Outland Application 2014-15 - US applicant - CIC communication

[missiminni2015]

Since then we received an email saying that I had submitted the wrong kind of FBI clearance. Applications require an official document sent from the FBI and you must submit the original document because copies are no accepted.

At the time, the FBI was updating their criminal database for fingerprints to include facial recognition, through followups with the FBI customer service number we learned that my police clearance document would take 12 weeks to process. Unfortunately, CIC had only given us a month and a half to submit the police clearance.

Subsequently, we wrote to CIC pleading our case that we needed a longer deadline to submit the police clearance because mathematically the 12 week processing time meant that i would not receive the police clearance document until December 2014. CIC gave us an additional two weeks but when we wrote back to give more detailed proof to them (a screenshot from the FBI website and an emailed letter from the FBI) we did not receive another reply. Emails sent afterward were also not answered.

we eventually FBI police clearance and submitted it to CIC but didn't receive a response to that either. So whether they received it or not we do not know.

Just recently when we called the CIC customer service number, (888-242-2100 which only works if you are calling from Canada) we were told that when an application is in level 2 (Ottawa CPC) no replies are sent back.

My application is submitted as outland but I live in Canada with my husband. when i recently crossed the border i was able to get a temporary resident visa for a year based on the proof that we have begun the PR application process however i've been informed i cannot get the work permit available to inland applicants. This is putting a lot of stress on my husband because he is shouldering the burden of supporting me while i am unable to contribute to our household. beyond making knitting scarves to sell on etsy or commuting to buffalo, ny to work part-time, i don't know what to do. :'(

in addition, i don't have health care until the PR is approved. i can pay out of pocket and the cost is similar to having insurance in the states (about $60) but i hope i do not need any specialized care requiring tests, etc., within the next 16 months.

is anyone else going through this? what has been your experience? if it was resolved, what was the outcome and how long did it take? has anyone had issues with getting responses from CIC?

Also what is AOR and how do you know when you have AOR? All I know is what is on the application status link on the CIC website which says they have received my application on June 9, 2014 and my medical results were received. CIC customer service said they didn't have any information and i'd have to email Ottawa CPC. of course, as i said i don't receive responses when i email them.

Anyway, sorry for the long rambling post and if i posted this incorrectly. i'm new to this forum.

 

[missiminni2015]

i just noticed part of my reply was erased. i am an american married to a canadian. my application was submitted on June 9 2014.

 

[rhcohen2014]

straightforward us applications are NOT taking 16 months. they are taking an average of 6 months. the fact you have already heard from cIC means Ottawa is working on your file. Most other June applicants are already approved, so all you are waiting for is for the officer to confirm they have everything you need to be issued your PR visa. What was the actual extended "due date" for the record? there's a chance they wont continue processing until that date has passed. not every officer continues processing as soon as the requested document is received. The call center is right, Ottawa does not acknowledge receipt of requested documents. If it was an FBI check, then did you get tracking for the document when you sent it to CIC? that would be the one way to know it was delivered.

AOR means acknowledgement of receipt. your sponsor would have received this (in an email probably) before he was approved as a sponsor. you are beyond that stage, and are now in stage 2 where the visa office evaluates the applicant's (your) application. Ottawa does NOT send AOR to applicants. The fact you can see online when they started processing your application is good, that means you are "in process" (IP). Once they have everything, they will approve your application, mail the paperwork to you, and your status will chance to "decision made" (DM). CIC doesn't send a letter, instead they send your approval paper. it will arrive in regular mail in a brown envelope.

Take a look at the ottawa spreadsheet in my signature below. it will show you the current, real life stats. I would encourage you to add yourself to the list. my guess is you'll see your COPR in 1-2 months, assuming there are no other requests by CIC and the FBI check was successfully received.

also, here's the june applicant thread, so you can see who else is still waiting. keep in mind not everyone in the june thread are from the US and being processed in Ottawa.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/june-2014-outland-applicants-t215411.975.html#lastPost

 

[missiminni2015]

Thank you rhcohen2014. Everyone is telling us the same thing. US applications don't take 16 months. So fingers crossed, I hope you and everyone else is right. In the larger picture, there are applicants from places who probably would be happier to have my problems at least I am living with my husband and am not waiting 33 months.

