Which visa office to choose?

[tymks]

Hi, We're planning to apply for FSW within Canada and just wondering which visa office we can choose to process...

We're in Canada since this summer on the WP, we were lived in NZ last sevral years and the principal applicant is originally from Germany.

On CIC website

*******************************************************
Immigration Office requested for the processing of your application

Indicate the name of the Immigration Office which serves:
•your country of nationality, or
•the country in which you are residing, provided that you have been lawfully admitted to that country for at least one (1) year.

*******************************************************

So we need to choose between Germany(Vienna), Australia?
And if we choose one of these VO and they want an interview with us, do we need to go there??(which is not convenient for us...)

Hope some one can help us out about this point.
Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[fahadkalis]

Hi too,

As per my knowledge, you can't change your visa office (Vienna). But when they call you for interview, at that time you can request them to conduct your interview near to your living place so it is not a not big issue, just write Vienna as your visa office.

Thank You

 

[tymks]

Hi fahadkalis, thanks a lot for the advice. It's good to hear that we wouldn't have a problem for the interview. Hope we can apply it soon... Thank you

 

[deadsea02]

y you want to apply it out side of canada if you are a wp living in canada??
It is easier to apply in canada! I AM on WP and applied in canada( ottawa)

 

[tymks]

Hi deadsea02, thanks for your response. We would like to do that if allowed to...
We understand we need to stay at least a year here to do that. Is that correct?
If so, we are in Canada only few month at the moment unfortunately...

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi deadsea02, thanks for your response. We would like to do that if allowed to...
We understand we need to stay at least a year here to do that. Is that correct?
If so, we are in Canada only few month at the moment unfortunately...

You don't need to have actually been in Canada for at least a year. You need to have been legally admitted for at least a year.

So if your work permit is longer than a year, you can request Ottawa for processing.

 

[tymks]

Hi canuck_in_uk, thank you for the great advice! That's great to know!! But...just checked CIC site and Ottawa's process time is longer than Vienna at the moment.... We'll check it again when we have all the documents and ready to send them off!

 

[deadsea02]

Hi canuck_in_uk, thank you for the great advice! That's great to know!! But...just checked CIC site and Ottawa's process time is longer than Vienna at the moment.... We'll check it again when we have all the documents and ready to send them off!

Remember if u apply it in canada u will some advantage which is when ur PR application in process and ur wp 4 month to expire, you would be able to apply for owp wich called bridging owp and it is valid for one year and i think it is extendable.

 

[BC2013]

Don't pick Vienna - nobody knows what they are doing at the moment (or have been doing for the last year, or so). Since the closure of Visa Offices in Berlin and Belgrade, Vienna fell into some kind of continuous hibernation.

If there is any possibility to choose CPP-O, go for it!

 

[tymks]

Hi deadsea02 and BC2013, thank you for your comment.
But the comment of deadsea02 makes me little bit confused... Do we need to CHOOSE CPP-O to apply for OBWP?? We can't apply for it if we choose Vienna office?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi deadsea02 and BC2013, thank you for your comment.
But the comment of deadsea02 makes me little bit confused... Do we need to CHOOSE CPP-O to apply for OBWP?? We can't apply for it if we choose Vienna office?

No, there is no requirement that an app must be submitted to CPP-Ottawa to be able to apply for a BOWP. If you apply through Vienna, you will still be able to apply for a BOWP.

Have a look at the requirements here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/2012-12-17.asp

 

[tymks]

Thank you again for your advice, canuck_in_uk.
That's what we understand from the CIC website, but I thought misundestanding again.
We're still not sure which one we'll choose, but my husband is more keen for Vienna...
Is anyone can tell us either bad or good side of both Vienna(I mean the office out side Canada) and CPP-O??
What would be the difference except processing time?
Much appreciate for the any comment about this...Thank you!!

 

[BC2013]

Thank you again for your advice, canuck_in_uk.
That's what we understand from the CIC website, but I thought misundestanding again.
We're still not sure which one we'll choose, but my husband is more keen for Vienna...
Is anyone can tell us either bad or good side of both Vienna(I mean the office out side Canada) and CPP-O??
What would be the difference except processing time?
Much appreciate for the any comment about this...Thank you!!

Vienna used to be pretty fast (there were MI3 FSW-1 applications processed within less than 6 months late 2011/early 2012). However, late April 2013 CIC closed Visa Offices in Berlin and Belgrade, files were transferred to Vienna for further processing. And that was it.

There are several people on the Vienna-Thread
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/applicants-vo-vienna-please-join-t79097.0.html
who have been waiting for 18+ months (including some with job offer), and nothing has happened. They seem to have fallen in deep hibernation - probably due to the reorganization with all the new files. Processing times have increast since them all over the board (currently 20 months for post June 2010 MI applications, which were around 10 months early 2012). My application was received by CIO in Dec. 2011, file transfer from Berlin to Vienna in May/June 2012, and nothing substantial since.

Now they seem to have changed processing priorities, processing the oldest applications first - to my knowledge, no MI3 (or post MI3) application was processed since the reorganization. And this seems to affect all streams (in the Family section of this forum, you will find another Vienna-Thread, and I believe that not a single Visa has been issued there all this year).

CPP-O on the other hand is apparently prioritizing the latest applications. If you check the FSW2013 thread (compared to older CPP-O threads, like the Buffalo to Ottawa thread), many of the May 2013 applicants have already gotten visas, while 2010 and 2011 applicants are still waiting.

So according to the current processing procedures, I would choose CPP-O.

 

[tymks]

Hi BC2013, thanks again for your comment.
I just found that tread today and was reading thru whole morning(I still on the page 17 though!)
It looks really slow in Vienna office...
And sounds very quick in CPP-O! I'm sure every case is different, but it make us consider more to choose CPP-O now...
Thanks for the advice.. I'm wishing you very good luck!!! And us (Not applied yet though)

 

[BC2013]

Hi BC2013, thanks again for your comment.
I just found that tread today and was reading thru whole morning(I still on the page 17 though!)
It looks really slow in Vienna office...
And sounds very quick in CPP-O! I'm sure every case is different, but it make us consider more to choose CPP-O now...
Thanks for the advice.. I'm wishing you very good luck!!! And us (Not applied yet though)

Good luck to you, too - wherever you decide to apply.