CIC has changed the way you view processing times

[samuelhq]

Go here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/index.asp

Then choose sponsor a family member/ spouse outside Canada

Oh, so this is for spousal sponsorship, not PGP.

Btw, the processing time shows 26 months for both inside/outside Canada

 

[draxz1289]

Oh, so this is for spousal sponsorship, not PGP.

Btw, the processing time shows 26 months for both inside/outside Canada

Hopefully the 26 month is just a glitch and is getting updated

 

[ayrazar]

Has anyone asked about it while calling for something else? I know they're SUPER helpful over the phone

 

[leavingchina]

@ayrazar,

I tried calling today, but was disconnected due to "high call volumes."

 

[May.Egy]

26 months !!! :'(

 

[crzy_canadian]

Again this is just a move for the useless CIC to avoid answering any questions about your application. The more ambiguous the average time is the less work they have to do. Disgusting.

 

[Hasan9999]

IMO, there are only two positives:

1. Inland times dropped from 28 months to 26

2. Applicants will be able to [hopefully] get answers from the Call Centre [don't laugh] as soon as the posted processing time has passed. Even if the overseas visa office, for example, really does take longer than the 18 months shown, at least a person can call after 18 months and 1 day, without being yelled at by the phone clerk.

WOW! At least it is good to know that you can call the call centre agent passed 18 months and get some feedback on your case! BTW my application passed well over 27 months the previous posted time for SVO.

 

[MrsVC]

I am game for quicker processing for spousal reunification. My timeline was 10 months now they just upped it to 18 months. That is really depressing and causes severe financial hardship in relation to having to redo medicals and police checks and maintaining a long distance relationship. Do they not take these factors into consideration? I can certainly see making this new mandate applicable to new applications received but why punish those that have been patiently waiting to see the light at the end of this very long and arduous tunnel????? Where is the justice in that. The in process applications should be grandfathered into the advertised timelines displayed upon application received. I am so distraught.

 

[Rob_TO]

Everyone should really stop thinking that the new posted times are actually real times. They are not. There is no way an application for someone from say the US, will take as long as someone from say Pakistan. The communication between CIC and the US is very quick and easy, while with other countries there are long delays in getting security and background checks done. So by simply giving a 1-time-for-all on the website, I would say that time is pretty much completely useless and you shouldn't even bother looking at it. People should still see quick processing times from certain visa-exempt offices, and longer processing times from others.

I would suggest to keep an eye on the excel file i linked to from the opencanada government site, and hopefully they update is shortly. With this file you can see the actual stats and times for each office.

 

[MrsVC]

The outside sponsorship just changed from 18 months to 26 months....wtf??????

 

[ayrazar]

Yeah. The times were wrong before the switch, I'm sure they're wrong now, too.

 

[Ponga]

Everyone should really stop thinking that the new posted times are actually real times. They are not.

Then why on earth did CIC feel the need to change things...just to add even more confusion to an already ambiguous system?

 

[Rob_TO]

Then why on earth did CIC feel the need to change things...just to add even more confusion to an already ambiguous system?

It was already confusing before... i.e. people applying through London office would think their app would take 20+ months unless they investigated further. Outland posted processing times were kind of useless before, now looks like they are completely useless.

Who knows the logic behind lots of CIC's decisions. Hopefully this wasn't done just to stop people from going to their MPs for help.

 

[kangamoose]

Then why on earth did CIC feel the need to change things...just to add even more confusion to an already ambiguous system?

I wonder if it was to make it seem more "fair" i.e. everyone has the same time?

Australia has it set out this way, although its also divided into "low risk" and "high risk" http://www.border.gov.au/about/access-accountability/service-standards/family-visa-processing-times if you think CIC website is confusing try navigating that site haha I spent an hour on there looking for PR obligations (should we decide to move to Aus one day) to no avail...

 

[chilkootcee]

It looks like CIC is also now taking 60 days to process GCMS requests...I just received a notice saying it will now take 60 days to process my request (30 days after submitting the original notice) instead of the normal 30. They offer a form for complaints. I'm not sure if I should file one or not. Hopefully this isn't the new norm.

They must be in the process of changing it again...I was just trying to check and when you select "Sponsoring a family member" it just loops you back to the same screen....

Sigh...

C.