VIENNA OFFICE

[LLAngel]

I emailed Vienna multiple times and they have been completely useless. They keep responding saying that I need to check the website for processing times. My emails have been to ask to have my address changed which took them 5 months to do! Then I asked them questions pertaining to what they may need from my husband as we have been living in Korea for 6 months and they sent me an automated message saying our application is in queue and they cannot provide us with more info. They also had the nerve to tell me they process applications based on date of receival in the Vienna office which is BS since apps sent after ours have already been approved. I also emailed my MP and that went no where. I don't know what to do. I have lost 15lbs since the start of this process just from stress. Unnecessary!

Hey anxious2015,

Did you have to submit a lot of Police Checks? Usually for people that lived in many places..it takes longer to do the background checks.
Also, which email are you emailing them at? If they request a document...they put you back in processing queue...from what they told me anyways.

Hope your application will be done soon! Good luck!

 

[LLAngel]

Valla jo mir. Spa muj me Prit Hiq ma.

So when I emailed vienna myself back in June and I told her that I had done this. She got really mad at me saying why did I do it now my case is going to get delayed and I should have not done it. So I haven't sent anything since then but I phone her yesterday really upset so she said that she will email them herself and I followed up and she said she did but now it could take them up to 2 weeks to reply so I don't know what to do. I just don't see him coming before the holidays anymore.

The most I had to ever wait for Vienna to get back to me was 3 business days! Most of the time they replied within 1-2 days.
And there is no reason why you can't email them! It does not delay the processing! I must have emailed them at least 15 times.
Not just " Hey..is my file done yet? any updates?" ...but more like..."could you please confirm you received the documentation? or Here is the extra form you requested".

Your consultant shouldn't get mad that you email them directly. It is your application,...and they jsut represent you / helped you out with filling up the application.

You could email them asking something along the lines of "Could you please confirm that you have received my application and if your require any further documents?"

Good luck!

 

[Cansk]

Did you use VO email or case specific enquiry?

The most I had to ever wait for Vienna to get back to me was 3 business days! Most of the time they replied within 1-2 days.
And there is no reason why you can't email them! It does not delay the processing! I must have emailed them at least 15 times.
Not just " Hey..is my file done yet? any updates?" ...but more like..."could you please confirm you received the documentation? or Here is the extra form you requested".

Your consultant shouldn't get mad that you email them directly. It is your application,...and they jsut represent you / helped you out with filling up the application.

You could email them asking something along the lines of "Could you please confirm that you have received my application and if your require any further documents?"

Good luck!

 

[LLAngel]

Did you use VO email or case specific enquiry?

Mainly we used VIENNIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca

 

[Cansk]

Mainly we used VIENNIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca

Thanks for sharing

 

[anxious2015]

Hey anxious2015,

Did you have to submit a lot of Police Checks? Usually for people that lived in many places..it takes longer to do the background checks.
Also, which email are you emailing them at? If they request a document...they put you back in processing queue...from what they told me anyways.

Hope your application will be done soon! Good luck!

Hi LLAngel

I have been emailing them at viennimmigration@international.gc.ca. When we first applied we mailed only the police check of my husband's country of residence. In May I accepted a job in S.Korea and we have both been living here since then. We are planning to leave as I am miserable at my place of employment, but we are afraid to leave in case the embassy needs any info from Korea. We have been living here for more than 6 months, and although they didn't request it we mailed a police check from here 3 weeks ago since in an email before they say they "usually require a police check from any place lived longer than 6 months". I emailed them to get a confirmation that they received it and there was no confirmation, just blabber about checking out the website for wait times. I don't know what to do. I want to leave Korea so bad, but reading horror stories about Korean employers online makes me not want to leave (they are notorious for reporting their foreign employees for crimes they didn't commit just to make life hard on them for getting any future visas). I don't trust my employer one bit and the crazy stunts he is ready to pull. I don't know what to do or who to turn to help as our government is not willing to answer any questions

 

[Arjen1980]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Arjen and I am a Dutch citizen and I live in Canada with my Canadian wife Jodi. I live here as a visitor ( being on a sabbatical year) but because we leave every 4 months I never exceed the 6 month limit. We are getting ready to file our application for my PR under the family class in the next week . Because the processing time in Vienna were long we decided to apply INLAND. Although it is a crazy long wait I can get an open work permit and at least work. However after reading the stories about the fast processing times for ( straight forward ? ) cases in 2015 I am a little bit unsure what to do. I would rather wait a bit longer without work and hopefully get my PR relatively quick applying OUTLAND instead of having to wait probably 2 years if we apply INLAND.

