Online applications returned because the Earth is round

[DimT44]

It seems like IRCC recently returned an application because it was signed in a different timezone than Eastern Time, and that caused a date change in the eligibility calculation. It's frustrating because what should count is when you sign the application in your local timezone not what time it was in Eastern Time.

1- Is this happening frequently?
2- And is there a way to avoid losing your place in the queue if this happens to you?

I mean, the applicant shouldn't be penalized for something like this. But they can't send a webform in advance since they don't have a file number, and if the application gets returned, they don't have a chance but to wait another who knows how long to get AOR and a file number to even be able to talk to anyone in IRCC about their application.

3- Any suggestions to preemptively avoid going down this situation if an online application is already awaiting AOR?

Here's an example of a recent case:

Got an email saying my application was "incomplete", that my physical days calculator calculation was wrong, because my eligibility date was wrong.

It is frustrating, because I submitted my application on Oct 02, 2021 at 9pm PT, so I put my eligibility date as Oct 01, 2021.

However, my application date was Oct 03, 2021 Eastern time, hence my eligibility date should have been Oct 02, 2021.

I re-submitted my application yesterday (Dec 22, 2021); please update

 

[jamezmoran]

Not saying IRCC are in the right here, but they do specifically say not to apply right as you become eligible and to leave some time so that small differences or errors in calculation don’t affect the application. This is probably one of those issues that crop up which honestly could’ve been avoided by the applicant if they just waited a bit as advised on the government website.

 

[DimT44]

Not saying IRCC are in the right here, but they do specifically say not to apply right as you become eligible and to leave some time so that small differences or errors in calculation don’t affect the application. This is probably one of those issues that crop up which honestly could’ve been avoided by the applicant if they just waited a bit as advised on the government website.

No you’re missing the point. This person I quoted above applied with 1120 days of presence. This is not about someone applying with not enough “cushion”.

The problem is that when you apply on paper, you sign and date the application on day X. Then you mail it and it arrives 10 days later. That does not cause an issue since IRCC is using the date the application was signed instead of when it arrived.

With online applications, it seems to me that IRCC does not make a distinction between the date the application was signed and when it arrives since it arrives instantaneously. It seems they picked Easter Time for deciding the submission date, and that causes the issue mentioned above in the original post.

 

[from_india_to_canada]

I was trying to figure out if the case I quoted in my original post was the only one or not. I couldn’t find others, so I’m not sure how common it is to be returned for that reason. I hope this was a clerical error or misunderstanding, and not a common every day thing.

Let’s see if others have seen similar cases or not.

I'm waiting for my aor, are you