Guidelines to call IRCC CIC from US

[yourfather]

Hello All,

I am very grateful to this forum for laying the foundation and supporting my journey. In return, I am posting a few guidelines that you can follow to call IRCC from US.

Dont dial the 888 242 2100 number from phone or any app as the call wont be completed. Below are the two ways I figured out.

1) Free option: Install both Hangouts and hangout dialer apps, Dial 613 944 4000 and as soon as the male voice starts to speak keep pressing 1. You will directly land onto the toll free number. If you dont keep pressing 1, you will get the same message stating 'You call cannot be completed' once the male voice transfers you to IRCC toll free number.

2) Paid Option: You can use Skype with credits and dial 613 944 4000, it works.

Also for a shortcut, once you enter the IRCC toll free line, choose 1 for English and then 4 as the next choice and then 0. This will either put you to the queue directly or tell you that the queue is busy and try again later. With this you can either get into the queue or get off the call in less than one minute if busy. No need to wait for 7-8 mins through the entire IVR.

 

[USProgrammer]

Tried this with Hangouts. "We're sorreee, the toll-free number you have dialed is not available in your area. SCT-11"

 

[yourfather]

Tried this with Hangouts. "We're sorreee, the toll-free number you have dialed is not available in your area. SCT-11"

There are two parts to this call, when you 1st dial the 613 number, you will hear a male ivr, keep on pressing number 1 quickly until you get connected a female ivr. Then choose 1 for English, then 4 and then 0, you should be in the queue or receive a msg that the queue not available. Tried the same just one and it works.

 

[freesoul]

You can add a # in front of the number you are trying to call. It causes the location tracking to not work at the destination. Cheers.

 

[USProgrammer]

I found out my carrier (T-Mobile) doesn't charge for calls to Canada so the 613 or whatever area code number just works for me directly with no charges.

 

[javeds]

There are two parts to this call, when you 1st dial the 613 number, you will hear a male ivr, keep on pressing number 1 quickly until you get connected a female ivr. Then choose 1 for English, then 4 and then 0, you should be in the queue or receive a msg that the queue not available. Tried the same just one and it works.

That sounds sexist.

 

[legbird]

Tried this with Hangouts. "We're sorreee, the toll-free number you have dialed is not available in your area. SCT-11"

Did you figure out the solutions? I had the same problem as you described.

 

[DEEPCUR]

Dial this number from US - *67 613-944-4000 . Use Google Hangouts for dialing. It works 100%.

*67 is basically to mask the caller identification. It will help from getting disconnected because you dialed from outside Canada.

 

[schilz]

That sounds sexist.

Lol this guy

 

[USProgrammer]

Did you figure out the solutions? I had the same problem as you described.

I just called on my T-Mobile cell phone. Calling Canada is free from the US on T-Mobile.

 

[legbird]

Dial this number from US - *67 613-944-4000 . Use Google Hangouts for dialing. It works 100%.

*67 is basically to mask the caller identification. It will help from getting disconnected because you dialed from outside Canada.

Thanks a lot! I dialed through my cell phone so it didn't work. But it definitely works using Google Hangouts!

 

[legbird]

I just called on my T-Mobile cell phone. Calling Canada is free from the US on T-Mobile.

I don't use T-mobo But it works after I switched to Google Hangouts. Thank you.

 

[USProgrammer]

I don't use T-mobo But it works after I switched to Google Hangouts. Thank you.

I was using Hangouts. I don't know what I did wrong when I got the sorree message.

However, even via T-Mobile it said they were too busy to answer and to call back later. I did a CSE and they replied like 2 days later or maybe it was even sooner, so that was fine for me too. I was making sure they received my spouse's furtherance letter reply since I didn't get any kind of confirmation and we still haven't passed medical.

 

[legbird]

I was using Hangouts. I don't know what I did wrong when I got the sorree message.

However, even via T-Mobile it said they were too busy to answer and to call back later. I did a CSE and they replied like 2 days later or maybe it was even sooner, so that was fine for me too. I was making sure they received my spouse's furtherance letter reply since I didn't get any kind of confirmation and we still haven't passed medical.

Usually it takes 1 month to pass medical. Hope your medical will get passed soon.

 

[USProgrammer]

Usually it takes 1 month to pass medical. Hope your medical will get passed soon.

I wasn't trying to rush them on medical. I just wanted to make sure they received the furtherance letter reply from the panel physician.

I really don't like that furtherance requests come via email only. There's no trace of them in the Express Entry portal. If it had gone to spam... I don't want to think about what would happen. Seems nuts. All communications should be in the portal, in my opinion, with an email to tell you a letter is there, just like AOR, etc.

The furtherance request said we had 60 days to comply, so I just wanted to make sure they had it and didn't need anything else from us at this point.