Finally got my PR visa, but too late. It's expired !!

[LauraSan]

Hello everybody...

I am new to this forum and I would like to tell you my story, which I still can't believe I am going through!!

My partner and I applied for Common-in Law Sponsorship outside Canada (Visa office Paris), to get my Peranent Residence to Canada. We sent all the papers (including Medical Examination) on February 6th, 2010. By March 30,2010 I got a letter from Paris, saying that they got all my application kitt and that they need 6 to 12 months to process it. And that I am not allowed to contact them. On December 22, 2010 I got a letter from Paris saying that they're ready to issure my Permanent Resident Visa and that I have to send in my passport. Which I did on December 30, 2010 (I was not in Canada over the holidays and needed my passport). On January 20,2011 I got my passport back...and I couldn't believe my eyes, when I saw the dates on my Permanent Resident Visa! Issue date of my visa is June 22, 2010 and expiry January 14, 2011 !!

This is crazyyyy...I got my visa back that is alredy expired...I didn't have any chance to re enter Canada. And I didn't get any information from Paris in June !!??? So from June to December...what happened to my papers?? I'm so frustated and upset. I have been waiting for this for so long and now it's almost one year we started everything and I was so happy that I got accepted for Permanent Residency. And now at the end of all this, I get an expired visa back!? By the way...between June 2010 and January 2011 I entered Canada TWO times (Prove of stamps in my passport)...so if I would have gotten my visa on time, I would have been able to apply for my PR Card easily and with no stress!!

I called Paris but they're not willing to help me on the phone...hanging up on me and saying that everything's on their webpage and that I have to write them an e-mail. I called CIC and they told me I have to deal with Paris.

Maybe someone has any suggestions how I could go over this bureaucracy faster and easy. Or maybe someone had a similar story to share. I just hope they can fix their mistake and change the expiry date of my visa!? I hope I don't have to reapply again..as it defenitely wasn't my mistake. The papers were stuck too long in Paris between June and December and they defenitely didn't inform me on time!!

 

[Kaycee1]

Jeez, this is scary, our application will be going through Paris too! I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, it sounds like a terrible mixup!

 

[RobsLuv]

Your sponsor needs to contact his/her Member of Parliament immediately to have them get in touch with the office of the Minister of Immigration about this! There are two things obviously wrong here - first, how can they date the visa for June 2010 when they didn't even request the passport until December (hopefully you still have a copy of your passport request letter - what is the date on it)? Secondly, the visa is supposed to be valid until the one year anniversary of your medical examination - although I realize you didn't say when you had your medical done, and it might have been in January of last year if you sent everything on Feb 6th. But the visa office, when they found themselves ready to request your passport in December with medical expiry coming up in January/February, should have either made the decision to extend the validity of your medical examination, or required you to do another one in order to allow enough time for you to land after receiving your passports back. They are not supposed to send out a passport request that does not allow enough time for the applicant to submit the passport, and then get it back and still have time to travel to Canada to accomplish the "landing". There has obviously been a major error in processing here, and the best avenue for fixing things is to get the MP involved and have him go through the Minister's office. As you've discovered, you won't get anywhere at all trying to resolve this yourself - either with CIC or with Paris. They don't like to be told they screwed up!

Bottom line: if an applicant doesn't land before the expiry of the COPR, they have to start all over again. So this definitely needs to be dealt with through the proper channels, by people who have power to influence the outcome and, basically, the only ones able to do that are those working at the office of the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration - and your sponsor's MP is the one with access to that office. Don't delay - have your sponsor get his/her MP involved immediately by showing proof that your passport was requested by Paris in December, and yet you have a visa dated June 2010. That can't happen. I received my passport request on Nov 30 with a requirement that I submit my passport back to them by December 20th. The visa and COPR were issued dated December 31, with an expiration date in May 2011 (when our medicals expire). They wouldn't be issuing a visa and COPR before the date of the passport request. What is the date on the COPR paperwork? Your situation is an obvious, disputable error and the embassy should fix it!

