Request for Photos

[NRSY]

I just got an email from the Manila Visa Office about our application ...

"Dear Applicant,

This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada.

You submitted photos which do not meet our current standard specifications. In order for our office to issue your visa(s) and/or Confirmation of Permanent Resident form(s), you must submit two (2) photos of yourself and of each accompanying family member respecting precise specifications that can be found at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/5445EB-e.pdf.

The required photos must be submitted thru the Visa Application Centre (VAC). Find a VAC in your area at http://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/.

The issuance of your visa(s) and/or Confirmation of Permanent Resident form(s) is time sensitive so it is important for you to submit your correct photos within 15 days from the date of this letter. Failure to comply within the given timeframe will lead to a delay in the processing of your application.



Sincerely,


Permanent Resident Unit "

Does this mean they are close to issuing a visa/COPR if we send in correct photos? Also, We are currently in Canada... it says we must submit the photos through the Visa Application Center... but none are listed for Canada? These are only photos of the applicant.. correct?

does anyone have any experience with this?

Thank you!

 

[canadianwoman]

The photos are only for the applicant, and yes, this means they will be issuing you a PR visa.
I would guess that you would send them through the VAC for the Philippines.

 

[NRSY]

Thank you for the reply canadianwoman!

So I can send them online? Im not sure where the VAC for the Philippines would be located/how I would send them photos?
Do you have any idea?

 

[IndToCan1]

Thank you for the reply canadianwoman!

So I can send them online? Im not sure where the VAC for the Philippines would be located/how I would send them photos?
Do you have any idea?

Location of VAC in Philippines: http://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/Philippines/contact_us.html

 

[NRSY]

Thank you for the replies again!

However.. I am located in Canada.. so I need a place in Canada (Toronto) where I could go to submit my photos.


im sure others have been required to do this before! any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[neggo]

Hi,

Great timing on this. I just received the exact same e-mail and it left me a little confused.

My spouse will be here in Canada from next week with a tourist visa. Is there any way we can submit it through the CIC here in Vancouver? Or does it specifically have to be Manila?

Crossing my fingers that once we submit these, then we'll finally get her PR.

 

[NRSY]

Hi,

Great timing on this. I just received the exact same e-mail and it left me a little confused.

My spouse will be here in Canada from next week with a tourist visa. Is there any way we can submit it through the CIC here in Vancouver? Or does it specifically have to be Manila?

Crossing my fingers that once we submit these, then we'll finally get her PR.

hoping the same! no idea how to send these photos from within canada!

 

[Aquakitty]

They are asking for a VAC in the letter, there are no VACs in Canada because they are privately run processing centers that only handle the documents and not the actual decisions.

I know people have sent their passports to Ottawa before, despite being processed in another country. But they are asking only for photos to a VAC, so I am not sure. You could try sending Ottawa an email... or try the call center. CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca

Hopefully someone else will know.

 

[neggo]

Another part that confuses me is which VAC to send it to.

My spouse is Japanese and is currently living in Japan but her application is being processed in Manila. Does that mean she sends the photos over to Manila? Or does she send them to Japan?

The e-mail says to find a VAC "in your area". Does that mean the "area" that my spouse lives in or the "area" that the application is being processed in?

My spouse and I have gone through some Japanese forums and they've also received word from CIC about providing pictures, but they are also confused regarding which VAC they should send it to.

CIC is so horrible with correspondence, and after reviewing a few things, it seems as though the photo specifications changed without any word or notification. We sent the application in last June and it seems as though specifications changed in January or April (The picture specification document CIC just sent has the date 04/01/16). Needless to say, I'm pretty annoyed, but there's nothing we can really do.

 

[Tynen]

Hi guys, I've rexeievd the request for photo as well. My visa office is Manila but I am currently residing in New Zealand. It says to send the photos to the nearest VAC. Does that mean the VAC in Philippines? Or the closest one near New Zealand for me?

 

[xabibella]

I received the same email last March 29 2016 along with the request of for my passport. I'm from the Philippines currently living in the US and I sent the pictures + passport to the VAC in the Philippines (Makati office to be exact) Technically the nearest VAC to me was the one in Mexico. I got the tracking on my application and they emailed me when they "dispatched it to Manila VO for processing" on the same day Makati VAC received my passport so I'm assuming sending it there will save up some time on them sending it to Manila VO.

This is the tracking info VFS Makati sent me by email:

Dear XXXXX, Visa application, tracking ID 20160407PHMNxxxx – was received at the Canada Visa Application Center in Manila and will be forwarded to the Canada Visa Office Manila on the next working day 07/04/2016. An auto e-mail will be generated to inform you when the application is returned and is available for collection at the application Centre, Manila. Please note this is an auto generated e-mail. Please do NOT reply to this email

You can try calling/emailing the VACs in Manila or Japan http://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/ (the live chat option didn't work for me even when it was office hours). They got back to me with the info within 24 hours.

 

[Midland2017]

We also received the same letter today and although it was pretty straight forward, trying to figure out how and where to send is really confusing. There is no pertinent information on the vac site or anywhere else that we have been able to find.

We are also in Japan and with the holiday the Tokyo vac office is closed.

I called the Manila Vac office earlier and although I have to verify everything with Tokyo, this is what I have pieced together so far.

First off, this is something new which explains why there isn't much info about it. Manila also verified that it is new.

Send it to the local vac office which is Tokyo for us even though it is being processed in Manila.
There is a charge
it must be paid in exact cash and in the local currency.
According the the vac Japan site, It must be sent by registered cash mail or HAITATSU JIKANTAI *censored word* YUBIN
I believe it is 5,202JPY for Document Transmission for PR service. This is just a guess based on the price Manila gave me. Confirm with Tokyo. Manila would not accept Canadian $ only their local currency.
Include a copy of the emailed request from cic with your pictures but no other documents are needed (according to Manila)

Until I can talk to someone in the Tokyo office, we are all on hold but at least I have a little bit to go on.

Hope this answers some questions. Again, double check everything with Tokyo or your local vac but I think that's they way it's going to work.

Good luck.

 

[NRSY]

Thank you very much for the replies! i have emailed the Korean Visa Application Center (my spouse is korean) and also the one in Manila to see if I can send my photos to them and also how much money to include with them for them to forward the photos to the manila visa office!

I hope one of them reply to me about that! I will post on here to say what I end up doing to hopefully help others that this happens to!

 

[neggo]

I think after some careful thought, it'd be best to send it in the area your application is being processed in.

I think that will save both time and effort. If I were to send the photos to Tokyo, they'd just send it over to Manila anyway since Tokyo doesn't do any family sponsorship files.

 

[tanigawa]

I too received the same email yesterday. Very annoying especially so late in the game--we applied in September 2015, so we were expecting CoPR right around this time. I agree that sending it to Manila seems to make sense, since it's being processed in the Manila visa office.

However, isn't there something about cash payment being required? How can we come up with Philippine pesos since we both live in Canada and do not know anyone in Manila? Same issue with sending it to the office in Tokyo, but at least we have friends and family over there. This sudden change in both the size of photos required and the method of sending documents is extremely annoying.