Medical Extension !

[Jenny88]

My medicals are one year old April 20, 2014.

My PPR came March 24, 2014 and we sent everything express mail which reached them 31st March. ECAS then changed to decision made on April 4, 2014.

In the PPR email it said our PR visa will expire April 29,2014!!

Since my COPR will be coming to Canada via mail I expressed to them in a cover letter (when sending passport copies) that the timeframe is very tight and could my medicals be extended so that there is more time on the PR visa.

Does anyone know if medicals can be requested for an extension after the ppr ? Or do you think they will just send in the mail not realising that the postal service is 1. Slow 2. Unreliable?

 

[Regina]

Why are you worried about medical if your "visa" is on its way to you?

 

[Jenny88]

Because the expiry date on the visa is 3 weeks time and they are mailing from London to canada. Medicals were done April 20,2013 and the expiry date for landing is April 29, 2014. 3 weeks to be mailed, delivered and for us to have gone to the border. Very tight deadline with the mail being as slow and unpredictable as it is

 

[Regina]

OK. It seems they do not care that your due date for 'lending" is 9 days after medical expiry date. So there should not be any concerns.

And yes, sometimes they give a very tight time frame even for people applying OUTside of Canada. And you are in Canada, so I think you will have enough time "to land".

But you did a right thing informing them that the time frame is tight and let them think.

 

[Jenny88]

We can go to the border at anytime it's just the mail getting here quickly with the COPR. Do they mail things express mail like did when I sent my passport? I don't think so lol

 

[Regina]

No, they do not use couriers. Canada Post works VERY well. It is only a matter of time: how long it will take for a letter to reach you. I know that from Eastern Europe country it takes 10 calendar days. So to be on a safe side- two weeks. Hmm// I think you will get it just in time. But JUST. Keep the envelope (with a date on it) just in case it will come late , and their email and yours to them.

 

[Jenny88]

I disagree with you there. I live in rural saskatchewan and post is now quick and efficient here. Ohh we'll fingers crossed. Thanks for the help

 

[Jenny88]

I mean it's not quick and efficient lol

 

[Regina]

I live in Interiors BC and getting mail from Eastern Europe . And you are waiting it from LONDON . I think they know what they are doing.

 

[Jenny88]

Yeah I am not sure about that one. The asked me for medicals in April 2013, I did them then they sat on them and the application for a whole year.

I hope you are right that they know what they are doing because if it doesn't get here before that expiry date, they have just created a whole lot more work for themselves.

 

[Regina]

I did them then they sat on them and the application for a whole year.

It is frustrating but usually it is not CIC fault. CSIS does background check and nobody konws how long it takes. Also if requests from CIC for information are sent to some institutions of your country (home/residence/stay) and they do not care to answer fast or answer at all- it takes time too.

 

[Rob_TO]

Does anyone know if medicals can be requested for an extension after the ppr ? Or do you think they will just send in the mail not realising that the postal service is 1. Slow 2. Unreliable?

CIC is not the smartest when it comes to medical extensions. Several people on this board have received COPR in the mail, with only days given to do landing before it expires. Other people have received COPRs that were already expired by a few days.

In case there is not enough time given or COPR is already expired, only then can you make a request to your visa office to extend medicals and re-issue a new COPR with new expiry date.

It's in your best interest though to be prepared to drive to a US land border to "land" before the expiry date, even if you receive it April 28 and only have 1 day. If the COPR is expired then it could be a delay of over a month while you get the VO to extend medicals and re-issue everything.

 

[Jenny88]

Oh yeah we are definitely prepared to do that!

I am just worried about it getting here after the expiry date lol Also if we had been given a little longer we may have been able to get an appointment at the local Canada office which is 2 hours drive, rather than having to drive 7 hours to the border about back again!

It just makes me so angry that they would overlook this kind of thing. Maybe they should take a good hard look at the people they hire to process immigration applications. It seems they are quite relaxed about the fact they a dealing with peoples lives. You jump through all kinds of hoops getting a full application to them, then they ask for your medicals and do nothing with the application for almost a year. Ridiculous. Really makes you feel welcome in Canada doesn't it.

 

[Jenny88]

I disagree, no matter how long the background stuff takes they still failed to account the for fact our medicals are almost done, and therefore the expiry of our visa.

It not the amount of time It has taken in total. Its the incompetence of them asking for medicals almost a year ago and then not realising how damn stupid it is to try and finalise everything (have us mail passport copies to London, them received it, process it, send out COPR to RURAL Canada). in this short space of time. They took their time with everything else, why not take the time to realise the that they should probably request the medical extension? A extra month or so is no skin off my nose if it means we get a reasonable expiry date.

It cost me $100 just to have something sent to London via mail for them and it took almost a week to get there. I doubt they are going to pay any special fees to get my COPR here priority mail.

It is frustrating but usually it is not CIC fault. CSIS does background check and nobody konws how long it takes. Also if requests from CIC for information are sent to some institutions of your country (home/residence/stay) and they do not care to answer fast or answer at all- it takes time too.

 

[Regina]

at the people they hire to process immigration applications.

Conservatives downsized all government offices long time ago and continue doing that, there are not enough people to deal with all papers conservative's bureaucracy creates.