Applications processed in Pretoria

[waitingintz]

@ Jacquevw - sorry - missed the question last time I was on - Police Checks must be dated no more than 3 months before they are submitted. So if you already submitted one and it wasn't more than 3 months old you won't need to submit another. If you do need to submit one, SA takes 6 - 8 weeks.

Also, FYI, I've been in touch with a woman who sponsored her husband through Pretoria about 4 weeks before me. They started processing Aug 4. After two weeks her husband received an email requesting additional documents and telling them their interview has been waived.

I'm trying to see the positive side that at least we know they might email so we don't have to wait on the post but of course also sucks that we haven't received anything yet. Other than the generic AOR we received Sep 28 i've heard nothing...

Now that we've got everything sent off we've really got nothing to do but wait... (well, actually everything should be on it's way to my partner's sister in SA, then on to Pretoria so no guarantees yet)

 

[waitingintz]

Hi guys

Received a letter from Pretoria saying our application has been provisionally accepted!!! (letter dated Nov 1 so you know for your timelines) Very exciting! Interview is waived but they are waiting for one police check (SA is still being impossible) AND they say they need my proof of Canadian Citizenship.

BUT I submitted my passport copy with the application so not sure where I went wrong... does it need to be notarized??? The Pretoria website has a contact form that allows attachments so I thought of trying to send it to them that way (as well as by mail) and ask at the same time if that's what they want. If you haver any suggestions for me I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[Perfect]

Hi guys

Received a letter from Pretoria saying our application has been provisionally accepted!!! (letter dated Nov 1 so you know for your timelines) Very exciting! Interview is waived but they are waiting for one police check (SA is still being impossible) AND they say they need my proof of Canadian Citizenship.

BUT I submitted my passport copy with the application so not sure where I went wrong... does it need to be notarized??? The Pretoria website has a contact form that allows attachments so I thought of trying to send it to them that way (as well as by mail) and ask at the same time if that's what they want. If you haver any suggestions for me I'd greatly appreciate it.

Oh wow, Congratulations waitingz, Pretoria seems to be doing okay after all. I dont know why they are asking for proof of citizenship but I think its what you have mentioned above is a great idea. As well, if you have your citizenship card im thinking that could work too. But im not too sure who is needing the proof, is it Pretoria cic or where your clearance is being processed?

 

[waitingintz]

Hi Perfect

Thanks! Yeah, I was getting worried looking at the new logner wait times but things seem to be moving along okay. It's Pretoria CIC that's requested the proof of citizenship... I realized this morning that I hadn't signed my passport before so maybe that's the problem. Just hate not knowing cause you send off what you think they want and have no way of knowing if it's right.

Hopefully once all the docs are submitted it won't take too long to get the PPR... I guess your medical signature was all your application was waiting for so you might be ahead of me now. We still haven't managed to receive the SA Police Check.... absolutely crazy! Contacting them again today to hopefully push things along.

 

[jacquevw]

Hye thats great news!!!!

Ugh I still have a long way to go! Hopefully get the sponsorship approved in the next week or two!

Congrats guys!!!

Oh ja, I will probably need another SA police check too! Since I had to re-submit again my police clearence is 4 months old so I will start the long process of getting a new one in case they ask for it!

 

[waitingintz]

@ jacquevw Our police check seems to have gone wrong on the mailing section... when we called they said that our file doesn't indicate who mailed it out or when but that another part of the system says there are no outstanding applications from that period. So they just decided to assume our clearance had been mailed. We've now had to fax and email (just in case) a request to have it reissued with a current date and sent again. This time we are asking them to notify us when it is ready so we can send a courier to collect it. Not wasting any more time waiting for them to get it right. Will be following up by phone daily until it's in our hands We applied for it in mid-July!!!

Hope your's goes more smoothly but definitely consider sending a courier to collect rather than waiting for them to mail.

 

[Perfect]

Oh my God whats with SA and delaying police clearances...its like you are going to fly there in person just to deliver it yourself..sheez. I feel your frustration Waitingz! Oh well..I hope once your PC is in they give you ppr...that would just shed some light on all of us. Anyways, it seems most people on the August thread have already gotten their ppr's and can plan Christmas with their loved ones. Oh well if nothing happens for us in-between now and Dec 15 we are planing on applying a TRV for my husband so he can visit us. What are the chances that he will get it..anyone??? And then a part of me is telling me to just relax and let life take its natural course...my patience is being tested and It seems ive stopped being anxious but rather im feeling the pain of the process...it hurts :'( :'(

 

[jacquevw]

Hey perfect!

I was actualy spending most of my day filling out forms and yet again getting paper work sorted for the TRV. I will prob submit it some time this week at the Los Angeles office. I will let you know how things go!
Im realy hoping, like everyone else, that I will get to see my family for Christmas in Canada.

Wish me luck!!

 

[waitingintz]

Perfect, I'm not getting my hopes up for having this all done and dusted by the holidays. I know a few Zimbo's who've gotten visas for the states without too much difficulty so hopefully Canada won't be more difficult. As I understand it, the big thing is just proving that he has reason to get back to Zim after.

