Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[GOGOGO]

Congratulations! So apparently your file was transferred to Detroit.

Every VO has 'slightly' different procedure than others, so just follow your PPR instruction would be fine.

If you need them to send the document back to you at an address other than what you provided in the application, you may want to include a cover letter mentioning that. You're going to provide a self-addressed pre-paid envelope anyway so you should be covered.

Hi,

My version of PPR looks like this. It does not include "To be completed and returned with your passports"


"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) to the Consulate General of Canada in Detroit within the next 90 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 in Detroit within the next 90 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.


Two (2) recent photographs of yourself and each accompanying family member are also required.

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


Please advise do I need to send the "To be completed and returned with your passports" part with my passport.

To be completed and returned with your passports

FILE NUMBER : : Bnnnnnnnnn-T/Fnnnnnnnnn-T/XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX

Permanent Resident Visa Authorization–

I agree that the permanent resident visa will be affixed to my passport and dependents' passports, if applicable.

My Permanent Resident visa will be mailed to _________________________________

(your name or authorized individual) at the following address:
Street Address:__________________________________________________
Suite/Apt #:_____________________________________________________
City:___________________________________________________________
Province/State: __________________________________________________
Zip/Postal Code: ________________________________________________
Phone #: _______________________________________________________
Fax #: _________________________________________________________
Email address: __________________________________________________
Applicants' Signature: ____________________________Date_______________

Please indicate height and eye colour for yourself and all accompanying family members below:

Eye colour choices include: Blue, Green, Grey, Black, Brown, Hazel or Other

Name:___________________________ Date of Birth_________________
Height: ______cm or ________feet _______inches eye colour________

(repeat 5 more times)

 

[GOGOGO]

General consent was, satellite offices process applications faster than Buffalo, probably because they have less applications to handle. However, it's difficult to tell now as we don't know what are the impacts caused by the close down of Buffalo office. It's not just NY but other satellites too I guess, as I think they probably will distribute outstanding applications from Buffalo to all the US officers to balance the workload.

Does anyone know what the processing times are like for NY office? Or have any idea of what type of process takes place as far as how our files will be handled once transferred over? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Jenny parsely]

Hi GOGOGO,

Thanks for the reply. I have 2 same size US EXPRESS MAIL flat rate mailing envelop( white envelop with blue fonts). How do I send the prepaid envelop along with my Passport envelop? Do I have to fold it?

Please advise

 

[mattrox10]

Only 5481 for spousal sponsorship. All spousal sponsorship outland application forms should be under http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp

Note: 1283 is for 'Family Class: Other eligible relatives'

thank you I appreciate the response!

 

[parker24]

General consent was, satellite offices process applications faster than Buffalo, probably because they have less applications to handle. However, it's difficult to tell now as we don't know what are the impacts caused by the close down of Buffalo office. It's not just NY but other satellites too I guess, as I think they probably will distribute outstanding applications from Buffalo to all the US officers to balance the workload.

That's what I'm curious about as well (and annoyed about) Where do the ones that are sitting there go? Or the ones that are sitting in CIC-M waiting to go there...

 

[OhCanadiana]

That's what I'm curious about as well (and annoyed about) Where do the ones that are sitting there go? Or the ones that are sitting in CIC-M waiting to go there...

Buffalo currently acts as the US regional processing centre, does security and background checks for everyone, and distributes about half of the family class applications to other visa offices for them to process. Sounds like they'll be moving this function to NYC so there's bound to be a bit of an adjustment as new folks take over (or existing personnel moves ... we all know moving isn't easy!)

A few thoughts:
- There are 6 Canadian hires in Buffalo and 45 or so local hires (covering all visas). It is unlikely that CIC would relocate local hires and hiring new folks in NYC is likely much more expensive than in Buffalo.
- Therefore, it is likely that US applications will be facing a learning curve for the management of applications and distribution to other visa offices.
- Depending on how many of the 45 local hires they replace (or not) and whether they leverage other processing centers (e.g., Ottawa), given that Buffalo processes 50% of the outland US applications, eliminating Buffalo could have a major impact on timing.
- The other visa offices have been pretty quick in processing applications ... the question is will their workload double or who will handle the 50% of apps that Buffalo handled.

The folks that are already in process in Buffalo are probably ok since even when files get transferred the priority is intact. The higher you are in the queue the better off you are since fewer applications may slip in above you. In all likelihood, going forward, however, the timing is bound to increase (sadly, enough).

I hope they keep Buffalo open long enough to clear out some of the family class applications instead of transferring them.

 

[OhCanadiana]

I need your help, folks!

I was thinking we could take the opportunity to start a new US thread since this thread is getting pretty long and can be slow to load and I can already see the confusion as new folks join in who don't know the history of Buffalo vs. NY, and all the changes etc. I started pulling an intro post together with links to posts that could serve as a good intro, FAQs, and place to get links to (or point folks to). I'd really appreciate your thoughts on other info that should be included so I can edit it while editing is still open.

