BOGOTA Office Visa Applicants 2014

[huertdiaz]

Hi canadacolombo,

Great to see your process is over!!
Did you have an interview?

I believe the best option is to do exactly what you said, leave Canada and return with all the documents so that the Landing process is complete.
I have read in other parts of this forum that you may be able to request an appointment for the Landing process inside Canada, but I am not 100% sure about this, and believe is not such a good idea.
You can have more flexibility, and very likely smoother process when doing the landing process at a point of entry.

Congrats Again!!!

 

[canadacolombo]

No interview was requested.

We just sent it via fedex using a friend's account number. It should arrive in two days and we included the return waybill.

Will let you all know how that turns out.

 

[SarahRuiz]

Vo Bogota requested us my husband's ''libreta Militar '' today !!!!!

I hope this means that they are almost ready to request his passport !! hahaha ;D ;D ;D

 

[huertdiaz]

Good News!

Did your Status change in ECAS?

 

[SarahRuiz]

No ! I don't get it but I guess ECAS isn't really reliable for some people.

When did they request you the ''libreta militar '' ?

 

[huertdiaz]

They didn't request the libreta militar for us... I would have told you ;D

They only request this for men applicants...
In our case, the applicant is my wife.

 

[SarahRuiz]

Ahhhhh yeaaah ! true true ;D 8)

 

[SarahRuiz]

Finally ECAS shows '' IN PROCESS'' since April 3rd....Yay

 

[huertdiaz]

Excellent!!
So, you think the next thing we’ll hear from them is passport request?
Can we still be called for an interview?
What’s your prediction? And when??

 

[SarahRuiz]

;D

In your case, since you've been ''in Process'' since March, I think you would have heard from them if you guys needed interview

My prediction is that when they change the status to '' In process'', around 2 months after you have passport request for most of Bogota people I've seen/heard.

Wouldn't that be AMAZING ??? 8) 8) ;D

 

[canadacolombo]

My spouse just receive her Colombian passport today from VO-Bogota with her Permanent Residence Visa! And apparently since she already resides within Canada, she can either get an appointment at a local CIC office, which takes 5-6 months, or simple "flagpole" it at the U.S. border, which is what we're gonna do. No U.S. visa needed apparently either.

Good luck to everyone in your applications!

 

[SarahRuiz]

My spouse just receive her Colombian passport today from VO-Bogota with her Permanent Residence Visa! And apparently since she already resides within Canada, she can either get an appointment at a local CIC office, which takes 5-6 months, or simple "flagpole" it at the U.S. border, which is what we're gonna do. No U.S. visa needed apparently either.

Good luck to everyone in your applications!

Woohooo congrats !!!!! You must be very happy right now ;D

Can I ask you when did you're application went '' In process '' and how long after you got passport request?

 

[canadacolombo]

Yeah super happy!

The application went "in process" in early January, and it actually still says "in process"....criminal record checks were requested like mid-january and passport requested at the end of march.
I wouldn't trust the ecas system very much after it's "in process".

 

[SarahRuiz]

Thanks !!! and I wish you the best...Congrats again ;D

 

[canadacolombo]

I'm going to write this here in case anyone needs to do something similar in the future:

For "flagpoling" between Canada/U.S. we drove to the Peace Arch border crossing and parked in the BC Tourism Centre parking lot on the left hand side. We then walked by the Canadian Border Services building and confirmed that we could go on foot to "flagpole" on the U.S. side. We walked by the Peace Arch on a walkway on the left hand side and then the walkway goes by the U.S. Border Agency where there's a sign that says all pedestrians must check in at the port.

Inside the U.S. building there was a sign for pedestrians and luckily it was grouped in a line with Nexus card holders. It was therefore doubly useful that we chose to go by foot, rather than by car, since the traffic border wait time was about an hour and then the line-up for people inside the building coming by car was probably over an hour by my guess (Only two agents working for about 50 people in line).
In our line-up, however, we were called in about 15 minutes and it was not even an issue that my common-law spouse did not have a U.S. visa. We simply said that we were flagpoling and the officer asked my spouse a couple routine questions and gave her a piece of paper stating that she was refused entry to the U.S.

We then proceeded on foot on the same path we came from, passing the Peace Arch again, and then by the Canadian Border Service agent, who checked that piece of paper from the U.S. side, scanned passports, and asked routine questions. We were then directed into the building and there were no line-ups! An officer quickly grabbed my spouses passport and the two copies of Confirmation of Permanent Residence and called her in under 5 minutes to tell her that she was now landed and could apply for a SIN and MSP, and that her PR card would be mailed to her within 6 weeks.

The whole process took about an hour. This was a Monday at 11:00 am.

All the best to everyone following such a process.