Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[krista2011]

Has anyone looked into the reverse immigration process (Canada to USA)?

 

[ddobro2]

I have and I can tell you the application process is not as clear as how CIC makes it, and you won't find a group comparable to this one for green card applicants.

Has anyone looked into the reverse immigration process (Canada to USA)?

 

[mjh49783aa]

From what I've been reading on USCIS, the process isn't drawn out as clearly as with how CIC describes their process, though it otherwise seems similar. The US offers a K-1 fiancé visa, of which there's no equivalent in Canada, but that's really the only difference that I can see.

Has anyone looked into the reverse immigration process (Canada to USA)?

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Has anyone looked into the reverse immigration process (Canada to USA)?

I looked into it a while ago. It's not as clearly explained, but I do recall that depending on which office you're near it can be extremely fast in comparison. When looking into it for my husband I saw that he'd likely go through the processing office in St. Albans, VT. The processing time (last year at least) was something like 4 mths to get a green card for a spouse. The U.S. border guards told us that he'd likely have an interview down there as well, but that generally it was quick and painless. I am almost 100% certain this is not the same case for most visa processing centers located in more populated regions.

I think the even bigger difference though is that the U.S. does conditional permanent residency. If you're sponsored by a spouse and you break up within a certain time period (I believe it's 2 or 3 yrs) then you pretty much automatically lose your PR status. I also think there may be further interviews and paperwork required because of this near the end of the conditional period, but I'm not certain on that.

 

[ddobro2]

The link to the "find a DMP" intro page that mjh49783aa sent you says, "This page will help you find a doctor you may visit in your country, territory or region." Furthermore, it also says, "If you do not see your country or territory listed, please select a nearby location to which you can travel." That would lead one to believe that the country in which the medical exam by the DMP is undertaken does not need to be the same country in which the applicant lives or through which the applicant's visa is being processed.

However, I think that the bigger issue has to do with the regional medical offices essentially serving as the middle men between DMP and visa office as it entails the IME processing. For example, if your file is expected to be processed at Beijing and you live in China and undergo your IME in China, the DMP will send your results to the Beijing Regional Medical Office, which is that region's IME processor. The Beijing VO will then request the medicals from that office. But if your file is expected to be processed at Buffalo, and you live in the United States but for some reason or another are visiting China and decide to undergo your IME in that country, I am not sure exactly what would happen. Because CIC's instructions for DMPs say that, "DMPs must forward all immigration medical reports to the regional medical office in their area by mail," that leads me to believe that a DMP in China would send the medicals to the Beijing Regional Medical Office, period, and not be concerned about where the patient lives or will have his/her visa processed. But then that means that Buffalo will have to get it from Beijing instead of 219 Laurier Ave. in Ottawa. Given how Buffalo can't even seem to do basic things correctly, do you really want to throw this wrench into the equation and see if they're capable of handling it?

Thanks a lot my friend! Anyone has gone with similar situation please let me know. Is it ok to get medical report from any DMP from any country ( I would be submitting sponsorship application for my wife as an outland buffalo application USA) or does it have to be a medical report from one of the DMP from USA. I would appreciate any ideas.

 

[ddobro2]

Wow, that is crazy. I'm assuming you realized it was incorrect because you had the visa file number from either the sponsorship approval or the AOR to compare it to. I don't see how the GCMS notes have anything to do with it though (unless I'm misunderstanding something). The GCMS notes actually aren't prepared by Buffalo, they're prepared by the Access to Information and Privacy division of CIC which is in Ottawa. So as long as you enter your email address and visa number correctly on that request form, you're dealing with more competent people, relatively speaking

ddobro2: My file # was mistyped in the PPR email sent to me. Didn't seem to matter, but basic errors like that are quite serious. Since they also only every communicated with me by email, I consider myself lucky that they didn't mis-type the email address -- or I could've been waiting for months until I got GCMS notes.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Hello all.

As of 3:15pm, I've became a landed immigrant of Canada!

The process was pretty painless. It took all of ten minutes to finalize my landing. But it took another twenty minutes afterwards for them to go through all my B4As, making sure everything is all in order. My wife and father-in-law was with me throughout the process, and was happy to see me get through it all in one piece.

They took my COPR, stapled part 3 of the COPR to my passport, stamped it, wrote some numbers in it, explained to me my rights and responsibilities as a permanent resident, and told me I was all set. I had to get a hold of someone else for the B4As, where they copied them, and gave me back the copies, but not before they stamped them all, wrote a file number on all of them, and had me sign the B4 that I forgot to sign. The stuff I already brought over got marked off, too. People there were quite friendly and helpful.

