My wife in the Philippines just got a DM from Ecas and proceeded with the visa stamp a couple of days later (yesterday) with her Passport.
Here's the timeline:
February 23, 2012 - Visa was initialized and began its process in CIC Mississauga - CLIENT ID was issued for me (Sponsor)
May 23, 2012 - A Decision was Made regarding my sponsorship to my wife and a letter was supposedly sent out to me about this in my address in Canada.
NO LETTER CAME, even to this date.
June 20, 2012 - Request for RPRF (Right for Permanent Residence Fee) came in the mail in Canada for me (Sponsor) to pay for the fee prior to the processing of visa. Amount: $475 CAD
June 22, 2012 - Paid for RPRF via online and faxed over the receipt to CIC MISSISSAUGA, besides sending the original printed receipt to my wife in the Philippines via scanned email, to be attached when the Passport Request arrives.
June 25, 2012 - Passport Request was sent to my wife's address in the Philippines along with several other required documents Appendix B, etc. by Canadian Embassy Manila (CEM). Client ID was issued to my wife, which was on the written request letter by CEM.
(It took long to send the passport back due to other requirements that she needed to acquire)
July 12, 2012 - Passport was sent to CEM along with other requested documents. (via DHL)
Status for several weeks was simply APPLICATION RECEIVED. That's all.
August 21, 2012 - I (Sponsor) checked my client ID in ecas and it says that my wife's application was then being PROCESSED.
August 28, 2012 - Wife's status changed to Decision Made on her ECAS and that she will be contacted by the office for instructions. No description as to how she was to be contacted, (ie. mail, phone, email, etc.)
August 29, 2012 - Passport arrived with PERMANENT VISA attached to it, along with everything that we had sent to CIC - CANADA in the early stages of February. It also contains instructions as to the seminar needed to take and all other Residency information before exiting the Philippines and upon arrival to Canada. (via DHL)
Her address on her ecas never changed and still is her Philippine address. I never got a Sponsorship approval letter nor anything of that sort. Why? I don't know to this date.
This goes to show you that a lot on what is on the ECAS is unreliable. You must go by the days that are said when the documents are to be sent back or given.
As an advice, if you have sent your passport and you haven't received it for more than 60 days since the date you sent it, your Sponsor has every right to contact the Embassy in the Philippines and/or CIC-Mississauga. How? Email, Phone, Fax, Letter.. Every which way you can so that you can get across to them that they can't keep you from any travels by keeping your passport and that you need to get a proper update as to the status of your sponsorship. Your Sponsor should do this as a citizen of Canada. And I truly believe that they will more likely take them seriously regarding the matter as suppose to the person being sponsored doing it. You will only get the runaround or the "waiting game".
I am with those who have been waiting for months without any updates. It is truly hard to be separated from your loved ones. With this said, the Sponsor must also do his/her best to keep up with the status of the application by contacting the proper offices dealing with the sponsorship.
Another advice is, don't leave any requirement unanswered. Be very detailed and as organized as possible. Otherwise, it will only delay the process.
God works in mysterious ways, but there's always answers to your prayers to get this new hope and life in Canada to its fruition.
As to when she'll be leaving for Canada?.... We've decided for us to spend that ever so beautiful Christmas in the Philippines and the joyous New Year.. so I'll be flying out to the Philippines sometime in September. We go back to Canada after the New Year celebration... as what it should be...... as husband and wife. Together.
Best of luck to all. DON'T LOSE HOPE.
Thank you to this forum.
