DIFFICULTIES WITH MEXICAN VISA OFFCE
- Thread starter mark_kar
- Start date
We submitted our application in mid Sept 2012 in Canada. I was approved as a sponsor on Nov 22. The sponsor approval processizzyN said:
takes about 2 months. When you are approved the sponsor (In your case your wife) will get an official email notification. After the approval process your file (If your wife applied in Canada) will be sent to the relevant foreign Visa Office for further processing.
The average processing time at the Mexican Visa Office is 13 months last time I looked
The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers went on strike in Mexico City since June 11. Yes the strike is affecting Visa applications in a serious way. As I mentioned earlier permanent residence applications are on hold.
I suggest you visit the Visa Office. The Mexican Visa Office will likely not respond to your email inquires.
I will be visiting the Visa Office on Aug 29. I will give everyone a status update.
Again if you are Mexican National with a Canadian sponsor or a Canadian sponsoring a spouse, please I want to hear from you. Or if you are aware of individuals in similar situations with the Mexican Visa Office on other threads please ask them to join us here.
mark_kar
Hi Mark
I really hope that you get an update. I wish I could go also to Mexico City. This is so terrible and I am so frustrated and down. My worries now are for my daughter. I dont want her to have a trauma the rest of her life. She needs the other part of her family.
I really hope that you get an update. I wish I could go also to Mexico City. This is so terrible and I am so frustrated and down. My worries now are for my daughter. I dont want her to have a trauma the rest of her life. She needs the other part of her family.
Good day all
I visited the Mexican Visa Office with my wife today. Here is the latest information.
The PAFSO strike is still ongoing. Its not going to end sometime soon. There are discussions between the government and union
but they are getting complicated. For details on the strike please visit thread STRIKE.
As usual I had to drag information out of the attendant. On my last visit (End of July) we were told all permanent resident applications
have been put on hold. No one was working on them (except in humanitarian cases).
Today we were told there has been manpower resources assigned to permanent resident applications but the process is very slow.
Temporary visa have been impacted moderately and the office still processes them actively putting second priority on
permanent resident visas.
In our case its almost a year since we applied. The attendant could not (or would not) give us a time table as to when my wifes visa would be ready.
I asked what are the delays, again the attendant could not (or would not) tell us.
I asked to speak to the officer in charge of our file. Again the attendant refused.
I still managed to maintain my cool. I told her as a Canadian taxpayer I helped pay for these offices here in Mexico and all over the world. Why is my file and files similar to mine (Canadians sponsoring spouses) being ignored?
Again, a insincere cold apology... our orders come from Canada.
Here is what disturbs me most.
I asked if the people currently working on the temporary and permanent visas are Canadian Citizens?
Again she refused to answer.
I am suspecting the people who are deciding who gets into Canada are not Canadian Citizens. They are local English speaking Mexican Nationals. I don't have absolute proof of this, however if this is the case, it is a truly perverse situation.
My anger is growing....
If any of you are in my situation demand in strong terms to know your case status at mexico-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca
If you are able to visit the VO office do so. Do not be intimidated by the attendants
I am in Mexico at this time. If I can help in any way let me know.
I will be addressing the mexico thread shortly.
This need to change
Thanks mark-kar
I visited the Mexican Visa Office with my wife today. Here is the latest information.
The PAFSO strike is still ongoing. Its not going to end sometime soon. There are discussions between the government and union
but they are getting complicated. For details on the strike please visit thread STRIKE.
As usual I had to drag information out of the attendant. On my last visit (End of July) we were told all permanent resident applications
have been put on hold. No one was working on them (except in humanitarian cases).
Today we were told there has been manpower resources assigned to permanent resident applications but the process is very slow.
Temporary visa have been impacted moderately and the office still processes them actively putting second priority on
permanent resident visas.
In our case its almost a year since we applied. The attendant could not (or would not) give us a time table as to when my wifes visa would be ready.
I asked what are the delays, again the attendant could not (or would not) tell us.
I asked to speak to the officer in charge of our file. Again the attendant refused.
I still managed to maintain my cool. I told her as a Canadian taxpayer I helped pay for these offices here in Mexico and all over the world. Why is my file and files similar to mine (Canadians sponsoring spouses) being ignored?
Again, a insincere cold apology... our orders come from Canada.
Here is what disturbs me most.
I asked if the people currently working on the temporary and permanent visas are Canadian Citizens?
Again she refused to answer.
