JANUARY 2014 OUTLAND Applicants - Join here

[SenoritaBella]

I know right? The excitement has diminished. I was checking ecas daily before SA but now, I go even 1 week without checking. But I've applied for GCMS notes for the sponsor approval part, just to see what they could have written.

Edit (red font)*** I realised my question could be misunderstood, given how I phrased it so I edited.

On a different note: how is everyone dealing with the "when will he/she be here?", "how long will it take?" type of questions you get from people in your daily lives? It gets frustrating when you tell them the processing times today and next week they ask the same darn question. ???

 

[basketballfan]

If you don't mind me asking what are GCMS notes?

I'll agree that for the most part I've been monitoring the action/ or inaction on here. Also I still check e-cas each day but I do not expect to see any changes on my application yet. The reason I check through is that there are usually a very small percentage of applications that move through very quickly.

As per the above comment, I'm always thinking about the statistics of this process. I think that the #months it takes for applications to be processed is probably a rightly skewed distribution. Therefore, I wish they reported box and whisker plots across the VOs - that would be really informative. The #months for 80% of apps to be processed probably gets rid of a lot of those extreme outliers but I still do not think that providing information at the 80% level is enough; I would like to see the general spread and variations across the data and then to attribute that to key features of the applications would be above and beyond. The process is stressful and we need as much transparency, facts and updates as we can get. At least we have the spreadsheets new and old to work with but we are all just a self-selected sample of all those who applied. On that note, is anyone aware of any detailed reports by CIC that look into the nitty gritty of the processing stats?

On another note, I think I'm going to go to Zambia to visit my husband for our one year anniversary in June. I'm thinking of telling him that I couldn't get the time off of work and then surprising him. I cannot get much time off of work because I already traveled to see him in Dec/Jan and have about a week of travel time left but sometimes we need to focus on the litte, albiet costly (re: traval expense), joys in life - especially during this process. I am concerned though that our son is turning two soon, which means that I'll have to start to pay for his airline ticket, errrr!

Lastly, if you really want a meaningless comment - I'm so vexed. I was too tired to watch the Raptors game last night and so I recorded it on NBATV and avoided all spoiler opportunities, including avoiding my Facebook where I am a fan of their official page. I turn on my recording and the first thing that comes on is the raptors post-up/score, they recorded that program with the game.....ummmmm ok, kill joy!!!!

 

[SenoritaBella]

GCMS notes are the visa officer's comments on your file. It usually contains more information than the "one-liner" updates we get on ecas. There are two ways to request them:

1. under the Privacy Act (free of charge) but you must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or someone with legal status(visitor, student, worker) present in Canada. This is the one you use when you are requesting your own notes.
Here's the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/DEPARTMENT/atip/requests-personal.asp

or

2. under the Access to Information Act (for $5 fee) - this is the one to use to get your sponsored spouse's notes. But your spouse has to give consent for you to do this on his/her behalf by completing and signing this form: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/form-imm5744.asp (i.e. IMM 5744) which you can scan and upload.
Here's the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp

I'm not aware of any stats but somebody else may know.

That was really a kill joy moment! Really good to 'see' a Raptors fan, haven't met one before. I used to watch when Chris Bosh and Vince Carter were there but my interest waned since they didn't make the playoffs for sometime. Football (not the superbowl kind) is more my game. My country qualified for world cup in Brazil, so summer should be fun.Hope you have goodnight and nice day tomorrow.

 

[Edgehead78]

Basketballfan, Maybe you would be interested in this statistics page from the CIC website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/data-release/2013-Q2/index.asp

There is also this Excel spreadsheet made by CIC which gives a really good overview for each category and each VO. Its a little bit outdated though.
Here's the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/opendata-donneesouvertes/data/000023-eng.xls
Note the thumbnails at bottom.

Happy numbers reading!

 

[basketballfan]

Awesome Edgehead78 and SenoritaBella - I just applied for the GCMS notes and sent husband a text to sign and send that request form back. The stats are much better. I'll definitely check out the stats page from now on!

 

[KTCYYZ]

Basketballfan, Maybe you would be interested in this statistics page from the CIC website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/data-release/2013-Q2/index.asp

There is also this Excel spreadsheet made by CIC which gives a really good overview for each category and each VO. Its a little bit outdated though.
Here's the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/opendata-donneesouvertes/data/000023-eng.xls
Note the thumbnails at bottom.

Happy numbers reading!

wow.. thank you for sharing this info

 

[cute2bblue2]

And you are happy with that answer? If I was you I would investigate more. How did you send your application to Mississauga? You should always send your stuff using a service that provides tracking number. This way you can tell CIC you have the proof they have the package when you call.
Just for your information, the average timeline of Manila Office is 14 months according to CIC's website. Any delay is just adding more to your waiting time.

i actually did monitor it. ( via Fedex)sent jan 30th. but recieved last feb 3rd. but other than that i dont have any news at all. and oh, I forgot to tell you, that i am using a Representative " immigration consultant" to process my paper. which i have not paid yet for the consultation fees, and Im thinking that they have all the infos about my Sa/aor. they just want my partner to pay them the initial payment for consultation, thats why i am not worried that much.

