Hong Kong timeline

[lucaskclai]

When did you send in application? You ask a lot of questions if still 6 months to wait and wonder.

Hi
My case is as follow
Sponsoring my wife from HK, hence the visa office is in HK.
AOR Feb 4, 2015
File transfer : May 4, 2015
Medical Exam received by Ecas information

So far no DM and no request for redo med exam.
Before HK visa office only need 7 Months (during Feb 2015) then change to 9 months (around Aug 2015) and last to 11 months (end of 2015).
But now, they don't bother to publish the processing time in Hong Kong Visa office.
We married for 20 years and my 2 children are studying in Canada now. I am a Canadian for 30 years! I don't know if they still need interview.

 

[cheng9999]

Hi
My case is as follow
Sponsoring my wife from HK, hence the visa office is in HK.
AOR Feb 4, 2015
File transfer : May 4, 2015
Medical Exam received by Ecas information

So far no DM and no request for redo med exam.
Before HK visa office only need 7 Months (during Feb 2015) then change to 9 months (around Aug 2015) and last to 11 months (end of 2015).
But now, they don't bother to publish the processing time in Hong Kong Visa office.
We married for 20 years and my 2 children are studying in Canada now. I am a Canadian for 30 years! I don't know if they still need interview.

From your earlier posts, it looks like you have not ordered GCMS notes. You should do that ASAP to see what happened. Link below...there's a Youtube video showing you how to do it too. The notes only cost 5CND. Make sure you fill in the form where you spouse authorizes release of information in order for you as the Canadian citizen to apply for them.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

In our case, we missed the email from HKVO (it should be the AOR2) which asked for updated 5669E up to 18 years old (not the last 10 years). In one section of GCMS notes, it has the email contents which my wife should have gotten (her Hotmail junked the email, and I respected her privacy and did not check her emails for her). By the time I got the notes and read about it, it was February which meant 3 months of delay. Luckily we found out and got things back on track.

So who knows if you missed something and HKVO needed you to provide it.

 

[cicong]

Hi
My case is as follow
Sponsoring my wife from HK, hence the visa office is in HK.
AOR Feb 4, 2015
File transfer : May 4, 2015
Medical Exam received by Ecas information

So far no DM and no request for redo med exam.
Before HK visa office only need 7 Months (during Feb 2015) then change to 9 months (around Aug 2015) and last to 11 months (end of 2015).
But now, they don't bother to publish the processing time in Hong Kong Visa office.
We married for 20 years and my 2 children are studying in Canada now. I am a Canadian for 30 years! I don't know if they still need interview.

No need for interview, but something is definitely missing from your application. From what i can tell, many on here with cases like yours are completed within 7 months.

 

[cicong]

From your earlier posts, it looks like you have not ordered GCMS notes. You should do that ASAP to see what happened. Link below...there's a Youtube video showing you how to do it too. The notes only cost 5CND. Make sure you fill in the form where you spouse authorizes release of information in order for you as the Canadian citizen to apply for them.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

In our case, we missed the email from HKVO (it should be the AOR2) which asked for updated 5669E up to 18 years old (not the last 10 years). In one section of GCMS notes, it has the email contents which my wife should have gotten (her Hotmail junked the email, and I respected her privacy and did not check her emails for her). By the time I got the notes and read about it, it was February which meant 3 months of delay. Luckily we found out and got things back on track.

So who knows if you missed something and HKVO needed you to provide it.

What is the progress for your case now?

 

[cheng9999]

What is the progress for your case now?

Although I responded immediately at the time with the updated form, it was close to Chinese New Year which meant HKVO would be on holiday, and so I asked my MP to help me see what's going on, as I did not want HKVO to think we abandoned the case...some nudging from the MP's office to CIC, so they would at least know our non-response was an accident. I read somewhere else that someone did not not hear anything, and all of a sudden after 2 years of submitting the application, they got a notice that the case is closed as the applicant did not respond to request for more information. While I did not expect that to happen so soon, by the time I responded it was over 90 days versus the 30 days standard response time.

