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Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

shelleydalyce

Star Member
Oct 19, 2009
83
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
February 1, 2011
AOR Received.
July 11, 2011 after an email and some prodding
File Transfer...
March 10, 2011
Med's Done....
November 30, 2010
Interview........
none
Passport Req..
September 6, 2011
VISA ISSUED...
September 13, 2011
LANDED..........
September 13, 2011
Stumpedmom said:
Congrats Chess!!! So happy for you!!....

I never even did get the tracker update when it changed to decision made or passport request....so not sure whats going on...
A couple days after our PPR e-Cas updated to Medicals received... Thanks e-Cas! Haha
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Lovely ::) I noted that the guy wasn't exactly a case worker (in which case if he complained of "boredom," I think we would all be ready to inflict injuru upon him, but a policy advisor (on the other hand, those people are the ones that make the big bucks). I wholeheartedly agree it's ridiculous. Rehabilitation (paid for by who?) and let him have the job back? Let him work in the private sector and see how his hobby helps him there. His coworkers (presumably the ones having the same roles and tasks as he) were working overtime but he didn't have enough work? Yeaaah.... And something tells me that it's not "boredom" that makes people look at/watch porn (can you say "addiction"? I guess heroin addicts take that drug out of boredom too then....and alcoholics drink and gamblers gamble out of boredom?). I mean if you're so brazen to look at that kind of stuff on company time because you just can't wait 'til you get home, it's gotta be something you can't control. Okay......sorry to go down this road, everyone!
awor said:
Make sure to copy the link in the address bar and replace "censored word* with the right one.

I've been reading a lot of everyday news (mainly Alberta's) and the justice system in Canada is just whacked. Horrible crimes (murder, rape, etc) getting only a few years, where in the states it'd be 25 to life. This story doesn't surprise me at all. They need a major overhaul.

(don't get me wrong, I like Canada, at least enough to immigrate to be with my husband! but it's just wrong what criminals there can get away with)
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Amaranth's right. I haven't been able to actually find it on CIC literature, but I'm quite confident that transfer to a satellite office has no bearing on likelihood or not of being interviewed.
francohoosier said:
I just realized that I had selected NYC for an interview (since we are in Québec), and my case was sent to... *GULP* ...NYC. Does this mean then that I am MORE LIKELY to get called for one? ???
 

Calgary-Bound

Hero Member
Jun 9, 2011
420
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14/2/2011
AOR Received.
15/3/2011
File Transfer...
24/2/2011
Med's Done....
27/9/2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
02/04/2012
LANDED..........
28/04/2012
Hey ddobro2 can you update me to In process September 7th,thanks alot.
 

mrswolfe

Star Member
Apr 20, 2011
72
2
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
03-22-2011
Nomination.....
04-20-2011
AOR Received.
07-08-2011
File Transfer...
05-05-2011
Passport Req..
08-25-2011
VISA ISSUED...
09-19-2011
LANDED..........
09-25-2011
Calgary-Bound said:
I cant believe It.I got an ecas update and saying they starting processing my app on September 7th and medicals have been recieved.I checked ecas to make sure and It said the samething so hopefully Its realy happening.
YAY! Congrats!
 

yvzp

Member
Sep 11, 2011
16
0
Does anyone know, when they ask for passports, what that means in the timeline? I have had some people tell me that then you get the visa pretty soon after that, but I was expecting this to take longer. I turned in my application in February, and it has said in processing since Aug 16, then I got the request for passports two weeks after that, but that is it, so I wouldn't think they would be ready to approve already, but if so, I need to get packing.
 

Calgary-Bound

Hero Member
Jun 9, 2011
420
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14/2/2011
AOR Received.
15/3/2011
File Transfer...
24/2/2011
Med's Done....
27/9/2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
02/04/2012
LANDED..........
28/04/2012
mrswolfe said:
YAY! Congrats!
Thanks Mrswolfe hopefully It wont be long now.
 

Calgary-Bound

Hero Member
Jun 9, 2011
420
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14/2/2011
AOR Received.
15/3/2011
File Transfer...
24/2/2011
Med's Done....
27/9/2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
02/04/2012
LANDED..........
28/04/2012
yvzp said:
Does anyone know, when they ask for passports, what that means in the timeline? I have had some people tell me that then you get the visa pretty soon after that, but I was expecting this to take longer. I turned in my application in February, and it has said in processing since Aug 16, then I got the request for passports two weeks after that, but that is it, so I wouldn't think they would be ready to approve already, but if so, I need to get packing.
If you have sent In your passport It wont be long now.
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
If you get a passport request from the Buffalo visa office then you can expect to get your visa back pretty quickly, as Buffalo asks for passports at the end of the process. For other visa offices, it may not work that way. New Delhi, for example, asks for passports quite early but makes people wait up to a few months to get visas back.

