Manila Passport Request at START of processing?

[BC_guy]

According to the CIC website, the FINAL step in a family class sponsorship visa application, is requesting the passport of the applicant. However this forum appears to indicate as soon as the application reaches Manila, they IMMEDIATELY request the passport. I have travel plans in the immediate future that would be disrupted if this is true. Why would they request the passport at the START of the processing? Is it just to inconvenience the applicant so he cannot travel?? How stupid is this? Does Manila have their "own rules" and not follow published procedures on when they should request the passport? Any experience you've had would be appreciated. Also, can you defer submitting the passport if you have pending travel needs? If this process is true, it's totally unreasonable for them to hold a passport for 5+ months. They already have a photocopy of it with the application, so why is this necessary? thanks for any insight anybody can provide. -- a frustrated Canadian sponsor

 

[solokru]

The Manila Visa Office processing times are usually fast. If they are requesting for your passport and it would be inconvenient for you, then you can give it to them at your most convenient time. You can ask those who had sponsored their family or look up on the other threads in here. Also, specific visa offices have different processing times and requirements unique to their visa office in order to efficiently serve applicants and their citizens.

I don't think they'd hold your passport just to mess up your travel plans. The Canadian Immigration Officers that run the visa office works on overdrive as they serve not only the Philippines but several other pacific countries. Good luck on your application and I hope the Manila Office won't disrupt your sponsorship application because of their "stupidity" and their "own rules".

 

[BC_guy]

Hi solokru - thank you for your reply. The average processing time in Manila is 10 months, which I wouldn't exactly call "fast". Even if it was 6 months, I don't understand why they need the passport immediately, and hold on to it for so long. The passport should only be requested if & when the application is approved. I really don't expect anybody on this forum to explain why Manila has different procedures (unless you actually work for the Canadian embassy).

So what experience have other people had with family class sponsorship. Did CIC Manila request your passport immediately once the application is received, or later during the final processing stage?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[trizienne]

Hi solokru - thank you for your reply. The average processing time in Manila is 10 months, which I wouldn't exactly call "fast". Even if it was 6 months, I don't understand why they need the passport immediately, and hold on to it for so long. The passport should only be requested if & when the application is approved. I really don't expect anybody on this forum to explain why Manila has different procedures (unless you actually work for the Canadian embassy).

So what experience have other people had with family class sponsorship. Did CIC Manila request your passport immediately once the application is received, or later during the final processing stage?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Hmm why do you say Manila has a different procedure? My application was approved in about 4 months time (counting from the start of submission to CIC).
Got my passport returned in less than 2 months.

 

[BC_guy]

The reason I say Manila has different procedures is because they request your passport immediately. Then then may ask for additional documentation, an interview, etc.

If you check the CIC website, the passport request should come AFTER all other eligibility checks are performed. Yes that's nice that you got your passport returned in 2 months. But for some people, the embassy can hold on to it for 6 - 10 months, which is ridiculous. Here is the published procedure following. You can see the passport request should be the LAST step. Not the FIRST step, as happens in Manila. Hope this clarifies. Unfortunately, it still does not explain this process is handled differently for Manila. It seems totally unreasonable for them to hold your passport unnecessarily for such a long time.

From Canada Immigration website:

Eligibility Review

The visa office will process your application and decide if a visa may be issued to you and your family members. The visa office may require:

an interview,
additional information, and
documentation before it can make a decision about your application.
If you are asked to provide additional documents,
the visa office will send you a written request.

Note: It is in your interest to comply as quickly as possible. If the visa office does not receive the additional information or documents within three months of the date of the request, your application may be refused.

If you need to be interviewed,
the visa office will notify you in writing in advance of the date, time and location of the interview as well as of the documents to bring with you.

If you have to meet other requirements such as;
additional medical tests, or

provide more current or additional information needed for background checks,
it could take considerably longer to reach a decision about your application.
Note: Visit our website or contact your sponsor for additional information on processing times.

If you and your sponsor meet all immigration requirements,
the visa office will:

request you to submit passports and
issue permanent resident visas to you and your family members accompanying you to Canada.

 

[trizienne]

The reason I say Manila has different procedures is because they request your passport immediately. Then then may ask for additional documentation, an interview, etc.

If you check the CIC website, the passport request should come AFTER all other eligibility checks are performed. Yes that's nice that you got your passport returned in 2 months. But for some people, the embassy can hold on to it for 6 - 10 months, which is ridiculous. Here is the published procedure following. You can see the passport request should be the LAST step. Not the FIRST step, as happens in Manila. Hope this clarifies. Unfortunately, it still does not explain this process is handled differently for Manila. It seems totally unreasonable for them to hold your passport unnecessarily for such a long time.

From Canada Immigration website:

Eligibility Review

The visa office will process your application and decide if a visa may be issued to you and your family members. The visa office may require:

an interview,
additional information, and
documentation before it can make a decision about your application.
If you are asked to provide additional documents,
the visa office will send you a written request.

Note: It is in your interest to comply as quickly as possible. If the visa office does not receive the additional information or documents within three months of the date of the request, your application may be refused.

If you need to be interviewed,
the visa office will notify you in writing in advance of the date, time and location of the interview as well as of the documents to bring with you.

If you have to meet other requirements such as;
additional medical tests, or

provide more current or additional information needed for background checks,
it could take considerably longer to reach a decision about your application.
Note: Visit our website or contact your sponsor for additional information on processing times.