Anyway, the MP came back middle of last month saying that we just passed eligibility and was then on queue for security check. I read your other posts, and it looks like you are now in the same stage. So more waiting.

I ordered notes on Mar 1...just to see what's been updated...at least confirm what the MP's office said, I want to see that "eligibility passed" line.

That whole 5669E form asking for up to 18 years is crazy...following it is not enough. I keep writing it again and again so that whoever stumbles on this would take the time and just write up to 18 years to avoid delays.

 

[cicong]

Although I responded immediately at the time with the updated form, it was close to Chinese New Year which meant HKVO would be on holiday, and so I asked my MP to help me see what's going on, as I did not want HKVO to think we abandoned the case...some nudging from the MP's office to CIC, so they would at least know our non-response was an accident. I read somewhere else that someone did not not hear anything, and all of a sudden after 2 years of submitting the application, they got a notice that the case is closed as the applicant did not respond to request for more information. While I did not expect that to happen so soon, by the time I responded it was over 90 days versus the 30 days standard response time.

Anyway, the MP came back middle of last month saying that we just passed eligibility and was then on queue for security check. I read your other posts, and it looks like you are now in the same stage. So more waiting.

I ordered notes on Mar 1...just to see what's been updated...at least confirm what the MP's office said, I want to see that "eligibility passed" line.

That whole 5669E form asking for up to 18 years is crazy...following it is not enough. I keep writing it again and again so that whoever stumbles on this would take the time and just write up to 18 years to avoid delays.

Yea, i tried asking others if anyone knows the typical time from security checks to DM, so far no one knows.

 

[lucaskclai]

From your earlier posts, it looks like you have not ordered GCMS notes. You should do that ASAP to see what happened. Link below...there's a Youtube video showing you how to do it too. The notes only cost 5CND. Make sure you fill in the form where you spouse authorizes release of information in order for you as the Canadian citizen to apply for them.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

In our case, we missed the email from HKVO (it should be the AOR2) which asked for updated 5669E up to 18 years old (not the last 10 years). In one section of GCMS notes, it has the email contents which my wife should have gotten (her Hotmail junked the email, and I respected her privacy and did not check her emails for her). By the time I got the notes and read about it, it was February which meant 3 months of delay. Luckily we found out and got things back on track.

So who knows if you missed something and HKVO needed you to provide it.

Hi
Thanks for your advise and I should do it now!

 

[lucaskclai]

No need for interview, but something is definitely missing from your application. From what i can tell, many on here with cases like yours are completed within 7 months.

Hi,
Thanks for your information. I don't know what I am missing and it is not showing up on the Ecas

 

[lucaskclai]

Yea, i tried asking others if anyone knows the typical time from security checks to DM, so far no one knows.

Hi,
Your information is very good.
I put my IMM5699 (I am 58 years old, my history since 18 years old, it is not only crazy but soul searching) and my wife not since 18 years old but the form clearly put or the past 10 years whichever is most recent.
Thanks

 

[cicong]

Hi,
Thanks for your information. I don't know what I am missing and it is not showing up on the Ecas

Order your notes as soon as possible, or contact your MP.

 

[duriandidi]

Does anyone know if the visa office would return your photos and other support documents?

 

[sashali78]

Does anyone know if the visa office would return your photos and other support documents?

Normally they do not

 

[cheng9999]

Hi,
Your information is very good.
I put my IMM5744 (I am 58 years old, my history since 18 years old, it is not only crazy but soul searching) and my wife not since 18 years old but the form clearly put or the past 10 years whichever is most recent.
Thanks

If you got AOR2 and was asked to re-do your 5669E form, then it's not the issue. If you somehow did not get that request, your wife could have missed it in her email (happened to us...went to auto-delete) or HKVO missed sending it out to you (who knows if they missed you in the mass mailing). Just my own guess...it would look like the VO sends out AOR2 as a mass mailing, and in that mail it would ask for updated 5669E if the VO finds that it was not filled out up to 18 years old. If it's mass mailing, then it can be prone to some type of error...or you hear that a lot of people never even get AOR2 at all. What happens if you case should get an AOR2 asking you to re-do 5669E, but somehow you were not on the mass mailing list.