 

[LauraSan]

Thank you both to reply that fast. Kaycee1, I wish you good luck with the visa office Paris...not every case is the same...
@RobsLuv:
Thank you so much for taking your time and writing me back some really interesting and good stuff. Yes, my medical examination was in
January 14th 2010, which is exactly the expiry date of my PR visa. But as you say, they should have informed me a lot before December. My papers were probaly taking dust on their desk for about 5month.. Unbelieveble !!! It's still hard for me to understand, it's like I am in a bad dream !! I still have all the letters they sent me, from the beginning of my application. So the proof is here..! The letter I got now with my passport doen't have any date and reference number. So I can't even tell on what date they sent me my passport back!?
You are right, that's what we think too. Writing them an e-mail is probably not gonna get us anywhere. It has to be dealt by people who have power to influence. We'll not lose time and do this right away tomorrow and Monday.
Thanks again and I keep you informed..

 

[YorkFactory]

first, how can they date the visa for June 2010 when they didn't even request the passport until December

Data point: my visa's issue date is over two weeks before the passport request e-mail.

 

[HoneyBird]

Clearly this is a mistake on the embassy's part.
They made a mistake issuing a single day visa to me once.

You need to write a long detailed e-mail to the Embassy in Paris as suggested by CIC.
Keep a copy of the letter.
Also do you have the envelop that the passport came in? Keep it because it shows the date that it was actually mailed to you.
In fact organise all your correspondences and do a time line to show the progression of your case.

Secondly you need to urgently contact your MP.

Thirdly, don't despair, don't frustrate, this is not your fault, you need to be clear level to fight for your rights! Clearly and I would say to the embassy, this was a mistake on their part.

 

[LauraSan]

@YorkFactory: Two weeks...but mine is 5month after the issue date!? Why didn't they inform me right after June 22!??

@HoneyBird: Yeah I organised everything and still have all the letters they sent me. And the envelope from UPS. Maybe UPS was late in delivering too!? But even if...they can't send a visa with such a little time to land in Canada. The papers got stuck there between June and December, that's their biggest mistake. They could have asked me to redo my medicals or extend my medicals, if they saw it coming close... !! I'll contact my sponsor's MP on Monday first thing... !! In the moment it's really frustating...but I keep focused and think clear...I'm gonna fight this and get what I want!!

 

[Leon]

You have already written them an email to explain and that's about all you can do. Now get your partner in Canada to go talk to his MP and ask him or her to push immigration a bit on the issue. If the MP is feeling helpful, that can help and shouldn't hurt anyway. If the MP is not helpful, your partner can get his parents and other people he knows to talk to their MP's on his behalf.

I am not sure how it happens that your visa gets issued in June and you aren't asked for your passport until December. In any case, they should have realized that your medicals were about to expire and should have just told you to repeat them so they would be able to issue you a visa that isn't already expired when you get it.

By the way, your inbox is full so I could not reply to your PM.

 

[LauraSan]

Hello Guys...

I just wanted to let you know, that I got an answer back from Paris this morning by email. They're going to send me a new medical form, so I can redo my medicals...!! I am happy, even if it's gonna take a bit, till they ask me my passport again. But that's ok. Does anybody know how long it usually takes after the medicals??

I want to thank you all for your answers and all your support...that's really an amazing forum with really really helpful and nice people !! THANK YOU A LOT !!! YOU'RE AWESOME !!!

 

[LauraSan]

THANKS...

Just sending them a very specific email and telling them nicely that it was THEIR mistake. Yesterday I sent an email to the program manager in Paris (Alain Théault)...maybe he made a bit of pressure!?
I wrote to the MP and he answered me today...but in that case, I'm not gonna need his help! But he would have helped me for sure..!!

 

[rjessome]

Hello Guys...

I just wanted to let you know, that I got an answer back from Paris this morning by email. They're going to send me a new medical form, so I can redo my medicals...!! I am happy, even if it's gonna take a bit, till they ask me my passport again. But that's ok. Does anybody know how long it usually takes after the medicals??

I want to thank you all for your answers and all your support...that's really an amazing forum with really really helpful and nice people !! THANK YOU A LOT !!! YOU'RE AWESOME !!!

It should only take a few weeks after the RMO in Paris receives the medicals. Make sure you send your receipt to the embassy so they can order the results.

 

[kelKel]

Aw Congrats Laura! I had a feeling it would be Fixed quickly! Xo

 

[Kaycee1]

Congratulations, glad to hear they were reasonable and fixed their mistake!! ;D

 

[LauraSan]

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU !!!!

I am very happy, but only believe it when I have it...

Have a good day and thanks again for all your help !!

 

[RobsLuv]

So happy to hear that this is being worked out. Sometimes they make a mistake and they're more interested in covering the mistake than in making it right. So glad things are working out for you. Please keep us posted so we can celebrate with you when you land!