BUFFALO APPLICANTS - File transferred to other VO due to Buffalo closing down

[nima514]

HI everyone,

I applied to CIC as a QSW in June 2011. I got married to a Quebecois last year and in April we are expecting our first baby.

All has been well up to now. I've been working on a temporary contract. My work permit expires in April. My work informed me they will not be renewing my contract to cover my maternity leave. So, my healthcare card and SIN will expire just around the time the baby is due. I'm not sure I'll be medically covered to have the baby here or if I'll be allowed to collect maternity benefits.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know who I should contact? I submitted my marriage certificate to CIC but obviously no one has looked at my file since then. Has anyone heard of a similar case? I'm assuming my employer has the right to do this but it really has put me in an awkward position. To add insult to injury, they told me I'd have to reapply for the position if I wanted to return to work there. And they can't make promises that they will be recruiting. I feel like I gave everything to this job and now I've been thrown to the lions.

I realise that I should have my file reviewed before end Feb but I really need a guarantee that I will have medical insurance and not end up with a huge hospital bill. Otherwise I will have to fly home to have the baby and the airlines won't let me fly after 32 weeks.

I'd appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I'd love to go to the protest and ridicule the government for the handling of our cases but my employer won't give me the time off at such short notice. Someone please protest on my behalf! I'm tired of this insecurity. I'm too old for this craziness!

Rest assured that we will protest on your behalf. Your case presents a painful example of what mismanagement at CIC has done to us. you may want to talk to people who run the "les oublies de buffalo" page on facebook and have your story told in the media without using your real name and employer if you so prefer. May be CIC will accelerate processing your case.

 

[sam-canada]

HI everyone,

I applied to CIC as a QSW in June 2011. I got married to a Quebecois last year and in April we are expecting our first baby.

All has been well up to now. I've been working on a temporary contract. My work permit expires in April. My work informed me they will not be renewing my contract to cover my maternity leave. So, my healthcare card and SIN will expire just around the time the baby is due. I'm not sure I'll be medically covered to have the baby here or if I'll be allowed to collect maternity benefits.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know who I should contact? I submitted my marriage certificate to CIC but obviously no one has looked at my file since then. Has anyone heard of a similar case? I'm assuming my employer has the right to do this but it really has put me in an awkward position. To add insult to injury, they told me I'd have to reapply for the position if I wanted to return to work there. And they can't make promises that they will be recruiting. I feel like I gave everything to this job and now I've been thrown to the lions.

I realise that I should have my file reviewed before end Feb but I really need a guarantee that I will have medical insurance and not end up with a huge hospital bill. Otherwise I will have to fly home to have the baby and the airlines won't let me fly after 32 weeks.

I'd appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I'd love to go to the protest and ridicule the government for the handling of our cases but my employer won't give me the time off at such short notice. Someone please protest on my behalf! I'm tired of this insecurity. I'm too old for this craziness!

You are saying that your wife is quebecois... so with her citizenship she will be covered for the medical expenses... But for the maternity benefits that I dont you will get. but hospital expenses your wife medical care will cover that.

 

[shaikhaffi]

HI everyone,

I applied to CIC as a QSW in June 2011. I got married to a Quebecois last year and in April we are expecting our first baby.

All has been well up to now. I've been working on a temporary contract. My work permit expires in April. My work informed me they will not be renewing my contract to cover my maternity leave. So, my healthcare card and SIN will expire just around the time the baby is due. I'm not sure I'll be medically covered to have the baby here or if I'll be allowed to collect maternity benefits.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know who I should contact? I submitted my marriage certificate to CIC but obviously no one has looked at my file since then. Has anyone heard of a similar case? I'm assuming my employer has the right to do this but it really has put me in an awkward position. To add insult to injury, they told me I'd have to reapply for the position if I wanted to return to work there. And they can't make promises that they will be recruiting. I feel like I gave everything to this job and now I've been thrown to the lions.

I realise that I should have my file reviewed before end Feb but I really need a guarantee that I will have medical insurance and not end up with a huge hospital bill. Otherwise I will have to fly home to have the baby and the airlines won't let me fly after 32 weeks.