I am suspecting the people who are deciding who gets into Canada are not Canadian Citizens. They are local English speaking Mexican Nationals. I don't have absolute proof of this, however if this is the case, it is a truly perverse situation.
My anger is growing....
If any of you are in my situation demand in strong terms to know your case status at mexico-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca
If you are able to visit the VO office do so. Do not be intimidated by the attendants
I am in Mexico at this time. If I can help in any way let me know.
I will be addressing the mexico thread shortly.
This need to change
Thanks mark-kar
Mark, we need to keep this special thread alive and near the top.
We appealed a 2010 rejection after living in Toronto for over a year 2009-2010; we came back to Mexico only for the interview, and were caught here by the visa Harper imposed. I went back to Toronto to liquidate our our life there, take a leave of absence, then drove down. We were married by the time of our appeal in March 2012 and our lawyer told us that nearly all immigration officers would have said ok - together since 2006, now married, you can have your PR. Appeal was rejected for the silliest of reasons (an address), lawyers all astonished that such a petty decision would be made.
At the appeal were a representative of the Minister of Immigration and an immigration official (known amongst lawyers as a heartless bastard) who said we should "just" start over. So new app was acknowledged on Nov. 30 2012; sponsorship approved March 2013; AOR June 3 2013 (request for Constancia and further address info). Now nothing. Just getting older and losing money. What keeps us going is our love. I often ask myself why live in a country that treats its citizens like this, but there are still more positives to Canada than negatives, and governments do change.
To all others who have posted here and who are living in Mexico - is there anyone able to go to DF to join Mark and his wife in another quiet protest? Are any of you near Guadalajara, Chapala, Ocotlan so that we could make a plan?
If there are a few of us, then perhaps newspapers might take notice.
We appealed a 2010 rejection after living in Toronto for over a year 2009-2010; we came back to Mexico only for the interview, and were caught here by the visa Harper imposed. I went back to Toronto to liquidate our our life there, take a leave of absence, then drove down. We were married by the time of our appeal in March 2012 and our lawyer told us that nearly all immigration officers would have said ok - together since 2006, now married, you can have your PR. Appeal was rejected for the silliest of reasons (an address), lawyers all astonished that such a petty decision would be made.
At the appeal were a representative of the Minister of Immigration and an immigration official (known amongst lawyers as a heartless bastard) who said we should "just" start over. So new app was acknowledged on Nov. 30 2012; sponsorship approved March 2013; AOR June 3 2013 (request for Constancia and further address info). Now nothing. Just getting older and losing money. What keeps us going is our love. I often ask myself why live in a country that treats its citizens like this, but there are still more positives to Canada than negatives, and governments do change.
To all others who have posted here and who are living in Mexico - is there anyone able to go to DF to join Mark and his wife in another quiet protest? Are any of you near Guadalajara, Chapala, Ocotlan so that we could make a plan?
If there are a few of us, then perhaps newspapers might take notice.
agarand8
Hero Member
- Aug 21, 2013
- 25
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- Mexico City
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 28-03-2014
- Doc's Request.
- 10-06-2014
- AOR Received.
- 21-05-2014...#2 - 10-06-2014
- File Transfer...
- 22-05-2014
- Med's Request
- Additional tests requested on 05-06-2014
- Med's Done....
- Feb. 2014 & August 5th 2014
- Interview........
- 24-FEB-2015
- Passport Req..
- 24-MAR-2015...received at VO 6-APR-2015
Hello. I have just sent this e-mail to my MP. I didn't actually vote for him, but putting that in there couldnt hurt.
Dear Tom L,
My name is K . I am a 24 year old Canadian citizen and I voted for you. In February 2011, I decided I need to do some soul searching, so I travelled to Costa Rica where I spent three months volunteering, learning a new language, and "finding myself" if you will. Something amazing happened in Costa Rica. The first week that I arrived I met a man and I fell deeply in love. For financial reasons it was necessary for me to return to Canada and work before we could come together and start a life again. We spent a heart wrenching two years apart before I was able to return to Costa Rica and marry the love of my life. The wedding was in June, and I am still living here in Costa Rica with him.
Unfortunately, I have come to see in only a few short months that Costa Rica isn't the place for us to raise a family (which we want to do badly) nor does it bring us the opportunities in life that every person should hope for....owning a house, a car, going to a good university, even getting a decent job. As much as I will miss the beaches and my coconut trees, I have begun the process of completing the paperwork for the permanent resident application for my husband. I have come to learn that expected wait times for approval are averaging over a year, which I can understand. I cannot be the only Canadian to fall in love overseas. That said, I still hope to be in Canada for next Christmas. My grandmother is dying to meet my husband, along with many other aunts, uncles, and cousins who were unable to attend the wedding.
