UK Processing Time

[ThirstyDeer]

It CAN be a relatively quick process... Here is my timeline...

March 3 - Application sent to CIC-M
March 6 - Application received by CIC-M
April 1 - Application process started
April 2 - Approved for sponsorship
April 14 - Application process started at CHC London
May 22 - PPR and photos request by CHC London

 

[pea]

It CAN be a relatively quick process... Here is my timeline...

March 3 - Application sent to CIC-M
March 6 - Application received by CIC-M
April 1 - Application process started
April 2 - Approved for sponsorship
April 14 - Application process started at CHC London
May 22 - PPR and photos request by CHC London

hello thirsty deer,

I am in the UK as well and will be sending off my application to CIC-M possibly next week... could you tell me what is the best way to send the application? did you use royal mail or courier? how much did it cost?

Also, what is PPR, permenant something resident? does that mean your application is approved? if yes, congrats! I definitely didn't take long at all! did you ask your clinic to send the medical results to london visa office before you send off the application?

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you! great to hear that someone is in a similar situation!

pea

 

[ThirstyDeer]

Our application was sent within Canada, so we didn't use Royal Mail. We used Canada Post (our postal service) but paid for a expedited guaranteed delivery service called Xpresspost - think of it like Royal Mail 1st class I guess. For you, I'd just use a service that guarantees delivery, is trackable, and requires signature upon delivery.

PPR means passport requested. Usually it's one of the last things CIC will ask for before the whole immigration process is completed.

My wife (immigrant) did her medical a month or two before we sent in our application. The Doctor won't give you the results, just a confirmation that the exam was completed. The actual results automatically get sent to CIC. As part of sending in your application, you'll send in that confirmation that the Doctor gave you. That is how CIC will match up the exam results they got from the Doctor to your application.

 

[pea]

thanks thirsty deer. that is great news for you. I think it might take us a bit longer as I'm not in canada and me and my partner are common-law partners instead of married couple.

anyhow, thanks for your advice. and congrats on the passport request!!!

pea

 

[ThirstyDeer]

March 3 - Application sent to CIC-M
March 6 - Application received by CIC-M
April 1 - Application process started
April 2 - Approved for sponsorship
April 14 - Application process started at CHC London
May 22 - PPR and photos request by CHC London
June 30 - PR visa received from CHC London

We're done! I can't believe it! The only last thing is that we need to exit the country and come back in to make it effective. From July 14-17, we're going to Stewart, BC to go fishing, camping, and so on. We'll cross the border there to Alaska and come back. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

 

[pea]

March 3 - Application sent to CIC-M
March 6 - Application received by CIC-M
April 1 - Application process started
April 2 - Approved for sponsorship
April 14 - Application process started at CHC London
May 22 - PPR and photos request by CHC London
June 30 - PR visa received from CHC London

We're done! I can't believe it! The only last thing is that we need to exit the country and come back in to make it effective. From July 14-17, we're going to Stewart, BC to go fishing, camping, and so on. We'll cross the border there to Alaska and come back. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

yay! congratulations! thats great news! can I ask a few questions regarding your process:

1. you know how you put a date for when CIC-M received the application, how did you know when they received it?
2. How do you know when the application process started? are they supposed to send me something to let me know?
3. were you guys in Canada when CHC London requested for the passport? if so, did your wife have to travel personally to get it done or did you only have to have the passport sent/couriered there and back?

Thanks for your help in advance! we just sent off the application 20 June! have not heard anything so hopefully the application is not lost in a pile!!!

pea

 

[ThirstyDeer]

March 3 - Application sent to CIC-M
March 6 - Application received by CIC-M
April 1 - Application process started
April 2 - Approved for sponsorship
April 14 - Application process started at CHC London
May 22 - PPR and photos request by CHC London
June 30 - PR visa received from CHC London

We're done! I can't believe it! The only last thing is that we need to exit the country and come back in to make it effective. From July 14-17, we're going to Stewart, BC to go fishing, camping, and so on. We'll cross the border there to Alaska and come back. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

yay! congratulations! thats great news! can I ask a few questions regarding your process:

1. you know how you put a date for when CIC-M received the application, how did you know when they received it?
>>> The status is updated online on E-CAS. You can check your status by logging into it from the CIC site.

