Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[destanova]

That's at least 3 of us in Mississauga! Sounds like we need to get together for drinks!

 

[AllisonVSC]

That's at least 3 of us in Mississauga! Sounds like we need to get together for drinks!

Plus one for a VERY good suggestion!
8)

 

[amaranth]

Were you ever able to fax the receipt through? You might want to just consider mailing the damn thing if you keep having errors on something. It does take about a month or more for it to be linked up with your file, from what I recall. By the way, I received a letter from Mississauga after I mailed mine "confirming" that they got it and notified Buffalo. That's been my one non-emailed thing from CIC

I was actually in Buffalo this week, and decided to try my luck taking it in person to the office... no dice. They wouldn't even let me up to the office because I wasn't getting my visa. I did end up mailing it. problem is, if it takes them that long to link it all up, my medicals will likely expire before they figure it all out.

I just don't understand how/why Buffalo doesn't know that I already paid everything upfront... I know they like to lose random documents sometimes (dunno if she still posts, but Rinnerz has some incredible Buffalo stories...), but wouldn't something like fees show up in a computer system anywhere? Or is communication between Mississauga and Buffalo really that bad?

Have your husband contact his MP. If you have the copy of the receipt, they MP has different ways of contacting the visa offices, and should straighten things out and light a fire under their a$$es

Our MP is useless. We contacted her office once before, and got no help (and a bit of rudeness). Now, her assistant who handles all immigration issues is "unavailable indefinitely", and they have no idea when they will have someone in the office that can handle ANY immigration stuff.

 

[ddobro2]

Yeah, no surprise about that policy at Buffalo. Understandable, of course. If they let everyone up to "deliver" something, they'd never get any work done as people would just use that precious opportunity to get every bit of information out of those CIC employees

That really sucks about the medicals.....but there's still a chance that they'll "extend" them as someone on this thread (think it was kayan) said Buffalo has been known to do. Sorry about the MP not being helpful. I interned for my senator back in the day and I can tell you immigration was the most frequent case work (followed by adoption and prisoners, from what I recall), so I can believe that these MP offices are totally inundated by immigration casework so much so the aide creates herself an "indefinite" vacation from it. Not that I'm saying we should stop contacting MPs or anything.....

If you go to the "pay application fees" page of the CIC site it says "you must print a receipt of payment and include it with your application" in both the section with instructions on paying online and the section with instructions on paying at a financial institution (also says it in the FAQ section that's linked). I can understand how maybe someone might think that applies to the original filing, since it has the "with your application" part and all. But I'm sure the reason they ask for the receipt for RPRF, often payed separately, is the same reason they ask for one for the sponsorship and principal applicant fees that were paid with the filing - they simply don't have the capability (and/or perhaps don't want to take the risk) to link each credit card transaction (and what have you) to different accounts when they can just ask that you send in a receipt that proves a payment was made for x fee to x principal applicant's file. Might have to do with not being a party to fraud either. Anyone can pay those fees - it doesn't matter whose name is on the credit card, and if financial information is taken from someone without their consent, that constitutes fraud and CIC would have to repay that person. Just my totally non-legalistic interpretation.

I was actually in Buffalo this week, and decided to try my luck taking it in person to the office... no dice. They wouldn't even let me up to the office because I wasn't getting my visa. I did end up mailing it. problem is, if it takes them that long to link it all up, my medicals will likely expire before they figure it all out.

I just don't understand how/why Buffalo doesn't know that I already paid everything upfront... I know they like to lose random documents sometimes (dunno if she still posts, but Rinnerz has some incredible Buffalo stories...), but wouldn't something like fees show up in a computer system anywhere? Or is communication between Mississauga and Buffalo really that bad?

Our MP is useless. We contacted her office once before, and got no help (and a bit of rudeness). Now, her assistant who handles all immigration issues is "unavailable indefinitely", and they have no idea when they will have someone in the office that can handle ANY immigration stuff.

 

[amaranth]

I totally wasn't expecting to be let up. I figured it was worth a shot though, since I was already in the vicinity.

I didn't pay online, I paid right at a bank. The receipt is an actual physical receipt, stamped by the bank and everything. One part went with the application, the other part is mine ("keep for your records" & whatnot)

 

[can_usa_97]

So the day has come, yippee and sad at the same time of course... leaving our home, ect.
I pickup my hubby on Saturday and we start our travel on Sunday, crossing the border on Monday (our new home is only about an hour from Sarnia). I'll post my stuff when we arrive -I will lose my internet access tomorrow!

 

[ddobro2]

Sorry, I'm trying to remember what you told me before......so you actually paid all three fees at the bank (you said you paid everything "at the very beginning")? If you included that (the receipt stamped by the bank) in your file originally, it's their fault for continuing to bother you about it (they wouldn't have processed it in the first place without the first two payments, particularly the $75 sponsorship approval fee, so it's quite odd indeed).

