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Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

jstnmlr

Full Member
May 29, 2011
46
0
Las Vegas Nevada USA
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
10-05-2011
AOR Received.
10-06-2011
File Transfer...
09-06-2011
Med's Done....
12-04-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
17-11-2011
VISA ISSUED...
??
LANDED..........
planned Jan 20, 2012
mala16 said:
Hi CanuckofChicago,
We are on the same timeline!

I need to read a bit more on the forums. Our file number begins with an 'F'. I remember reading differences between the F and B file numbers. Also, I am not certain what an AOR is but I was just happy to get some correspondence.

Here is to a speedy review process!!
Count me on that timeline too! I got the same email today with the F-number. Hope this means we are all out of the stack of files collecting dust into the hands of someone doing something!
 

Stumpedmom

Hero Member
Sep 16, 2010
541
14
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22/03/2011 Receivd CPC-M
AOR Received.
16/06/2011
File Transfer...
06/05/2011 Received in Buffalo, 06/2011 to Los Angeles
Med's Done....
12/10/2010
Interview........
waived...obviously cuz we got the PPR
Passport Req..
16/8/2011
VISA ISSUED...
24/8/2011 in our hands 8/29/2011
LANDED..........
3/9/2011
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/redir.do?redir=app_perm_fam&lang=en&app=ecas

I was just wondering if anyone has read this information....my understanding is that if it says medicals received they have or are close to making a decision.....it falls under the Decision Made step....anyone else have input???


We have been here for 3 weeks....and nothing....grrrrrrrrrrrrr
 

Rinnerz

Hero Member
Apr 8, 2010
431
14
124
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
12-10-2010
AOR Received.
14-12-2010
File Transfer...
09-11-2010
Med's Done....
29-07-2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
08-07-2011
VISA ISSUED...
07-07-2011
LANDED..........
02-08-2011
Stumpedmom said:
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/redir.do?redir=app_perm_fam&lang=en&app=ecas

I was just wondering if anyone has read this information....my understanding is that if it says medicals received they have or are close to making a decision.....it falls under the Decision Made step....anyone else have input???
It's not. Many people never even get the update, despite medicals being received right at the beginning of the process (confirmed by CAIPS notes). Others have often gotten the "Medicals received" update at the beginning and then nothing for as much as 7+ months. People's experiences with this are all over the place. You just cannot use the medicals eCAS update (or really, any update aside from a final "Decision Made") as a way to gauge how far along your process is.
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,847
22,112
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
Rinnerz said:
It's not. Many people never even get the update, despite medicals being received right at the beginning of the process (confirmed by CAIPS notes). Others have often gotten the "Medicals received" update at the beginning and then nothing for as much as 7+ months. People's experiences with this are all over the place. You just cannot use the medicals eCAS update (or really, any update aside from a final "Decision Made") as a way to gauge how far along your process is.
Yep - my husband's file falls in one of the above categories. He went straight from "in process" to "decision made" (no "medical received" ever appeared). As for accuracy, his ECAS continued to show "in process" for three weeks after he picked up the visa in person and landed (it finally updated with the landed information after three weeks). So I wouldn't put too much faith in ECAS...
 

Kess

Hero Member
May 19, 2010
440
16
BC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-08-2010
AOR Received.
09-30-2010
File Transfer...
07-09-2010
Med's Done....
25-05-2010
Interview........
WAIVED
Passport Req..
11-08-2011
VISA ISSUED...
26-08-2011
LANDED..........
06-09-2011
Visitor extension is in the mail (expresspost actually). Should get to Vegreville by Wednesday... just in time since my hubby's 6 month's is up July 31. I know it says to submit 1 month before the expiry but we kept holding out that he'd get approved before then :( At least we bought ourselves 171 days.
 

Rinnerz

Hero Member
Apr 8, 2010
431
14
124
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
12-10-2010
AOR Received.
14-12-2010
File Transfer...
09-11-2010
Med's Done....
29-07-2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
08-07-2011
VISA ISSUED...
07-07-2011
LANDED..........
02-08-2011
Yep. I never got the update, and I was in process at Buffalo for over 7 months. RobsLuv has said she got "Medicals received" immediately, and then nothing for 10 months.


Kess said:
Visitor extension is in the mail (expresspost actually). Should get to Vegreville by Wednesday... just in time since my hubby's 6 month's is up July 31. I know it says to submit 1 month before the expiry but we kept holding out that he'd get approved before then :( At least we bought ourselves 171 days.
:( Really hope you guys hear something soon, Kess.
 

Romain

Star Member
Jan 9, 2011
58
2
Kitchener Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
10-12-2010
AOR Received.
15-03-2011
File Transfer...
13-01-2010
Med's Done....
07-12-2010
We received our CAIPS/GMCS notes... that was our second request. Those are date June 27th.
Our file was transferred to NYC on April 19th.
Hope those info can benefit whoever was transferred to a satellite office.
As NYC hardly answers to emails, information collected from GCMS notes is precious..