2. How do you know when the application process started? are they supposed to send me something to let me know?
>>> Same as above. I found out by logging into E-CAS. When you are approved for sponsorship, that will be the first time you will receive a letter from CIC, and the only date on it is the date the letter was sent.

3. were you guys in Canada when CHC London requested for the passport? if so, did your wife have to travel personally to get it done or did you only have to have the passport sent/couriered there and back?
>>> Yes, we were in Canada. London was still under the impression that my wife was still in England (even though we used their online update form to correct them over a month in advance). When we got the request for passport letter, with her England address on it, we phoned and faxed them and told them she was already here in Canada so they sent it to her. You won't be forced to go back to your country to pick up the passport. However, if the visa office decides they want to interview the spouse who is immigrating, that interview will be at their office, regardless of where the spouse is living - so that is a bit of a risk.


Thanks for your help in advance! we just sent off the application 20 June! have not heard anything so hopefully the application is not lost in a pile!!!
>>> You won't hear anything till at least the end of July. With the summer here, their staffing is shorter due to holidays and whatnot, so be patient. It is normal to take between 30-45 days, even though mine took only around 25 or so.

pea

 

[pea]

Hi Thirstydeer

thanks for your reply.

just wondering, how could I check my status without the identification number? I won't know it until I get a letter from them saying they have approved/rejected my sponsorship application would I?

also, when you said they sent it to her, do you mean they sent her the PR without her sending in the passport? or did you have to send the passport for them to put the PR on the passport and send back to you?

thanks! and have fun in the west coast!

pea

 

[ThirstyDeer]

WHen you log onto ECAS, you can choose to use different forms of ID numbers. Till I got my client ID number, I used the receipt number from paying the fees in advance. That'll work.

The PR is attached to the passport, so the visa office will ask for the passport, and send it back to you with the PR attached to it.

 

[pea]

hey thirsty deer!

thanks for your advice! checked but no luck, guess they have not started processing our application.
we will be traveling (mostly likely) when/if they contact us for the passport so wanted to check whether it's okay to post passport for the PR. If they want to interview my partner, then he'll have to travel back to London, but we're willing to risk that - interviewing him will probably increase his chance of getting the PR anyway! =)

Thanks a lot!

pea

 

[pea]

June 20 - Application sent to CIC-M
June 26 - Application received by CIC-M
July 24 - Application process started
July 24 - Approved for sponsorship
Aug 4 - Application process started at CHC London
Sept 16 - Extra document requested by CHC London
Nov 12 - PPR and photos request by CHC London
Nov 26 - Passport and photos submitted at CHC London
Dec 4 - PR visa received from CHC London (they rushed it for us)

yay!

best of luck to everyone!

 

[thecoop]

Hi Pea and Thirstydeer, I too am sponsoring my spouse from the UK. We are just waiting on his police check to arrive and then I'll file the papers in Mississauga.

Pea, may I ask what extra documentation they asked of you.

And did either of you have to have interviews in London.

Thank you both for your time.

 

[Siouxie]

Congratulations on your successful application!

As for time lines, mine is horrendous!

February 16th 2005 - Application received by CIC Vegreville
May 2005 - Started processing application
December 2005 - 1st Stage Approval (CIC Vegreville) as Inland Applicant with dependant overseas
January 2006 - Received letter stating I could apply for a work permit
April 2006 - Letter and forms to have medicals sent - to incorrect address.
(my application was made before they changed to the new process of supplying medicals with application)
June 2006 - Letter sent by London to my son stating he was a non-accompanying dependant
September 2006 - confirmation he was an accompanying dependant
February 2007 - 2nd Medicals request sent
June 2007 - Medicals performed (UK and Canada) and submitted.
June 2007 - Police Check (UK) requested and submitted for my dependant son - subsequently lost by London.
July 2007 - Request for further medical clearance for me
December 2007 - confirmation that medicals were clear
April 2008 - Issued Health Card
September 12th 2008 - Letter from Immigration London requesting photo's, new police certificate and background information update. Also requested a new medical for my son as the previous one had expired but no forms sent.
September 2008 - photo's and background information submitted
October 2008 - Police Certificate (UK) re-submitted
October 2008 - CIC website shows medicals were all clear
October 2008 - Assurance from London via the Minister for Immigration that my application would be finalised within 12 weeks from 12th September 2008
December 2008 - 12 weeks has passed and still no letter!

It is incredibly frustrating!