We booked flights to Vancouver for 20 August 2016 on the strength of my criminal rehabilitation permit being approved in late January 2016. We had to get new passports as our old ones expired within 6 months of the end of our planned travel. My husbands eTA was approved immediately.I applied for my eTA on 16 May and after a month with no reply I completed a case specific enquiry and attached the letter from the Government of Canada confirming my permit approved. On 8 June the reply from CIC was that my application was still being processed and not to book travel to Canada. I have contacted our travel agent and we are on the verge of cancelling travel to Canada. I have emailed the Canadian Embassy in the city where I live and also the Canadian Immigration Section in Sydney Australia who investigated and approved my criminal rehabilitation. Any other suggestions?
Criminal rehabilitation approved but eTA application has no decision.
- Thread starter Pearl1957
- Start date
Hindsight is wonderful thing but assume you read before you applied that ETA not mandatory until 29th September. Now you have applied I guess you are in the system but from what others have said where some secondary referrals have occurred has taken a couple of months for approval.
The FAQs on the CIC website as you have probably seen are pretty vague and only seem definite against travel if ETA has been refused not if pending although the receipt email says do not make travel arrangements I think thats more due to fact the 'leniency period' is temporary so reflects post 29th Sept. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/results-by-topic.asp?st=16.7
With any criminal conviction they still make an assessment anyway on landing depending what it is so ETA is still only permission to board a plane and strangely no ETA required for land border from the US just passport.
Not really any help other than patience but difficult decision whether to cancel or defer booking depends I guess on penalty whether makes any difference leaving until closer in
The FAQs on the CIC website as you have probably seen are pretty vague and only seem definite against travel if ETA has been refused not if pending although the receipt email says do not make travel arrangements I think thats more due to fact the 'leniency period' is temporary so reflects post 29th Sept. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/results-by-topic.asp?st=16.7
With any criminal conviction they still make an assessment anyway on landing depending what it is so ETA is still only permission to board a plane and strangely no ETA required for land border from the US just passport.
Not really any help other than patience but difficult decision whether to cancel or defer booking depends I guess on penalty whether makes any difference leaving until closer in
Woo hoo!! eTA approved 
I contacted the Canadian Immigration Office that processed my Criminal Rehabilitation (and provided approval) and they stepped in and got my eTA approved. So a happy ending. Learning from all of this , step 1 get Criminal Rehabilitation, step 2 apply for eTA, once eTA is approved book travel.
I contacted the Canadian Immigration Office that processed my Criminal Rehabilitation (and provided approval) and they stepped in and got my eTA approved. So a happy ending. Learning from all of this , step 1 get Criminal Rehabilitation, step 2 apply for eTA, once eTA is approved book travel.Hi Pearl1957!
Can I ask some questions? My partner applied for his ETA April 21st 2016 as we had booked flights for July 13th 2016 in December 2015 and we did not realise about the need for an ETA. We also submitted required police certificate straight away. criminal offence was back in 1999. I keep sending case specific enquiries explaining the reason for the trip and stressing my desperation as our departure date is in 18 days!!! I thought he was deemed rehabilitated due to the time lapse of the offence, but you talk about having applied for rehabilitation. I cannot seem to find any telephone numbers to speak to anyone about this. I am at my wits end. Do you have any suggestions?
Can I ask some questions? My partner applied for his ETA April 21st 2016 as we had booked flights for July 13th 2016 in December 2015 and we did not realise about the need for an ETA. We also submitted required police certificate straight away. criminal offence was back in 1999. I keep sending case specific enquiries explaining the reason for the trip and stressing my desperation as our departure date is in 18 days!!! I thought he was deemed rehabilitated due to the time lapse of the offence, but you talk about having applied for rehabilitation. I cannot seem to find any telephone numbers to speak to anyone about this. I am at my wits end. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi
I have had my holiday in Canada so have not been on this site for months. I had a notification today from JessieB asking for help with similar issue. I live in New Zealand so the Canadian Immigration Office who processed my Criminal Rehabilitation was in Sydney, Australia. The process took about 4 weeks , just two weeks from when I sent all the final documents.
When I was delayed two months with my application for an ETA (and had tickets booked) I contacted Sydney with my story (attached the emails with my ETA Case Specific Enquiry and the reply I had) and asked for help. This is what I got back -which made my heart so happy! Also the ETA came through almost immediately.
Note the email address has Sydney without an "E" : SYDNY-IMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca (despite their contact details below)
Thank you for your email. Our office will facilitate the eTA process for you. You should receive a result in the next 72 hours.
Sincerely,
Immigration Section / Section de l'immigration
sydney.immigration@international.gc.ca
Telephone | Téléphone: +61 2 9364 3050
Facsimile | Télécopieur: +61 2 9364 3099
Level 5, 111 Harrington Street / 5e étage, 111 rue Harrington
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia | Australie
I have had my holiday in Canada so have not been on this site for months. I had a notification today from JessieB asking for help with similar issue. I live in New Zealand so the Canadian Immigration Office who processed my Criminal Rehabilitation was in Sydney, Australia. The process took about 4 weeks , just two weeks from when I sent all the final documents.
When I was delayed two months with my application for an ETA (and had tickets booked) I contacted Sydney with my story (attached the emails with my ETA Case Specific Enquiry and the reply I had) and asked for help. This is what I got back -which made my heart so happy! Also the ETA came through almost immediately.
Note the email address has Sydney without an "E" : SYDNY-IMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca (despite their contact details below)
Thank you for your email. Our office will facilitate the eTA process for you. You should receive a result in the next 72 hours.
Sincerely,
Immigration Section / Section de l'immigration
sydney.immigration@international.gc.ca
Telephone | Téléphone: +61 2 9364 3050
Facsimile | Télécopieur: +61 2 9364 3099
Level 5, 111 Harrington Street / 5e étage, 111 rue Harrington
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia | Australie