Processing Times for Buffalo

[jckovacs]

I read on Immigrations site that Buffalo's estimated processing time is 11 months. Has anyone gone this route and had it happen in less time? Or are the processing times pretty accurate?

We have not submitted our paperwork because we are still having photo issues. It's about to make me crazy.

 

[adetia9]

Its hard to say.

Lessons learned the hard way by a variety of people:

1. SEND IN YOUR ENTIRE APP AT ONCE. DO NOT MAIL YOUR FBI CERT LATER. This dramatically slows down your application despite what the paperwork says.
2. Once your medicals are completed, send a fax to Ottawa requesting them to send medical results to Buffalo. Make sure to include any additional family members records on this request as well (so, if its you and a kid, for example, you list all the info for yourself, then your kid too), Its best to be proactive and this will speed your processing of your medicals.

Contrary to what alot of folks would say, right now Buffalo is moving alot faster then they were. Several of us that applied at the beginning of last year took the full 11 months or longer, but some of the people who applied this past fall got through in 3 months or so.

 

[dhd]

Hi - where can I find the fax number for Ottawa to request that they send the medicals?

 

[Cindy1]

2. Once your medicals are completed, send a fax to Ottawa requesting them to send medical results to Buffalo. Make sure to include any additional family members records on this request as well (so, if its you and a kid, for example, you list all the info for yourself, then your kid too), Its best to be proactive and this will speed your processing of your medicals.

This is the first time I heard this.

We sent in our medical in October 2010. We never faxed Ottawa. We are currently in the AOR stage. I thought Buffalo requests Ottawa to send the medicals....never knew I should get involved and send this request.


Wondering if I should send the fax now....then again I don't want to muck up and process.

 

[jckovacs]

I never heard of talking to Ottawa. We are to submit our paperwork to Mississauga and the medical I got, the doc is sending my results straight there. I've got my 1017 to mail in with my application. We also have the criminal background check/finger prints, passport stuff, photos, copies of cards, letters, emails, texts, etc. I hope we've done everything correctly so there will be no delays.

 

[adetia9]

Yes its one of those dirty little secrets that you will only find about here on the forums.
The process is supposed to work without assistance, however, by being proactive, and faxing in the request it speeds things up because Ottawa will hvae already hopefully sent them before Buffalo has to ask, thus making them look at your file again, whenever they happen to get around to it.

I did this for myself after I read someone doing it here, and I got a response back (by fax) almost right away from Ottawa, (within 24 hours), but unfortunately, I didn't think to ask them to send my daughters, specifically. I figured they would be packaged together. But they weren't -- so my file sat unattended for a long time while buffalo waited for my daughter's medicals without asking for them to be sent. So, I refaxed my request specifically for my daughters, and then, lo and behold, I had my PPR 4 days later. My file was also lost in space because nobody put a bring forward date on it, but, regardless... over those hurdles now.

I guess my feeling on this is:

You have weeks/months of waiting where you can do nothing. Even these small steps can help your anxiety level and feel like you've done SOMETHING to make it go faster... and it certainly cant hurt. Worst case is that Buffalo gets the medicals faster then they would have, or gets them twice, neither of which is a bad thing.

Since filing my own application, I've helped several friends file their applications, and theirs have all been a much smoother faster process then mine, so, take it for what you want, but, I don't think it can possibly hurt you to fax the medicals request in, and it certainly can help!

I'll get those contact details for you shortly.

 

[adetia9]

Also -- you buffalo folks might wish to join our other thread. lots of good advice in there from everyone in the same boat as you!

 

[jckovacs]

But my medicals went to Mississauga...

 

[adetia9]

Your medical results, if you are an OUTLANDER via Buffalo, get sent in by the DMP. You don't touch the actual medical results, etc. They are stored in one location (who you can reach by fax), then sent out to various visa offices, from what I understand.

Again, take the advice if you wish. Don't if you don't.

 

[doctorkb]

Your medical results, if you are an OUTLANDER via Buffalo, get sent in by the DMP. You don't touch the actual medical results, etc. They are stored in one location (who you can reach by fax), then sent out to various visa offices, from what I understand.

Again, take the advice if you wish. Don't if you don't.

Can you post the fax number here for all of us?

Thanks,

-kb

 

[Romain]

Simple question.

- I had initialy filed my files with sponsorship + PR application to CIC Mississauga..... with a couple police certificate missing
- about a week after sponsorship was approved and PR application forwarded to Buffalo i sent the missing certificates to Buffalo via Fedex.
- I just received my AOR from Buffalo.

Now i heard plenty of scary testimony stating that documents can easily be lost when sent before AOR. Still that is what i did.
Is it hopeless ? Do i have to considered they are lost and already move forward applying for new ones ? (FBI certif takes 8+ weeks !).
Or is there hope.....

