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BOGOTA Visa Office 2012 applicants

ccunnington

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2011
548
7
Sincelejo, Colombia
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01-03-2012
AOR Received.
19-06-2012 (Mississauga). 06-11-2012 (Bogota).
File Transfer...
11-07-2012
Med's Done....
10-09-2012
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
13-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
21-02-2013
Ibague said:
Thanks. Yes I concur you are pretty close. I got a pretty good deal from AC. $2200 for the 2 of us from Bogota to Calgary, one way ticket is not much different from a Round trip ticket.
We're looking at March, and we can do the same flight Bogota to Calgary for 1800 at that time of year!
 

ccunnington

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2011
548
7
Sincelejo, Colombia
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01-03-2012
AOR Received.
19-06-2012 (Mississauga). 06-11-2012 (Bogota).
File Transfer...
11-07-2012
Med's Done....
10-09-2012
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
13-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
21-02-2013
Hope everyone had a great xmas and new years!
 

KJG

Champion Member
Jun 4, 2012
2,795
29
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Havana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 28, 2012
AOR Received.
June 14, 2012
File Transfer...
June 20, 2012
Med's Done....
Jan 3, 2012
Interview........
Oct 4, 2012 9:00am
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 4, 2012
LANDED..........
Nov 9, 2012
ccunnington said:
Well we've had quite a bit of movement. The embassy received our payment for the police checks and a couple other documents by courier this morning. The police checks take 6-8 weeks to get to the embassy, so as long as they don't require an interview, we should have everything processed and finished by march. Our plan right now is to be home mid-april if all goes well. How is your hubby adapting to the snow?
Glad to hear there is progress!! That is awesome! My husband is adapting pretty well to the weather actually. He just got his first cell phone bill and that he does not like or understand. I have been trying to explain it to him for the last hour and he is very frustrated because he does not understand. He thinks they are ripping him off...LOL.....welcome to Canada and Rogers!!! :p
 

p.angie

Full Member
Nov 14, 2011
21
0
Visa Office......
Bogota, Colombia
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14-08-2011
AOR Received.
19-10-2011
File Transfer...
19-10-2011
Med's Request
7-11-2011
Interview........
n/a
Passport Req..
14-08-2012
VISA ISSUED...
13-12-2012
LANDED..........
LANDING DECEMBER 21 2012!!!
hey just wanted to do my final post for anyone that has been watching my case for reference... my husband arrived in vancouver on December the 21st, he has been here for 2 weeks now and it is amazing, better than what i could have imagined, and well worth the wait!
 

ccunnington

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2011
548
7
Sincelejo, Colombia
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01-03-2012
AOR Received.
19-06-2012 (Mississauga). 06-11-2012 (Bogota).
File Transfer...
11-07-2012
Med's Done....
10-09-2012
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
13-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
21-02-2013
p.angie said:
hey just wanted to do my final post for anyone that has been watching my case for reference... my husband arrived in vancouver on December the 21st, he has been here for 2 weeks now and it is amazing, better than what i could have imagined, and well worth the wait!
Glad to hear that your journey is over and you're together! There's not many of us left on this thread!
 

jcb

Star Member
Jan 1, 2013
66
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hello to everyone on this forum !

I am sponsoring my wife from Colombia, and here is what happened so far:

2012-APR
sent completed application package , with medical exam proof & criminal certificate to Mississauga CIC with courier, received proof of delivery on Apr 4, 2012

2012-JULY Received notification that application forwarded to Bogota office

2012-AUG Received notification from Bogota , application under processing

2012-DEC Received instruction to pay 60,000 pesos to Risk Mgmt Colombia SA for background verification chec

Any idea how long the background verification actually will be completed ? (have seen 5-8 week mentioned)

We are also concerned about, that medical exam is getting close to a 1 year expiry day (middle of March )
Anyone had to deal with medical exam expiry issue ?

Thanks!
 

ccunnington

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2011
548
7
Sincelejo, Colombia
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01-03-2012
AOR Received.
19-06-2012 (Mississauga). 06-11-2012 (Bogota).
File Transfer...
11-07-2012
Med's Done....
10-09-2012
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
13-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
21-02-2013
jcb said:
Hello to everyone on this forum !

I am sponsoring my wife from Colombia, and here is what happened so far:

2012-APR
sent completed application package , with medical exam proof & criminal certificate to Mississauga CIC with courier, received proof of delivery on Apr 4, 2012

2012-JULY Received notification that application forwarded to Bogota office

2012-AUG Received notification from Bogota , application under processing

2012-DEC Received instruction to pay 60,000 pesos to Risk Mgmt Colombia SA for background verification chec

Any idea how long the background verification actually will be completed ? (have seen 5-8 week mentioned)

We are also concerned about, that medical exam is getting close to a 1 year expiry day (middle of March )
Anyone had to deal with medical exam expiry issue ?

