Thread For applications Through SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) Office

[Robhi]

Congrats Robhi! I know we applied around the same time but yours was quite delayed!
my husband and I live in Toronto too. when we got the COPR we went to buffalo to "land". There was a lane where you can turn around before getting to the US customs so you head back to the Canadian customs. Only took us 15 minutes!

Thanks for the tip c12345! We may use this method, but we've also got reasons to go to the US, like cross-border shopping and celebrating our COPR with family/friends in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, etc!

 

[bluemolly]

Hi Robhi,

Congratulations on being finally done with all the waiting!

We arranged a UPS prepaid envelope for the COPR at the same time that you did. It had the recipient and address the same as on our application and it seems ours has not been used either. I can check it online with the tracking number and it has still not gone through their system. So hopefully it will turn up in the post in the next few days also.

 

[mlallany]

Guys need some advise/suggestion..
I'm getting curious with my application. So I submitted my app to CIC in Feb, per the ecass notes they received my file on Feb 21. On March 19 I received an email saying my file has been transferred to Sydney. I know it takes some time for an update, but wouldn't this considered Stage 2 once the file has gone to Sydney so I should get an update.

I'm getting a little impatient off course as why no update. The only thing I see under Permanent Resident application status is Medical results have been received, which I see a lot of people see..

I was going to order the CAIPS notes, however I'm going to wait till end of June just in case an update comes. Any idea what's going on?

Also, sorry to ask... is there a link that explains all the Stages during the whole process :-X

 

[mrlahori]

Guys need some advise/suggestion..
I'm getting curious with my application. So I submitted my app to CIC in Feb, per the ecass notes they received my file on Feb 21. On March 19 I received an email saying my file has been transferred to Sydney. I know it takes some time for an update, but wouldn't this considered Stage 2 once the file has gone to Sydney so I should get an update.

I'm getting a little impatient off course as why no update. The only thing I see under Permanent Resident application status is Medical results have been received, which I see a lot of people see..

I was going to order the CAIPS notes, however I'm going to wait till end of June just in case an update comes. Any idea what's going on?

Also, sorry to ask... is there a link that explains all the Stages during the whole process :-X

You will soon receive an update from SYdney office with a new UCI number which you can login with applicant surname not sponsor surname. That will be AOR 2. if you have already received a new UCI then thats all you gonna get till Your file goes in Process in eCas maybe after 4-6 months depending on your luck.

 

[rachiy]

Sorry for the repeat....

First up, congrats to everyone who has landed or had good news since I was last on here. It has been a while since I participated (funny how life is suddenly really busy when you are allowed to work as a PR instead of being home all day!) but I have been checking in and keeping semi up to date with everyone. It is crazy to think that it is almost one year since I finally sent our application in, and coincidentally so did many others in July last year. It has been so great watching all the developments as we all reached those milestones in our applications. Good luck to everyone who joined the threads after I had left, Sydney is super fast and as long as you can handle the lack of communication and control during the process in the end it is all worth it.

I have a favor to ask everyone who was here when I was actually contributing to this thread.... my lovely James and I are entered in a "win a wedding" competition in Calgary and looking for some votes. If we win we get married at Stampede. It will be a lot of fun, and I am really excited. If we loose then we will just do it another time, but winning that amazing ring and saving all the stress of deciding to tie the knot in NZ or Canada would be awesome, and of course we would have a big party in our home towns later on for those that couldn't make it. I don't expect votes from the people that joined this thread after I was done, I am not trying to solicit from strangers, but all support is appreciated from those who are willing to help out. The link is below. Thanks!!!!

http://www.cjay92.com/ShotgunWedding2013/View.aspx?ID=389606


Good luck to everyone on their applications.

 

[Robhi]

Hi Robhi,

Congratulations on being finally done with all the waiting!

We arranged a UPS prepaid envelope for the COPR at the same time that you did. It had the recipient and address the same as on our application and it seems ours has not been used either. I can check it online with the tracking number and it has still not gone through their system. So hopefully it will turn up in the post in the next few days also.

Hi bluemolly - yes, it's a bit strange, but I guess it doesn't matter as long as we get our COPR safely by regular mail!

So another update on my end is that we took our COPR to the Service Ontario office along with my wife's Australian passport, a phone bill / bank statement showing her new permanent address, and this form: http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca/mbs/ssb/forms/ssbforms.nsf/GetFileAttach/014-0265-82~13/$File/0265-82.pdf. They took her picture and registered her for a health card and told us it would arrive in the mail around late August (2.5 months) -- it was a very easy process! In terms of her getting a driver's license, however, they said we'd need to either a) go through the full graduated licensing process from scratch or b) provide a driver's abstract from the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and forfeit the old license in exchange for a full G class license. The reason for option (b) is that Australia and Canada have a reciprocity agreement -- meaning that you cannot hold a license in both countries at the same time (weird??).

Still haven't gotten a SIN number from Service Canada, will do that soon as well.

 

[thedreadedpiper]

In terms of her getting a driver's license, however, they said we'd need to either a) go through the full graduated licensing process from scratch or b) provide a driver's abstract from the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and forfeit the old license in exchange for a full G class license. The reason for option (b) is that Australia and Canada have a reciprocity agreement -- meaning that you cannot hold a license in both countries at the same time (weird??).