I can't believe how quickly everyone else on July/August has received their visas... makes me absolutely kick myself for not applying through London (my partner has a Brit passport by descent but as he never lived there we thought it might trigger red flags to apply through there)... would probably be done by now!

You guys are really reminding me how lucky I am that my partner and I are together through this process and will be spending the holidays with his family in SA. Really hope you're both able to arrang temp visas to spend the holidays with your families or, better yet, hope we all have our PR visas by the holidays!

SA Police are reissuing our clearance letter - say it will be ready next week for collection by courier.

 

[monkeydluffy]

hey guys my application is also being processed through pretoria,i will give stats next post

 

[waitingintz]

Welcome Monkeydluffy... as you can see there are very few of us Pretoria applicants so any info you can share on your timeline/experience would be much appreciated by all.

 

[Perfect]

Hello Monkey..nice to have you on this thread, just noticed you applied last year and its been over the average processing times. Do you know why Pretoria is taking that long, as well what correspondence have you gotten from them so fr. I hear they are very bad at communication..how have you progressed in this regard. In any event I pray that this process comes to an end with a positive result as soon as possible.

@Jacquevw - Please do fill me in on the outcome of your visitors permit, we are going to apply ours at the End of November. @ Waitingz thank you for the encouragement consider yourself highly privileged to be with your partner in these trying times. Its hard to be alone at night waiting for some other person to make a decision that will effect or affect the rest of your life :'( :'(

 

[monkeydluffy]

hey guys so here is the skinny.we had spent 2 months in Canada traveling with my girlfriends parents and then, started the process through a lawyer in Canada.in November 2008.he needed more info and pretty much like immigration did not e-mail to get it when me and my girlfriend went to SA.we spent 2 months in SA got back to Canada and then spent a couple days finishing the prep for the application.

Did everything meds in SA,Criminal record checks in SA and in Canada nothing of note on anything.doted and dated and signed the T before we sent it.have never not been with her practically since we met.even payed the right to permanent residency fee in advance.ok so sent it in to i think Mississauga late february 2009.received approval for sponsorship letter 26-03-2009,received acknowledgment of receipt form Pretoria 09-04-2009.and then silence.

Until this month the website specified 19 months 70%,and 25 months 80% of applications processed in Pretoria so i was impatiently waiting as i really want to start getting my life running i have been doing self study courses to keep my brain from getting fried.and now seeing as the time line at Pretoria has changed,i am actively talking to my lawyer to see what is going on and how to proceed.so there it is.

one more thing while being in Canada i have had to constantly extend my visitor visa while the process is ongoing and they only give you about 6 months every time.this is important.

i don't know if you guys know this but once in Canada it is my understanding that we all need to redo our driver's license after PR including learners.the diferance is for us there is no wait between learners and drivers license,compared to normal procedures in Canada for new drivers.if you know an easier way please say so as i really would prefer not to have to redo things.

my significant other has a well paying job here by now so that is atleast something that is moving along well for us.been hopping to go to SA with her again to go visit my family.but yes gotta wait.hopefully not too much longer.

 

[Perfect]

hey guys so here is the skinny.we had spent 2 months in Canada traveling with my girlfriends parents and then, started the process through a lawyer in Canada.in November 2008.he needed more info and pretty much like immigration did not e-mail to get it when me and my girlfriend went to SA.we spent 2 months in SA got back to Canada and then spent a couple days finishing the prep for the application.

Did everything meds in SA,Criminal record checks in SA and in Canada nothing of note on anything.doted and dated and signed the T before we sent it.have never not been with her practically since we met.even payed the right to permanent residency fee in advance.ok so sent it in to i think Mississauga late february 2009.received approval for sponsorship letter 26-03-2009,received acknowledgment of receipt form Pretoria 09-04-2009.and then silence.

Until this month the website specified 19 months 70%,and 25 months 80% of applications processed in Pretoria so i was impatiently waiting as i really want to start getting my life running i have been doing self study courses to keep my brain from getting fried.and now seeing as the time line at Pretoria has changed,i am actively talking to my lawyer to see what is going on and how to proceed.so there it is.

my significant other has a well paying job here by now so that is atleast something that is moving along well for us.been hopping to go to SA with her again to go visit my family.but yes gotta wait.hopefully not too much longer.

Wow, that's pretty unusual though. It should not really take you this long unless there are complications of some sort. On the CIC Pretoria website they say they should be done on an average of 6 months for routine cases. Have you tried calling Pretoria or sending a case specific inquiry to find out what the hold up is about? Maybe they have been sending correspondence and you haven't been getting it...you need to get some info. Were there any complications that you were aware of? Tyr order your CAIPS...

 

[monkeydluffy]

i agree perfect as i say i am currently in correspondence with my lawyer and i will inform you guys what happened as soon as i know.i am very frustrated as i was advised that if you make inquiries in some cases they will put you at the bottom of the pile.