Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[mcmasters]

Hi everyone! I am having trouble getting 2 photos for my husband to send with his PPR. Even though we had them done at Walmart the measurement from top of his head to his chin is larger than is required for Canadian Speciications. Has anyone else have this problem and could you tell me where is a good place to get the photos done? We are living in PA.
Thanks !

I went to a professional photographer to get these photos done. I called around the usual places and none of them could resize the equipment for me. The pro photographer was great to work with, got me the pics the same day, and printed reprints for me the same day when I needed them for the medical exam. So that's what I suggest!

 

[mcmasters]

This is what I got from Buffalo CIC when I took a shot and emailed asking if they received my RPRF receipt:

****

Due to high volumes, we cannot acknowledge receipt of email, fax, regular correspondence (applications, payments, documents or information) or medical exam results.

If you have recently submitted documents or information to this office, we will update your file accordingly, if needed.

If we require additional documents, we will contact you.

Regards,

Canadian Consulate General Buffalo

Immigration Section

buffalo-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca

Emphasis added by me. I wasn't really surprised to get this, but seriously, how am I supposed to uphold my end of the deal if I can never be sure they get what I send them?

This is what I got from the US Post Office as my "receipt of delivery" for the RPRF receipt I sent to Mississauga:

***

In response to your request dated 10/25/2011, we regret to inform you that we were unable to locate any delivery information in our records regarding your item number ########.

If you require additional assistance, please bring this receipt to your local Post Office or postal representative.

Sincerely,

USPS

****

What the crap is that crap? When dealing with the CIC, apparently the natural laws of the world and customer service no longer apply. Even if you pay $30 for express shipping with delivery confirmation, you won't get it, because you're operating in an alternate, government-controlled dimension.

This morning I thought to myself: I need to take some lessons from my snail (Jiffy Lube) in how to just slooooow dooooown.

 

[ddobro2]

you're on

Thanks for clarifying. You're welcome to use my profile details in your spreadsheet or I can PM them to you.

Sent: 2011-10-25
Rec'd: 2011-10-27

 

[ddobro2]

Okay I had you on as filing March 24 because that's what I understood from your initial message (http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/thread-for-outland-buffalo-applicants-t41886.0.html;msg1060232#msg1060232).

But apparently I need to change that......

ddobro2:

PR App recieved Feb 17, 2011

PR Sponsorship Approval March 17, 2011

PR transfer to Buffalo & recieved March 24, 2011

RPRF September 27, 2011

PR application processed Oct 4th w/ Meds recieved

PPR Oct 28, 2011 (PPR sent Oct 29 & recieved at FT Erie Oct 31)

Permanent Residency Visa issuance November 3, 2011

Passport will be mailed back to me via Canada Post express tomorrow morning.


Amazing turn around time from PPR to Visa issuance. My fiancee and I have been a nervous wreck since sending the PPR packing because we are flying international for our wedding on Nov 20th. Inquiries were made to the Buffalo office in regards to our situation and we recieved very helpful and nice responses.

I will be landing once we return from our wedding. ...the process is almost complete!

Good luck to every one and I am more than happy to try to answer any questions that those going through this process may have.

 

[Maple3]

I went to a professional photographer to get these photos done. I called around the usual places and none of them could resize the equipment for me. The pro photographer was great to work with, got me the pics the same day, and printed reprints for me the same day when I needed them for the medical exam. So that's what I suggest!

Thank you mcmasters. I called a few places also and they do not resize. Today I called Sears and they said they do Canadian photos, so we will try there first .Hopefully they can, if not we will go with your suggestion. Thanks a million for your response.. Alberta bound real soon!

