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Ridiculous: photos not according to specs - delay in PR card after landing

ae03yy

Hero Member
Oct 6, 2010
781
24
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Seattl
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 18, 2011
ANCHE said:
im confused! you mean we have to bring pictures on the time we land? or they will take a photo of us at the port of entry? i just rcvd my visa and copr. 1 photo was attached to copr and 2 more photos were sent back to me.
well ANCHE, I'm not sure myself that's why i asked. Did you used old or new spec when sending PPT?
 

ae03yy

Hero Member
Oct 6, 2010
781
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Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Seattl
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Pre-Assessed..
VISA ISSUED...
Oct 18, 2011
Sinbad said:
Hi all,
I received passport request from Buffalo. The photo requirements in the passport request mail was (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/photospecs.asp) the size of the head, from chin to crown, must be between 31 mm (1 1/4″) and 36 mm (1 7/16″).

The new spec for PR card according to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EB.asp is measure between 25 mm and 30 mm (1” and 1 1/5”) from chin to crown (top of hair). ...
Senior members please advise,
I m way confused now! I went back online to check the photo requirements in the passport (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/photospecs.asp) but it says to provide 2 pics, not 3.
-which must be between 31 mm (1 1/4″) and 36 mm (1 7/16″)
-and done less than 6mths.
So, what is the letter from bufffalo asking for exactly aside from PPT? I'm waitin for passport request but wanna be prepared beforehand and will ask a friend to go pick up visa on my behalth...
 

Honolulu

Hero Member
Jan 14, 2009
477
29
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 25th 2009 ( at Sydney)
LANDED..........
December 29th
I would advise just wait till the written instructions come.
Then take it to the photographers insisting on the correct size and the shape (inside the oval).
Do not stress, its not worth it!
 

bongeorgeo

Full Member
Apr 16, 2011
36
1
Please read the photo specifications carefullyww.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EB.aspIt has all necessary required data about photo specifications
 

Sinbad

Star Member
Jun 11, 2009
153
2
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
NOC Code......
2171
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Mar 9,2010
LANDED..........
Apr 24,2011
As a newly landed immigrant, will the PR card be send to you or do u have to pick it up?
When we applied for SIN, the officer informed that we have to pick up our PR cards. But, somebody told us that this is only for those who are already in Canada.

Can anybody clarify?
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
October 2009 and 15 April 2011
Interview........
4 April 2011
Passport Req..
4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
Sinbad said:
As a newly landed immigrant, will the PR card be send to you or do u have to pick it up?
When we applied for SIN, the officer informed that we have to pick up our PR cards. But, somebody told us that this is only for those who are already in Canada.

Can anybody clarify?
The first time, the PR card is sent to the address you specify. Then (if you have returned to the home country to tie up loose ends) you can have someone courier the PR card to you.

But renewed cards -- you must pick them up in person, in Canada, or so I have read here.

Question: Has anyone ever heard of picking up a renewed PR card at a local embassy?
 

bsz

Star Member
Aug 22, 2011
121
11
xyrus said:
I submitted the pics. on Jan 26th at the local Service Canada office. I was asked how I came to know that there is a problem and I replied that I called up CIC and came to know there was an issue. I had not received the letter by then.
Exactly the same situation here. How can you send new photos without receiving the notification letter?

We landed in Vancouver and they sent our documents to Nova Scotia. Now they say that our file has been sent back to Vancouver office and it takes 10 weeks for them to answer then we have to sent it again and wait for another 8 weeks! So totally 18 weeks which is 4 months!

Do you know any better workaround. Could I send the photos directly?
 

ckguysh

Newbie
Nov 19, 2011
4
0
I was told about the photo "error" 3.5 months after landing in Van. In mid September CIC call center advised that it would take a ocal Van office 8 weeks to send me a letter to instruct where/how to submit my new photos. I got the letter finally. Problem is I checked my mail in mid Nov only, the time when the letter was supposed to arrive, but the letter was sent out a month earlier, just after about 3 weeks of my file's arrival in Van office, and not after 8 weeks as advised. I was supposed to submit new photos within 1 month from the letter's date. Obviously I am more than a month late now. What should I do now? Should I still send my new photos to the Van immigration office? Will they accept them and process my card, or will they by now have closed my file and refuse to process my PR Card? Any experience how delays in submitting new photos are handled? Thanks.
 

edupolo

Hero Member
Jun 24, 2009
316
16
Visa Office......
London (Ottawa)
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-09-2007
Doc's Request.
17-02-2010
Med's Request
17-07-2010
Med's Done....
27-07-2010
Passport Req..
10-06-2011
VISA ISSUED...
07-07-2011
LANDED..........
21-07-2011
Hello,

I was just informed that the picture we sent for our Permanent Residence card are not valid (strange since I took the specs to the photographer and they looked exactly like the ones they wanted) Never mind, no point in complaining since it will not change anything.

