letter? After 4 weeks? Can you elaborate plz?

 

[canadabanf]

Does anyone know if passport request(spousal sponsorship) can be done only by mail or i can take passport in person to visa office?

 

[afolkl]

I mean, I mailed the application packet to CPC-M on like April 6th, and I got a letter in the first week of May saying that the sponsorship application had been approved and the application for permanent residence was on its way to Buffalo.

 

[bantaloni]

Okay so cpc did process your app within a month range. Mine was received on April 9th and still no response. Arghhh..

 

[AllisonVSC]

Does anyone know if passport request(spousal sponsorship) can be done only by mail or i can take passport in person to visa office?

If you are going through Buffalo I know that you can do either one. I choose to take my passport to the visa office in person.

 

[canadabanf]

If you are going through Buffalo I know that you can do either one. I choose to take my passport to the visa office in person.

.Thanks for your reply.does that mean that i will get my passport stamped and visa same day
? my wife had a long wait through post for her pr visa!

 

[AllisonVSC]

When you go in person, you will want to plan to be at the Buffalo office before it opens. There is a queue in the lobby and a lot of people will be there (some for interviews, some to get visas, some for other business too, I think). You will be escorted by security to the office in small groups and then sorted based on the purpose of your visit. They will put a sticker in your passport and give you a COPR (certificate of PR) and some other papers which takes an hour or two. You will also have to wait a few hours until the computers are updated at the border. Then you can cross back to Canada and land. Be sure to take your form for declaring your goods with customs after you land.

 

[sbwv09]

When do they open in Buffalo? Did you have to talk to the US customs people first?

 

[AllisonVSC]

It is open to public Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. Closed Wednesday. No, you don`t have to talk to US customs first. Why do you ask?