Hey Everyone, just wanted to write up a "goodbye" post
and to up date our timeline in case anyone wants to see our info.
Category........: FAM/Spousal
Visa Office......: Buffalo
App. Sent.......:November 30th 2010
App. Filed.......: December 2nd 2010
AOR Received.: March 31st 2011
File Transfer...: August 9th 2011 (Los Angeles)
PPR issued......: October 8th 2011
Landed..........:November 11th 2011
Looking at my timeline- doesn't look so bad in retrospect but here is the timeline with all the added fun stuff.
Category........: FAM/Spousal
Visa Office......: Buffalo
App. Sent.......:November 30th 2010
App. Filed.......: December 2nd 2010
Sponsor Approved: Jan 17th 2011
AOR Received.: January 26th 2011 (Via Ecas) Then again a paper AOR on March 31st 2011
Regarding these 2 AOR's I wrote to Buffalo and asked if there was a mistake, because I had received 2 AORs in different formats and the time difference on each AOR(2 months) is like YEARS in immigration queues. They responded with, use the later date. Somehow i lost 2 months of "processing" time.
We needed to do an address change for my husband, as he entered Canada in December 2010 as a visitor, in March when his 3 months was coming to a close we applied to extend his VR and he was issued a 3 year Visitor Record
Pretty long VR huh? So we said, okay theres no way he will be down south for the rest of this so we put in an address change. then another. then another. then ANOTHER! Each time they kept responding with "the address we have on file for you is XXX NOT YOUR ADDRESS" finally I forwarded all 4 requests, and their generic response and said Look, we are NOT at that address and all we need is an address change to our Canadian address! They changed it. Whew! GREAT! That could have been bad if Buffalo didn't change our mailing address....
File Transfer...: August 9th 2011 (Los Angeles)
PPR issued......: October 8th 2011 SENT TO THE OLD ADDRESS THAT WE PUT 5 REQUESTS IN TO CHANGE!!!! Now, we KNOW they changed the address because we got the "your file has been transferred to LA" letter sent to our home. BUT- the most important document, the PPR got sent to his old address. It is time sensitive (30 days) we got the letter 5 days before hubby would have unknowingly declined to become a PR. It cost us thousands, to be able to get to Los Angeles in time. We had one window of opportunity for him to be at the LA consulate Thursday morning and he did it. I just worry- had this happened to someone who was unable to pull 4k out of their ass to get the hell out of dodge and pretty much make magic happen, that family would have to start the process all over again.
Immigration is awful. AWFUL!!! I am so happy we never have to endure this again!!!!!!!!
to end the timeline...
Passport/Visa issued: November 10th 2011
Landed: November 11th 2011 (2 weeks shy of a year total since app sent)
GOODLUCK TO ALL!! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE WHO OFFERS SUPPORT AND ADVICE!!!
Some days were rough- this forum is surely a GOOD thing and I will recommend it to anyone I meet in the future who will be going through sponsoring a loved one!
Peace
