Extension of Visitor Stay
Jul 7th 2002, 6:20 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Extension of Visitor Stay
Hi everyone,
I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced the
same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind so i'll
have a peace of mind.
Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for Extension of
Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied for Permanent
Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and be
with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and we
were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days more to
go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then it's good but
what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is the best thing to
do? Can anyone help me ?
Thank you very much.
Bianc
I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced the
same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind so i'll
have a peace of mind.
Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for Extension of
Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied for Permanent
Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and be
with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and we
were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days more to
go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then it's good but
what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is the best thing to
do? Can anyone help me ?
Thank you very much.
Bianc
Jul 7th 2002, 4:20 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Extension of Visitor Stay (and Employment Authorization) - HELP!
BEWARE!!!! It sounds like you are caught in the same catch-22 that my wife and I just
encountered when renewing our employment authorizations (which expired May
31). There does NOT seem to be a way out of it, according to the call center people.
We submitted our paper work in early May (due to a delay by my employer's HR
department in getting the required offer letter to me). I was warned by the call
center that the papers would probably not be processed in time but would be handled
ASAP and returned to me at my home address in Toronto. I informed them that I would
be out of the country for several weeks during this time, and I asked if this would
be a problem. I was told that it would NOT be, since the employment authorization is
NOT an entry document. "Just enter Canada using your passport or birth certificate
when you return to Canada." (We are both US citizens.)
It is now early July, and we are still in the US. (I have been working on a short
term contract here in the US meantime, waiting to receive our visas so that we can
make plans to go back to work in Toronto.) Since we had still not heard anything, we
called the call center this week. I was informed that our applications had been
rejected since they were not received until our visas had expired. I pointed out that
they were actually received two weeks prior to the expiration date. (I had the
ExpressPost receipt as proof.) I was then told "well, they were not PROCESSED in
time." I was then told that we should have applied from outside Canada (while I was
told previously that I could ONLY apply from within Canada since I had an existing
authorization).
To make matters worse, Immigration called the home phone number on our applications
and asked to talk to us. A friend, who is pet sitting for us, told them that we were
away (waiting for our visas to be renewed so that we can go back to work), and she
asked them to call us on our cell phone (which was the other number listed on our
application). They refused...and refused to give a number to call them back. After
this fcall, I received a letter (mailed in early July via the prepaid ExpressPost
envelope that I included with our applications
- but DATED May 31!) stating that my application was rejected due to lack of status
in Canada and that I could be deported if I were there to receive this letter!
So it was a catch-22 -- Immigration rejected our applications since they took too
long to process our visas (and thus I left Canada to temporarily work in the US), but
they admitted that I would have been deported if I *HAD* remained in Canada.
To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY due to training for the new permanent
residence regualtions.
So, good luck...and I would welcome any suggestions regarding our situation. I have
been informed by the call center that I should be able to get an authorization at the
border ("though it may be rejected due to the fact that you just had an application
declined". Meanwhile, three Canadian employers (two for me, one for my wife) are left
hanging......
...and OHIP has informed me that both my wife and I will have to have ANOTHER
three-month waiting period for health coverage due to the time gap in our employment
authorizations due to the delay. (This makes me very disinclined to return to
Canada.....due to the hassle and extra health insurance expenses.)
This does NOT strike me as a way to attract "high-demand" workers to Canada.
Ken Milstead [email protected]
Bianca wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced the
> same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind so
> i'll have a peace of mind.
>
> Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for Extension
> of Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied for
> Permanent Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
>
> I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
> extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
> response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and
> be with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and
> we were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days
> more to go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then it's
> good but what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is the best
> thing to do? Can anyone help me ?
>
> Thank you very much.
>
> Bianc
encountered when renewing our employment authorizations (which expired May
31). There does NOT seem to be a way out of it, according to the call center people.
We submitted our paper work in early May (due to a delay by my employer's HR
department in getting the required offer letter to me). I was warned by the call
center that the papers would probably not be processed in time but would be handled
ASAP and returned to me at my home address in Toronto. I informed them that I would
be out of the country for several weeks during this time, and I asked if this would
be a problem. I was told that it would NOT be, since the employment authorization is
NOT an entry document. "Just enter Canada using your passport or birth certificate
when you return to Canada." (We are both US citizens.)
It is now early July, and we are still in the US. (I have been working on a short
term contract here in the US meantime, waiting to receive our visas so that we can
make plans to go back to work in Toronto.) Since we had still not heard anything, we
called the call center this week. I was informed that our applications had been
rejected since they were not received until our visas had expired. I pointed out that
they were actually received two weeks prior to the expiration date. (I had the
ExpressPost receipt as proof.) I was then told "well, they were not PROCESSED in
time." I was then told that we should have applied from outside Canada (while I was
told previously that I could ONLY apply from within Canada since I had an existing
authorization).