Anyway, I wish you all good luck. I'm sure I'll be lurking around for a while here, but now I'm off to my new life!

 

[Quince777]

Hello all.

As if 3:15pm, I've became a landed immigrant of Canada!

The process was pretty painless. It took all of ten minutes to finalize my landing. But it took another twenty minutes afterwards for them to go through all my B4As, making sure everything is all in order. My wife and father-in-law was with me throughout the process, and was happy to see me get through it all in one piece.

They took my COPR, stapled part 3 of the COPR to my passport, stamped it, wrote some numbers in it, explained to me my rights and responsibilities as a permanent resident, and told me I was all set. I had to get a hold of someone else for the B4As, where they copied them, and gave me back the copies, but not before they stamped them all, wrote a file number on all of them, and had me sign the B4 that I forgot to sign. The stuff I already brought over got marked off, too. People there were quite friendly and helpful.

Anyway, I wish you all good luck. I'm sure I'll be lurking around for a while here, but now I'm off to my new life!

Congratulations on your peaceful landing!

 

[ddobro2]

Congrats on landing, and sounds like the work you put into the B4s paid off.

Hello all.

As if 3:15pm, I've became a landed immigrant of Canada!

The process was pretty painless. It took all of ten minutes to finalize my landing. But it took another twenty minutes afterwards for them to go through all my B4As, making sure everything is all in order. My wife and father-in-law was with me throughout the process, and was happy to see me get through it all in one piece.

They took my COPR, stapled part 3 of the COPR to my passport, stamped it, wrote some numbers in it, explained to me my rights and responsibilities as a permanent resident, and told me I was all set. I had to get a hold of someone else for the B4As, where they copied them, and gave me back the copies, but not before they stamped them all, wrote a file number on all of them, and had me sign the B4 that I forgot to sign. The stuff I already brought over got marked off, too. People there were quite friendly and helpful.

Anyway, I wish you all good luck. I'm sure I'll be lurking around for a while here, but now I'm off to my new life!

 

[mjh49783aa]

Thanks! It all worked out pretty smoothly. Hard to believe that it's even for real yet, but I'll find out soon enough when I go and apply for a SIN card tomorrow. Right now, I'm just enjoying the night as a family.

Congratulations on your peaceful landing!

Congrats on landing, and sounds like the work you put into the B4s paid off.

 

[ddobro2]

Okay, I think that the living in Canada thing is really a factor in our applications that is making Buffalo decelerate the speed of the process for people like you, me, Calgary-Bound and some others on here (I recall AmericanInQuebec also was living in Canada at some point in the process) vis-a-vis those of us who remain in the U.S.A.

I'm thinking of putting a column in the spreadsheet to note whether someone is residing in Canada at the time they file their application, and perhaps the details of their being here (work permit, study permit, visitor visa, what date they first entered the country).

What do you guys think of this? If you feel this would help clarify some things for us and future applicants and it's worthwhile to include, or if you think it's not necessary or inappropriate to include, let me know.

Yes ddobro2 , I haven't received any letter after my file transferred to Buffalo. I have a work permit and live in Canada. Maybe because I live in Canada , makes it take so long. They did not ask me any additional documents . I really do not know what is the problem.

 

[Quince777]

Okay, I think that the living in Canada thing is really a factor in our applications that is making Buffalo decelerate the speed of the process for people like you, me, Calgary-Bound and some others on here (I recall AmericanInQuebec also was living in Canada at some point in the process) vis-a-vis those of us who remain in the U.S.A.

I'm thinking of putting a column in the spreadsheet to note whether someone is residing in Canada at the time they file their application, and perhaps the details of their being here (work permit, study permit, visitor visa, what date they first entered the country).

What do you guys think of this? If you feel this would help clarify some things for us and future applicants and it's worthwhile to include, or if you think it's not necessary or inappropriate to include, let me know.

Do you mean that the fact we're living in Canada slows down our processing times?

 

[ddobro2]

Yes, that's my hypothesis.

Do you mean that the fact we're living in Canada slows down our processing times?

 

[Quince777]

To be honest I find it so hard being in Canada on a visitor permit and not being able to work. Especially for people of my age who don't have children yet staying at home doing what I have no idea

 

[ddobro2]

You're preaching to the choir. I am so sick of not contributing as far as work outside of the house is concerned and I feel bad every morning when my husband leaves for work.

To be honest I find it so hard being in Canada on a visitor permit and not being able to work. Especially for people of my age who don't have children yet staying at home doing what I have no idea