Thanks for any feedback you might have.

Arjen

 

[Gemini020]

Yes a fellow Dutchy!
It really depends on if you think you might potentially want to leave Canada. For me it isn't an option to not be able to visit my family during those years it takes inland. Vienna does seem to process some cases fast so I'm just hoping for the best. However for me not working for a while is acceptable and I'm hoping to get a working holiday visa when they open up again.
Choosing between working and traveling (taking potential emergencies into consideration) is up to you. I would go for outland (and build a solid case to avoid having to go to Vienna for the interview)

 

[maartenvg]

@Arjen1980: if you can do without working for 6-12 months, I'd go for outland. Processing times for straightforward cases are pretty fast, even in Vienna. But there's always the risk it's going to take longer. You can stay in Canada for 6 months as a visitor, but if you apply for an extension (can be done online) and explain you're waiting for your PR, you'll most like receive it for the entire waiting period.

If you do need the work permit, just apply inland. As a Dutch person the risks when traveling outside of Canada are actually not that high. Waiting while working is definitely more fun than not being allowed to do anything for potentially a year+.

 

[Arjen1980]

@Arjen1980: if you can do without working for 6-12 months, I'd go for outland. Processing times for straightforward cases are pretty fast, even in Vienna. But there's always the risk it's going to take longer. You can stay in Canada for 6 months as a visitor, but if you apply for an extension (can be done online) and explain you're waiting for your PR, you'll most like receive it for the entire waiting period.

If you do need the work permit, just apply inland. As a Dutch person the risks when traveling outside of Canada are actually not that high. Waiting while working is definitely more fun than not being allowed to do anything for potentially a year+.

Thanks Maarten and gemini 020 for your replies. Much appreciated!

@maartenvg : I agree with the above . We lived in Europa but my wife wanted to return to Canada for personal and business reasons so we decided to build our live here. We go back to Europe every few months to visit my family so I have never had to apply for an extension and although I have been subject more thorough questioning when traveling alone, when traveling together we never have issues at the border. I am very lucky to able to extend my sabbatical periode for a bit longer so I think wel will take the risk and hope the Vienna office qualifies our case as straightforward .

@ gemini020: I agree that we can only hope for the best and a quick and smooth proces so we can enjoy building our lives in Canada soon.

 

[anxious2015]

SOmeone please help me understand this. We got an email from Vienna saying this:

Your application for permanent residence in Canada has reached the final stage of processing. Before it

can be finalized, you must follow the instructions below within 30 days of the date of this letter.

Please include a copy of the first page of this letter with your submission.

Please read carefully all information and instructions set out below and complete the steps accordingly.

Your application will be finalized at the visa office in Vienna. If you have any questions after reading the

information and instructions, please contact us at vienn-visa@international.gc.ca.

Does this mean we got the approval? They are requesting us to confirm information and at the end there is an explanation how to get the visa placed in the passport (my husband is from a visa required country).

Please let me know. We are so confused, and excited at the same time

 

[LLAngel]

SOmeone please help me understand this. We got an email from Vienna saying this:

Your application for permanent residence in Canada has reached the final stage of processing. Before it

can be finalized, you must follow the instructions below within 30 days of the date of this letter.

Please include a copy of the first page of this letter with your submission.

Please read carefully all information and instructions set out below and complete the steps accordingly.

Your application will be finalized at the visa office in Vienna. If you have any questions after reading the

information and instructions, please contact us at vienn-visa@international.gc.ca.

Does this mean we got the approval? They are requesting us to confirm information and at the end there is an explanation how to get the visa placed in the passport (my husband is from a visa required country).

Please let me know. We are so confused, and excited at the same time

Hey Anxious2015,

That's great news!!!
But why are they giving you instructions on how to place a visa on passport? They place it themselves.

Can you paste that info on here? Maybe I can get a better idea what they are saying!

BTW, my hubby just landed yesterday

 

[anxious2015]

Hi LLAngel,

So happy for you! Must be nice to be with your husband again. And thanks for your fast response!

Here is what the letter says:

1. Change in your Family Composition
You must notify Vienna in writing if there has been or will be changes in your life circumstances
before using your visas, such as:
A. Family status (e.g. marriage or common-law union, divorce, annulment, legal separation,
birth, adoption, death of the sponsor, principal applicant or any accompanying family
member, including grandchildren born to dependent children); or
B. You or any of your family members being charged or convicted of a criminal offence; or
C. Changes to mailing address/e-mail address/contact information.
Failure to inform CIC of any of these changes may delay processing, may result in the cancellation of
your immigrant visas and may render you and your family members inadmissible to Canada. Failure
to inform CIC of additional dependent family members may permanently exclude them from being
eligible under a sponsorship in the Family Class later on.