Thanks!
Welcome to the forum! You seem to be in a similar time frame to us. We also got the check for our police checks in December, and sent that payment receipt in to them dec 20th. From what I understand, the 6-8 weeks seems to be pretty accurate. They may have you processed by the time your medicals expire, but if not, 1 of 2 things will happen. 1, they will ask you to re-do the medicals, or 2, they can extend the medicals for up to 3 months as per the discretion of the visa officer processing your case.

Good luck and keep us posted
 

doorsopen

Star Member
Jul 31, 2011
80
0
Vancouver
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
24-11-2011
AOR Received.
15-2-2012
File Transfer...
23-3-2012
Passport Req..
11-07-2012
VISA ISSUED...
8-2-2013
jcb said:
We are also concerned about, that medical exam is getting close to a 1 year expiry day (middle of March )
Anyone had to deal with medical exam expiry issue ?

Thanks!
My wife is re-doing her medicals next week. I strongly advise you to get your CAIPS notes. Search on here for info about CAIPS.
 

jcb

Star Member
Jan 1, 2013
66
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
found this new CIC guidelines about medical exam extension:

cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2012/ob423.asp



Operational Bulletin 423 - May 24, 2012
Reassessment of a medical file for the issuance of a new medical certificate
Summary

Effective June 1st, 2012, officers can request that an applicant’s medical file be reassessed by a Medical Officer (MOF) or a Health Branch (HB) delegated staff for the issuance of a new medical certificate. The process applies to cases where a final decision of an officer is pending only due to the expiration of a medical certificate or when the validity of the medical certificate is about to expire and the applicant is unable to land before it expires. This process is limited to applicants who had a routine immigration medical examination (IME) done by a panel physician within the last 15 months in or outside Canada. The new medical certificate issued will be valid for 12 months.
Issue

This Operational Bulletin aims to standardize the reassessment of a medical file for the issuance of a new medical certificate to ensure alignment with the legislation while fulfilling departmental operational needs. This procedure is limited to situations where the final decision of an officer is pending due only to the expiration of a medical certificate. If anything else is pending, the officer should not use this procedure.
Background

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), sections 30(4) and 72(1)(e)(iii), foreign nationals (FNs) who seek to enter Canada and those already in Canada applying to become permanent residents must hold a medical certificate based on the most recent medical examination to which they were required to submit under the IRPR within the previous twelve months, indicating that they are not inadmissible on health grounds. However, upon request of an officer, HB has been granting ‘extension of IME validity’ for periods varying from one to twelve months in order to support operational needs. This process has been reviewed for better alignment with the legislation and strengthening of program integrity.

A medical assessment, which is a medical examination for the purposes of immigration, is the review of an applicant’s medical file by a MOF and/or HB delegated staff. The result of the last medical assessment is entered in Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) electronic platforms (such as the Global Case Management System (GCMS) or Field Operations Support System (FOSS) as an ‘M’ profile indicating that an applicant is either admissible or inadmissible on health grounds. A medical certificate is an ‘M’ profile indicating that an applicant underwent a medical examination within the previous 12 months and is not inadmissible on health grounds (therefore limited to M1, M2, M3, M23, M19, M29, and M39 profiles).
Instructions

When the final decision of an officer is pending due only to the expiration of a medical certificate or when the validity of the medical certificate is about to expire and the applicant is unable to land before it expires, the officer will:

Issue medical instructions for a new full routine medical examination done by a panel physician if the IME is older than 15 months;
For in-Canada and overseas cases with an IME done within the last 15 months:
Contact the Regional Medical Office (RMO) responsible for the file at the following e-mail addresses:
Beijing: Bejing-mc@international.gc.ca
London: London-mc@international.gc.ca
Manila- Traditional visa offices attached to RMO Manila: Manil.mc@international.gc.ca
Manila- Visa offices previously attached to RMO Singapore: Manil.mc-im@international.gc.ca
New Delhi: Delhi-mc@international.gc.ca
Ottawa: ime-reassessment@cic.gc.ca
Paris: Paris-mc@international.gc.ca
Entitle your e-mail ‘Reassessment of an applicant’s medical file for the issuance of a new medical certificate’;
Provide the applicant’s name, ID number, date of birth, date of initial IME, and country of residence for the last 6 months.

It is recommended that the officer review the validity of the medical certificate of all the persons being part of an immigration application and request the reassessment of the medical file for those eligible for the process if needed.

