My application started April 2011. They started processing it in June, 2011. I received an email from Ankara on May 16, 2012 requesting second medical + rprf. We sent in everything a few days later. Today our medical results were updated.
And finally, I received the following letter today:
Request for Submission of Passports
This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada. Following the closure of the Immigration Section in Damascus and Tehran, your application is now being processed in Ankara. Please submit the following documents:
· Original valid passports for you and each accompanying family member.
· 2 recent photographs (35 mm x 45 mm, white background) for you and each accompanying family member.
· Height and eye colour in writing for you and each accompanying family member.
All documents must be submitted together in one package. Include a copy of this letter on the top of your submission.
If a visa is issued, it will expire on 20 May 2013 or on the expiry date of your passport whichever date comes first. You must arrive in Canada on or before this date, it cannot be extended or renewed. This letter is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Each person must have their own passport, including minor children. Passports must be valid beyond the validity of your visas. Any passport changes after the visas are printed will result in a Replacement of an Immigration Document charge ($30.00 CAD) for each visa that needs to be reprinted.
Your passports must be received no later than 30 days from the date of this letter. Failure to provide the requested documents within the given timeframe could result in the refusal of your application.
If the validity date of your visa is shorter than two months, we recommend that you submit your passport in-person to our office in Ankara (instructions below). This will allow us to return your passport faster and will give you more time to travel to Canada.
Submitting your passport in-person: All applicants
All applicants may submit their passports in-person to the Immigration Section Reception in Ankara, Turkey at the address mentioned above. We will only accept passport submissions on Mondays and Wednesdays between 8:30 and 10:00 am. If you arrive late, you will have to submit your passports on the next available day for passport submission. Passports/visas can only be collected on the next business day at 2 pm.
This service will not operate when the Embassy is closed. Our website, www.turkey.gc.ca, shows our holiday closures (which include some Canadian and Turkish holidays).
Only you or someone you authorise may submit/pick up your passport/visa. This authorised person must present the letter of authorisation below and their own government-issued identification that includes their name and photograph, preferably their passport.
Submitting your passport by courier: Not possible for residents of Iran
Applicants who live outside of Iran may submit their passports directly to our office at the address below using a commercial courier service. (Since Iran does not allow the couriering of passports into or out of Iran, residents of Iran must submit their passports in-person using the instructions in the next section)
Immigration Section
Embassy of Canada in Ankara
Cinnah Caddesi No. 58
Çankaya, 06690
Ankara, Turkey
Please include a self-addressed return envelope.
If you are residing in Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, we will return your passports by commercial courier, fees payable on delivery.
If you are residing elsewhere, you should also include a prepaid return invoice for a courier service. Otherwise, your passports and visas will be returned to you by registered mail, which will cause significant delays.
You should expect to receive your visa within 4-6 weeks of your passport arriving at the Embassy in Ankara. If you do not receive your passport within this time frame, follow up with your courier company first. If the courier company has not been notified to collect your visa or if you have any other questions, then contact the Embassy of Canada in Ankara by following the instructions on our website: www.turkey.go.ca
Now when it says " Passports/visas can only be collected on the next business day at 2 pm. " does that mean if you submit it on Monday, it will be ready on Wednesday?
