Originally Posted by yogi799

My case is finally completed!!!! It began in May 2003 and ended in August 2004. It took exactly 15 months.

After receiving my passport request on August 2, 2004, I decided to buy an airline ticket and bring the passports for visa stamping to Buffalo in person. On the passport request papers it clearly states that passports can be dropped off and picked up on the same day (so all the stories about Buffalo needing several days are wrong). I showed up at the HSBC center (tallest skyscraper in Buffalo) at 7:30am on Tuesday. As I went inside to the building lobby, a person at the front desk immediately "seized" me as they saw some uncertainty in my moves. He asked what my purpose is at the building (for security purposes, after all it is a skyscraper... connect the dots for yourself, please). When I said Canadian Consulate, the genetlman pointed at the line of people next to the wall. It was a line of RPC visitors as I found out a second later. He asked me to stand in it immediately and almost forcefully. There were about 15 people standing in the line, some of them children. To show you the amount of control of the man mentioned above... some of the children were tired of standing in the line - when they sat down on the floor (no chairs were provided), the man immediately called out for them to get up! It literally felt like we are all unwanted immigrants in the worst meaning of this word. Not only were we collected in a line, we were almost totally prohibited to move!

At exactly 8am, a lady showed up and started asking everyone from the 1st person in the line what the exect purpose of our visit to RPC was. Then she counter 10 or so people and took them to the elevator. She returned after another 5 minutes and took another group upstairs. So, they are controlling who exactly enters the consulate - don't try to visit Buffalo RPC if you don't have a good reason to. There are two security lines - one, the receptionist (security guard) in the lobby and then the lady from the consulate which meets the visitors downstairs to bring them upstairs only in her company! The elevators are also protected by a security guard, so if you try to bypass any of the above, that guard will stop you.

After I finally landed upstairs (on the 30th floor), I was, like all the others to stand in the line to the appropriate window (only 2 window were open) - one for dropping off passports and the other, I think, for all other visas. When my turn came, I was greeted by a nice lady behind a bullet-proof glass, which took my passport. She verified each passport with what was on her computer. Then she took the pictures, gave me a receipt card with some number and asked to come back "this afternoon" (1:30pm-3pm). That's it.

When I came back at 1pm, the same story with the line in the lobby occured - this time there were about 20 people waiting. I joined them, and the lady from the consulate showed up exactly at 1:30pm to pick us up. Let me mention, however, that I did try to bypass the line and go straight to the elevator. The guard stopped me and asked the purpose - I said picking up the passports and wanting to wait upstairs (there were restrooms and TV there in the consulate). He refused to let me go and said they don't want anyone up there until 1:30pm! So, I went to the line. After getting upstairs accompanied by the same lady, we were aksked to sit down and wait for our number to be called. Mine took about 5 minutes. The same lady from the window handed me my passport with stamped visas (what a sight after 1.5 years!!!!) and asked to verify the names, then gave me some huge papers called Confirmation of PR and asked to verify the dates of birth. After that she said not to sign the papers until landing and packed everything in the sealed envelope. That was it!!! My case was thus over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't show my emotions since a bunch of people were waiting for their turn :-(...

The moral (or two) of the story: ONE - Buffalo CAN stamp visa in one day, TWO - don't go there without a good reason, and even if you have one (like for example discussing your case) - you may be stopped before you get to the Consulate. Hope this helps someone out there. Good luck and take care!

THANKS FOR EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME WITH MY QUESTIONS - that includes our Experts and EVERYONE ELSE!!!!

.

Originally Posted by Jim Humphries

This is quite a usful report for person who wish to go to Buffalo to have their passports visaed. Good work.

Jim Humphries, former visa officer

Originally Posted by yogi799

Thanks Jim,

I myself also benefitted a lot from other people's reports regarding landing and settling, etc. and the more detail they had they more I enjoyed them and found them usefull. I've figured I owe this one to the group...

Originally Posted by yogi799

Thanks Jim,

I myself also benefitted a lot from other people's reports regarding landing and settling, etc. and the more detail they had they more I enjoyed them and found them usefull. I've figured I owe this one to the group...

