Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[kayan]

I am wondering, how do people get their CAIPS notes? I was under the impression that it was free or for some nominal charge, but when I was looking online on how to order them, they want to charge $200. So can you get it for free or not?

 

[Stumpedmom]

If you live in Canada I believe the fee is $5...not sure where the $200 is for...

 

[eletyl]

kayan: http://immigrationguides.com/content/view/207/110/

 

[Rinnerz]

Ordering CAIPS notes is free IF you are requesting your own file's notes. You have to be physically present in Canada to do this, though. If someone else has to request them for you (eg. sponsor in Canada), there's a $5 fee. You can also have third party companies online order them for you. Some have said they get the notes a little faster this way, but they charge considerably more. Most people just order the notes themselves.

Immipedia has a concise explanation with links to the forms: http://immipedia.ca/Ordering_FOSS_and_CAIPS_notes

Last time I checked, Immipedia's Infosource link wasn't working. This is where I sent my CAIPS notes request (both times), and is what the forums suggest:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Access to Information and Privacy Division
Narono Building
360 Laurier Avenue West, 10th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Telephone: 613-946-0953
Facsimile: 613-957-6517

It's better to fax your request in; it can sometimes lessen the wait time. (Obviously, you can't do this if you need to send in a check or money order for the $5, though.) It usually takes 4-6 weeks to receive the notes, since they can take the full 30 business days to process your request (not counting mail time).

Sidenote: Someone mentioned the F and B file numbers being different, and this being shown on your CAIPS notes. This isn't true, or at least it wasn't for me: my CAIPS notes only ever showed the B file number. (I was never given an F file number, as far as I know.)

 

[buffalo-toronto]

Whats this issue with F and B numbers? Seems like getting a B number is more concrete is it? I have read somewhere earlier they got F and then changed to B before getting PPR

 

[Stumpedmom]

Well just wanted to let you all know about our experience at the Detroit Ambassador bridge.

We did the cross country drive to have hubs come for a "visit" to wait out this process. When we got up to the booth, the girl asked citizenships, the normal questions, when it came to how long he was staying, he answered a few months. We explained that we had the PR application in process, had the paperwork (receipts, sponsorship approval, undertaking and a print out of the E-cas screen from his file) she looked it all over, made a phone call, verified we were married, and then told us to have a good day.

She did ask me what I was bringing back, so I told her the approximate dollar value, and what we had picked up from Duty free. She did not ask whatsoever what he was bringing with him, even though the back of the car was full of totes and stuff. We were well prepared to be sent into secondary with the paperwork and to go through everything, but I guess it was our lucky day that day.

So all in all hubs is here and visiting us for the rest of this visit...heres hoping all goes well and quickly for the rest of this. We have made it to medicals received, so we are checking the emails waiting and waiting for the PPR email....

 

[kayan]

Thanks eletyl and Rinnerz. That clears it up

 

[Rinnerz]

Whats this issue with F and B numbers? Seems like getting a B number is more concrete is it? I have read somewhere earlier they got F and then changed to B before getting PPR

Most people get a B number assigned right from the start. I don't think this is so much an "issue" as it is a cause for curiosity for some people, since no one really knows for sure what the difference is -- or if there even is any. It obviously has something to do with Buffalo's filing system, but it doesn't seem to affect the greater scheme of things and everything posted about it so far (whenever it gets brought up) is just speculation.

 

[sparkle]

Meh, they asked me for that in March (despite paying already) and I'm still waiting :'(

Jeff,

Have you emailed them lately to inquire about your file ? You must be all done by now!

I am wondering if I should email them again... I sent my last email on June 24 ! I don't want them to waste time replying to emails either, but there seems no other way to poke them again and again to look at our files

 

[Jeff]

Have you emailed them lately to inquire about your file ? You must be all done by now!

I am wondering if I should email them again... I sent my last email on June 24 ! I don't want them to waste time replying to emails either, but there seems no other way to poke them again and again to look at our files

Yeah I poked them a couple weeks ago and they sent me the stock "you're in process" email. So we wait...and everyday I kick myself for missing the name on a back of a photo from our original application in October causing us to get knocked into the cursed December time frame and computer system poo.

 

[sparkle]

Ohhh....that's gotta be tough to accept !
Well...they gave a bunch of PPR's on Friday and Monday. Hopefully we hear something tomorrow. You are definitely very close I must say. I don't have any sort of documentation from them yet

 

[navigator4309]

When it comes to Buffalo, anecdotal stories may just be the quick-fix drug we crave for a brief moment of calm nerves, but insofar as that's the case, I'm addicted!

So with that, I share this tidbit. I overheard a fellow lawyer who specializes in immigration law today lamenting the fact that many of his clients from the beginning of the year have yet to hear a word while other clients, including one from the first of May (!!!), have gotten PPR. Hearing this, I ran over and declared my own relentless anxiety over my own file. He said it's the most erratic movement he's ever seen out of Buffalo, but that it finally is moving again. While we can never be sure whether there's any motivation involved or if it's just coincidence, he did say that as far as he understands, Buffalo is well aware of the problem and the CIC is starting to feel the pressure. Hopefully that will encourage some order down there. Because, as he said, having a file go to PPR in 9 weeks from application sent date is almost unheard of, let alone in the context of files still waiting 9 months... I just hope they're feeling the heat!

 

[eletyl]

Jeff: simply forgetting the name on a back of a photo set your application back from October to December?! how? did they actually contact you about that one photo? I assume it must have been in the context of plenty of other photos..? crazy...

 

[Jeff]

Jeff: simply forgetting the name on a back of a photo set your application back from October to December?! how? did they actually contact you about that one photo? I assume it must have been in the context of plenty of other photos..? crazy...

In the initial application you need to send photos and the instructions state to "write the name of the applicant on the back of ONE photo". We neglected to do so and as a result the package was returned to us. We fixed it the day we got the package back and over nighted it but it then sat there for a month at the back of the line again.

So, clearly, our fault for the omission and I can accept that.

But when they ask for payment of fees in May (despite them being paid back in September) you HOPE you're about to be done

I think it was palamr that bumped them after the same email and they got a PPR. Bup didn't work for us unfortunately

 

[Morena]

Well just wanted to let you all know about our experience at the Detroit Ambassador bridge.

We did the cross country drive to have hubs come for a "visit" to wait out this process. When we got up to the booth, the girl asked citizenships, the normal questions, when it came to how long he was staying, he answered a few months. We explained that we had the PR application in process, had the paperwork (receipts, sponsorship approval, undertaking and a print out of the E-cas screen from his file) she looked it all over, made a phone call, verified we were married, and then told us to have a good day.

She did ask me what I was bringing back, so I told her the approximate dollar value, and what we had picked up from Duty free. She did not ask whatsoever what he was bringing with him, even though the back of the car was full of totes and stuff. We were well prepared to be sent into secondary with the paperwork and to go through everything, but I guess it was our lucky day that day.

So all in all hubs is here and visiting us for the rest of this visit...heres hoping all goes well and quickly for the rest of this. We have made it to medicals received, so we are checking the emails waiting and waiting for the PPR email....

Did they ask your husband for the evidence of a job back home, leasing, mortgage, or any ties? I am about to decide if i should travel to Canada again with our canadian baby to wait for the final of the immigration process....but for now i'm a home stay mom and i'm living with my sister...