Ralphstars

Happy Saint Patrick's Day !

I got a bleary-eyed surprise at the hospital this morning - whilst showing my elderly father in law how we check ecas for updates on our application I saw Decision Made ! !
That makes it 6 months and 12 days I believe since sponsor approval !

Please can some kind person update the spreadsheet with my new info !

I wasn't called back to London for an interview and have had no correspondence so I hope it is a positive decision !
Utter relief 😃

ash0918

Hi again,

So more info for the spreadsheet... we received an email the day after I posted on here to confirm that they received our application on Feb 12 and today I recieved my letter stating that I have been approved as a sponsor (Mar 17).

So all good and all in the process... now lets have our fingers crossed it goes through quickly and we can have it sorted by Sept 1.
(no harm in hoping right?)

Becki567

Congratulations RalphStar..What a wonderful surprise. I have updated the spreadsheet. I put decision made as of today but if it should be a different day please let me know!

I also updated your section Ash0918

Ralphstars

Thanks Becki567 !

SchnookoLoly

Thanks

apt2208

Processing times for London VO have increased to 11 months as per the updated processing times on CICs webiste

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...fc-spouses.asp

Becki567

GAH! That sucks.

I was dealing with my MLA and MP office to try and sort out a driver's license for my husband. He surrendered his when he got his work permit and with his permit soon expiring they would not renew it. We were prepared to deal with no work, no health care but the license thing to me is silly. Anyways.... they inquired to CIC on his behalf trying to get a status report to provide to the registry office. And were told that my husband's back ground check was still outstanding. It was sent Nov 5 to a third party to do and they have not heard back. (23, only child, no kids, no military, no trace criminal record (never had any problems), only live in UK and then Canada on the IEC visa) Like really how long could that take??? Based on those results we will either be called for an interview or have a decision made. But they can give us zero time frame, and the MP office said they were surprised it has taken this long already. They also said once the background check is completed, that does not mean it is reviewed right away. They said it will be put in a que to be reviewed and could take around 90 days but also made sure to say it could take even longer.

I am feeling really down today. And hearing them bump up to 11 months has made it worse. Seeing them working on end of June applications for inland is making me doubt our decision to file outland.

apt2208

I know how you are feeling, I am only one day behind you according to the spreadsheet. I've been away from my husband since we got married last year and was hoping to have COPR by end of next month at the latest. Now processing times have increased to 11 months makes me loose all hope especially when I found out last week they haven't even started processing my application yet

Becki567

At least I am with my husband. I am sorry you guys are separated. How did you find out they haven't started processing your application?

I almost wish the MLA/MP had not found out that information. It has made me more discouraged. Looking at the spreadsheet I thought maybe another 4-8 weeks. But that appears to not be the case. I try not to get jealous of those with a fast processing time, but it is confusing how some are processing in 30-80 days, and others take 11 months.

apt2208

I sent them a case specific enquiry, not really expecting a reply but they replied within 2 days to give the bad news.

Same here, I noticed a couple of Dec 2013 were processed super fast, that did make me a little furious because that's unfair!

I really hope that we hear positive news in the next 6 weeks!

Becki567

I will keep my fingers crossed for both of us

SchnookoLoly

I wouldn't get too worked up over the 11 months thing. Don't forget, the time quoted on CIC's website is the amount of time it takes to process 80% of applications. That means that 79% of applications will be processed faster than 11 months.

This is part of the reason the spreadsheet makes a lot of sense. The majority of people on it are applying with "straight-forward cases" - often no children, or children of the couple applying, often no divorces or only one divorce (multiples is when it starts to get messy), and usually a Canadian and a Brit. Don't forget that when CIC does the applications, it's based on residency, so you can have someone on a non-British passport still be processed in London (Heppster is a good example of this. His wife is Brazilian but they are living in the UK, so London was used as their processing office - and his process took 227 days, much longer than the overall average of 176 days). I'll bet you that most of the ones that are taking 11+ months will be where there are questions about the validity of the relationship, non-visa exempt passports from countries with higher rates of fraudulent applications, etc.

So I wouldn't get too worked up over that. If CIC has received an influx of those type of more complex cases, then yes it makes sense that applications will be taking longer.

I'd say to go by the spreadsheet as the indicator of "straight-forward" application timelines. The 2014 approvals have been as fast as 68 days and as slow as 200ish days... with the average being just short of 6 months.

So just sit tight, not much you can do but wait it out.

As for getting your MP involved, that has been known to kick-start the application - Orly had that with his, he got his MP to chase up and he had DM within about a week, if I remember correctly.

Hope that helps put your mind at ease a bit!

apt2208

Me too!

Thank you this helps .

With regards to MP involvement, Would this be the UK MP?

Becki567

I have heard that an MP can help. We did not go to the MP/MLA for an update on our application. They were simply trying to get us enough documentation that the registry office might accept to extend his license temporarily. He never mentioned that his inquiry could help tho, and seemed to go overboard trying to make it clear that I understood that this application was not close to having a decision made.

Becki567

Canadian one. You can look it up here http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compi....aspx?Menu=HOC