Question after CIC requesting Passport. Help please

[nemolemon]

Hi all,

I applied my study permit online and I just received an email from CIC saying that a decision has been made and the original passport is requested. I checked the instruction they provided and have some confusion.

1. Where is the best to send the passport? I know that in US only the visa office in Los Angeles accepts applications of study permit. But in my case, the application is online and I only need the visa office to stamp my passport now. Can I send the passport to the VAC in New York since it is closer?

2. What is the VAC fees and where to send the fee? I noticed that I need to pay a fee of $34.10 for the passport delivery. It confused me because I will provide a returning envelop and the stamp. Why they still need the delivery fee?
Also I noticed that the payment should be sent to a place in Utah and a copy of the payment should be provided along with the passport to the VAC. So am I right that the payment and the passport are sent separately?

3. How to pay the vac fees? The CVAC website says that the payment is made by check or through credit or debit card at vac. Does it mean that if I am not paying it at their office, I have to send the check instead of providing the information of my visa card in the mail?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

-Zhen

 

[nemolemon]

Does any one have the experience of applying the study permit in US? I applied a vistor visa before but it didn't require the vac fees when requesting passport so I have no experience on that. Thanks

 

[jwmcgill]

Hi nemolemon, Hopefully you have your passport back with the STAMP. I am in the same boat, I live in US and applied online, today I received request for passport, but letter does not mention any particular VAC. I am planning to go in person to New York VAC and submit my passport. Could you please let me know how you did it and what was your experience? BTW, I am joining McGill U Fall 2014 Macdonald campu Food Science M.Sc.

 

[kaulvirus]

Allright, I don't know if my situation helps but this is what happened:

I applied online (in Japan) and my application went to Philippines for processing. On monday, I received the same email asking me to submit passport. I had since relocated to India. I called up the VAC in India and they asked me to come there directly to sort out the issue. I then called the VAC in Philippines and they told me they couldn't process my application as I was in India and they couldn't send my passport back. I called Japan's VAC and they said the same. So, finally, I went to the VAC (vfs, india) and asked if they could process my application. The dude there asked me to sit down and wait while he'd confer with the High Commission in Delhi. He returned back after 5 mins and said "they were ok processing my application and took my pp".

Moral of my story, since CIC application's are centralised now, I believe any embassy can stamp your passport, just as long as they are willing to do so. Hope that was helpful.

 

[jwmcgill]

Hey kaulvirus,
Thanks for detailed info, can imagine what you went through, pretty complicated scenario, but you did it, congratulation !!! I am traveling to NYC on 07/25 Friday to submit my passport, hopefully I dont get in to trouble.