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

I don't believe that the USPS can give you an update, because it's out of country. I don't think the USPS and Canada Post work very well together (I've had a few items fall into the black pit of despair between the American and Canadian line), and I know for a fact that at Canada Post they will gladly tell you that you can pay extra to track your package to its U.S. destination even though once it hits the border their tracking system abruptly stops working. My guess is that it's the same thing for USPS. I think for tracking international shipping you really have to use Fedex or UPS. I know the office where I do some volunteer work uses Fedex to ship internationally and they get an email update once the package is delivered abroad.

Also, Jiffy Lube might be the greatest name given to a snail ever.

This is what I got from the US Post Office as my "receipt of delivery" for the RPRF receipt I sent to Mississauga:

***

In response to your request dated 10/25/2011, we regret to inform you that we were unable to locate any delivery information in our records regarding your item number ########.

If you require additional assistance, please bring this receipt to your local Post Office or postal representative.

Sincerely,

USPS

****

What the crap is that crap? When dealing with the CIC, apparently the natural laws of the world and customer service no longer apply. Even if you pay $30 for express shipping with delivery confirmation, you won't get it, because you're operating in an alternate, government-controlled dimension.

This morning I thought to myself: I need to take some lessons from my snail (Jiffy Lube) in how to just slooooow dooooown.

 

[ddobro2]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

Also, Jiffy Lube might be the greatest name given to a snail ever.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Wow... you're lucky. We had one that just about refused my wife entry even with those same pieces of evidence -- and even after she "reluctantly" admitted her, it was only a six month entry permit.

Yeah, it all ultimately depends on who you get, but a 12 month visitor record is certainly not unheard of in this situation. I'd imagine that showing them the receipt for the immigration fees basically 'seals the deal' as far as implied status goes, because if you can prove you've paid $1040 to them in order to start the process, they ought to see that you're not screwing around with them. But still, it all depends on who you get.

They will *probably* extend it. Sometimes, they may deny it, especially if you're "living" here and they suspect you're not following the terms of your entry permit.

Indeed, they don't have to extend it. This is why I still maintain a residence in Michigan, and keep all my rent receipts, copies of bills, bank statements, etc.... I also go back and forth as per usual, knowing full well that they don't have to let me back in. Ultimately, aside from the paper which doesn't express, nor imply, any other special right or privilege, and the 'implied status' from us mailing in the immigration application, I'm no different than a regular visitor running across for a butter tart from a legal standpoint. Nevertheless, all these reasons (plus many more I haven't mentioned on this forum yet) are basically why I filed outland in the first place. ;D

How could I have done an inland app, and still maintain a residence here, without risk of abandoning that app if they tell me 'you can't enter'? Or abandon my stuff just to stay in Canada to maintain the app, but then my grandfather dies and I have to head back into the States? Try coming back then with no proof of residence there still! Ouch! I've heard of a couple once (on the news, I think) whom the prospective immigrant was a Mexican woman, and they were doing the inland process. Once of her relatives died, and they had to go back to Mexico for the funeral. Upon reaching Canada, they refused her entry, because she had no ties back to Mexico, and so their inland app was tossed out along with all the fees that were paid for it!

 

[AllisonVSC]

Need some help and I know you folks in process can assist faster than I can find this myself! Thanks in advance!!

My friend, outland Buffalo, submitted her app in Jun/Jul 2010 and through a ridiculous series of blunders which Buffalonian visa officers are well known for, must now re-do her medical exam.

This is the short story...they lost it, they requested another copy of the original x-ray, they requested another x-ray entirely (and lost it!!). Her DMP sent another copy of x-ray two. Her MP called said they had everything they needed and she was ready to be approved. Nobody did anything for several months...MP called again. Meds expired. They said they would extend the meds for my friend and her son (both here in Canada) but not her daughter (waiting out the process in the US). Then they said meds extended for both kids. And, finally NOW they are saying she must re-do her medical because she has TB (which she doesn't)!!

She says CIC told her that they had to mail a medical packet to her so she can re-do (apparently they mailed one to her 1.5 years ago when the process was starting). I know for sure they didn't mail one to me. Has something changed?? If it can be downloaded from cic website, does anybody know the link or form number? If she must get a physical one (not a download) is there someway or somewhere that she can go to pick one up in Mississauga/Toronto?