My extended date to send supporting documents and my police clearance was 10/26/2014. Since we did not receive another reply we could only submit our documents and police clearance when we received it in December. We have the tracking number so we know it was received but it's still nail biting. CIC customer service also told us that if they do not receive responses they notify you the application has been declared abandoned. So since we have been looking at the CIC application status website on a weekly basis, hopefully they would have reported the application as abandoned or withdrawn on the website.

I hope my information helps others. By the way, if anyone outside Canada needs to reach CIC customer service, you can use MagicJack or Skype from a PC or cellphone.

 

[blueangel371115]

Personally, for mine anyway, I sent them requested documents which were received on 11/5. My application status on eCAS should 'application received' until 12/29 when it went to 'In Process' then was 'Decision Made' on 1/10. So as an Outland US as well, once you hit 'In Process', the last leg is very fast. Most all the others from our spreadsheet had the same timeline.

 

[missiminni2015]

Thank you blueangel!

 

[rhcohen2014]

Thank you rhcohen2014. Everyone is telling us the same thing. US applications don't take 16 months. So fingers crossed, I hope you and everyone else is right. In the larger picture, there are applicants from places who probably would be happier to have my problems at least I am living with my husband and am not waiting 33 months.

My extended date to send supporting documents and my police clearance was 10/26/2014. Since we did not receive another reply we could only submit our documents and police clearance when we received it in December. We have the tracking number so we know it was received but it's still nail biting. CIC customer service also told us that if they do not receive responses they notify you the application has been declared abandoned. So since we have been looking at the CIC application status website on a weekly basis, hopefully they would have reported the application as abandoned or withdrawn on the website.

I hope my information helps others. By the way, if anyone outside Canada needs to reach CIC customer service, you can use MagicJack or Skype from a PC or cellphone.

assuming you have been communicating with CIC about your issue to get the record issued, then there probably won't be a problem. usually, there is only a problem when the issue is not being communicated with CIC, and the due date goes by without any notification about attempts to get the requests complete. if there is any issue, then the next step would be getting in touch with the sponsor's member of parliament, so they can inquire on your behalf. MPs have been helpful in getting answers from CIC since CIC must respond to an MP request within a short period of time, and generally the MP can get clearer answers.

 

[keesio]

Since then we received an email saying that I had submitted the wrong kind of FBI clearance.

What kind did you submit? One from a FBI Channeler? Or a copy of the original?

 

[missiminni2015]

Keesio, we sent the kind of police clearance thst comes from an FBI channeler. We didn't know there was any difference between the documents. That one thing held us up because we had to request it again from the FBI and they just happened to be updating their criminal database.

Thank you rhcohen2015. We did contact my husband's MP and said that he was looking into the situation. We went directly to his office and spoke to his staff since he is in Ottawa and not available to speak to constituents directly.

Since I started this post, we received an email from CIC (thank goodness any news is good news!) They requested an additional document that we had omitted (the one requesting names of additional family members.) In this email they told us also that they don't reply to requests for verification of receipt of documents but if the deadline needs to be extended for some reason to contact them within 45 days.

I'm hoping this was good news and things move quickly or at least easily from here on out.

 

[BeShoo]

Missiminni2015, your story is all too familiar to me. My common law partner is frustrated that he can't work. He can't drive because my car insurance will not add him with a U.S. license and Quebec will not give him a Quebec license until he has PR. We send stuff to Ottawa and they never tell us they got it. Our file still says application was received and medical was received, but that's all. Due to the difficulty of living on one income, we were very slow getting the CSQ (Quebec Selection Certificate $269 last year) and the RPRF ($490) that they asked for in June with a number of other documents (up-to-date FBI check and medical check, some other documents).

We sent the medical and some other proof of relationship things in August before the deadline (or the doctor sent the medical). We explained that we were still waiting for the FBI, but we sent that when we got it. They were still lacking the CSQ and RPRF, so they sent another request with a two-week deadline. We explained that it would take us more than two weeks to get those (partly due to money), and we finally sent them the last week of November. We haven't heard anything from them since. They only send emails when they want something.

They had asked for a lease and we explained that we have a mortgage, but it is only in my name and doesn't have my partner's name. They wrote back in two days to say that they weren't interested if it didn't have both names on it. So, they do read their mail, apparently, but don't waste time writing back unless they need something. Reluctantly, we had to spend another $100 last week to request a visitor extension because the one we had ran out.