To make matters worse, Immigration called the home phone number on our applications
and asked to talk to us. A friend, who is pet sitting for us, told them that we were
away (waiting for our visas to be renewed so that we can go back to work), and she
asked them to call us on our cell phone (which was the other number listed on our
application). They refused...and refused to give a number to call them back. After
this fcall, I received a letter (mailed in early July via the prepaid ExpressPost
envelope that I included with our applications
- but DATED May 31!) stating that my application was rejected due to lack of status
in Canada and that I could be deported if I were there to receive this letter!
So it was a catch-22 -- Immigration rejected our applications since they took too
long to process our visas (and thus I left Canada to temporarily work in the US), but
they admitted that I would have been deported if I *HAD* remained in Canada.
To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY due to training for the new permanent
residence regualtions.
So, good luck...and I would welcome any suggestions regarding our situation. I have
been informed by the call center that I should be able to get an authorization at the
border ("though it may be rejected due to the fact that you just had an application
declined". Meanwhile, three Canadian employers (two for me, one for my wife) are left
hanging......
...and OHIP has informed me that both my wife and I will have to have ANOTHER
three-month waiting period for health coverage due to the time gap in our employment
authorizations due to the delay. (This makes me very disinclined to return to
Canada.....due to the hassle and extra health insurance expenses.)
This does NOT strike me as a way to attract "high-demand" workers to Canada.
Ken Milstead [email protected]
Bianca wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced the
> same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind so
> i'll have a peace of mind.
>
> Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for Extension
> of Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied for
> Permanent Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
>
> I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
> extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
> response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and
> be with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and
> we were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days
> more to go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then it's
> good but what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is the best
> thing to do? Can anyone help me ?
>
> Thank you very much.
>
> Bianc
Jul 7th 2002, 4:20 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Extension of Visitor Stay (and Employment Authorization) - HELP!
OOPS! A typo in my original post....that should be:
"To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF **JUNE** (not JULY) due to training for the new
permanent residence regualtions."
Ken Milstead wrote:
> BEWARE!!!! It sounds like you are caught in the same catch-22 that my wife and I
> just encountered when renewing our employment authorizations (which expired May
> 31). There does NOT seem to be a way out of it, according to the call center
> people.
>
> We submitted our paper work in early May (due to a delay by my employer's HR
> department in getting the required offer letter to me). I was warned by the call
> center that the papers would probably not be processed in time but would be handled
> ASAP and returned to me at my home address in Toronto. I informed them that I would
> be out of the country for several weeks during this time, and I asked if this would
> be a problem. I was told that it would NOT be, since the employment authorization
> is NOT an entry document. "Just enter Canada using your passport or birth
> certificate when you return to Canada." (We are both US citizens.)
>
> It is now early July, and we are still in the US. (I have been working on a short
> term contract here in the US meantime, waiting to receive our visas so that we can
> make plans to go back to work in Toronto.) Since we had still not heard anything,
> we called the call center this week. I was informed that our applications had been
> rejected since they were not received until our visas had expired. I pointed out
> that they were actually received two weeks prior to the expiration date. (I had the
> ExpressPost receipt as proof.) I was then told "well, they were not PROCESSED in
> time." I was then told that we should have applied from outside Canada (while I was
> told previously that I could ONLY apply from within Canada since I had an existing
> authorization).
>
> To make matters worse, Immigration called the home phone number on our applications
> and asked to talk to us. A friend, who is pet sitting for us, told them that we
> were away (waiting for our visas to be renewed so that we can go back to work), and
> she asked them to call us on our cell phone (which was the other number listed on
> our application). They refused...and refused to give a number to call them back.
> After this fcall, I received a letter (mailed in early July via the prepaid
> ExpressPost envelope that I included with our applications
> - but DATED May 31!) stating that my application was rejected due to lack of status
> in Canada and that I could be deported if I were there to receive this letter!
>
> So it was a catch-22 -- Immigration rejected our applications since they took too
> long to process our visas (and thus I left Canada to temporarily work in the US),
> but they admitted that I would have been deported if I *HAD* remained in Canada.
>
> To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
> was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
> Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY due to training for the new permanent
> residence regualtions.
>
> So, good luck...and I would welcome any suggestions regarding our situation. I have
> been informed by the call center that I should be able to get an authorization at
> the border ("though it may be rejected due to the fact that you just had an
> application declined". Meanwhile, three Canadian employers (two for me, one for my
> wife) are left hanging......
>
> ...and OHIP has informed me that both my wife and I will have to have ANOTHER
> three-month waiting period for health coverage due to the time gap in our
> employment authorizations due to the delay. (This makes me very disinclined to
> return to Canada.....due to the hassle and extra health insurance expenses.)