Also, because of the craziness she has been told in this process, she is not trusting the most recent request and wants to call Buffalo to try and get a straight answer . Got a phone number for Buffalo??

Any help you can pass along in this thread would be most appreciated!! A private message would even be super-duper!!! Thanks, Allison

 

[ddobro2]

"through a ridiculous series of blunders which Buffalonian visa officers are well known for" <- I'm sorry but this really made me crack up, for some reason.

Anyway, I would totally die and/or kill someone. And she's been outland for more than a year and a half now?!?

I'm not sure what you mean when you say the medical packet. I totally did this whole thing off the internet...no paper forms or pamphlets were sent to me. Would said medical packet basically include the forms the DMP would accept and the instructions they would follow for the exam, like so??: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/dmp-handbook/appendix-02.asp

Lol, no telephone number externally published for the fine and diligent folks at Buffalo. There's just the email, fax, and mail. And I'm sure they already get bombarded through those channels.

Need some help and I know you folks in process can assist faster than I can find this myself! Thanks in advance!!

My friend, outland Buffalo, submitted her app in Jun/Jul 2010 and through a ridiculous series of blunders which Buffalonian visa officers are well known for, must now re-do her medical exam.

This is the short story...they lost it, they requested another copy of the original x-ray, they requested another x-ray entirely (and lost it!!). Her DMP sent another copy of x-ray two. Her MP called said they had everything they needed and she was ready to be approved. Nobody did anything for several months...MP called again. Meds expired. They said they would extend the meds for my friend and her son (both here in Canada) but not her daughter (waiting out the process in the US). Then they said meds extended for both kids. And, finally NOW they are saying she must re-do her medical because she has TB (which she doesn't)!!

She says CIC told her that they had to mail a medical packet to her so she can re-do (apparently they mailed one to her 1.5 years ago when the process was starting). I know for sure they didn't mail one to me. Has something changed?? If it can be downloaded from cic website, does anybody know the link or form number? If she must get a physical one (not a download) is there someway or somewhere that she can go to pick one up in Mississauga/Toronto?

Also, because of the craziness she has been told in this process, she is not trusting the most recent request and wants to call Buffalo to try and get a straight answer . Got a phone number for Buffalo??

Any help you can pass along in this thread would be most appreciated!! A private message would even be super-duper!!! Thanks, Allison

 

[jbruce]

To: ddobro2 for more detail for the spreadsheet, and others interested in our process...


Back in July...

The morning we completed our application on paper we logged on to the CIC website to print out another checklist and discovered that they had changed the forms to the new versions. It literally happened that week. It was so upsetting because everything was within an hour or so of being ready to go (stuff we had been working on for weeks and months) and it felt like a whole new set of work and checking and double checking that everything was set. We knew that we could just send in the old version of the forms, but we thought it would be best to just do the new forms. So, we did all of that stuff over again on the new forms and mailed it out on July 23rd, 2011.

According to the USPS delivery receipt, they received it July 26, 2011. I logged in to ECAS periodically looking for information but we weren't showing up in the database.

We didn't hear anything until October 17, 2011 at which point they emailed my wife saying "You have met the requirements for eligibility as a sponsor. Accordingly, the Application for Permanent Residence for your relative(s) has been forwarded to a visa office abroad for further processing."

After a few days I logged in to ECAS using her credentials and saw the notice that her application was "In Process" and mine was "Application Received" When you click on hers it says:

We received your application to sponsor ------- on July 26, 2011.

When you click on mine it says:

We received ----------'s application for permanent residence on July 26, 2011.

Medical results have been received.

Which is weird. If they didn't forward my application to Buffalo until October, then I'm not sure why my part says it was received in July. If I log in to ECAS from my credentials it says the same thing...application received July 26th.

