Shalom1 said:
Thank you Pippin.
That is very encouraging. I am very pleased to have made the initial 1000 and hope to make it to the final ones that are successful. I actually sent it with standard post from the post office (though with delivery confirmation). I choose to land in Edmonton; though I have relatives in Toronto.
Another development: My wife applied for FSW in July 2007 and was received 1st october 2007 in Accra (Ghana) office. They started procesing since 31st Dec 2007. The status has remained "we started processing your application since 31st Dec 2007" and nothing changed. the bank notified me (after enquiry) that the Bank draft is only valid for 6 mths. I canclled it since 2008. We got a letter from them just last month saying that they could not cash the draft. Can you imagine after 3 years! I don't know if they think that bank draft has 10 years validity. In the letter, they threatened to cancel the application if another draft is not sent withing 60 days. I have sent another draft to them through DHL. Tracking from DHL website shows that it will be delivered to the visa office this morning - 8th november. I had to pay again because I don't know which will come first. besides, we have waited for so long.
Hello Shalom 1, please permit to make a few remarks/questions about your post.
First, my wife also applied for the FSW in June 2007, and received AOR in October same year( Accra visa office), and then early this year, she received a letter from Accra VO, asking if she still wanted to proceed with her application, or would want a refund of her processing fees.
If I may ask, did your wife receive an AOR?, because the rules at that time, is same as now, which is that, after an application goes through a successful completeness check, the draft would be cashed, and the AOR issued, stating the anticipated processing time. Subsequently, after say about 30 months they ask if you would want to withdraw your application and get a refund, or proceed, with no chances of recovering the processing fees again. I understand that, the next step after that, would be the actual processing stage, when they ask that you update your personal details, ie, any addition to the family, new job, added academic qualifications, etc..
We haven't heard anything from them since their last letter early this year, so I have applied post 26/6, and already have my DD cashed since 17th sept. Was considering asking her to withdraw the earlier application, but just like you mentioned, I too do not know which will come out first, so have decided to have both run concurrently.
Please if you don't mind, do share with me whatever info/updates you have on the 2007 application.
