CIC has made an error in my Conditional Acceptance Letter - please help!!

[katestewart01]

I am hoping to travel to Canada on a Working Holiday Visa in January 2015. I have applied and received my Conditional Acceptance letter for an IEC Canadian Working Holiday Visa on the 2nd of September of this year (2014). I was under the impression that upon receiving a Conditional Acceptance Letter you have 3 months until it expires, however my letter says - "This conditional acceptance letter expires on 2014-09-17" - that's only 15 days after I received it! It is quite strange as my CIC personal checklist code (beginning with QU) doesn't expire until November the 5th.

I am quite worried as there is no way I can submit my application in ten days time as it will take me a month to get a New Zealand police clearance certificate.

Can people please confirm that a) CIC has made a mistake and b) whether I can contact them to rectify this?

If I am unable to do so and my Conditional Acceptance Letter expires, will I still be able to lodge a new application for a Working Holiday Visa?

Thanks so much,

Kate

 

[T.O.]

Hi Kate,

first of all "IEC" and "CIC" are different departments - they are both independant from each other. If your Conditional Acceptance Letter is in fact expiring too early, you can try to contact IEC with the subject line "URGENT" and hope to get it cleared. Otherwise just ignore it and upload it to your CIC account. You may also try to send a message to CIC, tell them your circumstance and continue to apply for it as you would normally do. They also have an "Explanation" field where you can upload your circumstance, whatsoever.

As I read from you post you have been living in New Zealand? For how long? I believe if under 6 months - you don't need a police certificate. Or maybe you can add the NZ police certificate at a later time since CIC takes round about 20 - 25 days to process your application with a decision.

Once IEC has approved your Working Holiday Visa - it's done. They would reject your new application.

Good luck!

 

[Jolenekg]

Hi Kate,

I have had exactly the same problem apart from I am a UK resident currently in New Zealand and completing my police check takes a while so I doubt I'll have it back to send my CiC application off. I have until 2014-09-20. I have emailed them today stating what's happened and that the CiC website says 30 days until the letter expires and I have labeled it urgent. Fingers crossed they get back to me though otherwise I'll have to wait until December when more visas become available.

Have you heard anything back?

Thanks Jo

 

[T.O.]

Sorry guys, had a little typo in my first post.

So, once IEC has approved and verified you, they will send you the Conditional Acceptance Letter - that's it. They would reject any other application made under the same category if you re-apply.

By the way, another idea: Call CIC directly and explain the circumstance with the conditional acceptance letter and that there's no chance to contact IEC other than sending an email. Ask them if there are any issues when the letter has expired.

Call: 1-888-242-2100 toll free btw

Again, good luck!

 

[Jolenekg]

Hey thanks for the number!

So I won't be able to try again in December for a visa if I get rejected for a work permit this time because my letter is out of date?

Thanks!

 

[T.O.]

Jolenekg,

If CIC rejects you, you can re-apply as much as you want. Should they reject you due to your letter has expired, then better try to get a new one from IEC.

Cheers

 

[Sarahbear90]

Hi,
I have the same problem with my IEC conditional letter of acceptance. I sent two emails to the IEC, but they have not come back to me. How did you get on with yours?
Also, presuming we will get through this problem, does this mean we have a working holiday visa to go to Canada this year?
Thanks, Sarah

 

[jjoycej]

Hi,

I have the very same problem. My letter expired after just 15 days. By the time I got my police certificate the letter had expired. I submitted all the documentation to CIC but my application was rejected on the basis that the IEC Conditional Acceptance Letter was expired. Has anybody any advice on how I should proceed from here? Do I need to go through the entire process all over again?

Thanks,
Joyce

 

[oscar1992]

I'm having the same problem. I got my IEC letter sooner than expected and because of the new 15 day expiry I'm worried it will expire before my police certificate comes. Has anyone here sorted this problem out?

 

[katestewart01]

Thanks people for your helpful replies.