I totally wasn't expecting to be let up. I figured it was worth a shot though, since I was already in the vicinity.

I didn't pay online, I paid right at a bank. The receipt is an actual physical receipt, stamped by the bank and everything. One part went with the application, the other part is mine ("keep for your records" & whatnot)

 

[amaranth]

Sorry, I'm trying to remember what you told me before......so you actually paid all three fees at the bank (you said you paid everything "at the very beginning")?

Yes.

If you included that (the receipt stamped by the bank) in your file originally, it's their fault for continuing to bother you about it (they wouldn't have processed it in the first place without the first two payments, particularly the $75 sponsorship approval fee, so it's quite odd indeed).

Exactly. :

 

[ddobro2]

Wow, okay.... incompetent CIC a la Rinnerz' case it is, then.

Yes.

Exactly. :

 

[amaranth]

Now that I've finally had some time to poke around the internets from a proper computer and not my phone, I've discovered a couple of interesting things:

The email address at the bottom of the letter I got from Buffalo is WRONG. The letter says bfalo-im-enquiry @ international.gc.ca. The CORRECT email is buffalo-im-enquiry @ international.gc.ca.
This might be useful to others at some point. And totally explains why the messages I sent before were undeliverable. Derp. :

I also discovered a nifty site to fax things for free. http://myfax.com/free/
Apparently Husband has used it before and likes it, but completely forgot about it until I asked him about it 20 minutes ago. *facepalm*

Well, that's all bases covered, just in time for the long weekend... *Sigh*

(I just want to add that IN NO WAY am I comparing this relatively minor irritation to all the hell Buffalo put Rinnerz through... I can't even imagine the frustration she had to deal with!)

 

[Bargeld]

OMG is this for real??

BFALOIMPA-AP@international.gc.ca to me
show details 3:20 PM (7 hours ago)
Dear Applicant:

This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada. We are now in a position to request your passports for visa issuance.

Please submit your passport(s) within the next 30 days. The issuance of your visa(s) is time sensitive so it is important for you to submit your passport(s) as requested. Please note, though your passport(s) is/are due at our office within the next 30 days, you must check your documents upon receipt. There will be a validity date indicated, and the landing must take place on or before that date. The visas cannot be extended. If you are not prepared to live permanently in Canada immediately after landing, please consult the website regarding residency requirements in order to ensure that you retain your status in Canada.

We require two (2) recent photographs of yourself and each accompanying family member.

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE.

FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE:

Passport requirements

Photographs, height and eye colour

Instructions for passport submission

Important notice for family members

Immigration Section/Section de l'immigration
Consulate General of Canada
Consulat général du Canada
Buffalo, New York

I even used the F number they e-mailed me with, which includes my first/last name and said F number in the subject (plus some weird "cn/ez") which was my applicant number, but e-Cas shows "Application Received" still.

This is sooo weird. I dunno if I should celebrate or not. ???

 

[destanova]

That is definitely a PPR email! Congrats! You can certainly start celebrating!

 

[mjh49783aa]

Looks like good news to me. Congratulations! I believe we're both at around the same timeline and hope I can get some good news in my mailbox soon.

OMG is this for real??

I even used the F number they e-mailed me with, which includes my first/last name and said F number in the subject (plus some weird "cn/ez") which was my applicant number, but e-Cas shows "Application Received" still.

This is sooo weird. I dunno if I should celebrate or not. ???

 

[ddobro2]

Yayyy, of course you should celebrate! Lol, maybe you're hesitant because you're following a post in which we question CIC's competence, is that it?

Don't worry about it being "application received." Some people get to "in process" before PPR....some but not all, and the most important thing to pay attention to is this communication from the visa office.

How many PPRs are we up to this week? 5 or something? Damn, this is a good week.

OMG is this for real??

I even used the F number they e-mailed me with, which includes my first/last name and said F number in the subject (plus some weird "cn/ez") which was my applicant number, but e-Cas shows "Application Received" still.

This is sooo weird. I dunno if I should celebrate or not. ???

 

[destanova]

Yayyy, of course you should celebrate! Lol, maybe you're hesitant because you're following a post in which we question CIC's competence, is that it?

Don't worry about it being "application received." Some people get to "in process" before PPR....some but not all, and the most important thing to pay attention to is this communication from the visa office.

How many PPRs are we up to this week? 5 or something? Damn, this is a good week.

My ECAS is still sitting at "Application received" and I got my PPR on Tuesday. Now I know why they tell us that ECAS is not a reliable means of communication for inland applications. Definitely put your faith in direct communication from your visa office over the ECAS!