>
> This does NOT strike me as a way to attract "high-demand" workers to Canada.
>
> Ken Milstead [email protected]
>
> Bianca wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced
> > the same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind
> > so i'll have a peace of mind.
> >
> > Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for
> > Extension of Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied
> > for Permanent Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
> >
> > I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
> > extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
> > response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and
> > be with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and
> > we were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days
> > more to go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then
> > it's good but what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is
> > the best thing to do? Can anyone help me ?
> >
> > Thank you very much.
> >
> > Bianc
"To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF **JUNE** (not JULY) due to training for the new
permanent residence regualtions."
Ken Milstead wrote:
> BEWARE!!!! It sounds like you are caught in the same catch-22 that my wife and I
> just encountered when renewing our employment authorizations (which expired May
> 31). There does NOT seem to be a way out of it, according to the call center
> people.
>
> We submitted our paper work in early May (due to a delay by my employer's HR
> department in getting the required offer letter to me). I was warned by the call
> center that the papers would probably not be processed in time but would be handled
> ASAP and returned to me at my home address in Toronto. I informed them that I would
> be out of the country for several weeks during this time, and I asked if this would
> be a problem. I was told that it would NOT be, since the employment authorization
> is NOT an entry document. "Just enter Canada using your passport or birth
> certificate when you return to Canada." (We are both US citizens.)
>
> It is now early July, and we are still in the US. (I have been working on a short
> term contract here in the US meantime, waiting to receive our visas so that we can
> make plans to go back to work in Toronto.) Since we had still not heard anything,
> we called the call center this week. I was informed that our applications had been
> rejected since they were not received until our visas had expired. I pointed out
> that they were actually received two weeks prior to the expiration date. (I had the
> ExpressPost receipt as proof.) I was then told "well, they were not PROCESSED in
> time." I was then told that we should have applied from outside Canada (while I was
> told previously that I could ONLY apply from within Canada since I had an existing
> authorization).
>
> To make matters worse, Immigration called the home phone number on our applications
> and asked to talk to us. A friend, who is pet sitting for us, told them that we
> were away (waiting for our visas to be renewed so that we can go back to work), and
> she asked them to call us on our cell phone (which was the other number listed on
> our application). They refused...and refused to give a number to call them back.
> After this fcall, I received a letter (mailed in early July via the prepaid
> ExpressPost envelope that I included with our applications
> - but DATED May 31!) stating that my application was rejected due to lack of status
> in Canada and that I could be deported if I were there to receive this letter!
>
> So it was a catch-22 -- Immigration rejected our applications since they took too
> long to process our visas (and thus I left Canada to temporarily work in the US),
> but they admitted that I would have been deported if I *HAD* remained in Canada.
>
> To make matters worse, a sympathetic call center worker informed me that the delay
> was due to the fact that they ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED processing papers in
> Vegreville during THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY due to training for the new permanent
> residence regualtions.
>
> So, good luck...and I would welcome any suggestions regarding our situation. I have
> been informed by the call center that I should be able to get an authorization at
> the border ("though it may be rejected due to the fact that you just had an
> application declined". Meanwhile, three Canadian employers (two for me, one for my
> wife) are left hanging......
>
> ...and OHIP has informed me that both my wife and I will have to have ANOTHER
> three-month waiting period for health coverage due to the time gap in our
> employment authorizations due to the delay. (This makes me very disinclined to
> return to Canada.....due to the hassle and extra health insurance expenses.)
>
> This does NOT strike me as a way to attract "high-demand" workers to Canada.
>
> Ken Milstead [email protected]
>
> Bianca wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I would like to seek some opinions and views from you, whoever had experienced
> > the same situation and whoever can advice me on my situation to enlighten my mind
> > so i'll have a peace of mind.
> >
> > Visitor Visa is valid till July 26, 2002. Type: Single Entry Applied for
> > Extension of Visitor Stay: June 4, 2002 - Sent via Post Office in Ottawa Applied
> > for Permanent Residence from within Canada (Spouse of PR): June 4, 2002.
> >
> > I'm worried about my validity of stay here. I had passed my application for
> > extension but until today, i haven't heard any response. We haven't receive any
> > response to my PR application too. As much as possible, I wanted to stay here and
> > be with my spouse. We had called the Immigration call center last july 2,2002 and
> > we were informed that my records doesn't show any application yet. It's 20 days
> > more to go before my validity of stay to be expired, if i'll get a reply then
> > it's good but what if i will not receive any reply before my last day. What is
> > the best thing to do? Can anyone help me ?
> >
> > Thank you very much.
> >
> > Bianc
