Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[AmericaninQuebec]

Another week begins!

Six business days left (including today) until the official policy change-over date for visa counterfoils. Who will fall on what side of the switch? Hmmm.

Praying for everyone that we squeeze out a couple more PPR's before the holiday. Positive vibes, awaaaaay!

Part of me would love to get my PPR right now, the other part would prefer to have notice Dec. 1st or after since it sounds like the process will become easier. Either way, I just really really really want it before the new year. I want to start 2012 as a PR! Please Santa, make my Christmas wish come true!

 

[ddobro2]

I was considering the same possibility several months back but I think the truth lies in what you mentioned, that not everyone flocks to this forum as soon as they mail off their application, and even if they do, they do not post on this thread. I have seen people doing Family Class through Buffalo on seperate threads and they have not come here to post, which is fine but that's the only way I add them. You will see people continuously come here that have applied after March but they are just now posting, so you'll see those rows after March get longer and longer in the spreadsheet. I don't know about any cyclical/season trend to filing the applications, but it's an interesting question.

Judging by the looks of the Buffalo spreadsheet it looks like the number of applicants through buffalo is declining in the last few months as compared to the spring/summer months..unless there are a bunch of applicants who are not on this forum...let's hope that is not the case! Do you guys think there is a reason that there are less applicants now? Has less applicants in the winter months been the general trend in the last few years? Hopefully less applications that the Buffalo office has to deal with will mean faster processing for the newer applicants and also allow them to catch up on the older apps!

 

[ddobro2]

My logic tells me that with the continuing problems with the U.S. economy, the applications (including from the FC stream) are becoming more, not less. Take the Can-Am couples here who have been together for awhile, choosing to live in the U.S. in past years. They now have a very good reason, with the relatively more healthy looking Canadian economy, as well as the opportunity, to move to Canada. No, this doesn't describe every case on this thread - there are plenty of people who are newlyweds and waiting to join Canadian spouses when they get their visas, but for the kinds of couples I mentioned, who are close to retiring, they would certainly have a good incentive, I think, to file a PR app now than in previous years.

Actually just took a closer look at the spreadsheet and looks like there are much more apps in 2010 than 2011 in general. There were actually many many apps in the winter months in 2010, and only like 1-2 a month for the last few months of 2011...hmmmm....wish they would publish the actual numbers as they come in on the CIC website!

 

[Timemachine]

I agree with you completely, which is why it seemed weird that the trend seems to be less applicants, but you're probably right about people just simply not being on this forum/thread yet. I hope those people find us soon, it's been so helpful, I would be so lost trying to do this all on my own!

 

[parceromiguel]

How's everyone doing today?

I would like to ask a question of topic.
What does it mean when the status on e-cas (cic web site "check application status") change?

It used to say something as "We have received your application for Permanent Resident on .......".
Now it has added "we have received your medical exams".

Why would it say this even though I had sent my medical exams with the application. The medical exams were in the application from the beginning.

Thank you in advance.

 

[AW2011]

Wishing everybody a very Happy American Thanksgiving!
Have been wondering if anyone gets PPR from Buffalo while Ecase just show "Application Received" and "Medical Results Have Been Received" 2 lines only, no "In Progress" shown?

 

[yooper]

...What does it mean when the status on e-cas (cic web site "check application status") change?

It used to say something as "We have received your application for Permanent Resident on .......".
Now it has added "we have received your medical exams".

Why would it say this even though I had sent my medical exams with the application. The medical exams were in the application from the beginning.
...

Same thing happened to me -- I'm an outland USA applicant.

I believe that it means that the Buffalo visa office has received the medical report from the mothership, and its received in your file in Buffalo.

My medicals also went in with the app. But that of course was only the 'stub', not the report. The report is sent directly by the DPM to CIC.

 

[ddobro2]

You didn't send your medical exams with the application, you sent Appendix C at the end of the the region specific instruction form for Latin America (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3908e.pd) which your DMP signed. The actual medical results were sent from the DMP that conducted the tests to Ottawa Regional Medical Office (unless Bogota has theirs go to the Port of Spain medical office, I don't know...), and Bogota received them from Ottawa once they requested them. As far as what e-cas status changes mean or what prompts them to me, it's kind of like the million dollar question. You can certainly read their list of FAQs for e-CAS (https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/redir.do?redir=faq_ecas&lang=en&app=ecas) or read the tables that are at the bottom of the screen when you log in to e-cas, but the point is that you should not treat it as representative of where your application is at that given point in time because it's not. Posting in the Bogota thread will give you a better idea of how that VO processed apps, as well.