I'd appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I'd love to go to the protest and ridicule the government for the handling of our cases but my employer won't give me the time off at such short notice. Someone please protest on my behalf! I'm tired of this insecurity. I'm too old for this craziness!

Hello Folk,

I can understand your frustration, a famous quote "Love your Job but don't lover you Employer, because you will not know when they will stop loving you." just a piece of advice "don't ever and ever trust your employer...just trust and love your work".

If you got married after filling your PR then it depends how far CIC has processed your and your wife's file, did your wife has been asked for medicals for PR?

I will suggest, apply for the job as your employers asks you, meanwhile apply for job in some other companies as well.. You can buy the medical insurance, try calling different insurance companies e.g. blue cross, sun life, great west life (don't tell them your wife is due in one month, just tell them if they asks about her pregnancy). When your wife delivers the baby, the medical cost will be on your wife's name.. once the child is born in Canada and he will be Canadian in your case (if he is born before your WP expires) the child medical expenses after wards will be covered by child's provincial health insurance.

I heard you can renew your work permit if it is expiring soon, if this works in your case, i will suggest get renew your WP ASAP.

Hope it helps.

 

[MyCat]

Just to clarify, I'm the immigrant and the one expecting the baby. My husband is the Canadian citizen! So it is my medical coverage and SIN that will expire.

 

[msjb24]

I have been following this forum for some time, and was in the same situation, having gone through the ordeal. Luckily for me, the wait ended this month. Some info about my case:

Category: QSW
Applied to Buffalo: April 2011
AOR/Medicals Received: September 2011
Added Spouse: May 2012
Medicals for Spouse: May 2012
File Transferred to CPP Ottawa: July 2012
PPR/Landing: January 2013

 

[newbie1982]

Just to clarify, I'm the immigrant and the one expecting the baby. My husband is the Canadian citizen! So it is my medical coverage and SIN that will expire.

Your case is quite interesting ........ and to be really honest I am not sure what could be done at this point. It is always a good idea to have your spouse apply for PR spouse sponsorship on your behalf if he/she is a Canadian citizen / PR even though you have submitted your PNP application. Inland spousal application for PR could take upto 15 months to get processed but the good thing about this scheme is that after per-assessment(5-9months) you get a workpermit / study-permit or extension in visit visa depending on your current status in CA.If your husband would have applied for you, your work permit would have been extended and you would have gotten medical benefits.

Your options are:

1. Contact your MP immediately. Don't hesitate or make any delays. Mp's inquiries to CIC may accelerate your PR application processing.

2. Contact CIC by phone and check your options.

3. I suggest you follow nima514 advice which he gave in his earlier post. Contact journalists or "Les oubliés de buffalo en action" .
Here is the facebook page . This might improve your chances of getting PR sooner.
http://www.facebook.com/LesOubliesDeBuffaloEnAction?ref=ts&fref=ts

4. If you cannot figure out something immediately contact a lawyer.

May I ask when is your due date?

I wish you all the best and with the grace of GOD you will be able to figure out something.

 

[newbie1982]

I have been following this forum for some time, and was in the same situation, having gone through the ordeal. Luckily for me, the wait ended this month. Some info about my case:

Category: QSW
Applied to Buffalo: April 2011
AOR/Medicals Received: September 2011
Added Spouse: May 2012
Medicals for Spouse: May 2012
File Transferred to CPP Ottawa: July 2012
PPR/Landing: January 2013

Congrats!!!!

 

[MasterGeek]

HI everyone,

I applied to CIC as a QSW in June 2011. I got married to a Quebecois last year and in April we are expecting our first baby.

All has been well up to now. I've been working on a temporary contract. My work permit expires in April. My work informed me they will not be renewing my contract to cover my maternity leave. So, my healthcare card and SIN will expire just around the time the baby is due. I'm not sure I'll be medically covered to have the baby here or if I'll be allowed to collect maternity benefits.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know who I should contact? I submitted my marriage certificate to CIC but obviously no one has looked at my file since then. Has anyone heard of a similar case? I'm assuming my employer has the right to do this but it really has put me in an awkward position. To add insult to injury, they told me I'd have to reapply for the position if I wanted to return to work there. And they can't make promises that they will be recruiting. I feel like I gave everything to this job and now I've been thrown to the lions.

