Second request for RQ!

[Pili]

Has anyone experienced the same, that CIC requested for a second RQ and supporting documentations? Here's the situation, in October 2012 CIC sent us a letter requesting us to submit a completed RQ and supporting documents which we have complied and submitted in December 2012 via FedEx and was received 3 days after according to their tracking system.
This month, we have received a letter that to date, they have not received the RQ and the supporting documents they have requested last year and requiring us to submit again. We called and wrote a letter to them saying that we have submitted their RQ requirements in December 2012 and we gave them our airway bill number. We were told that we have to wait for one month and ignore the second letter until they find out what happened to the RQ and documents we have submitted.

 

[gta-local]

Has anyone experienced the same, that CIC requested for a second RQ and supporting documentations? Here's the situation, in October 2012 CIC sent us a letter requesting us to submit a completed RQ and supporting documents which we have complied and submitted in December 2012 via FedEx and was received 3 days after according to their tracking system.
This month, we have received a letter that to date, they have not received the RQ and the supporting documents they have requested last year and requiring us to submit again. We called and wrote a letter to them saying that we have submitted their RQ requirements in December 2012 and we gave them our airway bill number. We were told that we have to wait for one month and ignore the second letter until they find out what happened to the RQ and documents we have submitted.

Strange thing happens. Did you send to Local CIC office?

 

[eileenf]

Has anyone experienced the same, that CIC requested for a second RQ and supporting documentations? Here's the situation, in October 2012 CIC sent us a letter requesting us to submit a completed RQ and supporting documents which we have complied and submitted in December 2012 via FedEx and was received 3 days after according to their tracking system.
This month, we have received a letter that to date, they have not received the RQ and the supporting documents they have requested last year and requiring us to submit again. We called and wrote a letter to them saying that we have submitted their RQ requirements in December 2012 and we gave them our airway bill number. We were told that we have to wait for one month and ignore the second letter until they find out what happened to the RQ and documents we have submitted.

Do not exclusively rely the on the word and actions of the Call Centre Agent for this important information! Sometimes call Centre agents are wrong or don't follow through on the required actions. Sometimes they make mistakes. If this agent's message to the citizenship officer in charge of your case doesn't get through, you case may be considered "abandoned" under OB476B regulations, as they may decide that you did not respond to your final RQ notice. The agent's advice that you should "ignore the second letter until they find out what happened" raises a red flag for me as it puts you in a precarious spot if something (else) goes wrong. I strongly recommend that you "cover your butt" by documenting and escalating your communication with the CIC so that you can have a paper trail showing your official communication regarding your case and prove that the delays, lost RQ and possible abandonment of your file is contrary to your wishes and not justified by your actions.

Some ideas:

1. Send an official written response to the second RQ with a photocopy of your fedex receipt, you UCI, file number and an explanation that they are in error. I would also recommend adding that you demand resolution of your citizenship application ASAP
2. Fax your response to your local office as well (if you can find the fax number).
3. Always always get the name and agent number of the agent you speak with.
4. Ask your MP to contact the CIC on your behalf regarding the previous RQ submittal
5. Consider hiring a lawyer
6. Consider requesting expedited processing due to CIC administrative error.

Your case is another reminder of the importance of sending RQ responses & official correspondence with tracking numbers.

 

[Pili]

Thanks, eieleenf, for your valuable advice. I have made a letter to CIC stating my case, emailed it to their website," Questions", and will send a hard copy of the letter to their office in our city. We considered hiring an immigration lawyer to help us in this dilemma, because another 18-36 months of waiting is ridiculous when we have complied accordingly. My big mistake was I did not take the name of person from the call centre.
I have further questions from you:
1. How do I connect with our local MP? Do I call the office or write a letter to them?
2. Ho do I request for expedited processing? Is it also in the form of letter or should I course it through an attorney?

Thank you so much for taking the time helping us in our predicament with our application. I am sure there also people who are in the same situation as ours and are learning from your valued inputs and ideas. Best regards!

 

[eileenf]

Thanks, eieleenf, for your valuable advice. I have made a letter to CIC stating my case, emailed it to their website," Questions", and will send a hard copy of the letter to their office in our city. We considered hiring an immigration lawyer to help us in this dilemma, because another 18-36 months of waiting is ridiculous when we have complied accordingly. My big mistake was I did not take the name of person from the call centre.
I have further questions from you:
1. How do I connect with our local MP? Do I call the office or write a letter to them?
2. Ho do I request for expedited processing? Is it also in the form of letter or should I course it through an attorney?

Thank you so much for taking the time helping us in our predicament with our application. I am sure there also people who are in the same situation as ours and are learning from your valued inputs and ideas. Best regards!

you're welcome Pili!

My big mistake was I did not take the name of person from the call centre.

This isn't a big mistake, especially because you're also sending your letter and contacting your MP. You're not relying exclusively on the Call Centre Agent to do all the official communication. It's good to get the call Agent's name (and may even improve the quality of the advice you're getting), but it's not a big deal if you miss it.

1. Find your MP: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC Personally for your case I would try to call them to see if you can talk to a real person, but letters or emails work too.

2. Urgent processing may be a long shot for RQ recipients, though there is no official policy prohibiting it, so it's worth inquiring about. The official process for existing applications is to call the Call Centre. Let us know what you find out!

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=024&t=4
Ah goodness. After checking the website it looks like this policy was updated recently (August) and the CIC no longer provides urgent processing for citizenship applications. This seems like another example of the CIC moving away from having a somewhat service-focused ethos towards a fundamentally adverserial relationship with their clients. You can call to ask anyway if you're interested. "Your application was delayed because of an administrative error" was a (nominal) qualifier for urgent processing in the past, but now, huh, probably not.