Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[eeeeeeeelectric]

I put in a change of address about 3 weeks ago (twice, just to be sure). Has anyone done a change of address and heard anything back? eCAS still has my old address and it's a place I can get mail so it's not the end of the world or anything... And I have a info request in for my case notes so I guess I'll find out eventually. Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with this.

I'd be interested in this answer also as I sent in my request over two months ago and nothing. My address has never changed.

 

[Maple3]

Cover letter: DO ensure you have included a note that has the file number, client ID, etc. Also ensure that you have included the requested height and eye colour.

Keep in mind -- the more information you can give them towards linking it to your file, (theoretically) the less likely it is to get lost or in the "gotta work harder" pile.

Addressing: ensure that you have the address EXACTLY as written in the PPR letter. Important: "RFV" apparently means "Ready For Visa" and will get your envelope in a different pile that is obviously passports.

Do send the passport via Xpresspost (if you're in Canada) or Priority Mail (if in US). Both these have a pre-defined form for the address. If you don't trust your writing, you can buy these services online and print the address label from usps.com or canadapost.ca.

doctorkb thank you so much for responding I already went ahead and posted the passport earlier this evening since no one responded to my message . I needed to get it in the mail today so hopefully it will be there tomorrow I did print the address from online and covered my own handwritten address.. I also had a note with file number and height and eye colour, so hopefully everything will be alright!
Thanks again for your help!
Maple3

 

[mmshock]

Address changes - I tried several times with no answer, and no change on ecas. Not only was I moving (from the Caribbean to the US , so its not like I could get it forwarded) but they also had it completely wrong.

Several people have suggested mailing it to them. I didn't end up doing that so I can't vouch for its success. Fortunately my PPR came via e-mail....

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the quick reply's

So, I don't HAVE to be with him when he lands- correct?
If i remember...there was nothing in the PPR letter that stated sponsor had to be present when spouse is landing.
It is just easier to be together right?


I have a ticket on hold from here (in Grande Prairie, Alberta) to Vancouver just in case they decide to be difficult but it's a lot of money ($1025)! I would prefer to have it refunded if I don't have to be there for the landing, and the airline needs notice of a cancellation. If I fly to Vancouver Friday- it will be 15 hours of flying. I go from here to Calgary, Calgary to Edmonton, Edmonton to Vancouver (where i meet hubby he will be landing in Van) then we would fly together back here taking the same reverse route.

Do you think I should cancel the flight and just greet my man here in Grande Prairie??

You definitely don't have to be there. My husband landed alone. Cancel the flight and save your money!

 

[Morena]

Do somebody knows how long it takes to the tracking number to appear in the USPS system after you mail the passport to the VISA office. I mailed my passport and Buffalo got it on the 27th of October. I keep checking everyday the tracking number of my pre-paid envelope they requested and is not yet in the system...

 

[tulamoon]

Do somebody knows how long it takes to the tracking number to appear in the USPS system after you mail the passport to the VISA office. I mailed my passport and Buffalo got it on the 27th of October. I keep checking everyday the tracking number of my pre-paid envelope they requested and is not yet in the system...

Same here ours was received on the 26th. We were supposed to go away to Portland this weekend and still no sign of the passport being returned so not vacation for us. I assume it doesn't get activated though until the consulate sends it back.

 

[ddobro2]

Particularly when said flight is like the travel equivalent of/homage to the PR process itself.....1000 bucks spent, 15 hours of waiting......

You definitely don't have to be there. My husband landed alone. Cancel the flight and save your money!

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

lalalala...getting antsy over here...would love my PPR or at least my GCMS notes soon! Plskthnx! ;D

 

[ddobro2]

seriously......I guess ATIP didn't find the need to get back to me once they realized I wasn't talking about the first set of notes that I already got from them.

lalalala...getting antsy over here...would love my PPR or at least my GCMS notes soon! Plskthnx! ;D

 

[Eddy070]

Are Buffalo staffs on vacation as they no long respond to email inquires? ATIP has one of the best customer service despite they are now experiencing backlog now. FBI check too seen to have increase too from 4weeks to 8weeks. Just not too sure about why almost all the government offices are having backlog lately. How helpful is your MP? Trying to contact MP but endup with the MP assistant yet no update. Not sure if immigration is now a way of putting peoples life on hold despite all the fees, energy and time.

