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Roll call: How many have their passports with the Canadian Embassy in Manila?

cruise

Full Member
Jul 16, 2012
46
1
This is to determine more or less the approximate waiting time after the Canadian Embassy requested the passports. My spouse's passport has been with the embassy for 6 months now. We are now on our 14th month of processing time which is the average processing time for the Philippines. Anybody willing to share? Even those that have been processed already. Will appreciate your input. Thanks
 

Gumper

Hero Member
Jan 27, 2014
282
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-01-2014
AOR Received.
06-03-2014
File Transfer...
11-03-2014
Med's Done....
09-01-2014
Six months, wow! Do they leave any recourse should someone wish to travel outside the Philippines while waiting? Sorry, doesn't answer your question (which is a good one to get feedback on for sure), just wondering if they tell you anything when they request the passport, i.e. like "don't plan on travelling for up to 6 months or more"...? Manila is our VO too, definitely curious to know more about the processing time averages, etc. Hope more people chime in...
 

pipes

Star Member
Sep 19, 2013
70
0
Cebu, Philippines
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-02-2013
AOR Received.
05-03-2013 {stage 1} 19-03-2013 {stage 2}
Med's Done....
04-12-2012
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
12-08-2013 with Appendix A
VISA ISSUED...
In God's perfect TIME...
my passport is with Canadian Embassy Manila for almost 7 months now...havent heard anything from them...my medicals expired December 2013...tried to informed them about it but no response....I JUST DON'T KNOW WHATS GOING ON...patiently waiting....
 

drewday

Champion Member
May 7, 2013
1,100
11
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
my medical will be expired this coming March too, :( but never heard anything to the office too :(
 

JGM613

Hero Member
Apr 13, 2013
345
2
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
19-04-2013
AOR Received.
03-05-2013
File Transfer...
15-05-2013
Passport Req..
30-10-2013 ... In Process 12-03-2014...Decision Made 14-03-2014 as per ECAS
VISA ISSUED...
14-03-2014
LANDED..........
02-04=2014
They've had Mrs JGM's since early November..almost four months..her meds expire in
three weeks..also written to CEM and received the standard no reply..
 

JRPW

Star Member
Jul 9, 2012
197
7
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
2012
Doc's Request.
2013
AOR Received.
2012
Med's Request
2013 (re-med)
VISA ISSUED...
2014
LANDED..........
2014
pipes said:
my passport is with Canadian Embassy Manila for almost 7 months now...havent heard anything from them...my medicals expired December 2013...tried to informed them about it but no response....I JUST DON'T KNOW WHATS GOING ON...patiently waiting....
Chances are that you will be asked to do a re-med. According to my wife's GCMS notes, one of the VOs looking at my wife's file asked for an extension of her meds. There was no response, so my wife ended up getting them done again.
 

Gumper

Hero Member
Jan 27, 2014
282
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-01-2014
AOR Received.
06-03-2014
File Transfer...
11-03-2014
Med's Done....
09-01-2014
Wow, this is not a very heartening thread. Sorry for all you who have to put up with this nonsense. Just don't understand at all why the VO would request the passport and then sit on it for so long. You would think the request means that they are close to or have made the decision to issue a visa...very odd & not very considerate to applicants in the Philippines. Do they think that they're all too poor etc. & aren't going anywhere anyway? I'm sure they don't do this in western countries, very disappointing!
 

cruise

Full Member
Jul 16, 2012
46
1
HI Gumper,

Its really frustrating. Holding on to the passport for 6 months should actually be illegal. It restricts a person's ability to travel to other countries. Not just to Canada. I dont understand why the embassy would request the passport and still queue the file. I wonder if this is the norm in other Canadian Embassies processing applications.