As you are sponsoring your spouse, you do not have to fill in 5669E, so I am not sure why you filled in your history as you are not the applicant. Your wife is the applicant, and 5669E is for her. And you mentioned that you only put in the past 10 years for her history as per instruction. Well, that could be the problem. I filled in my wife's past 16 years as it was a nice continuous portion so I thought I did a great job...see, that was more than 10 years, but unfortunately it was not quite back to 18 years old. That was what held everything up for us. Like you, I was waiting and waiting and waiting, checking eCas regularly but nothing happened...no news is good news, right? Wrong. For some people, their eCas have a line showing "we sent you correspondence...". In our case, we did not have that line. I thought we were safe, but I was wrong. Do not think that you will have that line to alert you.

You would see a lot of cases here where the VO asked the applicant to re-do the 5669E. I think another poster Cicong was in the same situation too based on his posts...his spouse had to re-do the 5669E at some point in time.

Hey Cicong...could your case be so slow as somehow your 5669E fell through the cracks? Your posts showed the VO sending you AOR2 all of a sudden. Could it be them indicating you needed updated 5669E but they did not inform you, and therefore you got AOR2 out of the blue?

Anyway the only way to know that is to read your notes. You can ask for MP to push, but that also takes some time, and for the MP's office to get back to you. But you may not have the option of asking for MP's help. Like you, I am not physically living back in Canada yet, but thought I should try to approach the MP in the riding where I plan to move back to. I was asked to provide ID which shows that I am the resident in the MP's riding...luckily I bought our new home already and have Hydro set up in my name with the address. If you do not have such proof yet, the MP may not be able to take your request. So in the end, GCMS notes is your only way of getting real information.

Actually if you are certain that you only filled in 10 years for your wife who is the applicant, if I were you, I would fill in a new one and upload it via case-specific enquiry right away. Explain that this may have been the cause of delay, etc. etc. so you are updating the form. Then send in the original form via normal mail to ensure HKVO receives it, with the same cover letter saying you already uploaded it but this is just in case kind of thing. If that's the problem, you do not need to wait for notes to tell you...you'll have to do it anyway so why wait 1 month. In our case, 2 weeks after I submitted it...I am not sure if the MP office has something to do with it...my wife's eligibility passed and moved onto criminal/background check (according to MP anyway, so I still want to see my notes to confirm)...so that's the only thing keeping things from moving forward. The other poster I mentioned...Cicong...from his other posts, it looks like his case is moving along again.

There is nothing to lose...when I read it back in December of people needing to do this, I was tempted to submit a new one, but told myself I should be ok because I was following the instructions and in fact already went over the 10 years requirement...and look where we ended up.

 

[cicong]

If you got AOR2 and was asked to re-do your 5669E form, then it's not the issue. If you somehow did not get that request, your wife could have missed it in her email (happened to us...went to auto-delete) or HKVO missed sending it out to you (who knows if they missed you in the mass mailing). Just my own guess...it would look like the VO sends out AOR2 as a mass mailing, and in that mail it would ask for updated 5669E if the VO finds that it was not filled out up to 18 years old. If it's mass mailing, then it can be prone to some type of error...or you hear that a lot of people never even get AOR2 at all. What happens if you case should get an AOR2 asking you to re-do 5669E, but somehow you were not on the mass mailing list.