How's everyone doing today?

I would like to ask a question of topic.
What does it mean when the status on e-cas (cic web site "check application status") change?

It used to say something as "We have received your application for Permanent Resident on .......".
Now it has added "we have received your medical exams".

Why would it say this even though I had sent my medical exams with the application. The medical exams were in the application from the beginning.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ddobro2]

I've heard of plenty of people having that occur. You just never know.

Wishing everybody a very Happy American Thanksgiving!
Have been wondering if anyone gets PPR from Buffalo while Ecase just show "Application Received" and "Medical Results Have Been Received" 2 lines only, no "In Progress" shown?

 

[parceromiguel]

You didn't send your medical exams with the application, you sent Appendix C at the end of the the region specific instruction form for Latin America (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3908e.pd) which your DMP signed. The actual medical results were sent from the DMP that conducted the tests to Ottawa Regional Medical Office (unless Bogota has theirs go to the Port of Spain medical office, I don't know...), and Bogota received them from Ottawa once they requested them. As far as what e-cas status changes mean or what prompts them to me, it's kind of like the million dollar question. You can certainly read their list of FAQs for e-CAS (https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/redir.do?redir=faq_ecas&lang=en&app=ecas) or read the tables that are at the bottom of the screen when you log in to e-cas, but the point is that you should not treat it as representative of where your application is at that given point in time because it's not. Posting in the Bogota thread will give you a better idea of how that VO processed apps, as well.

Thank you for your response.

I am not sure how to use this forum. Could you guide me on to the Bogota Thread.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply back so quickly.

Thank you again.

 

[AW2011]

I've heard of plenty of people having that occur. You just never know.

Thank you ddobro2!
We sent our file to CIC Mississauga early June and got Buffalo's AOR late August. So far, there's nothing yet. Just the "Application Received" and "Medical Results Have Been Received" 2 lines. Wondering if it's too early to send file inquiry e-mail to Buffalo? Or is it no news is good news for now?

 

[ddobro2]

I don't blame you for asking here because apparently.....there isn't a "Bogota thread." Weird, as besides us here, POS, Kingston, and a few other North American VOs have major threads here (I'm talking about where people continuously come back to post updates) and New Delhi and Manila actually have a few threads. I did a search for Bogota and this was the best I was able to find: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t81322.0.html. Obviously, you can start a thread for Bogota yourself and hopefully a lot of people can congregate there. Good luck.

Thank you for your response.

I am not sure how to use this forum. Could you guide me on to the Bogota Thread.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply back so quickly.

Thank you again.

 

[ddobro2]

Sure, no problem. Same for me. I got my second "ghost" e-cas tracker update about medicals being received over the weekend. I really think you will not be able to get anything out of Buffalo short of a form letter type response from their email response team after the AOR (you can certainly try though). I think GCMS is your best bet, although even that process is not perfect. :-\
It'll come, just hang in there and happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you ddobro2!
We sent our file to CIC Mississauga early June and got Buffalo's AOR late August. So far, there's nothing yet. Just the "Application Received" and "Medical Results Have Been Received" 2 lines. Wondering if it's too early to send file inquiry e-mail to Buffalo? Or is it no news is good news for now?

 

[AW2011]

Sure, no problem. Same for me. I got my second "ghost" e-cas tracker update about medicals being received over the weekend. I really think you will not be able to get anything out of Buffalo short of a form letter type response from their email response team after the AOR (you can certainly try though). I think GCMS is your best bet, although even that process is not perfect. :-\
It'll come, just hang in there and happy Thanksgiving.

I just wish they would update your Ecase right away when additional documents or interview are requested. I got worried reading people missing VO letters/emails and even PPR request. There's no way to know any of those requests are missed. I'll give it till Christmas then order GCMS. Thank you all and hope the turkey brings us all luck.

 

[mjh49783aa]

Yay! E-CAS now shows a change in my status!

My application has now been 'in process' since November 11th!