I thank you, Tom, for reading this letter but now I have to ask something more. The PAFSO strike is causing a delay in permanent resident applications, which is so horribly heart breaking. Fortunately I am here in Costa Rica with my husband, but many others are separated, waiting for a decision to be made. Please Tom, if you can do whatever you can to put pressure on the right people to end this strike. It is doing no good for anybody separating families like this. Imagine what it might be like if one of your sons fell in love while travelling and you were unable to meet your daughter-in-law for over a year. Countless families are being affected by this strike. I have heard stories of parents separated from their babies waiting and waiting with no sign that anything is happening with their application. I will be sending my application in next month and for this reason I urge you please Tom, whatever you can do to end this strike I would really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
My husband and I are so anticipating starting our life in Canada, we would be so horribly saddened if this strike would delay our move for much longer than was necessary.
Thank you,
K
Dear Tom L,
My name is K . I am a 24 year old Canadian citizen and I voted for you. In February 2011, I decided I need to do some soul searching, so I travelled to Costa Rica where I spent three months volunteering, learning a new language, and "finding myself" if you will. Something amazing happened in Costa Rica. The first week that I arrived I met a man and I fell deeply in love. For financial reasons it was necessary for me to return to Canada and work before we could come together and start a life again. We spent a heart wrenching two years apart before I was able to return to Costa Rica and marry the love of my life. The wedding was in June, and I am still living here in Costa Rica with him.
Unfortunately, I have come to see in only a few short months that Costa Rica isn't the place for us to raise a family (which we want to do badly) nor does it bring us the opportunities in life that every person should hope for....owning a house, a car, going to a good university, even getting a decent job. As much as I will miss the beaches and my coconut trees, I have begun the process of completing the paperwork for the permanent resident application for my husband. I have come to learn that expected wait times for approval are averaging over a year, which I can understand. I cannot be the only Canadian to fall in love overseas. That said, I still hope to be in Canada for next Christmas. My grandmother is dying to meet my husband, along with many other aunts, uncles, and cousins who were unable to attend the wedding.
I thank you, Tom, for reading this letter but now I have to ask something more. The PAFSO strike is causing a delay in permanent resident applications, which is so horribly heart breaking. Fortunately I am here in Costa Rica with my husband, but many others are separated, waiting for a decision to be made. Please Tom, if you can do whatever you can to put pressure on the right people to end this strike. It is doing no good for anybody separating families like this. Imagine what it might be like if one of your sons fell in love while travelling and you were unable to meet your daughter-in-law for over a year. Countless families are being affected by this strike. I have heard stories of parents separated from their babies waiting and waiting with no sign that anything is happening with their application. I will be sending my application in next month and for this reason I urge you please Tom, whatever you can do to end this strike I would really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
My husband and I are so anticipating starting our life in Canada, we would be so horribly saddened if this strike would delay our move for much longer than was necessary.
Thank you,
K
That's the spirit - we should all be contacting our MPs. A flood of letters from all of us will soon get them off their duffs.
Hello All
It has become very clear to me and many of you who are attempting to bring their spouses and loved ones
to Canada, that our own government and CIC has made a conscious decision to put family reunification as a
last priority.
Here are some numbers and facts
-The Mexican Visa office can issue visitors visas in 7 working days after the paper work has been submitted. Student Visa and Work Permits are 30 and 40 working days respectively.
-The last time I looked the average processing time for a spouse permanent resident is 13 months!!! Processing times for parents are longer. God help you if there is a minor problem with your application
-The PAFSO strike has marginally affected Temp Visas, Permanent visa applications have been put on indefinite hold. Proof that CIC permanent resident applications are a distant second priority.
-CIC has made the process for Family Class Sponsorship intentionally complex and difficult to keep the lawyers happy. For many of us the process is pure hell
-This Visa Office will not answer email inquiries. After Months of waiting for a response to a case inquiry, they will send you a boiler plate email that tells you nothing with irrelevant links and insincere apologies.
- The Mexican Visa Office is largely staffed by english speaking Mexican Nationals that do not reflect Canadian values. These are the people who help decide who gets to enter the Canada.
-The Mexican visa office will process hundreds (if not thousands of Temp Visas) per Month. As far as I know only one PR Visa was issued over the last month???
