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| Hello, I'm Wolvie
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I am from Canada
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I last logged in on 13 Sep 2008
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I have been a member since 16 Apr 2008
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| I have added
15 posts in trackitt forums
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I added my last post on 12 Aug 2008
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Wolvie's Immigration Cases
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| Family Class case:
Approved in 152 days (4 comments) |
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| User: |
Wolvie |
Visa Office: |
Singapore, Singapore |
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| Business Program: |
Spouses & Partners |
Application Date: |
18 Jan 2008 |
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| AOR Date: |
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Initial Assessment: |
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| Medical Done: |
22 Oct 2007 |
Sponsorship Approved: |
05 Feb 2008 |
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| Documents Requested: |
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Documents Sent: |
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| Interview Date: |
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Passport Requested: |
16 May 2008 |
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| Visa Received: |
18 Jun 2008 |
Last Updated: |
12 Aug 2008 |
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| Nationality: |
Canada |
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| Notes: |
I now have my lovely wife home! The trip through the airport was very painless. The line ups were not bad, but we spent more time in the lines than in front of the customs people. |
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Topic: Once in Canada...
I noted some questions what to expect on landing... this was our experience:
We landed in Toronto Pearson International. We went to the first custom window where they marked up our customs declaration card. We were then referred to immigration. They asked very few questions. Filled out the paperwork and signed. My wife signed and we were off to pick up our bags. Had a quick stop at an information kiosk.
We beat the bags to the carousel. We had some time to wait... in which a customs officer brought a dog by to smell our luggage. Once we had all our bags, we proceeded to the door, where we were again referred to another customs office. Here they only asked questions about what we brought. We were quickly on our way.
It is important to keep the receipt from the COPR. It will be utilized with your passport to get your SIN. OHIP is something that is handled on the anniversary of 3 months landed or after.... you will need that time to get the paperwork required. You will need passport (signature), Immigration card and a Canadian driver's license to prove Ontario residency. (Other documents can suffice for residency documentation)... The receipt from the COPR and passport are sufficient to open bank accounts. It will take more than the tree months to be past all the government offices... but well worth the wait. |
Topic: Under medication...Need to bring 360 tablets...Will this be a problem?
Generally if there is no narcotic component of the medication you are safe... but remember you have to travel through other countries too. Rules vary from country to country. And what is legal inside may not be legal to transport.
For Canada: medication in it's origional prescription package and a copy of the doctor's note should be sufficent to clear them. Be certain to declare them rather then let them find them... they tend not to be as interested in listening if they think you are hiding them.
As you have family all ready in Canada, send a prescription to your family member and see if they can get it filled before you depart. That way you won't have to take any with you. |
Topic: Ups and downs...
We just got notified to go and pick up my wife's passport. The wait is over for us!
Thanks to all who gave us advice and support here. It made the wait a little more tolerable! |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
I would assume business days... Excluding Canadian and Local holidays. Go to the Lima embassy web site and check hours of operation. Not to make excuses for them, but it is best for your complaint have their excuses factored in. |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
I sent it to greg.weston@sunmedia.ca. Mr. Weston had just finished an article on the express service skilled people were going to get.... The attached is what I sent.. April 22nd 2008
I found your story "Myth busters, immigration style" but you are just scratching the surface.
I, like most Canadians have always considered immigration part of life from the past. New Canadians are just late party comers’. "Glad to see you ... don't take all the beer!"
As a whole I assumed. If you wanted to come... it was like getting your driver's license renewed.... annoying, but no big deal.
I feel I have good command of the English language; I can read and write adequately. Perhaps I have become overly dependant upon my spell checker… In 2007: I had a paradigm shift. I married a beautiful lady who happened to be Vietnamese. We read all that we could from the Immigration web sites, we consulted others, and we ordered kits and read each page thoroughly… When we completed, double checked and taken every advice to expedite all matters we mailed our “package” to CIC.
Up till now all is rosy… there is no doubt in our minds that the process in the works and in three months we expect to be together in one country and ready to begin our lives.
Now if you read every page… the process works something like this:
You pay your sponsorship application fee.
You send your sponsor ship paperwork to the appropriate office.
If approved. They send you a notice. You pay for your application fee and you can send the paperwork to the appropriate CIC office or embassy.