Upon receipt of the request for reassessment, the MOF or the HB delegated staff will:
Review the medical file to determine if there is sufficiently relevant and up to date medical information to provide a new opinion of admissibility on health grounds;
Request additional medical information if a new opinion based upon the existing information in the medical file is not possible;
Assess the medical file including any new additional medical information as needed;
Provide a new opinion of admissibility or inadmissibility on health grounds;
Enter the new ‘M’ profile in the CIC electronic platform (such as GCMS or FOSS);
Send an e-mail to the officer who requested the reassessment to confirm that the process has been completed.

It is recommended that the officer issue medical instructions for a new full routine medical examination done by a panel physician if the results of additional testing are unlikely to be provided quickly.

If the opinion of the CIC MOF and/or HB delegated staff is that the applicant is:
Admissible on health grounds: a new medical certificate will be issued and will be valid for a 12 month period starting from the date of the new medical assessment;
Inadmissible on health grounds: a new medical certificate will not be issued.
The new ‘M’ profile constitutes the most current opinion of inadmissibility provided to the officer for the final decision of inadmissibility on health grounds.
 

jcb

Star Member
Jan 1, 2013
66
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
to doorsopen

I think it is now called "GCMS"

: GCMS - a new case processing system by CIC that replaces CAIPS which will be fully
implemented by April 2011. Missions will process new cases in GCMS and complete
processing of existing cases in CAIPS. .

Did you get yours ?
Did it help you to find out something ?

to ccunnington

thank you for your kind welcoming words
looks like , our case is on a parallel timeline with yours
meanwhile, you can enjoy your waiting in a sunny sincelejo (better than to be in Calgary)
 

doorsopen

Star Member
Jul 31, 2011
80
0
Vancouver
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
24-11-2011
AOR Received.
15-2-2012
File Transfer...
23-3-2012
Passport Req..
11-07-2012
VISA ISSUED...
8-2-2013
Yes I got my CAIPS notes. I found out many things. The embassy had screwed up many times, for example using a wrong email address to contact my wife. We should have had the visa at the end of October, but due to their screw ups we are now looking at Feb/March. Not much longer now and I'm trying to enjoy my "freedom" as much as possible ;)

Just because the Bogota embassy can extend the medicals by 3 months doesn't mean to say they will. They haven't done so for anyone on here.
 

jcb

Star Member
Jan 1, 2013
66
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
to opendoors

so far , I do not see any reason to "bother" them with extra work (GCMS/CAIPS request)
just waiting for a "background verification" to be completed by a security company
probably a VO has to ask Ottawa to grant a medical extension.....it is easier for them to ask for a re-do
yes, your case seems like going a bit slower than usual
what was the date for your passport request : Nov 7 or July 11 ? (days # months # sometimes gets mixed up ?)
 

ccunnington

Hero Member
Nov 19, 2011
548
7
Sincelejo, Colombia
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
01-03-2012
AOR Received.
19-06-2012 (Mississauga). 06-11-2012 (Bogota).
File Transfer...
11-07-2012
Med's Done....
10-09-2012
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
13-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
21-02-2013
jcb said:
to doorsopen

I think it is now called "GCMS"

: GCMS - a new case processing system by CIC that replaces CAIPS which will be fully
implemented by April 2011. Missions will process new cases in GCMS and complete
processing of existing cases in CAIPS. .

Did you get yours ?
Did it help you to find out something ?

to ccunnington

thank you for your kind welcoming words
looks like , our case is on a parallel timeline with yours
meanwhile, you can enjoy your waiting in a sunny sincelejo (better than to be in Calgary)
I'd rather be in Calgary! I'm a winter person, love the snow. I've been living in Sincelejo with my wife for 2 years now...2 years of 35-40 degrees is not fun, especially without AC. I'm ready to head back into the biggest blizzard I can find!
 

jcb

Star Member
Jan 1, 2013
66
0
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
I would not last there for more than 2 weeks, as long as there is access to some water (swimming pool, beach, etc...)
You must love her very much, otherwise would have run away for a less "toasty" location
One nice thing about Colombia, the altitude & temperature relationship--higher you go, cooler it gets !
For my taste, I would like to live in a city, where is spring/fall like weather all the time....Medellin, Manizales, Bucaramanga, etc...
 

sabril27

Full Member
Jul 10, 2012
32
0
Category........
Visa Office......
Bogota
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
29-09-2011
AOR Received.
04-04-2012
File Transfer...
15-12-2011
Med's Request
14-05-2012
Med's Done....
01-07-2012
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
14-05-2012
VISA ISSUED...
09/01/2013
hey everyone! hope you all had a great christmas and new years! we've finally heard some news!...we received our passport stamped with the visa yesterday!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D! i'm here in colombia now, but supposed to be leaving really soon, so we're just figuring out what our next plan is...but we couldn't be happier! thanks for all the support through this crazy process guys and best of luck to everyone still waiting...be patient! it's the best feeling ever when it's finally done! xoxo!