Spouse PR to Quebec via Buffalo...Medical now expired...no word from CIC

[JasonLee]

My wife and I are a little concerned about my PR application. My medical just expired (issued Aug 9, 2011) and we've had no word from CIC on what's happening. The last communication received was the letter from Buffalo saying they completed the initial PR review, no interview required but please provide a Calif state police cert and a court document (a minor offense from early 90's that I voluntarily disclosed, didn't show up on FBI cert but is well beyond CIC's 5 yr rehabilitation period). That was on Feb 1, 2012. I'm aware of the CIC bulletin that says they'll extend medicals that are about to expire, but thats only if the medical is the ONLY thing remaining. How would I know if that's the only thing remaining? Buffalo never even responded to say they accepted my follow-on documents, or about anything else since then. I'm assuming my file went to Ottawa after Buffalo closed, but I don't know if anyone has even touched my file since February.

Any guidance on how to deal with this? Lack of communication from CIC? Expired medicals? Do I just need to wait until after the full 15 month processing time and then start asking questions? I'm emailing CPP-O tonight and crossing my fingers that someone will reply regarding the expired medical. Forget about calling....my wife tried numerous times from Montreal, all the way through the phone menu only to get hung up on every time. She's given up. We immigrated her to the US originally in 2009 and for all of it faults, at least US Customs & Immigration answers the phone.

Having gone through this ordeal twice now (her to US, now me to Canada), I'm tired of being an "in process" husband! Mostly, I'm just worried about falling through the cracks with the Buffalo change and no follow-ups, the possibility of a lost file, being told to start over, etc. When I brought her to the US, I don't recall being left this much "in the dark" from USCIS.

Here's how everything has transpired so far:

July 11 2011: Wife moves back from California to Montreal for us to begin the Family Class PR process ( :'( ...sniff...sniff...bye honey)
Aug 8 2011: Medical done in Los Angeles
Sept 12 2011: Submitted sponsor and PR app to CPC-M from Montreal
Sept 14 2011: CPC-M indicates package received
Dec 9 2011: CIC approves wife as sponsor
Dec 14 2011: Quebec receives request to sponsor
Jan 18 2012: Quebec approves and issues Certificate of Selection
Feb 1 2012: Buffalo completes initial PR review, requests police cert and court docs
Feb 19? 2012: Requested documents sent to Buffalo

June/July 2012: Buffalo closes, file sent to Ottawa, we think

Aug 9 2012: Medical cert expired
Aug 19 2012: Still waiting, not a peep on status

 

[diegogore]

Hello, I have a similar case and I'd like to know what happened to your application?
Did you get the PR already?
Thank you.
Diego

 

[JasonLee]

Hello, I have a similar case and I'd like to know what happened to your application?
Did you get the PR already?
Thank you.
Diego

Hi Diego! No, no PR yet. CIC requested me to get a new medical in mid-December, which I did. I emailed them at the end of January to confirm they received it but they replied a week later saying they didn't have my email address on file, wouldn't release any info about "the applicant (ahem, ME!), etc. I sent them proof of my correct email, previous emails between me and CIC, instructions to check my PR application form, etc. I sent that follow-up the same day, Feb 6 2013 but they never responded. I'm now 6 weeks beyond the published 13 month processing time, still no word, no response to my email, nothing.

It's possible I just got a case officer who wasn't paying attention, but I'm suddenly wondering if they didn't have me on file because my file already got forwarded to the visa office and wasn't with CIC anymore? I'm emailing the visa office tonight (Los Angeles I think, I need to look that up) to see if they received the file yet. If they haven't, they probably won't respond, in which case, I'll try CPP-O again. If neither office responds, well.....I'll just go slam my head in the car door. :'( An immigration attorney I spoke with last week said that, in theory, my family class application to Quebec should take less time than other provinces because Quebec files go in a different pool. Quebec has a higher standard for approval than CIC and so if Quebec approves, CIC just pushes it through. Yeah right!

 

[JasonLee]

Hello, I have a similar case and I'd like to know what happened to your application?
Did you get the PR already?
Thank you.
Diego

Diego, just to follow up with you since I can't send you a PM, I just got my passport request (PPR) from Ottowa. Per CPP-O's website, all the Buffalo transfer cases have been reviewed and they are now issueing visas. If you were part of the Buffalo transfer for family class sponsorships, I think you should be getting the PPR fairly soon if you haven't got it already. They finished reviewing all Buffalo family files although I don't know how long it takes them to get all PPR's sent out, all of the replies done, all the decisions made, etc. Hope yours comes soon if not already! Take care!