Originally Posted by yogi799

Thanks Jim,

I myself also benefitted a lot from other people's reports regarding landing and settling, etc. and the more detail they had they more I enjoyed them and found them usefull. I've figured I owe this one to the group...

Originally Posted by MJ23

How long is your visa stamp valid for? Is it one year from the day you completed your medicals?

Originally Posted by yogi799

My case is finally completed!!!! It began in May 2003 and ended in August 2004. It took exactly 15 months.

After receiving my passport request on August 2, 2004, I decided to buy an airline ticket and bring the passports for visa stamping to Buffalo in person. On the passport request papers it clearly states that passports can be dropped off and picked up on the same day (so all the stories about Buffalo needing several days are wrong). I showed up at the HSBC center (tallest skyscraper in Buffalo) at 7:30am on Tuesday. As I went inside to the building lobby, a person at the front desk immediately "seized" me as they saw some uncertainty in my moves. He asked what my purpose is at the building (for security purposes, after all it is a skyscraper... connect the dots for yourself, please). When I said Canadian Consulate, the genetlman pointed at the line of people next to the wall. It was a line of RPC visitors as I found out a second later. He asked me to stand in it immediately and almost forcefully. There were about 15 people standing in the line, some of them children. To show you the amount of control of the man mentioned above... some of the children were tired of standing in the line - when they sat down on the floor (no chairs were provided), the man immediately called out for them to get up! It literally felt like we are all unwanted immigrants in the worst meaning of this word. Not only were we collected in a line, we were almost totally prohibited to move!

At exactly 8am, a lady showed up and started asking everyone from the 1st person in the line what the exect purpose of our visit to RPC was. Then she counter 10 or so people and took them to the elevator. She returned after another 5 minutes and took another group upstairs. So, they are controlling who exactly enters the consulate - don't try to visit Buffalo RPC if you don't have a good reason to. There are two security lines - one, the receptionist (security guard) in the lobby and then the lady from the consulate which meets the visitors downstairs to bring them upstairs only in her company! The elevators are also protected by a security guard, so if you try to bypass any of the above, that guard will stop you.

After I finally landed upstairs (on the 30th floor), I was, like all the others to stand in the line to the appropriate window (only 2 window were open) - one for dropping off passports and the other, I think, for all other visas. When my turn came, I was greeted by a nice lady behind a bullet-proof glass, which took my passport. She verified each passport with what was on her computer. Then she took the pictures, gave me a receipt card with some number and asked to come back "this afternoon" (1:30pm-3pm). That's it.

When I came back at 1pm, the same story with the line in the lobby occured - this time there were about 20 people waiting. I joined them, and the lady from the consulate showed up exactly at 1:30pm to pick us up. Let me mention, however, that I did try to bypass the line and go straight to the elevator. The guard stopped me and asked the purpose - I said picking up the passports and wanting to wait upstairs (there were restrooms and TV there in the consulate). He refused to let me go and said they don't want anyone up there until 1:30pm! So, I went to the line. After getting upstairs accompanied by the same lady, we were aksked to sit down and wait for our number to be called. Mine took about 5 minutes. The same lady from the window handed me my passport with stamped visas (what a sight after 1.5 years!!!!) and asked to verify the names, then gave me some huge papers called Confirmation of PR and asked to verify the dates of birth. After that she said not to sign the papers until landing and packed everything in the sealed envelope. That was it!!! My case was thus over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't show my emotions since a bunch of people were waiting for their turn :-(...

The moral (or two) of the story: ONE - Buffalo CAN stamp visa in one day, TWO - don't go there without a good reason, and even if you have one (like for example discussing your case) - you may be stopped before you get to the Consulate. Hope this helps someone out there. Good luck and take care!

THANKS FOR EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME WITH MY QUESTIONS - that includes our Experts and EVERYONE ELSE!!!!

.

Originally Posted by stevens112

Wow, I mailed my passports, I should have gone there myself. It takes me 3 and half hours drive to get to buffalo!!
Now I will have to comprehend with the Waiting fact all over again.
stevens112

Originally Posted by stevens112

Wow, I mailed my passports, I should have gone there myself. It takes me 3 and half hours drive to get to buffalo!!
Now I will have to comprehend with the Waiting fact all over again.
stevens112