US outland applicants' thread :)

[CDNPR2014]

We received the same email - haven't had any contact with IRCC yet though. Husband (PA) is calling today. :-\

hey guys I just received the following message and I don't understand what they meant since my application was transferred to Ottawa VO.

IRCC considers Ottawa "outside of canada" since the applications are outland applications. this doesn't suggest the application has been sent anywhere else.

 

[Canada91]

IRCC considers Ottawa "outside of canada" since the applications are outland applications. this doesn't suggest the application has been sent anywhere else.

My husband (PA) called today - they cannot locate our file and the agent advised my husband that he has sent a special request to "their offices". ..

 

[CDNPR2014]

My husband (PA) called today - they cannot locate our file and the agent advised my husband that he has sent a special request to "their offices". ..

the call centre agents are commonly wrong. i wouldn't be surprised if he called again and they miraculously locate it. however, since it looks like your application has been returned and resubmitted, there is a good chance it's still going through the sponsor approval stage and nothing about the PA's application will be available. keep in mind, they will only be able to give information about HIS application - not the sponsor's. if you want to find out information about the sponsor's application, then the sponsor must call.

the letter you posted looks like you contacted them for some reason, and this is their standard "don't call us, we'll call you" letter. what did you contact them about?

 

[skyzee]

Wondering if anyone has been in the position of the PA living in Canada but applying Outland and could share their experience at landing.

Technically, all of my wife's stuff is already in Canada, so how does the B4 form apply in this case?

Do we need to box it all up again in Canada and cross the border with all her stuff for landing purposes? There's nothing of high value, probably most is a couple digital cameras and a PC. Oh, and her wedding ring she's wearing.

Alternatively, can we just declare it as goods to follow without bringing it to the border?

 

[CDNPR2014]

Wondering if anyone has been in the position of the PA living in Canada but applying Outland and could share their experience at landing.

Technically, all of my wife's stuff is already in Canada, so how does the B4 form apply in this case?

Do we need to box it all up again in Canada and cross the border with all her stuff for landing purposes? There's nothing of high value, probably most is a couple digital cameras and a PC. Oh, and her wedding ring she's wearing.

Alternatively, can we just declare it as goods to follow without bringing it to the border?

hi,
if everything is already in canada, she doesn't need to fill out the BSF186 form. this is only for items not already in canada. if she has items in the US she wants to bring later on, she should submit a BSF186 form as "goods to follow". If she has nothing to declare, then all she needs to land is her COPR (approval paper) and her passport. it's a very simple part of the process.

 

[skyzee]

hi,
if everything is already in canada, she doesn't need to fill out the BSF186 form. this is only for items not already in canada. if she has items in the US she wants to bring later on, she should submit a BSF186 form as "goods to follow". If she has nothing to declare, then all she needs to land is her COPR (approval paper) and her passport. it's a very simple part of the process.

Thanks for the quick response

 

[Canada91]

the call centre agents are commonly wrong. i wouldn't be surprised if he called again and they miraculously locate it. however, since it looks like your application has been returned and resubmitted, there is a good chance it's still going through the sponsor approval stage and nothing about the PA's application will be available. keep in mind, they will only be able to give information about HIS application - not the sponsor's. if you want to find out information about the sponsor's application, then the sponsor must call.

the letter you posted looks like you contacted them for some reason, and this is their standard "don't call us, we'll call you" letter. what did you contact them about?

My husband had submitted an enquiry back in March and we received the response (above email) on April 13th.

 

[msemmz]

We had just got our application sent back due to my husband's birth certificate was not legible ( there had been a crease and I didn't realise that his birth date was no longer showing on the birth certificate when making the copy) :-(

He was born in Texas and after searching online it takes 10-15 days to process a birth certificate, but online there is also an option to request an "Birth Abstract Birth Certificate" which would take 3-5 days and mailed to Canada . Has anyone every ordered one of these before? and will it fufill the request for Birth Certificate?

___
BIRTH ABSTRACTS

Austin Vital Records issues Birth Abstract birth certificates for anyone born within the State of Texas. Birth Abstracts are certified copies and include a raised seal. Certified copies are typically acceptable for passport, social security, school registration, employment, personal identification, and other legal purposes.

NOTE: In some instances, Birth Abstracts may not be accepted for passport issuance. If you are applying for a passport we suggest that you purchase a Long Form birth certificate.

 

[tigermilo]

We had just got our application sent back due to my husband's birth certificate was not legible ( there had been a crease and I didn't realise that his birth date was no longer showing on the birth certificate when making the copy) :-(

He was born in Texas and after searching online it takes 10-15 days to process a birth certificate, but online there is also an option to request an "Birth Abstract Birth Certificate" which would take 3-5 days and mailed to Canada . Has anyone every ordered one of these before? and will it fufill the request for Birth Certificate?

Hi there, my husband was also born in Texas and if I'm not mistaken we put his Certified Abstract Birth Certificate in our application. I believe it included all the necessary information. We might have also included his full birth certificate but I can't remember.

 

[Landagirl]

We had just got our application sent back due to my husband's birth certificate was not legible ( there had been a crease and I didn't realise that his birth date was no longer showing on the birth certificate when making the copy) :-(

He was born in Texas and after searching online it takes 10-15 days to process a birth certificate, but online there is also an option to request an "Birth Abstract Birth Certificate" which would take 3-5 days and mailed to Canada . Has anyone every ordered one of these before? and will it fufill the request for Birth Certificate?