Yet
-Canadian tax payers pay over 23 billion dollars to support CIC.
Canadians who trying to bring their loved ones to Canada are treated like garbage
On Sept 12 my wife and I protested outside the Embassy.
We plan to protest again on Thurs Sept 26. I will be handing out flyers that will say the following
CANADA IMMIGRATION POLICIES ARE TEARING FAMILIES APART
IF YOU ARE A CANADIAN SPONSORING A WIFE OR HUSBAND PLEASE READ THIS
IMMIGRATION CANADA IS NOT INTERESTED IN REUNITING FAMILIES. THE UNREASONABLE PROCESSING TIMES TO BRING A SPOUSE TO CANADA HAS PUT GREAT STRESS ON CANADIAN FAMILIES. WHILE CANADIAN FAMILIES HAVE TO ENDURE LONG PERIODS OF SEPARATION THIS VISA OFFICE WILL ISSUE TEMPORARY VISITORS VISAS IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
CANADIAN SPOUSES NEED TO WAIT 13 MONTHS OR MORE.
CANADIAN SPOUSAL PERMANENT RESIDENT VISAS ARE SECOND PRIORITY
IF YOU ARE AFFECTED PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL MP OR EMAIL
Minister@cic.gc.ca
I also plan to notify the Canadian press
If you are in Mexico and able to join us let us know
If you are in Canada and affected please notify your MP
or
email Minister@cic.gc.ca
Express in strong terms your anger
I will be posting more detail in a later Post
Thanks Mark K
It has become very clear to me and many of you who are attempting to bring their spouses and loved ones
to Canada, that our own government and CIC has made a conscious decision to put family reunification as a
last priority.
Here are some numbers and facts
-The Mexican Visa office can issue visitors visas in 7 working days after the paper work has been submitted. Student Visa and Work Permits are 30 and 40 working days respectively.
-The last time I looked the average processing time for a spouse permanent resident is 13 months!!! Processing times for parents are longer. God help you if there is a minor problem with your application
-The PAFSO strike has marginally affected Temp Visas, Permanent visa applications have been put on indefinite hold. Proof that CIC permanent resident applications are a distant second priority.
-CIC has made the process for Family Class Sponsorship intentionally complex and difficult to keep the lawyers happy. For many of us the process is pure hell
-This Visa Office will not answer email inquiries. After Months of waiting for a response to a case inquiry, they will send you a boiler plate email that tells you nothing with irrelevant links and insincere apologies.
- The Mexican Visa Office is largely staffed by english speaking Mexican Nationals that do not reflect Canadian values. These are the people who help decide who gets to enter the Canada.
-The Mexican visa office will process hundreds (if not thousands of Temp Visas) per Month. As far as I know only one PR Visa was issued over the last month???
Yet
-Canadian tax payers pay over 23 billion dollars to support CIC.
Canadians who trying to bring their loved ones to Canada are treated like garbage
On Sept 12 my wife and I protested outside the Embassy.
We plan to protest again on Thurs Sept 26. I will be handing out flyers that will say the following
CANADA IMMIGRATION POLICIES ARE TEARING FAMILIES APART
IF YOU ARE A CANADIAN SPONSORING A WIFE OR HUSBAND PLEASE READ THIS
IMMIGRATION CANADA IS NOT INTERESTED IN REUNITING FAMILIES. THE UNREASONABLE PROCESSING TIMES TO BRING A SPOUSE TO CANADA HAS PUT GREAT STRESS ON CANADIAN FAMILIES. WHILE CANADIAN FAMILIES HAVE TO ENDURE LONG PERIODS OF SEPARATION THIS VISA OFFICE WILL ISSUE TEMPORARY VISITORS VISAS IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
CANADIAN SPOUSES NEED TO WAIT 13 MONTHS OR MORE.
CANADIAN SPOUSAL PERMANENT RESIDENT VISAS ARE SECOND PRIORITY
IF YOU ARE AFFECTED PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL MP OR EMAIL
Minister@cic.gc.ca
I also plan to notify the Canadian press
If you are in Mexico and able to join us let us know
If you are in Canada and affected please notify your MP
or
email Minister@cic.gc.ca
Express in strong terms your anger
I will be posting more detail in a later Post
Thanks Mark K
Hello everyone,
I have done several applications at the Canadian Visa Office in Mexico city and the average processing times have been from six to ten months, (this one was the longest as documents got lost on the mail), is one of the fastess VO around the world.
