Hello all,
I am a Swedish student going on an exchange in Montréal this fall (for one academic year). I applied for a study permit online on the 13th of July, and as I understand it, the Visa office in London is handling my application. The tool for estimating the response time for the application says it will take about 1 week. I know that isn't 100% reliable, but my friend who is going on the same exchange as myself applied on the 25th of July and got his study permit approved on the 31st, only 6 days later. Yet I am still waiting after 19 days. Another person who is going on the exchange applied earlier this summer and his application process also only took a couple of days. I just assumed that they had got more applications to process since the first guy applied, but now that my friend who applied AFTER me got his study permit before I have heard anything, I am starting to get stressed about the situation. Is it normal that this happens? I was under the impression that the applications are processed in the order they are submitted. If there is anything wrong with my application I have no problem having it rejected and then resubmitting it, but the silence is killing me. Does anyone have any idea what might have happened? I have used the web enquiry to ask about my application delay, does anyone know what a typical response time for the enquiry is? below is the status of my application as shown when I log in to view my file. I also have two messages, one confirming the submission of my application and the other confirming my payment for the application fee. Both messages I got on the 13th of July, since then I have heard nothing.
Application/profile status Open Help
Review of medical results Not needed at this time Help
Review of submitted documents No additional documents are needed at this time Help
Scheduling an interview Not needed at this time Help
Review of biometric information Not needed at this time Help
Final decision Not Started
It is worth noting that the two other guys who got their applications processed much quicker than mine both go to my home university, and we are going to the same university in Montreal etc, so our applications should be pretty much identical apart from the personal information.
The only thing I can think of that I did do differenly is that I checked a box during my application that said I was an exchange student, while the other guys did not. (The definition of exchange student on the applicaton website says that it means I am switching places at our respective home universities with a person from the university I am going to in Montreal, which I am not. I am however going on exchange in the sense that my home uni will cover all tuition fees etc, and some of the documents I provided as proof of financial capacity refer to me as an exchange student, so I went ahead and ticked the box even though I was not an exchange student by the definition provided.)
Is it possible that that detail is causing the delay of my application? Because they have to find out somehow if someone from montreal is indeed taking my place at my university in sweden? It seems absurdly unlikely to me, but it is the only thing I can think of that I did different than the guys who got their study permits in 5-6 days. Ihave been waiting for a response of any kind for 19 days now, and I am hoping to fly to Canada on the 19th of August, so I am getting nervous. Is anyone here able to shed some light on this for me? It is my first time ever applying for a visa in any country.
Thank you in advance
I am a Swedish student going on an exchange in Montréal this fall (for one academic year). I applied for a study permit online on the 13th of July, and as I understand it, the Visa office in London is handling my application. The tool for estimating the response time for the application says it will take about 1 week. I know that isn't 100% reliable, but my friend who is going on the same exchange as myself applied on the 25th of July and got his study permit approved on the 31st, only 6 days later. Yet I am still waiting after 19 days. Another person who is going on the exchange applied earlier this summer and his application process also only took a couple of days. I just assumed that they had got more applications to process since the first guy applied, but now that my friend who applied AFTER me got his study permit before I have heard anything, I am starting to get stressed about the situation. Is it normal that this happens? I was under the impression that the applications are processed in the order they are submitted. If there is anything wrong with my application I have no problem having it rejected and then resubmitting it, but the silence is killing me. Does anyone have any idea what might have happened? I have used the web enquiry to ask about my application delay, does anyone know what a typical response time for the enquiry is? below is the status of my application as shown when I log in to view my file. I also have two messages, one confirming the submission of my application and the other confirming my payment for the application fee. Both messages I got on the 13th of July, since then I have heard nothing.
Application/profile status Open Help
Review of medical results Not needed at this time Help
Review of submitted documents No additional documents are needed at this time Help
Scheduling an interview Not needed at this time Help
Review of biometric information Not needed at this time Help
Final decision Not Started
It is worth noting that the two other guys who got their applications processed much quicker than mine both go to my home university, and we are going to the same university in Montreal etc, so our applications should be pretty much identical apart from the personal information.
The only thing I can think of that I did do differenly is that I checked a box during my application that said I was an exchange student, while the other guys did not. (The definition of exchange student on the applicaton website says that it means I am switching places at our respective home universities with a person from the university I am going to in Montreal, which I am not. I am however going on exchange in the sense that my home uni will cover all tuition fees etc, and some of the documents I provided as proof of financial capacity refer to me as an exchange student, so I went ahead and ticked the box even though I was not an exchange student by the definition provided.)
Is it possible that that detail is causing the delay of my application? Because they have to find out somehow if someone from montreal is indeed taking my place at my university in sweden? It seems absurdly unlikely to me, but it is the only thing I can think of that I did different than the guys who got their study permits in 5-6 days. Ihave been waiting for a response of any kind for 19 days now, and I am hoping to fly to Canada on the 19th of August, so I am getting nervous. Is anyone here able to shed some light on this for me? It is my first time ever applying for a visa in any country.
Thank you in advance