I've been told by a consultant based in Dubai that I should apply before Oct 1 as all the applications received in the Damascus office will be moved to the CIO in Nova Scotia for processing. This transfer from Damascus to the CIO will create a backlog of applications, which will increase the processing time from the standard 1 year to 5-6 years.
The consultant then suggested that to avoid having to wait 5-6 years, he could get my name in before Oct 1 using only my passport copy and registering my name through some service he has access to with the relevant Canadian authorities. As the consultant is a CSIC member (this has been verified), the consultants at this firm claim to have access to this 'service' and he would be able to register my name as an applicant before Oct 1 by paying an advance of approx. USD 500 with the balance to be paid in 14 instalments. Once he has registered me, I have 2 months to come up with the completed application forms and the supporting documentation to submit my formal application.
My questions are as follows:
The consultant then suggested that to avoid having to wait 5-6 years, he could get my name in before Oct 1 using only my passport copy and registering my name through some service he has access to with the relevant Canadian authorities. As the consultant is a CSIC member (this has been verified), the consultants at this firm claim to have access to this 'service' and he would be able to register my name as an applicant before Oct 1 by paying an advance of approx. USD 500 with the balance to be paid in 14 instalments. Once he has registered me, I have 2 months to come up with the completed application forms and the supporting documentation to submit my formal application.
My questions are as follows:
- Do CSIC members have access to this 'service'?
- Or, is the consultant full of it and just lying to make some quick money?
- And lastly and most importantly, is there any truth to the application backlog story and increased processing times?