Reading the thread to scope out some opinion on whether the good folk at Buffalo would be working on our applications next week, even if for a part week.
So far, it seems that only one person touched on that musing and figured, 'no'. Is there a way for us to find out? Be it far from me to crack a whip over someone who's horribly overworked (and lets face it, they totally are - Canada takes in quite a few applications for permanent residency for the workforce it assigns to such a role), and yet I am morbidly curious to find out if there will be any people pressing pen to paper, so to speak.
I truly wish that there were more Visa Officers that would post in the forums. I have enjoyed reading what I have from the "other side of the fence" to this point. The picture that seems to be painted is a cube farm, with people having their own work lists busily hacking away at them. They have many different things going at any given time and the weight and responsibility is heavy on their shoulders. Sure, you have the miscreants. There are always a few of those in any office. However, from what I understand of it we are just each dealing with an overworked person slogging through endless paperwork going, "Geez, I hope my decision on this one is accurate!" Mainly good folk trying to do the best job they can under the circumstances.
My career has had jobs like that. Oh, not Government. I have been a work list manager in a few bureaucratic private companies. Constantly overworked in each of them, even during quieter times.
The one company would give each person of my position 20 cases to work on each day during "busy season" even though we could sincerely process only about 12 to 15 a day. They did not have/chose not to have the budget to hire more folk and so the people of my community had to be quite Hm... creative in how they cared for the overwhelming caseload.
Some of us would just hardline. They would have the "NO!" stamps out and so would be able to minimize their work load that way. Some would avoid work via nefarious means. These were the miscreants. They would figure out ways to divert their responsibilities to their fellow workers, or otherwise figure out how to NOT work.
Others, like me, would spend as little time as possible actually TALKING to the folks that I was helping. I would be ever so diligent doing the DO of the work, but I really had little to no love of folk who would constantly call/write/email/fax me. I would be as polite as pie, ab so lute ly, but at the same time I was thinking, "I HAVE ANOTHER 19 FOLK TODAY THAT I HAVE TO HELP: DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?" lol. Call me "Buffalo" to some degree. heh. I have no issues with folk who need to know, to contact, etc, by the way. Don't think I'm pointing. Just sharing what was happening in my life at the time.
Others would not know how to handle their work lists. Folk would languish for weeks, months even, until "busy season" was over, sometimes literally forgotten for that amount of time. Because we were so strapped for working people, we'd just let those folk deal with their lists as best they could. Folk who could dispatch their loads helped those who struggled (except for those that deliberately did as little work as possible). Burned out the more efficient folk, I tell you! That job, although QUITE challenging, was rewarding too. Pay was crap for what I did, but it was edifying. During "busy season" we would all dream of "slower season" where we could spend time with the people we were helping. During "slow season" I did not feel as pushed to rush folk off the phone and I would write 'personable' emails to them, would go into length with faxed requests, etc. I had a space more breathing room and so would take the time to really connect with my clientele.
Buffalo does not have 'slow season'. They seem to have busy, busier, busiest. Again, would LOVE to hear from some of the Immigration Officers from their perspective. Would love to see what they see, so to speak. I'm willing to bet that the scenario I have just played with would be fairly accurate.
To those who celebrate it: Merry Christmas! To those who don't : HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ANYWAY. ^^