I realise that I should have my file reviewed before end Feb but I really need a guarantee that I will have medical insurance and not end up with a huge hospital bill. Otherwise I will have to fly home to have the baby and the airlines won't let me fly after 32 weeks.

I'd appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I'd love to go to the protest and ridicule the government for the handling of our cases but my employer won't give me the time off at such short notice. Someone please protest on my behalf! I'm tired of this insecurity. I'm too old for this craziness!

Thanks to CIC operational bulletin 420, All you need now is a job offer letter, for any job, even if you don't really intend to start working at that job, so try to think about places (maybe fast food restaurants) where you could be easily get hired and obtain an offer of employment. Once you get that job offer letter in writing, use it to renew your work permit in person by flagpoling at the US/Canadian border and quickly, once you have the closed work permit you can renew RAMQ provincial health insurance membership.

You have to act fast or you will be in deep trouble when your permit expires. I was in a similar but less dramatic situation, and was able to avoid having to return to my country, thanks to this strategy.

 

[IvanP]

Hey Buffalo Applicants,

If you're not aware, there's an Ottawa spreadsheet (which has both legacy Buffalo/LA applicants and post-Buffalo/LA applicants). You can PM me (IvanP) or Shylox to be added.

Good luck to you all - here's hoping Buffalo will soon be a distant memory!

John

 

[nima514]

Just received another update from my MP's office. No officer has yet been assigned to me. It means that since July 7 2012 to Jan 27 2013, my file has been collecting dust in Ottawa! I really hope a miracle happens by the end of next month...

 

[newbie1982]

Just received another update from my MP's office. No officer has yet been assigned to me. It means that since July 7 2012 to Jan 27 2013, my file has been collecting dust in Ottawa! I really hope a miracle happens by the end of this month...

I think this whole table business started by CIC is a big joke/ or stunt
to calm down the angry applicants.

Another theory which i have abt the delays is that remember back in NOV CIC issued a bulletin
tht they will going to issue COPRs frm CPP-O itself. As per CICs update regarding tht they initiated this new procedure
on Nov 28 but we havent seen any PPRs tht had requested applicants to send passports to CPP-O for COPRs.

 

[buffalo2ottawa]

Just received another update from my MP's office. No officer has yet been assigned to me. It means that since July 7 2012 to Jan 27 2013, my file has been collecting dust in Ottawa! I really hope a miracle happens by the end of this month...

Did you apply for GCMS?? What does it says under Application Assignment - assigned to??

 

[buffalo2ottawa]

I think this whole table business started by CIC is a big joke/ or stunt
to calm down the angry applicants.

Another theory which i have abt the delays is that remember back in NOV CIC issued a bulletin
tht they will going to issue COPRs frm CPP-O itself. As per CICs update regarding tht they initiated this new procedure
on Nov 28 but we havent seen any PPRs tht had requested applicants to send passports to CPP-O for COPRs.

Thats true...According to them every other category should have got their PPR by now

 

[nima514]

Did you apply for GCMS?? What does it says under Application Assignment - assigned to??

No GCMS for now because nothing has been going on my file lately. I asked my MP to talk to CPP-Ottawa on my behalf. CIC officers have to provide MPs with clear info.

 

[nima514]

I think this whole table business started by CIC is a big joke/ or stunt
to calm down the angry applicants.

Another theory which i have abt the delays is that remember back in NOV CIC issued a bulletin
tht they will going to issue COPRs frm CPP-O itself. As per CICs update regarding tht they initiated this new procedure
on Nov 28 but we havent seen any PPRs tht had requested applicants to send passports to CPP-O for COPRs.

So it seems. CIC probably just wants to calm people down so that not many people show up on the Hill tomorrow . I going to Ottawa, have already reserved my seat in the bus.