Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[mmshock]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

My application is set to arrive in Buffalo very, very soon. In fact, I'd be shocked if it hasn't already. (They were several days late updating my ecas for sponsorship so I'm not expecting much different in regards to its arrival update)

I am leaving my current country of residence for good to head back to the US and travel a bit in early July. If AORs are taking so long, I'm guessing to play it safe I should probably change over to my parents address? If they try to mail it to me here in the Caribbean even mid June, I won't receive it before I go. Can changing your address slow down the process? (i guess i gotta do it anyway....)

Mneah.

 

[Rinnerz]

@sparkle:

Ines is done!

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/interview-passed-buffalo-t71555.0.html

Oh, and to clarify... since I just noticed this entered in my note on the spreadsheet, I never had an RCMP certificate. I never needed one. The RCMP name check that my CAIPS notes refer to is just a NAME check (no fingerprints, no certificate from me) that Buffalo themselves do. They request it from RCMP themselves, internally. It's just that the results aren't recorded anywhere in my notes. So it's not a lost certificate, as my spreadsheet note seems to say.

 

[shelleydalyce]

Just curious as to how some people can be in process already when those who applied beforehand have not moved from application received yet? Seems weird.

 

[ddobro2]

Congrats!

Ecas finally updated today!!! Application received in Buffalo on May 6th, 2011....so happy....

 

[ddobro2]

This is really helpful, doctorkb. Now that I read how you desribed AOR goes, I'm starting to worry. I did figure it came consistently one month after the application was sent (or is that the sponsorship approval? or is it both?). I mean, I have the verification they have it according to the Canada Post tracking (application was sent from within country), so if it really is when they get it and not when they start looking at it/working on it, maybe I should have gotten my AOR by now? I signed up for e-cas tracker at https://ecas.carroll.org.uk, by the way. Assuming the AOR would come by email, I don't think I've spotted anything from CIC in mine.

I had the same issue with the alphabet soup to start with. Here's the basic order things go in for us:

AOR - Acknowledgement of Receipt (until ~Mar 1, Buffalo was sending these when they started working on the file. Since ~Mar 1, they started sending them when the file was received in their office)

IA - Initial Assessment. Describes whether additional documents are required (or not) and whether they are going to want an interview (or not). Sometimes the IA is not sent and you go straight from AOR to PPR.

PPR - Passport Request. Buffalo treats this as virtually the last step. If they request your passport, you're almost guaranteed the visa. Other embassies do it earlier in the process.

COPR - Confirmation of Permanent Residency. Sent with the stamped passport after PPR. The COPR is necessary for landing and is endorsed by the landing immigration officer (IO) at the point of landing. This serves as proof to government agencies that you are a permanent resident between the time you land and when you get your PR card.

 

[ddobro2]

Oh God, Acknowledgement of Receipt refers to Buffalo, doesn't it? I think I just made myself look like an idiot again by thinking it referred to Mississauga/CIC. But seriously, do I get an email from them (CIC) or is the next thing I get from them a snail mail letter approving my husband as sponsor?

This is really helpful, doctorkb. Now that I read how you desribed AOR goes, I'm starting to worry. I did figure it came consistently one month after the application was sent (or is that the sponsorship approval? or is it both?). I mean, I have the verification they have it according to the Canada Post tracking (application was sent from within country), so if it really is when they get it and not when they start looking at it/working on it, maybe I should have gotten my AOR by now? I signed up for e-cas tracker at https://ecas.carroll.org.uk, by the way. Assuming the AOR would come by email, I don't think I've spotted anything from CIC in mine.

 

[mrswolfe]

Oh God, Acknowledgement of Receipt refers to Buffalo, doesn't it? I think I just made myself look like an idiot again by thinking it referred to Mississauga/CIC. But seriously, do I get an email from them (CIC) or is the next thing I get from them a snail mail letter approving my husband as sponsor?

Your husband will receive either an email or a letter approving him as your sponsor. It seems like the turnaround is a month after your application was received by Miss-CIC =)

 

[doctorkb]

Oh God, Acknowledgement of Receipt refers to Buffalo, doesn't it? I think I just made myself look like an idiot again by thinking it referred to Mississauga/CIC. But seriously, do I get an email from them (CIC) or is the next thing I get from them a snail mail letter approving my husband as sponsor?

It's ok. We all have looked like idiots on here!

Few of us are professionals -- that's why we're here. We (mostly) have filed it on our own, without a consultant or lawyer. You've got to learn somehow!

