Canada Tourist Visitor Visa - Applied Online to NY Office - Processing time?

[ms453]

Hello People,

I applied online for the Canadian Tourist Visa. My application package was submitted to the NY Office on March 5. I am very sure my application package is complete.

I was hoping people could let me know what is the processing time for the NY office? I am currently based in NYC. I plan to fly to Canada on March 29.

From my inputs on this website, some people are getting their passports within a week whereas others are receiving them in 2 months. There is plenty of variation. Also most posts are old and I believe the latest online application method is by far the fastest to date. However limited posts talk about the latest online application processing times for the spring of 2014.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[scylla]

Even with the online process, I've seen processing times here of anywhere from a week or two to a couple of months. I would definitely hold off booking a flight until you have the visa in hand.

 

[ms453]

Haha that does make sense. Only here is the weird part about Canada - you have to show your travel itenerary when you apply for a visa.

Essentially that means I have to book a flight ticket BEFORE I even get a visa. It just makes zero sense to book a flight ticket for going to a country before you got the visa. If your application is denied, you lose the visa fees and the flight reschedule fee.

I have gone through the US process and they strictly tell you not to book a flight ticket till you get the visa first. That makes perfect sense to me.

Sigh. Canada.

 

[grad_student]

Haha that does make sense. Only here is the weird part about Canada - you have to show your travel itenerary when you apply for a visa.

Essentially that means I have to book a flight ticket BEFORE I even get a visa. It just makes zero sense to book a flight ticket for going to a country before you got the visa. If your application is denied, you lose the visa fees and the flight reschedule fee.

I have gone through the US process and they strictly tell you not to book a flight ticket till you get the visa first. That makes perfect sense to me.

Sigh. Canada.

I did not booked a flight when I applied for a TRV. I just submitted a document stating that I will be traveling to Canada by air upon receiving TRV. Below is my tiemline:

Applied (online): Dec. 19 2013
Passport submission request received: Jan 28 2014
PP received with TRV stamped: Feb 8 2014

 

[ms453]

That sounds quite interesting. I had booked my flight ticket because I heard that they would like to see my travel itenerary before I apply for the visa.

Not that the flight ticket cost me (because I had a lot of points), but even to reschedule means additional costs and losses (and probably points gone waste).

It is so much quicker with the US. You book an appointment date, go for an in-person interview where the officer checks your documents and asks questions. And within those 10 minutes, the officer makes a decision on your application and asks for your passport (if approval is granted). Also your [passport is stamped and returned within 3 business days.

 

[**LOLA]

Hello ,
I am really new to the forum.I want to know if you have any info abut Canadian Visitor visa
I applied on Feb 5th in person in New York Canadian Consulate.The clerk told me 20/30 days
It have been 32 days and no updates.Today I send them mail and I got auto reply


Due to the volume of messages, we will only respond to requests for application status if the processing period posted on our website has been exceeded.


I really don't know what to do.Anyone that applied in person in NY in similar time as me

 

[ms453]

I don't have any info myself. I do know that online applications tend to take less time, but it varies case to case. My sis applied online and got her visa stamped in 2 weeks (but she is a different case from me). So far I have received no response and I am going with the flow myself