They send you an AOR “application Receipt” This is supposed to outline a projected time for the completion of your processing of your case. Now this important! You are not to contact them until this projected time has passed! Otherwise your only other guide is the 2006 statistics and your own limited judgment of where you may fit in to the % of the completed cases. It actually states if you contacted them before the allotted time and they need to reference your file and remove your file from the queue: it will be returned to the end of the line…..
Now of course you feel kind of like a hostage… you don’t even get a chance at Stockholm syndrome because you never meet your hostage taker. You have no idea of when. Your life comes on hold. You are afraid to complain because you can not see the effect. Once the numbness passes you feel there has to be other “external” information sites and there are. One is http://www.trackitt.com/canada-immigration-trackers/family-class/ . One has to keep in mind that if you were to receive your information in an allotted or at least in an informed time that sites like this would not exist. Nor that people who get their visa in a timely manner would utilize a site like this… so the results may be skewed.
With all those provisos…. Remember that AOR letter Only a small percentage seem to get one.
Then GREAT NEWS! You find out that CIC recognizes that they have a backlog. Imagine that! I read all the articles with great interest. I found nothing that would actually speed things up. In fact, I noted that it would not help me at all because I applied before the date they arbitrarily set up to help all applications after… IF a bill is passed.
On the whole, for a system that has a priority for “reuniting” families: It seems to go out of its way to accentuate the pain of separation, minimizing information and thereby perpetuate an overwhelming feeling of limbo because you can not plan the next month!
Oh, and by the way two weeks ago I sent a note of frustration to the Minister of Immigration The Honourable Diane Finley, P.C., M.P. and did not even get the standard Aid's acknowledgment with it's thank's for my letter and they would take it under advisement... yada yada yada!
Waiting without a clue...
Reguards, |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
I sent a letter to Ms. Finley and to a newspaper column telling them that I thought the whole infrastructure of the information system is wrong. After all the technology to track a package from door step to doorstep is out there! I think it is totally unfair the lack of information and apathy on the conditions on which they MAY provide information!!!
All that being said: I don't know if I would have weathered the whole situation as well as you seem to have. I now have a "Decision Made" status in the CIC web site and the passport has been sent. I was beserk and I was under 6 months. You make me feel like I way over reacted way too early. |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
There is also a form to request your case notes. I think it cost $5 to process, but I will dig around and see if I can find the form for that too.If you search around, you will find the Bureaucrats have a time line and a manual for everything... Does not mean they follow it, but I have found, they get intimidated when you know, really how late they are. In the end, I think you will find no malice, but rather a question waiting for a senior to second is usually the culprit. In organizations such as these, no one wants to take responsibility to make a decision, so if the forms are just so... then you wait for a senior thinker.
I hope you are right on the clockwork. We have gotten the passport request, but I seen nothing that says decision made. So I am not sure that I am out of the woods yet.
Keep us posted on your battles! |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
I did a quick check on the Lima/Canadian immigration web site.... They say they answer Case specific within 15 days... I know this is not an answer you were looking for, but if you submitted on the 12th, their case specific is not late until the 27th.
I know how you feel. It is an emotional time and all you want is your loved one home. I wish you the strength you need to go through this.
You did notice that the case specific inquiry allowed for your MP to request info? If you have not heard by the 27th, I think your local MP's office would be your next step.
Hang in there... |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
Keep in mind that the case specific is particular to each Visa office handling it... the one above was for Rome... for Lima it would be https://dmp-portal.cic.gc.ca/cicemail/intro-eng.aspx?mission=lima.
An AOR is an Acknowledgment of receipt. A sample letter can be found on page 65 of the OP1 Manual which is also posted online:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op01e.pdf
But many do not get an AOR as the case is suppose to be turned around so fast as not to require one... (I don't think so!)
I know We did not receive one.
Good luck as well! |
Topic: IF A GO AT EMBASSY IN PERSON ARE THEY GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT MY CASE???
I would think they would give you the run around and not tell you much. You would not likely get access to the area that works on the visas. As this is a very emotional issue for most people... they would likey be very protective and not tell you anything in person, but advise you to apply in writing or through e-mail.
As I have not done any of this: I am only guessing. I can tell you I also considered going in person, but hung in there.
You can make Case specific inquiries at https://dmp-portal.cic.gc.ca/cicemail/intro-eng.aspx?mission=rome
or general inquiries e-mail at romevisa@international.gc.ca
keep in mind the guide's reference that if you are asking before the date posted in your AOR that they may put your file to the back of the queue. Idle threat? I don't know, but I chose not to send any referenced questions.
Good luck in what you decide. |
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