Is it inappropriate to contact case processing agent? (PR Renewal delay) HELP

[carbo]

Hello everyone
My urgent PR renewal application, made in April, is now referred to a local office. I am not worried about the outcome (I have had 1200 days+), but I am worried about this delay.
Without my PR card, I cannot travel conveniently and this is keeping me from doing my job effectively, and causing me much discomfort and my company money. Not to mention distress and prejudice at land border crossings with excessive questioning.

Through some research, I have found a case processing agent's contact information in the local office my application is in.
I wonder if it is inappropriate or illegal to write to this person, or any CIC employee, explaining my hurry to get a new card, or that I am available right now for any kind of interview?? :-[

By the way, I have also submitted a citizenship application on the same day.

I am just trying all avenues to expedite this situation Many thanks.

 

[scylla]

It's certainly not illegal - but it's probably quite inappropriate. I personally wouldn't do it - and would use official means of contacting the case centre instead. You don't want to make someone angry and cause them to put your application at the bottom of a pile. Contacting them directly might create additional delays for you rather than expediting. If you have further information / evidence to send or want to explain why your request is urgent, send / fax this information to the case centre using the formal method.

Just my two cents...

 

[carbo]

Thanks for your reply scylla!
What if I also send flowers?
Joking.. I get your point. The particular office doesn't have any contact number listed on the CIC site, except for the general 1800 number... Looking for suggestions

 

[Msafiri]

I second scylla here..bad idea to call the employee. Not only may it backfire but it raises a professional/ethics issue which they won't risk. Also why should they expedite your application above others in line? Go through your MP or challenge CIC in court. As for the border hassle its not usually prejudice the CBSA agent is just doing their job. If you feel their actions are not appropriate then you can make an official complaint.

 

[Alurra71]

Hello everyone
My urgent PR renewal application, made in April, is now referred to a local office. I am not worried about the outcome (I have had 1200 days+), but I am worried about this delay.
Without my PR card, I cannot travel conveniently and this is keeping me from doing my job effectively, and causing me much discomfort and my company money. Not to mention distress and prejudice at land border crossings with excessive questioning.

Through some research, I have found a case processing agent's contact information in the local office my application is in.
I wonder if it is inappropriate or illegal to write to this person, or any CIC employee, explaining my hurry to get a new card, or that I am available right now for any kind of interview?? :-[

By the way, I have also submitted a citizenship application on the same day.

I am just trying all avenues to expedite this situation Many thanks.

You do realize that even if/when you get your PR card renewal and/or your citizenship, they can STILL bring you in to secondary and ask as many questions of you as they like when you are crossing borders? It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from, if they wish to question you, they will. They are doing a job, and while it inconveniences some of us some of the time, they are doing their job and if we want to leave the borders back and forth, then we will have to deal with it.

 

[scylla]

You do realize that even if/when you get your PR card renewal and/or your citizenship, they can STILL bring you in to secondary and ask as many questions of you as they like when you are crossing borders? It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from, if they wish to question you, they will. They are doing a job, and while it inconveniences some of us some of the time, they are doing their job and if we want to leave the borders back and forth, then we will have to deal with it.

That's not the inconvenience OP is talking about. The OP has a non visa exempt passport. So without valid PR card, a travel document is required to return to Canada each time.

 

[CanV]

Thats what makes us foreigners, using the word "inappropriate" inapproperately :S

 

[carbo]

Yes, the inconvenience is two fold:
1) Whenever I travel outside Canada, I have to buy a return flight to a US city near the border, and rent a car there to cross the border where I show my CoPR landing paper and drive on home. This adds a lot of $ and hours to a comparable roundtrip direct flight home. This is a direct result of not having a renewed PR card.
2)I am questioned by CIC officers, naturally, I know they are doing their job. I wish the ones in the local offices were that effective and quick with a reply.

just to clarify - by "contacting/writing to an officer by email..etc", I wasn't talking about being assertive, threatening or abusive . I am trying to understand the delay and assist in the evaluation of my file to help finish this quickly - for both sides! But totally understand how it can backfire.

seems like there is 3 things left I can do:
1) Wait... And wait... And put on hold any international job offers from other places
2) Contact MP - does anyone ever have success with this?
3) Is there such thing as multiple-entry travel document I can apply to?

Many thanks everyone..

 

[scylla]

There is no such thing as a multiple-entry travel document.

 

[ZingyDNA]

OP how would you know who's processing your application in the first place? I don't really think they'll release that information to you, for the precise reason that you can't contact that person!

 

[carbo]

OP how would you know who's processing your application in the first place? I don't really think they'll release that information to you, for the precise reason that you can't contact that person!

not the exact person but someone in the same office

 

[scylla]

not the exact person but someone in the same office

Then I would definitely not contact them. The person who provided this information could get fired for giving you these details. It was a very stupid thing for them to do.

 

[carbo]

I reached this information via public sources. Anyway, I have received a residency questionnaire as of yesterday, will be filling that in, and then waiting. :-[

Any experience how long an approval/interview would take after I submit a completed RQ?

 

[Alurra71]

I reached this information via public sources. Anyway, I have received a residency questionnaire as of yesterday, will be filling that in, and then waiting. :-[

Any experience how long an approval/interview would take after I submit a completed RQ?

You wrote in a previous responce that "whenever you travel outside Canada without a valid PR card you have to come home via the US". Just how many times have you traveled without your PR card? How many times have you used the US as your 'crossing point'? Do you go into the US to leave Canada as well?

These are likely all the reasons WHY you got the RQ when you said you have 1200+ days in your initial post. Lots of travel between Canada/US for overseas travel looks very bad.

Once you get into the RQ line, from what I have read, it can literally take YEARS for anything to be done at least on citizenship applications. I don't know what to tell you, sorry.

 

[Msafiri]

I reached this information via public sources. Anyway, I have received a residency questionnaire as of yesterday, will be filling that in, and then waiting. :-[

Any experience how long an approval/interview would take after I submit a completed RQ?

1. Last FC case law I saw on this issue seems to give CIC latitude to resolve in 12-18 months. Check historic posts on this PR obligation section of the forum for similar timelines for those in breach - there are a couple of cases where PR got busted for RO breach when sponsoring. You may have to go as far back as Jan 2014 on the threads sorry can't remember the handle names.

2. If you are lucky you will avoid an interview. Unless you file for a Writ of Mandamus on the basis that its affecting your job by impacting on travel then you just have to wait. If I was the CIC lawyer I'd rebut the travel angle of a writ with your obviously successful and continuous land border crossings...an inconvenience isn't hardship will be their point! I'd expect the FC to bounce the writ.