PROBLEM: Immigration Officer did NOT write document # in on passport stamp

[Kat911s]

Hi all,

My spouse arrived in Canada via Montreal Airport January 31st. He just went to get a SIN card but was told the Immigration Officer was supposed to write the Document # (on his Confirmation of Permanent Residency) on his passport stamp. Because the number (on the paper!) was not written on the stamp they cannot give him a SIN card and he must wait 10-12weeks until he gets his PR card.
The problem is he has an interview for the position of Director here in Ottawa and without a SIN card, the company won't want to hire him because they have already dealt with his immigration issues before...
CIC told us that they are not required to write the document # in the passport, yet Service Canada (another department) requires that it be there to process a SIN card.

Did the Immigration Officer make a mistake??? How can we fix it? Can we go to the airport and have another officer write the number on his passport?? We can't afford to wait for his PR card because he'll lose this job opportunity due to someone else's mistake

 

[Kat911s]

FYI, if you have the same problem:

I ended up booking an appointment with my MP office tomorrow morning.

I also called Canadian Border Services and the man was kind enough to transfer me to the Montreal airport Immigration Department where the mistake happened (couldn't be transferred when I called the airport) and the lady on the phone told me to go to the Ottawa airport (that's where we live) with all our documents and ask to speak with the customs officer. IT WORKED! The Immigration Officer at the airport LAUGHED and said he's never heard of anything so ridiculous and was surprised we didn't just write the number ourselves!!!!! He said Service Canada has no business rejecting a SIN card application on the basis of something they don't have the authority on (ie. relying on the document number on the passport stamp when it's not within their authority to even allow residents into the country!) So he just scribbled the number on the passport and we were on our way. Sidenote: I read a post saying they scanned stamps from your passport and we were worried to do it ourselves, that and if we went to out MP to complain, we couldn't very well do that and write it on the passport for then we'd have no leverage.

I'm still going to speak with my MP about this, as I don't want this stress and panic to fall on someone else....

Thanks for the replies!