Draft intro post below:

Welcome to the thread for US family class applicants

Now that Buffalo, the prior regional program centre for the US (which also processed ~50% of the applications) is closing and transferring functions to New York I thought it would make sense to start a new thread and use the opportunity to kick-us off with a list of posts that address FAQs –

Application and processing times
The family class application (from CIC with links to each form and instructions that walk you through each question)
Processing times (from CIC)
Spreadsheet of Buffalo applicants (managed by GOGOGO)

Visiting your spouse in Canada
GOGOGO's experience
What is working vs. volunteering? (from CIC)

Landing
What documents you need (by OhCanadiana)
Landing walking across the Rainbow Bridge (by bbiery)

Importing goods duty free
How to import your goods duty free as a settler (or returning Canadian): The B4/B4A story (OhCanadiana's post). You'll need a B4 and likely at least one B4A form and one or more B4A forms.
Detailed instructions on the B4/B4A from CBSA are at BSF5113 and at BSF5087 .

Importing your vehicle – step by step guide
Process to importing your car (by OhCanadiana)
Items to consider as you decide when to import your car (by OhCanadiana)

The prior Buffalo thread has a wealth of information ... let's keep the tradition going in here!

Welcome and good luck!

*** Folks – please chime in with additional posts that should get added in either here, in the Buffalo thread or via PM. Thanks ***

Really appreciate your thoughts and input

 

[ELOH]

like so many others, we have waited so long already. How can we not be discouraged by the news of the buffalo office closing. Timelines are bound to increase???

 

[GOGOGO]

I think it's a very good idea. How about:

- CIC call center and links to VO contacts
- how to order GCMS notes
- interview questions and experience sharings

As a matter of fact, I won't be able to manage the Buffalo spreadsheet anymore. I've just got a job (starting on Monday) which requires some travelling, so my time here will be reduced dramatically. g-man (MANY THANKS!) will take over the spreadsheet updating, and he may recruit other people for help if needed in the future.

I was thinking we could take the opportunity to start a new US thread

 

[Kiri]

...so reading all this, I can't help but wonder.. what's going to happen to my application that's only been in Mississauga a week and my medical that's already stating Buffalo as the office? Will they transfer it elsewhere, or does it go to NYC? ...does this mean it may very well take longer than 11 months and my extension may not be enough? ;

 

[parker24]

...so reading all this, I can't help but wonder.. what's going to happen to my application that's only been in Mississauga a week and my medical that's already stating Buffalo as the office? Will they transfer it elsewhere, or does it go to NYC? ...does this mean it may very well take longer than 11 months and my extension may not be enough? ;

That's exactly my concerns too!!! ???

 

[computergeek]

If Buffalo did all of the pre-processing of the applications and 50% of the total processing, it would seem that in the best possible scenario one would expect to observe a doubling of processing time after they've worked through the switch-over. I cannot imagine how moving thousands of files from Buffalo to NYC and then reprocessed to be done in less than 3 months to be anything other than incredible optimism.

So my expectation is that it would be at least a doubling of the normal processing time plus 3 months for the dust to settle. This shouldn't impact applications already transferred, but it would reasonably impact any in-process Buffalo files.

At least it shouldn't affect first-stage approval (now sitting at 90 days). But it does mean that the inland versus outland sponsorship processing choice may not be as clear-cut as it has been in the past (ergo, it could be 3 months + 25 months now for outland, assuming a doubling of the 80% time and an extra 3 months for the dust settling, versus the 11+8 months for inland sponsorship.)

Hopefully I'm being overly pessimistic.

 

[Kiri]

(ergo, it could be 3 months + 25 months now for outland, assuming a doubling of the 80% time and an extra 3 months for the dust settling, versus the 11+8 months for inland sponsorship.)

You've got to be kidding me... this really affects peoples lives and plans. This really pisses me off to be blunt.

 

[tavora]

So my expectation is that it would be at least a doubling of the normal processing time plus 3 months for the dust to settle. This shouldn't impact applications already transferred, but it would reasonably impact any in-process Buffalo files.

At least it shouldn't affect first-stage approval (now sitting at 90 days). But it does mean that the inland versus outland sponsorship processing choice may not be as clear-cut as it has been in the past (ergo, it could be 3 months + 25 months now for outland, assuming a doubling of the 80% time and an extra 3 months for the dust settling, versus the 11+8 months for inland sponsorship.)

Hopefully I'm being overly pessimistic.

I can't fault your logic on this one, but it makes me want to cry to think that this is a distinct possibility .. I had prepared myself for the process to take a year, but if it doubles the processing times .. I don't know what we'll do.

 

[Kiri]

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/canada-closing-buffalo-consulate-how-will-it-affect-immigration-applications-t106023.0.html

Read that.. saw that it seems Buffalo has been transferring lots of files? Maybe that's what will happen when the ones currently in Mississauga get to NYC? They'll get transferred out right away, or even just sent elsewhere?