I contacted CIC via email and they told me to apply anyway and just submit a letter of explanation. I'm pretty sure this has bought me another couple of months to get my two police certificates (I have lived in both the UK and NZ). I think the lesson to be learnt is that it's much better to submit an incomplete application (albeit with an explanatory letter and proof you have applied for a police cert) than to wait and let your conditional acceptance letter expire. Sadly Joyce I think you may now need to start from scratch - it's an annoying system I know, 15 days really isn't long enough. I guess what we were meant to do was obtain a police clearance cert before applying in the first place, but how we were we to know?

 

[oscar1992]

It's a bad system the way they've done it. Obviously they expect us to get a police certificate before applying for IEC but why would we want to spend $50+ when we don't even know if we have a spot on the quota? My plan was to register with IEC and get a spot on the quota, get the police cert, and THEN submit the IEC application, but as it turns out once you have a spot you only have a few days to submit the application, which then only lasts 15 days. Not very good at all. Thanks for letting us know your response from CIC, this is what I will now have to do. How do we get proof that we have applied for a police cert though?

 

[katestewart01]

Yea it doesn't make sense the way they have done it. My UK police clearance application was 45 pounds plus international postage.. There was no way I was paying that until I knew I had obtained a place. My NZ one was really easy, all done by email so just took of screenshot of the reply I received. I didn't send anything as proof of my UK one (all done by post) - they did say to me that if you don't have proof that it has been received just provide proof you have completed application ie photo of completed form. I don't think they are too fussy - I didn't even submit proof I had applied of a UK one at first as I didn't think it was necessary. They then sent a reply saying it was required as I had lived there for 9 months. The message I got from this is that it is ok to mistakenly leave things out of your application - they will then email you letting you know what is still needed

 

[LoisW]

Hi All,

I just got refused due to my Conditional Letter of Acceptance being expired I have sent a message to IEC requesting a new letter. Has anybody else done this and received one? I've started a new application on MyCIC and attached everything again apart from the letter in the hope that they send a new one that is in date. I'm 35 so this is my last chance to get this visa. It's a bad system if I do not get it due to that letter being out of date when clearly it should not expire soo quick anyway.

Thanks.
Lois

 

[Khusba]

Hi All,

I just got refused due to my Conditional Letter of Acceptance being expired I have sent a message to IEC requesting a new letter. Has anybody else done this and received one? I've started a new application on MyCIC and attached everything again apart from the letter in the hope that they send a new one that is in date. I'm 35 so this is my last chance to get this visa. It's a bad system if I do not get it due to that letter being out of date when clearly it should not expire soo quick anyway.

Thanks.
Lois

Hey Lois

I too got refused for my conditional letter being expired, emailed ICE asking them the possibility sending a new conditional letter so can start new application, rather having to wait around for next quota.. Still awaiting a reply :-(
Have you any response from them yet..

 

[LoisW]

Hey Lois

I too got refused for my conditional letter being expired, emailed ICE asking them the possibility sending a new conditional letter so can start new application, rather having to wait around for next quota.. Still awaiting a reply :-(
Have you any response from them yet..

Hi Kush,

Not sure if you got my response so I'll try again. I never heard anything back. I've just sent the below message of complaint today on the MyCIC page. I think it's shocking and money making the way they deal with these visa's!

"Hi All,
I was one of the lucky ones who applied through Kompass for the International Experience Canada and got a Conditional Letter of Acceptance. I proceeded to get all the required documents for the application through MyCIC. Unfortunately through my own fault I did not realise the date of the letter expires soo quickly and was observing the days left to submit on MyCIC account(which I might add is misleading when the letter expires soo quickly). By the time I got all the police clearance and other docs for the application and submitted I was advised that my application has been refused due to the letter being out of date. I am 35 and therefore this was my last chance to apply for this visa. I am saddened that a simple thing like a date on a letter means I miss out on this visa. Also that I have paid $150 for someone to look at a date on a letter and refuse straight away. How can you justify this fee? I think the system needs to be seriously looked at.
I would appreciate your feedback on this subject and also any help you can provide in relation to my visa.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks,"

I'll let you all know if I hear anything back!