Don't send your passport directly to LA consulate !!!!

[Sykeepfit]

i applied for TRV Feb 21st, and got passport request Mar 18th, on the next day i mailed my passport to LA immigration center, the address of EAPP

Consulate General of Canada
Immigration Section
550 South Hope Street, 9th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071

but yesterday, i got my passport back without the stamp. but with an letter from LA center, saying that they no longer accept passports for online applications by mail, i must submit my passport to the VAC which is also in CA somewhere.

i called the VAC for more instructions, they said that they just change the policy in 1-2 weeks.............

so guys, if you are going to send your passport to get stamped, go to this website first,
http://www.csc-cvac.com/en-US/selfservice/cvac_application_processing
there is extra fee associated. follow the application processing steps under the application processing page, if anyone has questions, you can leave it here or call VAC, the number is 646-741-0130.

 

[gaoy3]

Hi there,
I did the same thing and got an return of my passport, which is so annoying......

So what is the extra fee? Do you mean "The fee for the VAC service is US $43.01". So confused here and time is so tight for me.......

Thanks in advance for any explanation here.

 

[bonitaellada]

Gaoy3 why don't you send your passport to NY?
I am confused as to where to send my passport and time is tight for me too.
I think I will send my passport to NY instead of LA

 

[napratin]

I wish I had seen this thread before..I just got mine returned by the LA consulate as well :-[

@bonitaellada, @gaoy3: Where did you end up sending your passports, and how long did it take for them to return it?

@Sykeepfit: Did you have to mail the fees to the lockbox mentioned? How long did the total process take?

My timeline is really tight as I have to travel on April 27 (11 days from now), and I'm sitting here with my passport in hand wondering where I should send it (I want to send it to NY, but I don't know if they're accepting passports after the VAC closed, and how long they are taking).

Online TRV submitted: March 19
Passport request: April 7
Passport delivered to LA consulate: April 10
Passport returned without visa: April 16
<need some magic here>
Travel: April 27

 

[napratin]

Update: I sent my passport today (Apr 16) to the VAC after speaking to them (they were actually quite nice over the phone, but couldn't confirm whether NY consulate is directly accepting passports, so LA was the only reasonable choice).

As far as I understand, you send the payment (only) as a bank draft/cashier's check/money order to a lockbox in Utah. To the VAC, you send a photocopy of the payment along with your passport, a VAC consent form and the original passport request letter. You can include a self-addressed return envelope as well. It's best to give them a call to ensure you're sending everything they need. Details on page linked to by OP.

Let's see how this goes.

 

[bonitaellada]

Napratin
Yes you can send your passport to NY.
I also called LA VAC. They said the wait to return the passport is 1 to 2 weeks. I read somewhere that NY consulate is returning passport faster now. That's why I opted sending my passport to NY.
My husband is still waiting for his pp request (almost 50 days now). He might send it to LA VAC because one can contact them by phone to ask about the status of his passport while you can't do that with NY consulate.

 

[napratin]

@bonitaellada: Thanks for confirming that NY is still accepting passports. But I guess I did not want to deal with the uncertainty which is why I sent it to LA through the VAC (at least they have real people you can talk to).
In case you have received your passport back from NY, may I ask how long it took since you sent it?

 

[bonitaellada]

It took 8 days to get my passport back with USPS express mail next day delivery both ways.

 

[Kathy1204]

I got passport request on Mar 24. I send it on Mar. 25 to LA Consulate. One week late, it was returned without stamp.
And I send my passport to VAC in LA, it delivered on April 10.
My application status of MyCIC closed on April 15. Is it means they are processing my passport?
But I still didn't get any tracking no. information.

Does anyone can give me some suggestion?

 

[bonitaellada]

Kathy
When the status of your application is closed it means the passport has been sent.
You should get it any day now.

 

[Kathy1204]

They said they already post my envelope attached with my passport.
But my envelope's tracking number is not found right now.
I'm so worried and confused now... :-[

 

[graysw]

Hi there, i have gone through the same confusing process like you all. i sent my passport to the LA consulate and returned without stamp.

Sending it to the VAC required an extra fee of $43.01 on top of the postage and all. So i decided i email the NY consulate which they replied and confirmed that they are still doing the stamping (replied on Apr 3rd)

Apr 3rd - passport arrived NY consulate
Apr 11th - stamped passport received

 

[napratin]

Finally got my passport with the visa stamped today, April 26! I fly out tomorrow morning. Phew!

I'm glad USPS delivers on Saturdays. It took a total of about 11 days for my passport to go from me to the VAC to LA Consulate, back to VAC and back to me (sent April 16 midday, received April 26 noon). I realize now that NY would probably have been quicker, but I do appreciate the VAC's prompt responses to my constant enquiries.

@graysw: Good for you! Quick correction - the passport delivery charge at the VAC is $34.10, not $43.01 (the website can be very confusing; I believe they've included a block of text about passport delivery on one of the pages after I submitted some feedback, but it's still pretty bad).

 

[jayrpatel9]

Are you people sure that we can send our passport to NEW YORK Consulate? I sent mine to New York Consulate on 7th August. I had sent an email to NY consulate to ask about the same 3 weeks ago and got a reply from them that we have to send it trough VAC. I am so pissed right now? :-[

Can this process be any more confusing?? :-X

 

[thiagan]

I submitted my online application on Jul 21st night and got the mail requesting for passport on Jul 27th. Using USPS overnight delivery(priority express) sent it to LA visa application center and got the passport back on Aug 4th. the whole process took, only 2 weeks(10 business days)