Appreciate the sentiments. For all those affected, please share your experiences. If possible, also those that have been granted the visa but waited for months while their passports are with the Canadian Embassy in Manila. We want to get an idea on how long the passports stay with the Canadian Embassy.
 

elmatador

Star Member
Sep 28, 2013
186
5
Category........
Visa Office......
New Delhi
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Feb 5 2014
AOR Received.
Feb 28 2014
File Transfer...
Mar 4 2014, AOR2: Mar 29 2014
Med's Done....
Sep 29 2013
Passport Req..
IP: Aug 25 2014, PPR: September 19th 2014
VISA ISSUED...
September 22nd 2014
LANDED..........
October 4th 2014
This happens in India too. It's really unfortunate that they hold it for so long! What if someone needs to travel in emergency, as in very next day? They need to improve their process.
 

pipes

Star Member
Sep 19, 2013
70
0
Cebu, Philippines
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-02-2013
AOR Received.
05-03-2013 {stage 1} 19-03-2013 {stage 2}
Med's Done....
04-12-2012
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
12-08-2013 with Appendix A
VISA ISSUED...
In God's perfect TIME...
JRPW said:
Chances are that you will be asked to do a re-med. According to my wife's GCMS notes, one of the VOs looking at my wife's file asked for an extension of her meds. There was no response, so my wife ended up getting them done again.
Thanks for sharing JRPW ...i wish they would ask me and my kids to do medicals again but nothing so far...tried a couple of times informing them that our medicals are almost expiring...until now no response...still waiting for the GCMS...expecting it last Feb. 13, 2014 but nothing came in as yet...very frustrated here with whats going on...
 

PAGASA

Member
Jan 19, 2013
15
0
I have avoided visiting the forum for quite some time, for me not to keep whining about our application but
our case is very frustrating already.
CEM got hold of our passports(me and kids) since July of 2012. I belong to the Feb. 2012 applicants.
No updates until now. We have tried every means to get in touch with CEM...emails, MPs, case specific inquiry...still no reply. :(
 

JRPW

Star Member
Jul 9, 2012
197
7
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
2012
Doc's Request.
2013
AOR Received.
2012
Med's Request
2013 (re-med)
VISA ISSUED...
2014
LANDED..........
2014
pipes said:
Thanks for sharing JRPW ...i wish they would ask me and my kids to do medicals again but nothing so far...tried a couple of times informing them that our medicals are almost expiring...until now no response...still waiting for the GCMS...expecting it last Feb. 13, 2014 but nothing came in as yet...very frustrated here with whats going on...
Once, or if, they ask you to do a re-med, you will be close to getting your COPR. You never know, maybe the VO has already extended your meds. Use the email address you received when you applied for you GCMS notes. Tell them that a month has passed, but you still do not have them.
 

Gumper

Hero Member
Jan 27, 2014
282
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-01-2014
AOR Received.
06-03-2014
File Transfer...
11-03-2014
Med's Done....
09-01-2014
cruise said:
HI Gumper,

Its really frustrating. Holding on to the passport for 6 months should actually be illegal. It restricts a person's ability to travel to other countries. Not just to Canada. I dont understand why the embassy would request the passport and still queue the file. I wonder if this is the norm in other Canadian Embassies processing applications.

Appreciate the sentiments. For all those affected, please share your experiences. If possible, also those that have been granted the visa but waited for months while their passports are with the Canadian Embassy in Manila. We want to get an idea on how long the passports stay with the Canadian Embassy.
For sure this is abusive behaviour on the part of those in the VO's who are so cavalier in their treatment of people from the Philippines, India and elsewhere. I love my country but I'm totally appalled by the callousness of those who perpetrate this nonsense. It really does merit a formal notification to Immigration Canada if it proves to be so widespread.
 

pipes

Star Member
Sep 19, 2013
70
0
Cebu, Philippines
Category........
Visa Office......
Manila
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-02-2013
AOR Received.
05-03-2013 {stage 1} 19-03-2013 {stage 2}
Med's Done....
04-12-2012
Interview........
waived
Passport Req..
12-08-2013 with Appendix A
VISA ISSUED...
In God's perfect TIME...
JRPW said:
Once, or if, they ask you to do a re-med, you will be close to getting your COPR. You never know, maybe the VO has already extended your meds. Use the email address you received when you applied for you GCMS notes. Tell them that a month has passed, but you still do not have them.
Thanks again....I will do that for sure.