September 2014 Citizenship Application

[abidcro]

today I received an email in response to my case specific enquiry ,

"your application has been received and process has started, an email was sent to you acknowledging receipt of you application on December 4 2014"

but I never received that email , my time line

application received 29 September
sent case specific enquiry 10 December
ecase updated 12 December
received book and acknowledgement letter 15 December ( letter date was 4 December)
Ecase changed to "in process" and add one more line " we have started processing your application on 15 December 2014"
Received an email in response to my case specific enquiry 23 December 2014

my only question is now when will be my case transfer to my local area office ? will I see any change in my ecase when my file is transferred to Calgary(local office)?

thanks

 

[abidcro]

thanks maali , actually fee will become 630 -

530 citizenship fee + 100 The $100 Right of Citizenship fee = total 630

 

[viva1canada]

Still nothing for me.... sent my family application from Red Deer, AB on Sept 22 and was received on 25th of the same month.... Called up CIC today twice and I got different advice from agents. one told me to send another application because they might have sent it back but lost in transit but the other agent said wait till end of January 2015 because even though they are processing October 2014 application it doesn't mean they have replied to all applicants in September.....

Its kind of frustrating if we need to send another new application, the time, effort and money, we need to get a new picture and send it again. if we send it thru registered mail then they should have send it back the way we send it or thru registered mail also so we can keep track if it was lost in transit on the way back and not to mention we will not know which part we get wrong because me and my wife had reviewed it not once or twice but a lot of times before sending it.

they are sending back incomplete application thru regular mail only but they have increased the fee so we deserve a better service, anyhow I will wait till the end of January next year.....

try to send ecas specific inquiry

 

[desigirltoronto84]

Hi, I need some urgent guidance on my application.

Today I received a BLANK IMM5401 - the Receipt, from CIC. The receipt has a number starting with C. There are two sections on it - Copy 1 - is for me, Copy 2 is to be returned to CIC. The information on the receipt (such as Bank Stamp, Total Paid, Date of Payment etc. ) is to be filled out by a Bank. The mail did not come with any instructions - but I am assuming that I need to get it filled by my bank and send it to CIC.

Fair enough. But I am confused about this mail... because I have already paid $400 fee online before sending my application to CIC. And I sent the completed and signed online receipt to them on September. The reference number of this receipt starts with an R.

Has anybody experienced this ? What did you have to do in this case?

I will call the CIC call centre tomorrow - but I get the feeling that the Agents are not very knowledgeable.

I am surprised that they just sent me the blank IMM5401 without any instructions.

Please help.

 

[desigirltoronto84]

Also, where do I mail it to?

Hi, I need some urgent guidance on my application.

Today I received a BLANK IMM5401 - the Receipt, from CIC. The receipt has a number starting with C. There are two sections on it - Copy 1 - is for me, Copy 2 is to be returned to CIC. The information on the receipt (such as Bank Stamp, Total Paid, Date of Payment etc. ) is to be filled out by a Bank. The mail did not come with any instructions - but I am assuming that I need to get it filled by my bank and send it to CIC.

Fair enough. But I am confused about this mail... because I have already paid $400 fee online before sending my application to CIC. And I sent the completed and signed online receipt to them on September. The reference number of this receipt starts with an R.

Has anybody experienced this ? What did you have to do in this case?

I will call the CIC call centre tomorrow - but I get the feeling that the Agents are not very knowledgeable.

I am surprised that they just sent me the blank IMM5401 without any instructions.

Please help.

 

[chin24]

Still nothing for me.... sent my family application from Red Deer, AB on Sept 22 and was received on 25th of the same month.... Called up CIC today twice and I got different advice from agents. one told me to send another application because they might have sent it back but lost in transit but the other agent said wait till end of January 2015 because even though they are processing October 2014 application it doesn't mean they have replied to all applicants in September.....

Its kind of frustrating if we need to send another new application, the time, effort and money, we need to get a new picture and send it again. if we send it thru registered mail then they should have send it back the way we send it or thru registered mail also so we can keep track if it was lost in transit on the way back and not to mention we will not know which part we get wrong because me and my wife had reviewed it not once or twice but a lot of times before sending it.

they are sending back incomplete application thru regular mail only but they have increased the fee so we deserve a better service, anyhow I will wait till the end of January next year.....

Hi,

I have the same situation. Sent Sept 23, received Sept 26. No updates. The question is if we resend next year, what will happen to the first fee we paid? If we will pay the difference, how will we pay for it?

Help please?

 

[desigirltoronto84]

Still nothing for me.... sent my family application from Red Deer, AB on Sept 22 and was received on 25th of the same month.... Called up CIC today twice and I got different advice from agents. one told me to send another application because they might have sent it back but lost in transit but the other agent said wait till end of January 2015 because even though they are processing October 2014 application it doesn't mean they have replied to all applicants in September.....

Its kind of frustrating if we need to send another new application, the time, effort and money, we need to get a new picture and send it again. if we send it thru registered mail then they should have send it back the way we send it or thru registered mail also so we can keep track if it was lost in transit on the way back and not to mention we will not know which part we get wrong because me and my wife had reviewed it not once or twice but a lot of times before sending it.

they are sending back incomplete application thru regular mail only but they have increased the fee so we deserve a better service, anyhow I will wait till the end of January next year.....

I got the exact same response from the two agents I called back to back.

I want to try one more time later in the day to track the variance in their responses. I will wait till January.

 

[Donvalley]

Hi, I need some urgent guidance on my application.