Basically what are truly the risk of VO loosing documents when received 'too early' before they start opening the main file ?

 

[88mv]

My application has gone a lot faster than the 11 months. We sent it in the last days of Oct, so Mississauga got it beginning of Nov and I got my PPR letter yesterday. (It still seems like forever no matter how fast it goes!)
I had my medicals and FBI request done before we sent the app, so everything was ready. I just included the medical receipt and Buffalo took care of requesting it from the database or whatever is used to store the medicals.
The only thing that slowed down our application was I did not pay the RPRF right away. They requested it mid Jan, and it was sent then and confirmed to have been received and processed on Feb 16. I don't think it ended up slowing me down by much since I appear to be on par with other applicants in my date range, but I would definitely pay it ahead if you can afford to.

 

[adetia9]

Simple question.

- I had initialy filed my files with sponsorship + PR application to CIC Mississauga..... with a couple police certificate missing
- about a week after sponsorship was approved and PR application forwarded to Buffalo i sent the missing certificates to Buffalo via Fedex.
- I just received my AOR from Buffalo.

Now i heard plenty of scary testimony stating that documents can easily be lost when sent before AOR. Still that is what i did.
Is it hopeless ? Do i have to considered they are lost and already move forward applying for new ones ? (FBI certif takes 8+ weeks !).
Or is there hope.....

Basically what are truly the risk of VO loosing documents when received 'too early' before they start opening the main file ?

I'd wait another month, since your so early on, and then order your CAIPS notes. Then you won't have to wonder about what they do or do not have.
Its very easy to do, and free if either you or your spouse is in Canada.

Also, Buffalo is running alot faster now... which is great I think we actually recently had someone on here get through the whole thing in just over 2 months.

 

[adetia9]

Here is the brief note I used when I requested my medicals to be faxed, and then later, reused to have my daughter's sent along when it appeared it was not done by default.

Hello,

I would like to find out if you can please forward my medical results and my daughter's medical results to Buffalo as they have indicated they have not yet received our medical exam results. Our medicals were performed on November 30, 2009 and sent in direct by our DMP, Dr. S. Grunberg of Calgary, Alberta. Our labwork was performed on December 8th, 2009 by Radiology Associates with bloodwork being completed at the Lethbridge Hospital. All results were gathered by Dr. Grunberg and sent in to your facility directly by his office.

My name is (Name), DOB: (date of birth)
My Daughter's name is (Name), DOB: (date of birth)

Thanks so much for your help, and if we need to provide any additional information, kindly let us know at your earliest convenience. We may be reached at (phone number).

Regards,

Name
DOB:
CIC Client ID:
Buffalo File ID:

Email address:

My experience went like this.

We didn't have a fax machine at home, so my husband faxed it in from his work, and 2 days later, he got a fax in his mailbox from Ottawa indicating they had forwarded my results on. Foolishly, I didn't specifically request my daughter's records to be forwarded, so they werent! So, I modified my note slightly for you guys.

It is my understanding that they do not always fax back a confirmation, especially if you don't have a dedicated fax hooked up to receive anytime they may choose to fax it.

When I faxed our request in the second time we did not receive a confirmation, but Buffalo did get the results for my daughter.


As to the fax number:


I've been digging through my notes and I used this information from Robsluv

You can fax them at the CIC Medical Services Branch - Ottawa. Fax number is 613-941-9528 I also had 613-954-8653 and sent my request there and got a reply right away, but they crossed that number off my cover sheet with their reply - which was sent from the 941-9528 number, so try that one first.

I am pretty sure I used the 613-954-8653 number the first time. My reply came back from 613-954-6211.
When I re-requested them last week, the 613-954-8653 fax numbers just rang and rang and rang, so I ended up using 613-941-5043.

I hope this information is helpful.





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[jckovacs]

My application has gone a lot faster than the 11 months. We sent it in the last days of Oct, so Mississauga got it beginning of Nov and I got my PPR letter yesterday. (It still seems like forever no matter how fast it goes!)
I had my medicals and FBI request done before we sent the app, so everything was ready. I just included the medical receipt and Buffalo took care of requesting it from the database or whatever is used to store the medicals.
The only thing that slowed down our application was I did not pay the RPRF right away. They requested it mid Jan, and it was sent then and confirmed to have been received and processed on Feb 16. I don't think it ended up slowing me down by much since I appear to be on par with other applicants in my date range, but I would definitely pay it ahead if you can afford to.

We have all of the paperwork done. Including FBI records with fingerprints. We sent in the complete package, nothing missing. And we paid for everything up front. No delays, we hope.

I'll keep everyone posted.