US outland applicants' thread :)

[LT1013]

Hey everyone, never noticed this thread before.

Does anyone have any idea on the application criteria where the apps are kept in Mississauga instead of transferred to Ottawa?

My application should have no red flags really, applying outland while living with my CL partner in Canada and have been for just shy of 4 years, no children.

Hoping it's finished before my work visa expires in August 2016. Feels good to have everything finally sent in though!

 

[KarlR]

Hey everyone, never noticed this thread before.

Does anyone have any idea on the application criteria where the apps are kept in Mississauga instead of transferred to Ottawa?

My application should have no red flags really, applying outland while living with my CL partner in Canada and have been for just shy of 4 years, no children.

Hoping it's finished before my work visa expires in August 2016. Feels good to have everything finally sent in though!

Not sure if there's really any criteria to be honest...seems to be just random!

If your lucky it will go to missisauga!wish mine did...

 

[LT1013]

Not sure if there's really any criteria to be honest...seems to be just random!

If your lucky it will go to missisauga!wish mine did...

Yeah, it ended up being one of those situations where had I know more in advance that I would have applied in-land with the new, temporary OWP advantage. But by that time the bulletin came out I was still waiting to get my FBI file back.

I think though even if things don't go super fast 16 months or so is a good buffer period for the application processing time; it's still stressful.

I did everything upfront including paying fees and meds to help ensure it would get delayed as little as possible.

 

[EmSNYC]

I am sure someone else will be more specific and correct me when needed, but from what I have read around, the applications kept in Mississauga are mostly the ones who theoretically should be processed in the London* office but are kept there (in Miss.) because they are more "straightforward". We recently had a UK applicant from the December batch who was processed in Mississauga, and rather quickly I'd say.

* I understand that the London office has taken a number of applications from Pakistan.

 

[DanOCan]

Well, our journey is finally underway. We had been waiting for my wife's FBI Report to arrive and it finally showed up today so the whole package has been sent to Mississauga for processing. Very happy about finally getting our application in but very disappointed in the timelines we're seeing for processing outland applications from the US. Tried to do everything up front that we could, so hopefully it's just a waiting game now.

 

[surleplateau]

So I'm still a ways away from getting my PR and landing, but I read this comment (below) and I'm wondering about landing vs my medical expiration date.

Typically the PR visa expiry date will correspond to around 12 months from when the medical exam was done.

So if you did the medical a long time ago you may have just days or weeks till COPR expires, or if medical was done very recently you could have almost a full year to expiry.

My timeline:

Sep 2014: medical exam done as a condition to a visitor extension approval
Dec 2014: PR sponsorship sent to CIC, along with the previous medical exam
Mar 2015: Sponsor approval
...
Sep 2015: medical expires? or gets extended?

Before my PR application, I had submitted a visa extension request back in summer 2014, and as a condition to my approved extension, I had to do a medical exam, and I was told I could use the same medical exam for my PR application, so that's what I did.

But 12 months from my medical exam will be this Sep 2015. I've heard that CIC can extend medical exams if the "decision made" is coming up soon, so that's what I was hoping for.

6 months from our SA would be right at the expiration of my medical.

I'm hoping that someone can reassure me that I won't have just days to land?! if they don't extend my medical results, because I'm currently in Canada and would need to fly to California to list all my personal belongings on a B4...

I never thought I'd be hoping for CIC to take longer than 6 months, if that means they are likely to extend my med exam and give me more time to land.

 

[rockgurl1965]

Good afternoon,


Just have a quick question, how long is the fbi police clearance paperwork taking, I mailed end of Jan, will be mailing my application end of may, just want to make sure all my ducks are in a row.


Thank you

 

[Ponga]

Good afternoon,


Just have a quick question, how long is the fbi police clearance paperwork taking, I mailed end of Jan, will be mailing my application end of may, just want to make sure all my ducks are in a row.


Thank you

Currently ~ 14-16 weeks, so you should be fine. As you probably already know, CIC needs to receive it within 90 days from the date that it was issued.

Another `duck' that you'll want to keep an eye on, is checking the CIC website before you mail your application, to see if they've updated any of the forms...which they seem to do often.

Good luck!

 

[OhCanadiana]

So I'm still a ways away from getting my PR and landing, but I read this comment (below) and I'm wondering about landing vs my medical expiration date.

My timeline:

Sep 2014: medical exam done as a condition to a visitor extension approval
Dec 2014: PR sponsorship sent to CIC, along with the previous medical exam
Mar 2015: Sponsor approval
...
Sep 2015: medical expires? or gets extended?

Before my PR application, I had submitted a visa extension request back in summer 2014, and as a condition to my approved extension, I had to do a medical exam, and I was told I could use the same medical exam for my PR application, so that's what I did.

But 12 months from my medical exam will be this Sep 2015. I've heard that CIC can extend medical exams if the "decision made" is coming up soon, so that's what I was hoping for.

6 months from our SA would be right at the expiration of my medical.

I'm hoping that someone can reassure me that I won't have just days to land?! if they don't extend my medical results, because I'm currently in Canada and would need to fly to California to list all my personal belongings on a B4...

I never thought I'd be hoping for CIC to take longer than 6 months, if that means they are likely to extend my med exam and give me more time to land.

You shouldn't have just days. If it's very short, you could e-mail them (send them a case specific enquiry) to let them know you can't land and ask them to extend the medicals and reissue. Obviously, it's best not to do that as it would extend your timeline but it would also mean you'd have plenty of time to land.

To get more certainty, you could redo your medical exam proactively and then know you'll definitely have a year from when they are redone (though that would require paying for them again, so there's that).

 

[rockgurl1965]

Thank you Ponga ,


I have been making sure I look at the CIC site at least twice a week, there have been changes for 2015 already, so you are right , they like to change things up .

 

[surleplateau]

OhCanadiana,

Thank you for your advice. I hope I am just worried for nothing and it all works out.

 

[OhCanadiana]

OhCanadiana,

Thank you for your advice. I hope I am just worried for nothing and it all works out.

That's the spirit! ;D

 

[rockgurl1965]

Went through this process bringing my wife to US, and now its my turn going to canada. Be patient and never give up, and triple check your work.

 

[Tootarsh14]

Hey everyone, I got a question about my notes. They say "recommended pass" and "file is ready for officer review". Just wondering if that means good news? Apparently all of my stuff checked out as I read in an earlier note. Just wondering if the end may be near?

 

[BeShoo]

Our file went to "Decision Made" March 30. The CoPR was dated April 1, the cover letter was dated April 2, we were away all of this week. It was postage metered with an April 7 date and it was waiting in our mailbox in Gatineau when we got back home last night, the evening of April 10. We will be going to the border Saturday night (tonight) for the "landing" procedure.

I'll be writing a summary soon of why our application took so long. It was mostly our fault.