Due to the strike, processing times are longer, sadly there is nothing we can do about it. As you can see, they are working on applications even though they are on strike.
I don't see anything wrong with Mexican Nationals working in your applications do you believe that because they are not Canadians they cannot understand Immigration Law and regulations? Really? Your comment is a little racist, you are married to a Mexican National, does she understand your values? The delay on your application has nothing to do with it.
Some cases take longer due to different circumstances, if your spouse is a failed refugee, expect delays, why? Firts, they need to make sure he/she did not married in order to get the PR, second, if they were deported, the ARc needs to be approved.
I understand how you feel, The wait seems like is forever,and longer if families are apart, but believe me, are other visa offices who take almost two years to approve a Family Class application, Manila, New Dehli and many more. Patience is a virtue, and now with the strike you need it the most.
Your families future is on the Visa Officer's decision, if you keep sending requests and complaints, your case will take longer as they will open your file and set up a new date to open it again. Why ? Immigration officers work with "agendas" on your files, they open your file, review if your application is complete, and then set up a date in the system to open your file again to send you the AOR. Then again, set up another date to open your file to review if you sent the documents they requested and so on. Timelines are set up for every step on your files.
Yes, applications for visitors are faster, main reason, they don't need to do a background check, with a Permanent Residency application takes longer, as the background checks are done in two different levels.
Visitor's visas for spouses are rejected for different reasons, the most important one is due to lack of funds or because the person requested the visa cannot prove she/he will be back to their country of origen at the end of the time she/he is allowed to be in Canada, yes, she /he is married to a Canadian but she/he is still a foreign national and needs to prove she has a value reason to be back to Mexico and will not overstay after the end of their TRV. As per the regulayions, if is the onus of the applicant to prove she/he has ties in their country of origen, it doesn't matter if she/she is married or not to a Canadian Citizen.
Filling a strong application for a Visitor's visa for a spouse makes a difference in the outcome as well. Filling the application is not always enough.
Many of you applied a few months ago, lets wait for the strike to be over so applications get processed within the timelines. The backlog is now six months due to the strike, let's be patience.
Good luck to all ,
Susana
I have done several applications at the Canadian Visa Office in Mexico city and the average processing times have been from six to ten months, (this one was the longest as documents got lost on the mail), is one of the fastess VO around the world.
Due to the strike, processing times are longer, sadly there is nothing we can do about it. As you can see, they are working on applications even though they are on strike.
I don't see anything wrong with Mexican Nationals working in your applications do you believe that because they are not Canadians they cannot understand Immigration Law and regulations? Really? Your comment is a little racist, you are married to a Mexican National, does she understand your values? The delay on your application has nothing to do with it.
Some cases take longer due to different circumstances, if your spouse is a failed refugee, expect delays, why? Firts, they need to make sure he/she did not married in order to get the PR, second, if they were deported, the ARc needs to be approved.
I understand how you feel, The wait seems like is forever,and longer if families are apart, but believe me, are other visa offices who take almost two years to approve a Family Class application, Manila, New Dehli and many more. Patience is a virtue, and now with the strike you need it the most.
Your families future is on the Visa Officer's decision, if you keep sending requests and complaints, your case will take longer as they will open your file and set up a new date to open it again. Why ? Immigration officers work with "agendas" on your files, they open your file, review if your application is complete, and then set up a date in the system to open your file again to send you the AOR. Then again, set up another date to open your file to review if you sent the documents they requested and so on. Timelines are set up for every step on your files.
Yes, applications for visitors are faster, main reason, they don't need to do a background check, with a Permanent Residency application takes longer, as the background checks are done in two different levels.
Visitor's visas for spouses are rejected for different reasons, the most important one is due to lack of funds or because the person requested the visa cannot prove she/he will be back to their country of origen at the end of the time she/he is allowed to be in Canada, yes, she /he is married to a Canadian but she/he is still a foreign national and needs to prove she has a value reason to be back to Mexico and will not overstay after the end of their TRV. As per the regulayions, if is the onus of the applicant to prove she/he has ties in their country of origen, it doesn't matter if she/she is married or not to a Canadian Citizen.
Filling a strong application for a Visitor's visa for a spouse makes a difference in the outcome as well. Filling the application is not always enough.
Many of you applied a few months ago, lets wait for the strike to be over so applications get processed within the timelines. The backlog is now six months due to the strike, let's be patience.
Good luck to all ,
Susana