Looking at your timeline, I'd suggest that the next thing you'll receive is either a notification from the eCas Tracker that your file is "active" and the sponsorship has had a "decision made." e-Cas doesn't tell you what that decision is, and I haven't heard of Mississauga sending e-mails yet... so you'll likely get snail mail from them approving the sponsorship.

Within a couple weeks of the date of that letter, the AOR will be completed. There has been some differing thoughts -- Buffalo will either update e-Cas (and not send you anything until they actually start working on the file), or they will send you an actual AOR. It's not clear which of those they've switched to -- nor if they've switched to one format consistently.

At the moment, Buffalo seems to be opening files about 11-12 weeks after they were transferred to them. (In the old process, this meant an AOR would be sent about 12-13 weeks after the sponsorship was approved). An IA *may* follow within a month or so after the AOR.

I'd suggest looking at http://www.trackitt.com/canada-immigration-trackers/family-class as well as Sparkle's timeline spreadsheet. It would be REALLY nice if everyone on Sparkle's timeline could update over on trackitt as well -- that way there would be some more accurate "averages" for the timeline processing...

 

[ddobro2]

Thanks mrswolfe and doctorkb! And I'll check out the trackitt page.

 

[ocu_canadian]

Everyone one here talking about AOR's forces me to ask this question. What is the most common turnaround from Missisauga approving my sponsorship to my wife getting her AOR. I was approved as her sponsor on February 8th 2011, and havn't heard anything yet. I tried emailing Buffalo just asking if they have our application I don't get a response. I went to my local MP the other day and was told that they have no jurisdiction with any cases processed outside the country. I know it's a long process I would just like to know they have our application so we don't worry that perhaps it was lost or whatever. Any help would be great. Thanks!

 

[Morena]

Everyone one here talking about AOR's forces me to ask this question. What is the most common turnaround from Missisauga approving my sponsorship to my wife getting her AOR. I was approved as her sponsor on February 8th 2011, and havn't heard anything yet. I tried emailing Buffalo just asking if they have our application I don't get a response. I went to my local MP the other day and was told that they have no jurisdiction with any cases processed outside the country. I know it's a long process I would just like to know they have our application so we don't worry that perhaps it was lost or whatever. Any help would be great. Thanks!

Did your Ecas status change to application received? If this happen, then buffalo got your application. But they didn't open it yet to start working on it.

 

[doctorkb]

Everyone one here talking about AOR's forces me to ask this question. What is the most common turnaround from Missisauga approving my sponsorship to my wife getting her AOR. I was approved as her sponsor on February 8th 2011, and havn't heard anything yet. I tried emailing Buffalo just asking if they have our application I don't get a response. I went to my local MP the other day and was told that they have no jurisdiction with any cases processed outside the country. I know it's a long process I would just like to know they have our application so we don't worry that perhaps it was lost or whatever. Any help would be great. Thanks!

You're right around the same time as us.

Mississauga approved the sponsorship Feb 3.
e-Cas was updated ~May 2 to note that Buffalo had received the file on Feb 9.
the AOR was sent by e-mail Apr 29.

You may consider checking your spam box. It seems a lot of the embassy mail is showing up as spam for people.

 

[Salsalvr]

Followup on FBI Certificate

Hello everyone,

I actually didn't call the FBI, because a fingerprinter I talked to told me they didn't keep the cards readily for reuse (also on the website, it said they wouldn't reuse a card) so I went ahead and sent in the fingerprints and application form again.

I'm hoping the expired certificate won't be a problem as it wasn't with Scylla but I don't want to take any chances.

Is it a good idea to just send in the FBI certificate to the Buffalo office when I get it, or should I wait for them to request it. I ordered an extra couple of letters, so losing one would be fine.

If I don't get the new FBI certificate before they start processing my application, they won't return it to me will they? Has this happened to anyone.

Thanks

 

[pdb1]

Hello Everyone!

I am a British citizen living in the US on L1 Visa for the last 4 years. I am married to a Canadian. We just applied for my PR on May 2nd. The processing time shown on CIC website is 1 month in Mississauga and then 11 months in Buffalo. This means it will take nearly a year to get my PR. I have couple of questions:

1) Is this the average processing time or is there any way of making this faster?
2) I am confused about the E-Cas process. Can someone explain to me when we can get the online process working? I just tried to register but it does not allow me to do so?

Thank you for your help in advance

 

[scylla]

1) The 11 months is not an average. This is how long it took to complete processing for 80% of applications last year. Unfortunately the average is not published. But many of us have gotten through the process much faster (e.g. four months total for my husband).

2) You likely won't be able to log into ECAS until your file has been forwarded to Buffalo and you have received your ID number by mail.