 

[buffalo-toronto]

seriously......I guess ATIP didn't find the need to get back to me once they realized I wasn't talking about the first set of notes that I already got from them.

ATIP has been extremely nice to me though, the 2 times I have tried to order GCMS notes or follow up on my query.

 

[ddobro2]

Oh I'm not saying they haven't been "nice." The one time I got through and talked to someone when I first ordered notes, she was very helpful. I just don't know why they're ignoring my email this time.

ATIP has been extremely nice to me though, the 2 times I have tried to order GCMS notes or follow up on my query.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Are Buffalo staffs on vacation as they no long respond to email inquires? ATIP has one of the best customer service despite they are now experiencing backlog now. FBI check too seen to have increase too from 4weeks to 8weeks. Just not too sure about why almost all the government offices are having backlog lately. How helpful is your MP? Trying to contact MP but endup with the MP assistant yet no update. Not sure if immigration is now a way of putting peoples life on hold despite all the fees, energy and time.

I'm fairly certain the staff at Buffalo are on a perpetual vacation!

8 weeks for the FBI check? I think that's actually better than it was last winter when I got mine. I'm fairly certain they were quoting at least 12 weeks at the time. Took around that for me to get mine.

As for the MP, we too went through the assistant. She tried to be nice and helpful, not that she did much for us other than get a supposed update from Buffalo. She refused to push for treatment of my file, since it's within the 11 mth timeframe. Depends on your MP and how helpful they are. Ours is newly elected (he's also 19! eek!) and trying to garner support still.

I think I'm going to go email ATIP about my GCMS notes and see if they're delayed because of backlog. I'd rather know now than later.

 

[ddobro2]

I can't speak for the FBI but it makes sense that if the step 1 processing time doubles from just this May, and thus the VOs do not receive the files until an additional month later, and thus cannot begin "working" ( :) on the files until a month or more later, that certainly puts them under pressure to try to maintain step 2 processing times (which, by the way, after having been updated in late October, have mysteriously reverted to their July update: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp).

Perhaps the word is getting around that e-cas is not to be trusted and more people are ordering notes. That coupled with the fact that since June, CPCM has been publishing file numbers on sponsorship approvals, perhaps with the intention of taking some of the stress off of VOs getting inquiries about file numbers, I don't know.....but anyway, theoretically makes it possible for more people to order notes as they have their file numbers sooner. So that appears to me to be a cascade effect onto the ATIP office, and hence the delays.

On the other hand, assuming those emails about needing more time were in error, there's nothing to say that there actually are delays/backloggs at ATIP. I think people are still getting them at around the 30 day mark and I've always heard that the wait has been 30 days. I don't have any evidence that it's been significantly shorter before, unlike with the step 1 approval, which is obvious from looking at the spreadsheet data for "received" and "transferred to Buffalo," beginning with moochops, that it has doubled in duration.

Are Buffalo staffs on vacation as they no long respond to email inquires? ATIP has one of the best customer service despite they are now experiencing backlog now. FBI check too seen to have increase too from 4weeks to 8weeks. Just not too sure about why almost all the government offices are having backlog lately. How helpful is your MP? Trying to contact MP but endup with the MP assistant yet no update. Not sure if immigration is now a way of putting peoples life on hold despite all the fees, energy and time.

 

[Eddy070]

I'm fairly certain the staff at Buffalo are on a perpetual vacation!

8 weeks for the FBI check? I think that's actually better than it was last winter when I got mine. I'm fairly certain they were quoting at least 12 weeks at the time. Took around that for me to get mine.

As for the MP, we too went through the assistant. She tried to be nice and helpful, not that she did much for us other than get a supposed update from Buffalo. She refused to push for treatment of my file, since it's within the 11 mth timeframe. Depends on your MP and how helpful they are. Ours is newly elected (he's also 19! eek!) and trying to garner support still.

I think I'm going to go email ATIP about my GCMS notes and see if they're delayed because of backlog. I'd rather know now than later.

Just finishing calling both ATIP and FBI office for our second set of notes n Fbi check only to hear that backlog scrap. Anyways the MP assistant did nothing but just only signing the 11months waiting time. We would have been more happy if he will do a followup and get some update from Buffalo yet we never had from him. It not just getting easy as Christmas is just about 45days away lol.