Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Hi,

Spoke to an immigration lawyer today. He said, "Not that I don't want your business, but you could just take all this paperwork and go to Buffalo and do it there...."

He pretty much said that all I need to do is take my acceptance letter, my receipts of tuition paid, passport photos, my passport, a statement from the bank proving funds, a letter of support from my brother (whom I'm staying with), the filled in forms and the processing fee, turn up at the High Commission in Buffalo and that they'd do it all that same day.

Is this true? Has anyone any experience of this?

Thanks

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Hi

Doesn't even have to be Buffalo, you can apply at any of the 6 offices in the US. Follow the instructions here; http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca...ROCESSINGTIMES

No guarantee you will get it in a day. You probably don't have time to do it by mail.

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Thanks, I'd seen that link before, and seen the processing times, which is why I was surprised when the lawyer said that I could just go in to the Buffalo HC and do it all in person.

That's what I'm most curious about, can that actually be done? Has anyone any experience of doing that in Buffalo?

I don't want to go to Buffalo only to waste my time!!

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

If PMM says it can be done (and has given you the appropriate link to CIC to support that), then it can be done. I doubt many people on here will have done it that way, so read what PMM has given you and then go for it.

Good luck. :)

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Thanks.

I would still like to hear if anyone else has any "in person" visa experiences to share.

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

So this is worth a try huh?
Just turn up and see?

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

That's interesting. Didn't see that info duplicated on the CHC London site. Anyone know if you can do this at any POE from the UK too? My wife has just learnt she was accepted on a course commencing this Fall term! With only three weeks left, does she stand any chance of getting a fast turnaround through CHC London? Others have quoted 6 weeks or more.....

She will clearly enclose a covering letter explaining the circumstances, and request (plead?) her Study Permit be expedited. Will that be enough? Could/should she attend in person and explain?

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Was anyone able to help you?

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Hi all I was at the Canadian consulate Buffalo today getting my work permit renewed. Got there for the place opening and was out with approval letters in 45mins.
There was definitely people there getting study permits to.

If you do go to Buffalo get there early it gets REALLY busy!!! They only take the first 150 people each day. A Couple of people I spoke to in the que got turned away yesterday.

Hope this helps.:fingerscrossed:

CITY4

(Put our full experience in another thread "Canadian Consulate Buffalo")

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

That was really encouraging and helpful, thank you!!

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

All the documentation has been done, I have pretty much everything I need.

Only issue is the proof of funds. It states that I have to prove $10k and I only have just over $8k. Someone has suggested that since I'm living with my brother, he can write a letter of support stating that I'll be living with him, I won't have to pay for housing, utilities, food, etc. thus dramatically reducing my cost of living.

Can he just write this letter and sign it or does it need to be witnessed by anyone who's an independent witness? Notarised?

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Update.

I have a student visa now!!

Turned up at the High Commission today at just gone 8:20. Wanted to be there before they opened at 8, but got held up for 45mins at the border, something about not having had my passport stamped at Pearson when I came in April, something that I didn't query at the time, but had thought was odd. When I finally got to the HC in Buffalo, I ended up being admitted at number 34.

I had all the documents filled in and ready, my letter of acceptance, statements, tuition receipts, had the money as a money order for fees, etc. Queued up, handed everything to the immigration officer who read through everything and took everything except the money order. She gave me another number ticket and I sat back down. I was called up again to hand in the money order to another cashier and the sat back down again. After another short wait was called up and given my letter authorising a student visa at the border. I was told to wait at least 30mins for things to be transmitted to the border computers.

So after arriving at 8:20, I had a student visa by 10am. Total blur.

Went to the border after a quick wander around Buffalo, went into an office at the Fort Erie side to have my visa processed. Took another 15mins in all.

Note, at the HC they forgot to tick a box that would have allowed me to work on the university campus. The border guard noticed this and ticked the box on the computer for me.

All in all a great day visa wise :-)

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

Off topic, but it is a pet hate of mine that just plain bothers me when I keep reading people calling the High Commission in London the Canadian "Embassy". I thought that that was bad enough, but a "High Commission" in the US!? Sheeesh! Don't people know the difference between a Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth country?

Sorry, but as I said this is a pet hate that just gets to me.

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

CONGRATS omro :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Re: Can you get a Student Visa at the Buffalo High Commission?
 

I only used "High Commission" as that's why the immigration lawyer referred to it as. My visitor's sticker does say "Canadian Consulate".