So just to see if anything could be done to speed up my application process,I emailed the minister of immigration asking why such a delay in processing and could he ask the department to speed up my process to sponsor my wife.They responded that it is illegal for a cabinet minister to intervene in any way on specific cases.Yet on January 22,2016 the immigration minister posted on his Twitter account "@joe_warminton.Pleased to grant visa to james Akan.Have directed department to move fast on his processing".Seems hypocritical the minister CAN advise fast process in specific cases,yet tell me it is illegal to do this in other cases.
hypocritical immigration minister
- Thread starter Mike2015
- Start date
Have you been serving as Canadian forces interpreter in Afghanistan as well?Mike2015 said:
How do you differ from all other thousands of cases waiting for their visas to be processed and what makes you feel entitled for special consideration by the ministry? There are special cases, i guess yours is not one of them.
My point is,if there are no "special cases" and if it illegal for ministers to intervene,it should be that way for all cases.As for the insulting/snide remarks,no I do not feel "entitled",I simply asked the minister about the processing delay as it is my right to do so.
Seems like you submitted the PR app back in August, so it's only been approx 6-7 months in processing. I don't see where there is any "delay"? You are still well within standard processing times for Manila office.
There are always special cases. Yours just isn't one of them for reasons that should be obvious.Mike2015 said:
And as stated above, your process isn't delayed. You're well within normal processing times. If you exceed normal processing times (i.e. over 17 months), then your MP may assist by inquiring on your behalf.
My point is that if this government and CIC is capable of a rare gesture of justice towards its residents/citizens, giving a faster processing for someone who served and contributed to Canada - then this gesture deserves some cheering rather than complaints. And as RobTO mentioned, you are not being delayed at all so I am still not sure what your point is. No insult meant on my part.Mike2015 said:
Minister can intervene and instruct his office in some cases, it is legal and called ministerial instructions.
True intervention is illegal. Tweeting is not true intervention. It's just noise. CIC can easily ignore the tweet.
M
mikeymyke
Guest
This James Akan, that John Mccallum is referring to, isn't just some random spousal sponsorship applicant who is asking for special treatment. He's an Afghani translator who served alongside Canadian military for a few years. At the same time, he was seeking to apply as a refugee, but there were numerous bureaucratic hiccups from the government such as him not being able to apply online due to his location. Now several years later, he's able to finally permanently live in Canada. If anything, I feel he's quite deserving of the special treatment he got due to his situation described above.
I don't mean any disrespect Mike2015, but you made 3 mistakes. One was not knowing the circumstances of this James Akan before complaining about Mccallum being a hypocritical minister. Second was wrongly assuming there was a delay in your case when you're only about Month #6 into the process. Most people don't get their visas until 8-12 months in Manila, and that's for a non red-flag case. I don't know if you're a red flag case or not, but if it is, expect the total time to get the visa to be far longer. And finally, you wrongly assumed that the government is capable of expediting your case even when you're nowhere near the 2-3 years some people have to wait to get their visas.
There's quite a big difference between granting special visa to someone from a war-torn country who selflessly helps our men and women in uniform, and granting a special visa to a foreign spouse who hasn't even waited that long in the process.
I don't mean any disrespect Mike2015, but you made 3 mistakes. One was not knowing the circumstances of this James Akan before complaining about Mccallum being a hypocritical minister. Second was wrongly assuming there was a delay in your case when you're only about Month #6 into the process. Most people don't get their visas until 8-12 months in Manila, and that's for a non red-flag case. I don't know if you're a red flag case or not, but if it is, expect the total time to get the visa to be far longer. And finally, you wrongly assumed that the government is capable of expediting your case even when you're nowhere near the 2-3 years some people have to wait to get their visas.
There's quite a big difference between granting special visa to someone from a war-torn country who selflessly helps our men and women in uniform, and granting a special visa to a foreign spouse who hasn't even waited that long in the process.
If the case is special and gets in the media, the government will do anything to make it right. If your case is similar to thousands of other cases, tough luck. If you have a good MP, he/she would write a letter or inquire the CIC on your behalf for your status. If you have an apathetic MP who ignores your inquiry or refers you to his/her assistant, don't vote for that person next time.
JamesinCanada
Star Member
- Jan 23, 2014
- 6
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- Ottawa
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 15-05-2015
- Doc's Request.
- 25-11-2015
- AOR Received.
- 25-05-2015
- IELTS Request
- Batch EMail: 23-10-15
- Med's Done....
- upfront
- Passport Req..
- DM: 15/2/2016
- VISA ISSUED...
- COPR: 23/2/2016
- LANDED..........
- 14-03-2016
Yeah waiting stinks, I hate not knowing! Every day just about I have this moment of "what if they're denying me? What will I even do? How can we deal with this?" And every day I have to work to overcome this sense of dread and fear. I'm not a bad person, I have no criminal history, I am in a genuine relationship, I am from a country that is allies with CA (US). The waiting is totally hard but you can do it, you HAVE to do it.
I've been trying to think of it this way lately.... "the time is going to pass anyway."
It may take 1 year to get this, 1.5 years to become settled and have the PR card and everything... but that 1.5 years was going to pass anyway, no matter what I was doing, no matter what I was waiting for or not waiting for. Soon that time will come when I have my answer, and at that time only should I be working to deal with a bad situation or celebrating the COPR I hope to get.
I know that's not the most helpful advice, but trust me, we can't always find our happiness in the future, we gotta be able to find it right now, wherever we are.
I've been trying to think of it this way lately.... "the time is going to pass anyway."
It may take 1 year to get this, 1.5 years to become settled and have the PR card and everything... but that 1.5 years was going to pass anyway, no matter what I was doing, no matter what I was waiting for or not waiting for. Soon that time will come when I have my answer, and at that time only should I be working to deal with a bad situation or celebrating the COPR I hope to get.
I know that's not the most helpful advice, but trust me, we can't always find our happiness in the future, we gotta be able to find it right now, wherever we are.