Processing truly started after the Transfer from Buffalo which means close to nothing happened for 3 months (January 19th -> April 19th) after the file was initially forwarded by CIC-M to Buffalo.
During the next couple months following the transfer to NYC some progress was made:

The good part:
-> Security Activity (background check i guess) : passed
-> Medical results have been processed. I do not know if our request to Ottawa to forward those to NYC did help there...

The not so good part:
-> Criminality check has NOT started: i hope it is just about checking the police certificates. We just sent them a couple brand new ones hoping that would help.
-> Assessment has NOT started. We expect that to be straight forward as our case is simple on that front.

The puzzling part:
-> Looks like payments (for everything) still do not show on our GCMS file. I do not know if this will just be a formality the day an agent will look at this item or if we can expect that payment confirmation was not properly communicated somewhere between CIC-M, Buffalo and NYC.
Since i have read from others that it does happen that the VO gets to request those payments even when everything was paid upfront i believe it will be safer to ask CIC-M to send the info again to the VO in NYC.

One thing for sure like we all have noticed so far, eCas is totally not reliable these days. It still shows Application received on January 19th...
Goog thing we can request those GCMS notes.. I would encourage anyone who is worried about his case to request them...
 

boomerang11

Star Member
Apr 30, 2011
59
2
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14-04-2011 (CPC-M received on 15 March 2011); MICC Received Undertaking - 27 April 2011
Nomination.....
CSQ Received 27 May 2011
AOR Received.
No AOR; Initial Assessment via e-mail - 8 June 2011
File Transfer...
Buffalo Acknowledged PR Application - 21 April 2011
Med's Done....
25-10-2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
08-07-2011
VISA ISSUED...
08-08-11
LANDED..........
03-09-11
Re: Parts of Application in French at Buffalo VO

ddobro2 said:
Kind of tangential question about relationship proof but since it concerns the Buffalo office I thought I'd ask it here......and depending on how many responses I get or not, I'll create a separate thread for it......I'm going to be immigrating to Quebec (husband is there), and although I completed the application in English, we got a couple of "letters of support" from family and friends written in French. My question is: will the fact that there are a couple of documents (1-page letters) in French in our application slow our application process down at Buffalo or are they well equipped to deal with documents in French and it won't have any bearing on the timeline?

THANKS IN ADVANCE :D ;D
hi there...i don't think it should have any bearing on your timeline. We just got our PPR request after 4 months, and one of our supporting letters was in French, too. You should be fine. I wish you the best!
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,847
22,112
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
melyn2223 said:
Currently in Buffalo waiting at the tim hortons area. I will update my experience soon. Good luck all
Cool! You're almost done. :D
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Re: Parts of Application in French at Buffalo VO

Wow, 4 months :eek: Lol, I hope some of your luck rubs off on me! May I ask how many years you've been together with your sponsor and whether you sent the RFPR fee in early (I actually still haven't sent that in yet and I'm wondering if that could cause some delays if I wait for them to request I pay it)? Thanks!
boomerang11 said:
hi there...i don't think it should have any bearing on your timeline. We just got our PPR request after 4 months, and one of our supporting letters was in French, too. You should be fine. I wish you the best!
 

spiritrac

Hero Member
Feb 17, 2011
273
5
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo/Port of Spain
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
16-12-2010
AOR Received.
06-04-2011
File Transfer...
26-01-2011
Med's Done....
12-09-2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
29-7-2011 Buffalo/ waiting on POS
VISA ISSUED...
Buffalo 8/31 POS TBD
LANDED..........
Sept 4,2011 POS Waiting
ddobro2.. go ahead and pay the RPRF before they request it this can cause a delay about 1 to 2 months, for instance I had not paid it until they asked and its been a month since they confirmed its been paid and we are still in process no ppr yet
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Oh my....ok, that's what I thought. I guess I've just been reluctant to part with more moolah. Now, I send it to the original CPC address for CIC in Mississaugua and not to Buffalo, right?
spiritrac said:
ddobro2.. go ahead and pay the RPRF before they request it this can cause a delay about 1 to 2 months, for instance I had not paid it until they asked and its been a month since they confirmed its been paid and we are still in process no ppr yet
 

spiritrac

Hero Member
Feb 17, 2011
273
5
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo/Port of Spain
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
16-12-2010
AOR Received.
06-04-2011
File Transfer...
26-01-2011
Med's Done....
12-09-2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
29-7-2011 Buffalo/ waiting on POS
VISA ISSUED...
Buffalo 8/31 POS TBD
LANDED..........
Sept 4,2011 POS Waiting
Thats correct send the receipt to CIC-mississuaga.
 

jstnmlr

Full Member
May 29, 2011
46
0
Las Vegas Nevada USA
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
10-05-2011
AOR Received.
10-06-2011
File Transfer...
09-06-2011
Med's Done....
12-04-2011
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
17-11-2011
VISA ISSUED...
??
LANDED..........
planned Jan 20, 2012
melyn2223 said:
Currently in Buffalo waiting at the tim hortons area. I will update my experience soon. Good luck all
Nice, I'm looking forward to a little road trip to Buffalo myself sometime... 8)