 

[Aniabella]

Aniabella, any moment on your CSQ, right?

Yeah, checking the mail frantically each day. We are expecting it to last longer since they have to send it all the way to Finland.

I surely can understand the point of diminished excitement, it's such a long wait for most of us. London VO though keeps people on their toes since some have been getting their permits even in as short time as 2 months! So there's no idea if it will take 2 months, 6 months or 11 months...!

 

[Zarilenth]

I know, I check ecas every morning, even though there is no way anything on mine will change! I am just rushing to get these medicals finished so my application won't be put on hold. I'm pretty nervous about that. Do you think I could ask the doctor's office to send in the results ASAP?

Also.. is there a number to call for the CPP-Ottawa visa office? I have been emailing them but I've read people on here saying 'I called Ottawa and..' but I can't seem to find a number anywhere.
I also sent AMA a message on here, I'm hoping for some good news

 

[Edgehead78]

i actually did monitor it. ( via Fedex)sent jan 30th. but recieved last feb 3rd. but other than that i dont have any news at all. and oh, I forgot to tell you, that i am using a Representative " immigration consultant" to process my paper. which i have not paid yet for the consultation fees, and Im thinking that they have all the infos about my Sa/aor. they just want my partner to pay them the initial payment for consultation, thats why i am not worried that much.

Oh that's a piece of information I was missing. Yes, probably that your representative waits for a payment to release any information. I think CIC sends all the stuff to the representative only when one is assigned.
But CIC should have at least a record of your application, since it was your query in your original post, if they sent AOR/SA. But its hard to follow-up without UCI or file number, which is included in AOR letter/email.

 

[BeShoo]

The #months for 80% of apps to be processed probably gets rid of a lot of those extreme outliers but I still do not think that providing information at the 80% level is enough; I would like to see the general spread and variations across the data and then to attribute that to key features of the applications would be above and beyond.

The used to give 3 figures until about 2 years ago. I think it was maybe 25%, 50%, 75%, or something like that. The only problem is that is just makes people more anxious that they are not in the 50 percentile and CIC has to spend all their effort answering questions about "why is my application taking so long" instead of actually processing the applications. SO, I think they decided to just give the 80% figure, then advise that no-one show bother them about why their app wasn't done unless it went past that point. They figured it was better than setting false expectations, I'm assuming.

From what I've heard, you will find very little information in the GCMS notes, either. Basically, we're condemned to waiting for the next notification in 15 months or whatever. If you hear something before that, it will be about a problem. If don't hear, everything is going fine and one day you'll get the surprise approval of your PR.

 

[Gumper]

The used to give 3 figures until about 2 years ago. I think it was maybe 25%, 50%, 75%, or something like that. The only problem is that is just makes people more anxious that they are not in the 50 percentile and CIC has to spend all their effort answering questions about "why is my application taking so long" instead of actually processing the applications. SO, I think they decided to just give the 80% figure, then advise that no-one show bother them about why their app wasn't done unless it went past that point. They figured it was better than setting false expectations, I'm assuming.
From what I've heard, you will find very little information in the GCMS notes, either. Basically, we're condemned to waiting for the next notification in 15 months or whatever. If you hear something before that, it will be about a problem. If don't hear, everything is going fine and one day you'll get the surprise approval of your PR.

Reasonable assessment, BeShoo. I think we're all sweating this out but in a few years will look back and say "it wasn't that long", after all what's a year (give or take) out of all the ones we'll have. But...hurry up CIC darnit! LOL

 

[Edgehead78]

I know right? The excitement has diminished. I was checking ecas daily before SA but now, I go even 1 week without checking. But I've applied for GCMS notes for the sponsor approval part, just to see what they could have written.

Edit (red font)*** I realised my question could be misunderstood, given how I phrased it so I edited.

On a different note: how is everyone dealing with the "when will he/she be here?", "how long will it take?" type of questions you get from people in your daily lives? It gets frustrating when you tell them the processing times today and next week they ask the same darn question. ???

Its very hard to deal with.
I'm skyping with my wife everyday and shes really looking forward to be with me in Canada. She is not working now and she has a lot of time to get bored and think how long the process is taking.
And its the same about the people that I know, friends, family. Those questions are coming every time and everyone is surprised about the waiting times.

 

[jolyn]

Its very hard to deal with.
I'm skyping with my wife everyday and shes really looking forward to be with me in Canada. She is not working now and she has a lot of time to get bored and think how long the process is taking.
And its the same about the people that I know, friends, family. Those questions are coming every time and everyone is surprised about the waiting times.

hi edgehead78,, your wife and me have same feeling,,and were in same situation,, i stop to work because he dont want me to work,, i need to study french,, instead to work,, hehehe so hard to learn french

 

[mrsjamie]

So true... joylyn, let's enroll zumba...