So, that's what prompted my writing in for help because I didn't really understand the conflicting timeline vocabulary.

Does that answer all your questions and help fill in the spreadsheet?

Thanks!!

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Has she requested her GCMS notes yet? If I were her I would do it asap to have a better idea of what's going on.

As for the medical forms, I used what was on the website. Never heard of having to get the medical forms mailed to you unless for some reason you don't have internet access and are requesting them via telephone (as in the main CIC hotline, not Buffalo, oh to have the Buffalo direct line!).

Need some help and I know you folks in process can assist faster than I can find this myself! Thanks in advance!!

My friend, outland Buffalo, submitted her app in Jun/Jul 2010 and through a ridiculous series of blunders which Buffalonian visa officers are well known for, must now re-do her medical exam.

This is the short story...they lost it, they requested another copy of the original x-ray, they requested another x-ray entirely (and lost it!!). Her DMP sent another copy of x-ray two. Her MP called said they had everything they needed and she was ready to be approved. Nobody did anything for several months...MP called again. Meds expired. They said they would extend the meds for my friend and her son (both here in Canada) but not her daughter (waiting out the process in the US). Then they said meds extended for both kids. And, finally NOW they are saying she must re-do her medical because she has TB (which she doesn't)!!

She says CIC told her that they had to mail a medical packet to her so she can re-do (apparently they mailed one to her 1.5 years ago when the process was starting). I know for sure they didn't mail one to me. Has something changed?? If it can be downloaded from cic website, does anybody know the link or form number? If she must get a physical one (not a download) is there someway or somewhere that she can go to pick one up in Mississauga/Toronto?

Also, because of the craziness she has been told in this process, she is not trusting the most recent request and wants to call Buffalo to try and get a straight answer . Got a phone number for Buffalo??

Any help you can pass along in this thread would be most appreciated!! A private message would even be super-duper!!! Thanks, Allison

 

[AllisonVSC]

"through a ridiculous series of blunders which Buffalonian visa officers are well known for" <- I'm sorry but this really made me crack up, for some reason.

Anyway, I would totally die and/or kill someone. And she's been outland for more than a year and a half now?!?

I'm not sure what you mean when you say the medical packet. I totally did this whole thing off the internet...no paper forms or pamphlets were sent to me. Would said medical packet basically include the forms the DMP would accept and the instructions they would follow for the exam, like so??: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/dmp-handbook/appendix-02.asp

Lol, no telephone number externally published for the fine and diligent folks at Buffalo. There's just the email, fax, and mail. And I'm sure they already get bombarded through those channels.

Glad you found that humorous! Also happy to hear from you and AmericaninQuebec that forms were all found online like I remember. I wonder if they mailed her a copy of IMM 1017 EFC which I think I got from the DMPs office. Anyway, I told her to call a local DMP and ask what is needed in terms of forms and pics to bring with her. I also told her to order GCMS (which I told her before but then her MP said everything was ready to go...so she didn't bother). I can't wait to read what the notes say!!

If she hadn't been in process for so long this would be comical. But she has been trapped in limbo (and in Canada basically) for 1.5 years due to their errors and lack of follow through!

 

[ddobro2]

Yeah I think it's something about the word "Buffalonians" that does it for me

She doesn't have to worry about the IMM 1017EFC. From what I recall, that's provided by the DMP when someone presents the Appendix C medical form (last page on Region Specific Instructions: United States.....http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3910e.pdf). That's officially "part 3" of the application package, after the sponsorship forms and the principal applicant forms.

Seriously though, that's redic. Perhaps a class action lawsuit against CIC for their tendancy to lose and misplace documents (that people have to then repay hundreds of dollars for) is in order.

 

[prophet3]

so today I received an email back from Information Request Office and it said that they need an extension of 30 days as they could not process it in 30days. I wonder if it is backlog or my file is messed up. :-X