Yes, I've run into that quirk with my NZ license already as I've been here in BC on a work permit for three years now. I dutifully exchanged my NZ license for a BC one, but of course the license expiry date was linked with my work permit expiry date - which unfortunately was the beginning of May. So now, I'm able to work legally on implied status (I have a new work permit pending, although I'm hoping my PR will be approved by then) but I can't drive! No amount of reasoning with ICBC would get them to extend my license while I'm on implied status, even though I successfully managed to extend my health coverage.

The crazy thing is, I'm heading to the UK for a couple of weeks in August, and without a current license (since my NZ license that was valid until 2018 was taken off me), I can't rent a car there. I looked into reporting my NZ license as lost so I could get a new one issues before August, but apparently I have to do that in person. A little frustrating!

Hopefully now that the Sydney VO seems to have cleared some of their backlogged cases there might be a few more cases going "in process" soon. So glad to hear that all the lingering cases are finally being resolved so people can move on with their lives! Enjoy Canada!

 

[mslectirc]

I want to know if you can apply for CAIPS Notes online?

Has anyone tried it yet?

 

[PaddyO]

Hi guys,

I am so glad I found this discussion thread. It is great to know I am not suffering alone and that there is hope that I won't be waiting for years and years to be allowed to live in Canada!

I am an Australian who will be marrying a Canadian in August. We will be submitting our common law partnership application in July prior to our wedding when I will arrive in Canada on a tourist visa. We have chosen to engage an immigration lawyer in Canada to assist us with our application and ensure that it is water tight before submission... that's the theory anyway.

Has anyone else used an immigration lawyer to assist them with their application? If so did they find their application was processed quicker than the average? I have read through page after page of posts and haven't come across any that relate to the use of a lawyer.

Good luck to all of you out there already playing the waiting game.

PaddyO.

 

[Canstralian/Oznadian]

Hi guys,

I am so glad I found this discussion thread. It is great to know I am not suffering alone and that there is hope that I won't be waiting for years and years to be allowed to live in Canada!

I am an Australian who will be marrying a Canadian in August. We will be submitting our common law partnership application in July prior to our wedding when I will arrive in Canada on a tourist visa. We have chosen to engage an immigration lawyer in Canada to assist us with our application and ensure that it is water tight before submission... that's the theory anyway.

Has anyone else used an immigration lawyer to assist them with their application? If so did they find their application was processed quicker than the average? I have read through page after page of posts and haven't come across any that relate to the use of a lawyer.

Good luck to all of you out there already playing the waiting game.

PaddyO.

Hi PaddyO,


Good luck in your application. I honestly don't see the value in hiring an immigration lawyer if you meet the criteria, i.e. living together for 1 year for a common-law application. The application although somewhat cumbersome at times is not too complicated and you can always ask specific questions on this forum, we are all well versed in CIC. Save the 3 odd thousand dollars that an immigration lawyer will charge you and spend it on your wedding, honeymoon or living expenses while you're waiting out the PR process.

Just my thoughts though.
Best of luck!

 

[PaddyO]

Hi PaddyO,


Good luck in your application. I honestly don't see the value in hiring an immigration lawyer if you meet the criteria, i.e. living together for 1 year for a common-law application. The application although somewhat cumbersome at times is not too complicated and you can always ask specific questions on this forum, we are all well versed in CIC. Save the 3 odd thousand dollars that an immigration lawyer will charge you and spend it on your wedding, honeymoon or living expenses while you're waiting out the PR process.

Just my thoughts though.
Best of luck!

Hi Canstralian/Oznadian,

I wish I had found this forum BEFORE I paid the legal fees!

The missus and I were freaked by the thought of spending a year apart - I'm returning to Oz after the wedding and the plan is to stay here and work until the PR comes through. Oh well. The lawyer made it seem, you know, no promises but nod nod, wink wink, we should be able to get it done in under the average time. If only I knew most people get theirs done in under the average on the CIC website.

I'll keep you updated on how it all goes.

PaddyO

 

[mrlahori]

I want to know if you can apply for CAIPS Notes online?

Has anyone tried it yet?

I tried it last month as well as Robhi. Our discussion is on last couple of pages. There was not much information at all in the Notes. Everything was "not Started" Except medical approved which we already knew from E-cas. My file was in sydney for 4 months when i applied and i dont think it was even touched until that point thats why everything was in "not started".

In my opinion its not worth it until your case is delayed and goes over the average processing time.

 

[coldwater]

Does anyone know of this "The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas." Got this info from the official Canada Immigration website.

Does anyone here know whether the Sydney Visa Office is affected??

 

[Catou]

Does anyone know of this "The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas." Got this info from the official Canada Immigration website.

Does anyone here know whether the Sydney Visa Office is affected??

I am about to submit my application and have been worried about what delays the strike may cause so I phoned Sydney. They refused to discuss "employment issues" and would neither confirm nor deny that they were on strike. However, the woman also said that I should expect delays.

I think we just have to wait it out and see what happens. Not much choice really.

 

[vik403]

Just got a reply back from Sydney. Apparently no officers in their consulate has walked out from work yet. So we should be fine for now ;D