Today I received a BLANK IMM5401 - the Receipt, from CIC. The receipt has a number starting with C. There are two sections on it - Copy 1 - is for me, Copy 2 is to be returned to CIC. The information on the receipt (such as Bank Stamp, Total Paid, Date of Payment etc. ) is to be filled out by a Bank. The mail did not come with any instructions - but I am assuming that I need to get it filled by my bank and send it to CIC.

Fair enough. But I am confused about this mail... because I have already paid $400 fee online before sending my application to CIC. And I sent the completed and signed online receipt to them on September. The reference number of this receipt starts with an R.

Has anybody experienced this ? What did you have to do in this case?

I will call the CIC call centre tomorrow - but I get the feeling that the Agents are not very knowledgeable.

I am surprised that they just sent me the blank IMM5401 without any instructions.

Please help.

@desigirltoronto84

I guess this is something unrelated to application you mailed/in process at CIC. I am thinking this way because by present operational procedure they return the whole application kit if the correct fee was not paid, attaching an explanation letter; not just order fee payment with a IMM 5401 like what you received.

Did you -- or who helped, if any -- ordered an original receipt of payment ((form IMM 5401) ) on the same page "Pay your fees" while paying by credit card online?
Some people do this by misunderstanding that they are ordering the receipt of credit card payment they just made online.

Don't worry, if you paid the correct fee and attached the receipt print out (with barcode) with the application.

 

[latitudeofgratitude]

So apparently, even though the new citizenship changes comes into effect next year, applications made after August 1, 2014 will be processed under CIC's new model which finalizes applications in under a year, (we are already seeing the effects of this ) This allows the CIC officer to process application from start to finish.
As such, once file is transferred to local office its probably safe to assume that its in the final leg; assuming that the officer processing applications is based in Sydney.

P.S. the 24-36 months processing times announced earlier this year may just have been a way to give CIC the opportunity to work without being contacted too often by applicants.
otherwise it does not make sense that they would put longer processing time changes into effect in June 2014 only to adopt shorter ones in August of the same year.

My thoughts on this are , I think CIC always knew that they would not take as long to process applications, I believe a strategy was applied to :

• Make the announcement to increase processing times to allow for working on backlog in the background
• Announce a decrease in processing times months after to justify the increase in fees coming into effect January 1, 2015 (these are going up to $530+$100 effective January 21, 2015)
• This strategy was applied to appear efficient and on target. ( CIC knew what they were doing all along, it takes more than a year to come up with these plans and put them into effect)

I think I agree with a post made some months back that its all political... either way these are welcomed changes
just thought I would share.

See below links for latest news on processing times and fees

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=916869
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=872619

 

[desigirltoronto84]

@ desigirltoronto84

I guess this is something unrelated to application you mailed/in process at CIC. I am thinking this way because by present operational procedure they return the whole application kit if the correct fee was not paid, attaching an explanation letter; not just order fee payment with a IMM 5401 like what you received.

Did you -- or who helped, if any -- ordered an original receipt of payment ((form IMM 5401) ) on the same page "Pay your fees" while paying by credit card online?
Some people do this by misunderstanding that they are ordering the receipt of credit card payment they just made online.

Don't worry, if you paid the correct fee and attached the receipt print out (with barcode) with the application.

thanks, you actually reiterated what two separate agents told me today.
But I am also reading on this forum that September applicants who haven't received their email AOR till date are being told their "Your application may have been returned to you but may have been lost in the mail. We cannot garuntee postal services. it's best if you reapply."

I called two agents today. One gave me the response above another one told me to wait till mid Jan because CIC is still in the process of sending the AOR for applicants in Sept - October time frame.

What do you guys think I should do?

 

[latitudeofgratitude]

small update just got off phone with CIC,

Agent gave me the 24 months script and refused to actually check application status, I called back and insisted that It would be great if they can check the status of my application, since for applications received after august 1, 2014 the 24-36 months processing is no longer in effect. she came back and confirmed file was transferred to Mississauga

P.s there was no wait time at all to get through either ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Alister62]

Happy holidays to everyone!!
Did anyone recieved thier invitation to go for test????
Please reply. When we will get our invitation ? Any idea? I heard August applicants are receiving thier test for Feb 2015?

 

[latitudeofgratitude]

Happy holidays to everyone!!
Did anyone recieved thier invitation to go for test????
Please reply. When we will get our invitation ? Any idea? I heard August applicants are receiving thier test for Feb 2015?

Where did you hear this?

They are receiving their invites already

 

[Donvalley]

thanks, you actually reiterated what two separate agents told me today.
But I am also reading on this forum that September applicants who haven't received their email AOR till date are being told their "Your application may have been returned to you but may have been lost in the mail. We cannot garuntee postal services. it's best if you reapply."

I called two agents today. One gave me the response above another one told me to wait till mid Jan because CIC is still in the process of sending the AOR for applicants in Sept - October time frame.

What do you guys think I should do?

Don't be in hurry to initiate a second application. This "return story" is what CIC agents used trick people for ages. So don't buy it.
If you don't anticipate a return for any reason, I will say be patient and wait! You will get the good news soon.

Also if they really returned it, there will be a reason for return and there is no meaning/use in sending another application with same mistake again.

 

[desigirltoronto84]

Thanks, Donvalley.

I have one more question.

When I applied back in September I submitted my passport info which is due to expire in April of 2015.

I have recently applied for a new passport and have received it yesterday. I think I should send them the biographical pages of my new passport - although, I don't know how. I could submit a case specific enquiry (using my UCI number) and attach it there. However, few posts above someone said case specific enquiries are useless unless your file is active in ecas.

Does any one here has any suggestion on how to handle this?