If you and your sponsor meet all immigration requirements,
the visa office will:

request you to submit passports and
issue permanent resident visas to you and your family members accompanying you to Canada.

Well it really might be on a case to case basis. But yes it can be quite confusing why the Canadian Embassy Manila
requests for passports early in the processing. Although, from my experience and other Spousal Sponsorship applicants
that I know of, when there's no complications whatsoever in their applications, passport requests and additional documentations
are requested at the same time. Then passports with visa are returned within 2 weeks - 2 months on the average.

I agree with solokru that each Visa Office may have some differences and we should also note that this visa office do not only
handle applications from the Philippines but from other neighboring countries as well.

 

[dadaem]

According to the CIC website, the FINAL step in a family class sponsorship visa application, is requesting the passport of the applicant. However this forum appears to indicate as soon as the application reaches Manila, they IMMEDIATELY request the passport. I have travel plans in the immediate future that would be disrupted if this is true. Why would they request the passport at the START of the processing? Is it just to inconvenience the applicant so he cannot travel?? How stupid is this? Does Manila have their "own rules" and not follow published procedures on when they should request the passport? Any experience you've had would be appreciated. Also, can you defer submitting the passport if you have pending travel needs? If this process is true, it's totally unreasonable for them to hold a passport for 5+ months. They already have a photocopy of it with the application, so why is this necessary? thanks for any insight anybody can provide. -- a frustrated Canadian sponsor

Hi. You said you are the sponsor right? The visa office only requests the passport of the person "being sponsored".

 

[dadaem]

Hi solokru - thank you for your reply. The average processing time in Manila is 10 months, which I wouldn't exactly call "fast". Even if it was 6 months, I don't understand why they need the passport immediately, and hold on to it for so long. The passport should only be requested if & when the application is approved. I really don't expect anybody on this forum to explain why Manila has different procedures (unless you actually work for the Canadian embassy).

So what experience have other people had with family class sponsorship. Did CIC Manila request your passport immediately once the application is received, or later during the final processing stage?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

They don't hold it for 6 months or even 10 months. Check the timelines of those approved. Maximum is 3 months from the time their applications were forwarded to the Manila Visa office. It depends on the application's case though. Delays happen when additional documents are needed. And when CEM requests for the sponsored person's passport, the application is nearing the final stage and the visa will be issued soon.

When my dad sponsored us, CEM asked for our passports 3 weeks after my dad's application was sent to Manila VO. And we had to wait for another 3 weeks to get it back, with our visas on it.

 

[BC_guy]

They don't hold it for 6 months or even 10 months. Check the timelines of those approved. Maximum is 3 months from the time their applications were forwarded to the Manila Visa office. It depends on the application's case though. Delays happen when additional documents are needed. And when CEM requests for the sponsored person's passport, the application is nearing the final stage and the visa will be issued soon.

When my dad sponsored us, CEM asked for our passports 3 weeks after my dad's application was sent to Manila VO. And we had to wait for another 3 weeks to get it back, with our visas on it.

Yes obviously I'm referring to the passport request of my partner (the applicant). Average processing time is 9-10 months. In your case you were lucky. But I don't know why you think there's a maximum 3 months of holding the passport. If they request it immediately, and the whole process takes 9 months... there's no way it would be returned in 3 months. Just check the time lines of many of the applications on this forum.

At the end of the day, I have yet to hear any logical explanation for the Manila embassy's deviation in official Immigration Canada procedure (i.e. which is to request the passport at the final stage of approval). This sort of nonsense is not tolerated in Canada... so I don't know why it's allowed in the Philippines.

 

[faithandlove]

hello every1! I would like to ask, how will i know if the embassy recd the passport already? tnx

 

[BC_guy]

hello every1! I would like to ask, how will i know if the embassy recd the passport already? tnx

There is no status on the CIC website indicating receipt of your passport. If you sent it by courier, you should check the delivery status on the website of the courier.

 

[faithandlove]

thank you very much!

 

[rowela]

The Manila Visa Office processing times are usually fast. If they are requesting for your passport and it would be inconvenient for you, then you can give it to them at your most convenient time. You can ask those who had sponsored their family or look up on the other threads in here. Also, specific visa offices have different processing times and requirements unique to their visa office in order to efficiently serve applicants and their citizens.

I don't think they'd hold your passport just to mess up your travel plans. The Canadian Immigration Officers that run the visa office works on overdrive as they serve not only the Philippines but several other pacific countries. Good luck on your application and I hope the Manila Office won't disrupt your sponsorship application because of their "stupidity" and their "own rules".

Hi, a little help please! CEM asked for additional documents and my passport at the same time and im wondering should i send these docs via courier or should i sumit my passport and additional docs personally?Do they entertain walk in?thanks

 

[jlrp]

hi, as i experienced, they are not entertaining if you don't have any appointment with them. my additional documents i put in envelop ( off course with address) and i put in their drop box. i'am still waiting for my PPR.

Hi, a little help please! CEM asked for additional documents and my passport at the same time and im wondering should i send these docs via courier or should i sumit my passport and additional docs personally?Do they entertain walk in?thanks

 

[jaraxle316]

@bc_guy - i dont think any of us in this forum can actually give you a satisfactory answer, unless someone here works at the visa office.i suggest forwarding your inquiry and complaints to the CIC minister himself.

Minister@cic.gc.ca

The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1