ojmurphy

There doesn't seem to be an up-to-date thread on this issue, so:

I have read much about the reported delay that having medical results sent to Ottawa can have if your PR application is being processed in London.

Can anyone who had their PR application processed in London, but had their medicals sent through the Medical Services Branch in Ottawa, report how this affected their timeline?

For those in this situation, how long was the wait between the medical being completed and a PPR being received?

Also, was it an easy process or did you have to follow up with either London or Ottawa?

daft batty

There wasnt a choice in where the medicals were sent. The forms came from London and so they had to be sent back there. Thats what it said on the forms and thats all the doctor would do.

ojmurphy

That's not true though is it. Many DMP's tell clients that they only send medicals to Ottawa, or charge several hundreds of additional dollars to send them to London. One DMP I spoke to on the phone was insistent that 99% of all of the medical results he sent went to Ottawa.

This wasn't a topic about the correctness or otherwise of that, it was about those who find (or may find) themselves in the reality that results end up in Ottawa.

What is the best advice if your results have gone to Ottawa? Should you follow up or contact either CIC location?

tilly1626

We had our medicals in Oakville at the end of March, the DMP was adamant that all his results are sent to Ottawa regardless of the processing office and would not consider sending them anywhere else even when I pointed out the letter specifically stated they needed to be sent to London.
I emailed London who said that there would be no problem having our results sent via Ottawa.
The DMP said it would take between 3 - 4 weeks to send results off, we are still waiting for our passport request.
My daughter was born with a congeital heart defect and has had a replaced valve, but only recieves yearly checkups and I submitted reports from UK and Canadian specialist so I don't know if this has contributed to the delay.

daft batty

Pardon me for trying to help. It was true in our case, I checked the documentation and checked with CIC in London and Ottawa. If you apply through London then the medicals are processed there. If they are sent to Ottawa then all Ottawa does is forward them to London. Our DMP charged us extra to send them straight to London. It wasnt hundreds of dollars, I think it was $50 each for a courier.

I would suggest you use a DMP who follows the instructions on the forms. If they results are sent straight to London then there isnt a delay transferring them from one place to another. Sometimes delays happen as DMPs send the medicals off in batches.

You can only follow up your application at the office its lodged with, so London I presume.

Andrew Miller

Also remember that Ottawa processes medicals from many more applicants than London - what takes week or so in London for medicals to be assessed takes 2 to 5 months in Ottawa. This is the delay, no matter what you want to call it.

SarahBC

We've just had our medical done in Campbell River, BC.

The doctor was very insistant about sending the results to Ottawa.

I returned to her office with a photocopy of my letter stating they should be sent to London, not Ottawa.

I hope she pays attention. As the other reply said, the doctors seem to be uniformly insistant that only Ottawa processes the medicals, but if that adds in 2-6 months (and it's against the stated procedure) then it's not fair.

I don't mind paying for the courier - we're paying for everything else.

Sarah

By the way, if you have your medical done in Campbell River - go straight to the X-Ray department of the hospital after the doctor has done with you. They have very early closing times. The blood lab (LifeLabs) has longer opening hours and you often have to wait a while to be seen.

Journeyman Electrician

We applied to Buffalo and our medicals went to Ottawa and were processed without the previously posted delay. If you are applying whilst residing in Canada your medical results will go to Ottawa unless you instruct and pay otherwise.

Andrew Miller

Ottawa is the medical office processing medicals for cases processed in Buffalo.

And as you see from your own timeline there is the delay of 3-4 months between medicals and passport request. In London the same delay between medicals and PPR is only 1 to 4 weeks.

scooby101

We were sent for our medicals at the end of February and the Dr forwarded the results to Ottawa, (he said it was fine to do this even though the the letter said to send back to London). We then received our PR back 2nd week of May.

Rob_999

DMP here in Vancouver insisted on sending our medicals to Ottawa, he would have sent them to London for a fee of about $200 each but promised us it wasn't necessary. He did fax a copy to London though.

No delay, we got ours PPRs within a month.

edsask

Having read this, I getting a little bit of a sinking feeling. I did my medical last month for my outside Canada spousal PR, and sent the copy of the form with my application to Mississauga. The doctor I went to said the medicals would go to Ottawa. Up until reading this thread I didn't realise I had an option. Is this route likely to affect my application (i.e. delay its processing)?

ojmurphy

edsack,

Join the club. I know exactly what you mean about that sinking feeling. Quite honestly, I don't know if it will affect your processing time - or even mine. I have heard so many conflicting reports, that I don't know which is true.

I have resigned myself to sitting tight.

OJM

lilacheart

Ours had to go via Ottawa as well.

It took 8 weeks from them being recieved to getting PPR from London

Kerry

lilacheart

Ours had to go via Ottawa as well

It took 8 weeks from them being recieved to us getting our PPR from London