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Did anyone receive a refund for biometrics? My application got approved a month ago. My PR card has been approved as well. However, I have not received a refund yet. Any suggestions? Should I call?

Maybe this could be of help with respect to the biometrics. Our timeline:

AOR 2 March 2020
Biometrics appointment cancelled by Service Canada 17 March 2020
Biometrics previously on file counted as biometrics completed 8 October 2020
COPR 13 October 2020
Biometrics fee refunded 12 November 2020

There was no personal email or notice to alert about the refund. I simply checked the credit card transactions and there found the CIC transaction. It was credited back to the same credit card used to pay the biometric fees as part of the overall APR fees.

Also, I called CIC few days before receiving the refund to check on its status. The agent asked whether more than 60 days elapsed since the COPR and recommended to check back in December unless already received before then.
 
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My partner used to tell - I am the pinnacle of patience. Now if anybody asks me to be patient - I freak out.
Stuck at a low-paying job cause of closed WP and can't even negotiate for more pay.
Can't buy a house.
Went to buy a car - the interest rates they gave almost gave me an attack.
Can't even plan my trip back home - unsure if I can come back.

So much for being patient. Duh !!!

Not to be a spoilsport here - but I feel IRCC has controlled my life and the only way out is going back home.
I am even considering if its even worth it now.
Seriously man, sometimes I feel the same that immigration has took over my life, but eventually I do believe that everything will fall in its place, but the wait is killllllingggg.
 
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Same profile as yours and also called today got same response security in process. March 22 AOR.
I am from India living is USA.
What is your home country?


mmm okay! Im a USA citizen. Hopefully soon for all of us! Just wanted to see how long it takes once security is initiated, mine isn't initiated as of yet.

Thanks for the response!
 
Hi! how long did it take for you to get your PR? My cousin is applying through Saskatchewan PNP so I can give them an idea. Also, where are you currently located? Also what was your score on SINP? I would appreciate your reply.

For me the whole process including SINP took 1 year.
I am currently in New Jersey. And my SINP score was 68 points.

SINP ITA - October/2019
SINP Applied - November/2019
SINP Approved - December/2019
Claimed SINP Points in Express Entry - Mid of January/2020
Express Entry ITA - Mid of January 2020
Express Entry Submission - March/2020
Medical Passed/Biometric Request - May/2020
Biometrics - July/2020
Application Approval - October/2020
 
AOR 31-Mar'2020
Eligibility -Passed
Medical -Passed
Criminality -Passed in mid Oct'2020
Security - Not Started

Is anyone in similar situation and in how many days in general security starts after criminality is passed .
 
For me the whole process including SINP took 1 year.
I am currently in New Jersey. And my SINP score was 68 points.

SINP ITA - October/2019
SINP Applied - November/2019
SINP Approved - December/2019
Claimed SINP Points in Express Entry - Mid of January/2020
Express Entry ITA - Mid of January 2020
Express Entry Submission - March/2020
Medical Passed/Biometric Request - May/2020
Biometrics - July/2020
Application Approval - October/2020
Thanks a lot for your response! :) I really appreciate it
 
Aor march 25- did my biometrics on October 27th (it has been 3 weeks)
Called IRCC today, no status change eligibility is still recommended passed, criminality in progress and security not started same as it was in beginning of July. I asked the person if somebody worked on the file recently and she said only update she can see is biometrics done on 27th and nothing else. I am so worried. One of my friends applied four months after me and have already got his PR.

Same here. It’s really frustrating, and I can guess it’s even more frustrating for inland applicants who have been waiting
 
One of my friends missed the Passport Request email and it got deleted. How can they get it again? Or what is the next step?

@legalfalcon please help.

Send a webform and also contact the Primary office by email.
 
Yeah, I share the frustration. Is there a way to contact IRCC about it as a group maybe? We kind of ran out of options. Patience is the only thing left.
 
Hi @legalfalcon. March 6 AOR. Inland CEC. Gcms notes looks pretty much done, just waiting for copr. WP expires on April 1 2021. Should I apply for bowp ? If so, when should I apply?


Who can apply for a BOWP
To be eligible, you must:

  • live in Canada (Quebec not included)
  • have a valid work permit that expires in 4 months or less
  • be the principal applicant on your permanent residence application
  • have submitted a complete application for permanent residence and passed the completeness check
  • have your acknowledgement of receipt letter
    • we send this letter to your account after we get your permanent residence application
If your WP expires in 4 months or less, then you can apply. With the uncertainty of when COPRs will be issued, it is better to apply for BOWP.
 
Thanks @Invincible84/@fsw_hk/@legalfalcon for reply.

But I read lot of forums and people are still able to do soft landing successfully and return the same day. That is the reason I am also tempted to do soft landing.

I don't want to jeopardize my PR, but currently I don't want to move permanently right now because of below reasons.
- I have 9 month baby and with COVID cases rising again in USA and Canada, I don't feel comfortable moving right now.
- My COPR is expiring in February/2021 and with dead-line so close and holiday seasons approaching, it wont be possible to move permanently right now.

And I read online that IRCC will not extend COPR's under any conditions, so what do you guys suggest should I still request IRCC and ask them to extend COPR?


With COVID, IRCC is extending COPRs. Not sure where you got the info from. If in doubt, call CBSA office at the PoE where you intend to land and clarify.

Immigration is law, and everything else is a mere speculation or an opinion.
 
Hello @legalfalcon,
Can you please suggest something to help us all with Aors before April to raise this issue(speed up the processing), I have a feeling if this goes unnoticed the situation may prevail and could be problem for us all.
Thank you in advance.


There is nothing that you can do to speed up the processing of your application. Given that your AOR is March, you are well within the average processing time.

See

How long did it take to process an Express Entry application?
Table 35 displays the time, in months, that IRCC took to process 80% of applications under each program. In 2019, IRCC did not meet the processing standard of finalizing 80% of all applications sourced via Express Entry within six months. The processing time for Express Entry, overall, was eight months. As an alternative measure of processing times, 60% of applications finalized in the 12-month period ending on December 31, 2019, were completed within the six-month service standard.

Table 35: Processing Times for Express Entry applications finalized by year and immigration category, in months
Program201720182019
Canadian Experience Class457
Federal Skilled Worker469
Provincial/Territorial Nominee669
Federal Skilled Trades6712
All Programs558

Subsequent to this, IRCC also published the evaluation of Express Entry upon the completion of 5 years of express entry in May 2020. A lot of recommendation have been made in it.

To read on the stages of an application, see https://bit.ly/35D2D3R
 
Finally my application for permanent residence has been approved!!!
======
AOR: March 25
Medicals passed: June 17
GCMS notes requested: August 28
GCMS received with eligibility and security passed: September 25
Biometrics call: October 9
Biometrics appointment: October 16
Biometrics updated on file: October 16
COPR email and message in account: November 17.
======
There were no ghost updates during the process.
 
Finally my application for permanent residence has been approved!!!
======
AOR: March 25
Medicals passed: June 17
GCMS notes requested: August 28
GCMS received with eligibility and security passed: September 25
Biometrics call: October 9
Biometrics appointment: October 16
Biometrics updated on file: October 16
COPR email and message in account: November 17.
======
There were no ghost updates during the process.
Congratulations, what's your VO?
 
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