2. Validity of your Immigrant Visa and your Confirmation of Permanent
Residence Document
The issuance of your immigrant visa and your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document is
time sensitive so it is important for you to act quickly upon receipt of this letter. Please note that the
validity of your immigrant visa and/or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence is limited by the
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validity of your medical results or the validity of your passport (or of one of your accompanying
dependent), whichever is shortest.
Once you receive your immigrant visa and your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document,
please check the information on it to make sure it is correct. If there are any errors, such as incorrect
spelling of name or incorrect date of birth, please inform the Canadian Embassy in Vienna
immediately and we will confirm if reprinting is necessary. Please note that CIC used precise
guidelines to record names in its database.
You must travel to Canada and present your immigration documents at a Canadian Port of Entry
before they expire. The validity of your immigrant visa cannot be extended. If you fail to enter
Canada before this date and still wish to immigrate to Canada, you must reapply by submitting a new
application and paying new processing fees. All such applications will be assessed according to the
immigration laws in force at the time of receipt of the application. There is no guarantee a future
application will be successful.

3. Final Steps Before Printing your Immigration Documents
Citizens of countries who normally require a visa counterfoil to travel to Canada temporarily also
require a visa counterfoil to immigrate to Canada. Those who are exempted to obtain a visa to travel
temporarily to Canada (citizens of countries listed under paragraph 190(1) of the Immigration and
Refugee Protection Regulations or those who have a travel document described in paragraph
190(2)(c) to (f) of the Regulations) are not required to obtain an immigrant counterfoil to immigrate
to Canada and will only receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence document.
Our records indicate that you (or at least one of your accompanying family members) require an
immigrant counterfoil to be inserted in your passport in order to immigrate to Canada.
A. Submit your original passport and the original passport of all accompanying family members
a) All passports must be submitted that the same time.
b) They should be valid for a minimum of six months and have at least two blank pages.
c) Please note that Diplomatic, Official or Military passports cannot be used to
immigrate to Canada.
B. Pay your Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF), if applicable
Before a Confirmation of Permanent Residence can be printed, principal applicants (with
some exceptions) and their spouse or common-law partner accompanying them to Canada
must pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). Non-accompanying spouse or
common-law partner, dependent children of a principal applicant or a sponsor, child to be
adopted, orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild and protected persons (such as
refugees) are not required to pay this fee.
If you have not already paid this fee, you can find instructions on how to pay this fee at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/index.asp?cat=perm.
C. Two Passport-sized photographs
Depending on where you file was processed, you may need to send us two passport-sized
photos for you and any accompanying family member. These photos will be used for your
Confirmation of Permanent Residence document and for your Permanent Resident Card after
your arrival in Canada. Please note that CIC requirements for photos differ from those of the
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European Union. You can find our specific guidelines at the following webpage:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/5445EB-e.pdf
a) You have to submit photos if:
o You submitted your application online (under Express Entry)
o You submitted a physical paper application to one of the Case Processing Centre
in Canada and your file was primarily processed there (such as the Centralized
Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Case Processing Centre in Ottawa or
the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga) or it was transferred for processing at
any other offices worldwide other than the Canadian Embassy in Vienna.
b) You may not need to submit photos if:
o You submitted a physical paper application to one of the Case Processing Centre
in Canada (such as the Centralized Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia, or the
Case Processing Centre in Mississauga) and you were informed that your file had
been transferred for processing to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna.
o Our office will use the original passport-sized photos on your paper submission
unless they are older than 18 months. If this is the case, please submit two
updated photos for you and every accompanying family member.
D. Confirm your mailing address
This step is particularly important if you have moved since you submitted your application or
if you have a representative who has been receiving all of your correspondence, but now wish
to have your immigration documents sent directly to you.
E. Report Back to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna, Austria
Please send your passport and all other required documentation (such as a copy of your RPRF
receipt or photos) using one of the options below
a) By contacting one of the Visa Application Centres (VAC) and using their passport
transmission services (an extra fee will be charged)

 

[anxious2015]

They also provided mailing instructions. DId you get something similar?

 

[LLAngel]

They also provided mailing instructions. DId you get something similar?

Oh this is very good news. A friend of mine had received that email...and basically they submitted their passport...then got the email for when to pick it up.

In your case, does your country require counterfoil? Seems like you do! If not, then just send the passport.
I wish I could help you more but I've never had to deal with this counterfoil type of visa. Maybe someone else on here is from the same country as you?

Congrats! and hopefully you guys are all done with the headache of this process very soon!