Anyway, I think you definitely need to give them more time. You said you got your PPR "two weeks" after August 16 and you don't note when you sent it in or whether you did it by commercial courier, which is much faster and recommended. So even if you sent your passport right after getting PPR on August 30th or 31st, it's only been a week and a half, weekends and holiday included.
yvzp said:
Does anyone know, when they ask for passports, what that means in the timeline? I have had some people tell me that then you get the visa pretty soon after that, but I was expecting this to take longer. I turned in my application in February, and it has said in processing since Aug 16, then I got the request for passports two weeks after that, but that is it, so I wouldn't think they would be ready to approve already, but if so, I need to get packing.
 

sparkle

Hero Member
Feb 16, 2010
375
14
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hello Guys !

It's me again :) I had 1 quick question. My husband is planning to import his car to Canada when he hands the first time. The title is on his name, but the car is financed by the BMW Dealer, and he is still paying for it. Now, would that be an issue for importing?
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Haha, typical late, glitchin' e-CAS. See everyone, it's not the be all and end all :)
shelleydalyce said:
A couple days after our PPR e-Cas updated to Medicals received... Thanks e-Cas! Haha
 

Calgary-Bound

Hero Member
Jun 9, 2011
420
3
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14/2/2011
AOR Received.
15/3/2011
File Transfer...
24/2/2011
Med's Done....
27/9/2010
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
02/04/2012
LANDED..........
28/04/2012
ddobro2 said:
Done. Let me know your AOR date if you can get one.
Ive never gotten one from Buffalo.The In process was the first time I have heard from them.
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
124
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Okay, maybe you could send them an email asking for your file number to force one. Or maybe one might want to remind Buffalo of CIC's overseas processing guidelines. Their procedural document states, "Visa offices will respond to applications for permanent residence within four (4) weeks from the
date of receipt of the application. The response will include the following:
• the applicant's file number;
• the approximate time within which the application should be completed based on the category
of application; and
• other information concerning additional or missing documentation, medical examination
instructions or the possible requirement of an interview.
A sample of the AOR letter is included as Appendix F."

Calgary-Bound said:
Ive never gotten one from Buffalo.The In process was the first time I have heard from them.
 

Love-Buf-Wings

Star Member
Apr 18, 2011
54
1
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-02-2011
AOR Received.
03-05-2011
File Transfer...
17-03-2011
Med's Done....
18-11-2010
Passport Req..
02-06-2011
VISA ISSUED...
07-06-2011
LANDED..........
July, 2011
Sparkle,

You will have problems for several reasons. If you are crossing from Buffalo, good luck to you if you don't own your vehicle! They will make this process of importing your car very, very difficult. Michigan border could be better, but this is what you need and trust me it takes time:

1) According to the website, you need a letter from your lien holder expressing permission to export the vehicle into Canada. The statement on the site was intended to be subjective and the immigration officers are supposed to use discretion. However, when exporting your vehicle from the Buffalo border, US immigration literally wants the word “export” in the letter from you lien holder. They will email you when you begin your exporting process with instructions on exporting, the Buffalo immigration officer in charge of exporting advised us to have “permanently export” in the lien holder letter.

2) Problem: most lien holders will not approve of an "export" of a vehicle, let alone give you permission to “permanently export” your vehicle into a country where your credit starts fresh and you may have little incentive to pay your loan from there.

3) If you are lucky enough to find out that your lien holder approves of such requests, such us in our case (Chase Bank) they will give you a standard letter such us in our case which Immigration may deny, which ours got denied.

Our story: Chase Bank approved the export of a 2009 vehicle, and gave us a standard letter that stated my husband can take the car into Canada. The immigration officer declined him export because the letter did not have “export” written in it. I did research and even spoke with other Buffalo US immigration officers and Michigan US immigration officers who when I read them the letter said that sounded fine and should be good enough for export. My husband tried to export again hoping to get a different officer to use better discretion. He went and saw the same officer and his manager there, because a couple in his situation was escalating the same matter to the manager and they also got turned back for not having “export” in the letter. My husband clarified with the manager about having the term “permanently export” in the letter and the manager said no just “export” is sufficient. The request my husband made for Chase to include “permanently export” in a new letter after he iniatially got sent back at the border, was refused by the legal department. He asked Chase to approve of a new a request for a new letter stating “export” in the letter and was approved the term “import into Canada” implying export from the US. The immigration officer (same guy) said that he would normally decline this kind of letter because, again the word “export” was not in the letter, but that he wanted my husband to have a good weekend, so he allowed him entry into Canada with his vehicle.

Twist: when my husband crossed over to Canada, the Canadian side was looking for the word "import" in the letter, which made us shake our head.


Icing on top of the cake: Canadian customs will tax your vehicle because you don't fully own it yet. Prepare to have hundreds/thousands of extra dollars to pay the import tax.

This was the worst part of the entire immigration process. On a positive note, his fairly new car was worth the import. It took one month for the bank to approve the original standard letter, than it took about another month communicating back and forth for them to get us the final draft. The manager at Chase didn't understand why immigration was being so uptight and they informed us that many people have no problems exporting their vehicle using their standard letter. Which makes me believe that Michigan border is a little less strict about the wording in the lien holder's letter.

Good luck to you and all those that have to go through this process!

sparkle said:
Hello Guys !

It's me again :) I had 1 quick question. My husband is planning to import his car to Canada when he hands the first time. The title is on his name, but the car is financed by the BMW Dealer, and he is still paying for it. Now, would that be an issue for importing?