___
BIRTH ABSTRACTS

Austin Vital Records issues Birth Abstract birth certificates for anyone born within the State of Texas. Birth Abstracts are certified copies and include a raised seal. Certified copies are typically acceptable for passport, social security, school registration, employment, personal identification, and other legal purposes.

NOTE: In some instances, Birth Abstracts may not be accepted for passport issuance. If you are applying for a passport we suggest that you purchase a Long Form birth certificate.

We ordered and used the long form birth certificate for his passport and that's what we sent to Immigration. He ordered it online and had to wait for Austin to send it to him. He does have the birth abstract, but thought better safe than sorry

 

[elenama]

Hi guys! I'm a Canadian PR living in Toronto and my husband is an American citizen living in VA.
We were going to send our application last week, but we got delayed because he had to re-take the pictures and mail them to me, and now there is an updated IMM5532 (relationship evaluation) form out, so we have to resign everything..

The question is, do I have to submit the application package from Canada? Or can it come from the states? Does it even matter?
I'm going to VA to see him this weekend and we are thinking about signing and dating everything and sending it the same day, because I don't want to delay it by another day and risk that another updated form will come out.

We are going to use a courier (UPS/FedEx/DHL) and send it to:
Case Processing Centre – Mississauga
2 Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 300
Mississauga, ON
L4Z 1H8

Can we request a signature on delivery? Do applications going to that address get delayed compared to the PO box?

Thanks a lot

 

[CDNPR2014]

The question is, do I have to submit the application package from Canada? Or can it come from the states? Does it even matter?
I'm going to VA to see him this weekend and we are thinking about signing and dating everything and sending it the same day, because I don't want to delay it by another day and risk that another updated form will come out.

We are going to use a courier (UPS/FedEx/DHL) and send it to:
Case Processing Centre – Mississauga
2 Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 300
Mississauga, ON
L4Z 1H8

Can we request a signature on delivery? Do applications going to that address get delayed compared to the PO box?

Thanks a lot

1) the package can be mailed from anywhere. it does not matter if it's mailed from canada or the us. the only difference is it's usually cheaper to mail it from canada.
2) if the company you choose has the signature option, then it can be used. it really only confirms the package has been delivered to the mailroom.
3. the difference in addresses are based on whether it's sent by courier or not. couriers won't be able to deliver to po boxes, so that is why an alternative address is given. it has no affect on the actual processing of the application. applications are batched based on the date it's received, so no matter what address it is sent to, it will be the same processing time.

 

[elenama]

1) the package can be mailed from anywhere. it does not matter if it's mailed from canada or the us. the only difference is it's usually cheaper to mail it from canada.
2) if the company you choose has the signature option, then it can be used. it really only confirms the package has been delivered to the mailroom.
3. the difference in addresses are based on whether it's sent by courier or not. couriers won't be able to deliver to po boxes, so that is why an alternative address is given. it has no affect on the actual processing of the application. applications are batched based on the date it's received, so no matter what address it is sent to, it will be the same processing time.

Thanks a lot, all of it is very helpful. I +1'd!
I think we are just going to ship from the states then - the sooner it gets there the better, the difference in cost cant be all that significant!

 

[csturner92]

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted any updates here, but here is what's going on for me (and probably anyone that did what I did)...


My application to date still says "Application Received" in ecas, and this is because CIC has not needed me to upload my Schedule A or PC documents. I mailed these documents in with my original application because I already had them prepared before the new changes rolled out. My wife and I were quite concerned that we were stuck in "Application Received" when nearly every other applicant was "In Progress".

On 03/24/2017 at around 6am (8am in Mississauga) I called the call centre using an phone app that gave me a real Canadian number. The officer informed me that the e-mail that was sent out saying I needed to upload my Schedule A & PC within 30 days is in fact a generic e-mail that is sent out, and that I need not worry. He said that he can see my Schedule A and PC already with my file and it's just a matter of waiting for them to process all of it. He informed me even though ecas says "Application Received" my application is "In Progress" and not to rely on ecas for updates.

He also informed me that my next step (if and or when required) would be to submit to a medical exam, which I know.


I left my job on 04/04/2017 and crossed the border and told them I wanted to cross with dual-intent, and they issued me a TRV good until August 31st, at which point I will need to show a copy of my renewed lease agreement for my apartment in the USA (roommate allowing me to stay on lease for this reason, awesome guy!!!) when I apply for an extension.


So here I sit, in Kamloops... unemployed... not allowed to work or make any money.... while my wife pays for everything (she's fine with it, prefers it to me seeing her for two/three days every one/two weeks)... while our application processes.


Great times! Hope everyone else is having a good time as well.

 

[CDNPR2014]

He said that he can see my Schedule A and PC already with my file and it's just a matter of waiting for them to process all of it. He informed me even though ecas says "Application Received" my application is "In Progress" and not to rely on ecas for updates.

THIS! I am shocked the call centre agent actually got it right for once. If there was one thing that was the most important thing to know in this process is that ECAS is NOT updated in real time and really is NO indication as to what's going on with your file. for the most part, the updates are made AFTER the applicant is notified about something or not at all (at least prior to the new system, that's how it worked).

[/quote]

So here I sit, in Kamloops... unemployed... not allowed to work or make any money.... while my wife pays for everything (she's fine with it, prefers it to me seeing her for two/three days every one/two weeks)... while our application processes.

yes, that is the sacrifice that is made when staying in canada. the benefit to US applicants is that it only takes 5-6 months for approval. in the grand scheme of things, it's really not that long and there are a lot of other countries that don't have that privilege.