As you are sponsoring your spouse, you do not have to fill in 5669E, so I am not sure why you filled in your history as you are not the applicant. Your wife is the applicant, and 5669E is for her. And you mentioned that you only put in the past 10 years for her history as per instruction. Well, that could be the problem. I filled in my wife's past 16 years as it was a nice continuous portion so I thought I did a great job...see, that was more than 10 years, but unfortunately it was not quite back to 18 years old. That was what held everything up for us. Like you, I was waiting and waiting and waiting, checking eCas regularly but nothing happened...no news is good news, right? Wrong. For some people, their eCas have a line showing "we sent you correspondence...". In our case, we did not have that line. I thought we were safe, but I was wrong. Do not think that you will have that line to alert you.

You would see a lot of cases here where the VO asked the applicant to re-do the 5669E. I think another poster Cicong was in the same situation too based on his posts...his spouse had to re-do the 5669E at some point in time.

Hey Cicong...could your case be so slow as somehow your 5669E fell through the cracks? Your posts showed the VO sending you AOR2 all of a sudden. Could it be them indicating you needed updated 5669E but they did not inform you, and therefore you got AOR2 out of the blue?

Anyway the only way to know that is to read your notes. You can ask for MP to push, but that also takes some time, and for the MP's office to get back to you. But you may not have the option of asking for MP's help. Like you, I am not physically living back in Canada yet, but thought I should try to approach the MP in the riding where I plan to move back to. I was asked to provide ID which shows that I am the resident in the MP's riding...luckily I bought our new home already and have Hydro set up in my name with the address. If you do not have such proof yet, the MP may not be able to take your request. So in the end, GCMS notes is your only way of getting real information.

Actually if you are certain that you only filled in 10 years for your wife who is the applicant, if I were you, I would fill in a new one and upload it via case-specific enquiry right away. Explain that this may have been the cause of delay, etc. etc. so you are updating the form. Then send in the original form via normal mail to ensure HKVO receives it, with the same cover letter saying you already uploaded it but this is just in case kind of thing. If that's the problem, you do not need to wait for notes to tell you...you'll have to do it anyway so why wait 1 month. In our case, 2 weeks after I submitted it...I am not sure if the MP office has something to do with it...my wife's eligibility passed and moved onto criminal/background check (according to MP anyway, so I still want to see my notes to confirm)...so that's the only thing keeping things from moving forward. The other poster I mentioned...Cicong...from his other posts, it looks like his case is moving along again.

There is nothing to lose...when I read it back in December of people needing to do this, I was tempted to submit a new one, but told myself I should be ok because I was following the instructions and in fact already went over the 10 years requirement...and look where we ended up.

Hey Cheng, every time they send you something (email, call, or mail), they include it in the GCMS under CORRESPONDENCE OUTGOING and NOTES. The only time they contacted us for that AOR2 (update within 30 days) was in early Feb, along with a few other people who got the AOR2 on the same day. I think the reason for that huge delay/hold is because we told them to wait as we were going to provide them with pictures from our wedding reception in September. So, in a sense, i guess our application started in the HKVO in September rather than May of 2015...

 

[cheng9999]

Hey Cheng, every time they send you something (email, call, or mail), they include it in the GCMS under CORRESPONDENCE OUTGOING and NOTES. The only time they contacted us for that AOR2 (update within 30 days) was in early Feb, along with a few other people who got the AOR2 on the same day. I think the reason for that huge delay/hold is because we told them to wait as we were going to provide them with pictures from our wedding reception in September. So, in a sense, i guess our application started in the HKVO in September rather than May of 2015...

Yes, you are right...my email to HKVO was also documented in the notes too. Then I read further down, and it was about the other email correspondence which my wife did not get...and dated Nov 3...gosh, almost got a heart attack.

Whatever the reason, I am happy to see that your application is moving along.

Just cannot be too careful, almost have to be borderline paranoid, as so many things can happen which fall through the cracks. It may or may not help the others, but sometimes they just need some encouragement or motivation to check things out proactively instead of waiting. It never hurts to do more than less.

Let's keep our fingers crossed...now our timelines are similar, and supposedly have made progress.