I was told that I should get a form to my home address in Canada. Does anyone know what they ask for in the form? They said that if I do not receive the form I can always send a letter explaining what happened with my address, client ID reference and new photographs, and mail them to the Toronto office.

I was just wondering if anybody has gone through this and if they can tell me what the process is like. Will it take forever to get my cards afterwards. We have already waited 4 months and now they decided to tell us the pictures are wrong!!! I really hope that the other aspects of Canada work much better than immigration... otherwise we have made a big mistake!!!

Anyway, they did not tell me I had to hand them in in person and I could mail them. They also told me my letter was sent 2 weeks ago but nothing yet. Thank god all these calls are being recorded in case I need to dispute anything.

Thanks.
 

ckguysh

Newbie
Nov 19, 2011
4
0
It is a very basic one page letter. It says that your PR card cannot be issued with the photos submitted upon landing and you are required to provide 2 photos to the local CIC office within 1 month from the date of the letter. You will need to enclose a copy of their letter and a completed green form with you signature (a blank form is sent together with the letter) in the enclosed envelope and mail it to the CIC address on that envelope. My letter came from Van and it said in bold not to come to their office in person as this service was no longer available. Apparently, the local office should issue a PR card within one month of receipt of the new photos, unless they reject them again. Good luck. I have been waiting for my card since June and I doubt I will get it any time soon.
 

PMM

VIP Member
Jun 30, 2005
25,494
1,950
Hi

ckguysh said:
It is a very basic one page letter. It says that your PR card cannot be issued with the photos submitted upon landing and you are required to provide 2 photos to the local CIC office within 1 month from the date of the letter. You will need to enclose a copy of their letter and a completed green form with you signature (a blank form is sent together with the letter) in the enclosed envelope and mail it to the CIC address on that envelope. My letter came from Van and it said in bold not to come to their office in person as this service was no longer available. Apparently, the local office should issue a PR card within one month of receipt of the new photos, unless they reject them again. Good luck. I have been waiting for my card since June and I doubt I will get it any time soon.
As far as I know Vancouver and Calgary are the only offices doing the above routine
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
October 2009 and 15 April 2011
Interview........
4 April 2011
Passport Req..
4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
I recommend providing several photos, taken by several different photographers, when you land. I knew that the photo attached to the COPR by the embassy might not be accepted by those responsible for producing the PR card (a ridiculous uncertainty to impose on immigrants, in my opinion), so I gave them several choices. Why have to wait months for the letter of refusal? If CIC dislikes the embassy-approved photo, just fish in the bag for a different one and surely find a satisfactory one.

As it turned out, the photo attached by the embassy was acceptable for the PR card, so I cannot say for sure that the PR card people would have fished in the bag for other photos -- but it can't hurt to give them more choices in case they are tempted that day to be reasonable, right?

Has anyone tried this and found that the PR card was issued with a different photo than the one attached by the embassy? If so, then this would be a strategy to be recommended strongly.

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
 

steaky

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Nov 11, 2008
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toby said:
I recommend providing several photos, taken by several different photographers, when you land. I knew that the photo attached to the COPR by the embassy might not be accepted by those responsible for producing the PR card (a ridiculous uncertainty to impose on immigrants, in my opinion), so I gave them several choices. Why have to wait months for the letter of refusal? If CIC dislikes the embassy-approved photo, just fish in the bag for a different one and surely find a satisfactory one.
My wife did this, however, none of the photos were acceptable by them. Luckily, they took a new photograph at the airport. :D
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
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Hong Kong
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App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
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Interview........
4 April 2011
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4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
steaky said:
My wife did this, however, none of the photos were acceptable by them. Luckily, they took a new photograph at the airport. :D
Do you mean that not even the photo accepted by the HK Consulate was acceptable to CIC?

And why did CIC take a photo at the airport? Did the Visa Officer at the airport say that none of the photos would be acceptable? If so, he/she was on the ball and did you a big favour.
 

steaky

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Nov 11, 2008
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toby said:
If so, he/she was on the ball and did you a big favour.
Yes, that was 2007. Maybe CIC were more nice to newcomers back then.