Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[kayan]

My guess is because all the files sit in a nice dusty pile in some back room and they only pull them out to work on them when the clock tells them to.

;D

 

[ksd2210]

I contacted my MP's office yesterday and the lady I spoke with said she would look into my case..she said Buffalo would likely get back to her tomorrow (she told me Immigration has to respond to an MP's office within a day. Not sure if that's true, but it's a heck of a lot better than me emailing Buffalo and never receiving responses back). Anyhow, francohoosier, she says she will get back to me likely tomorrow and when I have her on the phone, I will ask what that means!! It sounds like your case is moving forward at least!!

 

[prophet3]

my address has disappeared too for some reason, I wonder why? It is very stressful, but try not to think about it.thanks guys for support and info, it helps.

 

[chess101]

Just giving everyone a quick update.
Still no PPR, it's almost september which is gonna make the 13 month mark.

 

[navigator4309]

Greetings all -

I know the wait is excruciating, and I know it's hard to hear about people who are finally moving through (at least it was for me), but I thought I could share my own experience landing today and perhaps it will be helpful for someone else, as a few points stressed me - so if I can help alleviate that stress for someone else, that would be nice.

As I'm already living in Canada while in law school, I drove from the Toronto area today to Buffalo to pick up my visa. I arrived at 8:15, submitted my paperwork by 8:30 (the two photographs, my height/eye colour word document, and a copy of my PPR request e-mail), and then waited... and waited... and waited... I was called up at 11:30. They asked me to check to make sure everything printed was correct before leaving. It was, so I left. I mentioned I would be landing the same day, and was not instructed to wait any amount of time, but I did hang around for three hours as others have mentioned they did the same.

At 2:45, I crossed at Rainbow Bridge (barely any traffic!) in Niagara Falls. I told the border agent that I was landing and he directed me to the building. I waited a few minutes, and then was helped. She took my passport and confirmation of PR document and said she just needed to place a call to my husband to confirm that he knew I was landing (he was working today, so I just drove down). The problem - though I doubt for most of the world it will be - is that he just moved to Toronto to start a job and is cell-phone less; worse, he has no direct work number and is working in court all day and thus unable to be reached easily. Naturally, given my ability to fret, I became the guy standing there picturing how I would be denied entry into Canada and imagined stranded in America - on the wrong side of my home, things, and husband. She started to ask a few questions about his job, how we met, etc. and I guess she decided I was genuine enough because she started processing things and didn't continue to pursue trying to contact him. Since my belongings are already in Canada, they didn't even ask for a list, and she said that for those already in Canada, it's not necessary to bother. So I literally initialled here and here, signed here and here, and I was finished. She handed me the document and said, alright; you're finished; welcome home sir! After the whole wait; it was almost underwhelming, but then it sank in as I left the building and realized that I was now legally and technically in my "permanent", rather than "temporary" home.

One note: it takes 40 days to receive your PR card. I have to go to Colorado for my sister's wedding next week, and so I asked how to travel since I wouldn't have my PR card, as CIC's official policy is that you require a travel document to re-enter without a PR card. She told me that if travelling by car or boat, the confirmation of PR they staple in your passport is sufficient; if by air, she said to enter simply as a "visitor" as the US is visa-exempt and thus there is no need for the document. As she keenly pointed out, "why would we require CANADIAN permanent residents to have documentation that we DON'T require NON-RESIDENTS to have?" That made sense, even in light of the contradictory official policy online.

And so - with that, here I am: home.

It really will come, and it's almost seamless when it does; I'm rooting for everyone!

 

[Calgary-Bound]

Hi

Did you ask them whether you can tell me if you have received my medicals or not?

I asked them if they had been recieved because mine and my sons was done in different states.

 

[francohoosier]

I contacted my MP's office yesterday and the lady I spoke with said she would look into my case..she said Buffalo would likely get back to her tomorrow (she told me Immigration has to respond to an MP's office within a day. Not sure if that's true, but it's a heck of a lot better than me emailing Buffalo and never receiving responses back). Anyhow, francohoosier, she says she will get back to me likely tomorrow and when I have her on the phone, I will ask what that means!! It sounds like your case is moving forward at least!!

Do keep us posted on how that goes! I would say my case is moving more sideways than forward amidst all the ghost e-cas updates I've gotten and being transferred to New York. @_@

The real challenge now is how to get a new work permit so I can continue to stay here in the meantime (my current permit expires Sept.19th and isn't renewable). I've posted a few times in the Temp. Workers forum but not a single person has ever replied! (Aka I'll take any hints and tips you can offer! )

 

[ddobro2]

chess101 : Boo :'( Your MP needs to get on this...

navigator4309 : Yay! Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations ;D

 

[Kaycee1]

Do keep us posted on how that goes! I would say my case is moving more sideways than forward amidst all the ghost e-cas updates I've gotten and being transferred to New York. @ _ @

The real challenge now is how to get a new work permit so I can continue to stay here in the meantime (my current permit expires Sept.19th and isn't renewable). I've posted a few times in the Temp. Workers forum but not a single person has ever replied! (Aka I'll take any hints and tips you can offer! )

I believe the only way you can get a new work permit is to do all the same things over again- LMO, job offer, etc. But you could apply for a visitor's permit to extend your stay - you wouldn't be able to work but at least could stay in Canada until the PR is processed

 

[Kess]

Just giving everyone a quick update.
Still no PPR, it's almost september which is gonna make the 13 month mark.

Ugh that sucks. Have you sent any case specific enquiries or contacted your MP lately?

 

[francohoosier]

I believe the only way you can get a new work permit is to do all the same things over again- LMO, job offer, etc. But you could apply for a visitor's permit to extend your stay - you wouldn't be able to work but at least could stay in Canada until the PR is processed

That's what I'm trying to do is weave my way through the whole LMO, job offer etc bit. I've been trying to figure out if I qualify for an LMO exemption but no one seems to be able to give me a straight answer. I have a CSQ from my PR app already, and I know that at the very least this exempts me from the advertising/recruitment requirement of the LMO app, but I'm not sure if I can get by without an LMO alltogether or not because (in my logic at least) the CSQ is proof that my province has selected me for PR, and persons nominated by their province with a job offer in the same province are LMO exempt. My only worry is that perhaps this clause refers strictly to people in the "Provincial Nominee" program - in which Québec does not participate.

How much damage would it do to submit my app for a new WP online as if I were LMO exempt. If they determine that I do need one after the fact, will I be able to continue staying/working in the country on implied status? Or will it be flat out rejected and bad things will happen? :-\

 

[ddobro2]

Come on, Buffalo, we need to end this week with some PPRs!!

 

[francohoosier]

I called CIC this morning and they said the exemption doesn't apply to me, therefore I need to apply for an LMO, a CAQ, and then a new work permit. The best part is that my new work permit may not be issued by the time I have to go back to the states in November for a wedding, so if I don't get PPR by then either, it's gonna get even messier trying to come back! Lovely.

Why does it always have to be so complicated?

Well, time to roll up my sleeves and dive headfirst into yet another ball of immigration stress... :'(

 

[awor]

I can finally be added to the spreadsheet!

Application sent: Aug 24
Application received: Aug 26

 

[mrswolfe]

Come on, Buffalo, we need to end this week with some PPRs!!

We got our PPR yesterday!