Born2BCanadians

Hi all, VERY IMPORTANT AND URGENT!!

Any suggestions welcomed. . .

Long story short... Immigration lawyer in Canada says they emailed my wife and I twice in July '09 giving us 120 days notice for our documents. BUT we didn't receive them, just the final reminder on Wednesday 28th October reading,

"As you are aware, your documentation has not yet arrived at our office and your deadline of November 17, 2009 is drawing near. Kindly note that if your documents are not received at the visa office by your deadline that places your application at the high risk of refusal."

After a 10 hour day at work I got home and read this. NOT IMPRESSED as we weren't even expecting any contact from them for another 14 - 20 months!!

I've taken 2 days off work, once I'd told them we were emigrating!! (that actually went really well, I work for a great company (Lion Insulation))

We've gone from having nothing set in place on Wednesday to now having:
- paperwork 95% completed.
- 1st passport for son (15 months old) being delivered to us on Friday by courier.
- a replacement of lost passport for my wife sorted and printed for us yesterday (THAT DAY!! 4 hour turn around!!) Had to go to London!
- application for police certificate being picked up by courier 1030pm sunday night (happened to be passing this way, lucky) and delivered to ACRO monday for 3 day turn around. I'm going down to pick it up on thurs/friday from a local courier company called dash-it who are picking it up from the high security police building I can't access for FREE (they are so helpful)
- references from old employer and new employer done.
- money that had been lent out to people returned to give necessary funds in bank - Balances printed by bank + notarised etc.
- lost ISA book being replaced ASAP by bank (hopefully with us by Friday).

Lawyer wants our documents in Montreal by the 6th Nov!! Don't think that'll happen BUT Canadian High Commission in London needs our documents in by 17th Nov. Now that's sounding do-able!!

I know Canadian High Commission in London won't give any extension but Iam wondering if phoning them may soften the deadline a little??

Any suggestions/help offered will be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Matt, Sabrina & Lucas

Aviator

What's the difference between 'softening the deadline' and an 'extension'. If you cannot get an extension then the deadline is the deadline. Without the discipline of deadlines the whole system would be in disarray. I very much doubt claiming to have not got an E-mail would invoke much sympathy from CIC. I find it surprising that a lawyer would rely on E-mail to transmit important information, or at least follow it up with hard copy, 4 months is plenty of time for a letter to have arrived.

Born2BCanadians

The Aviator,

I totally agree with what you're saying about the extension (but it's hard to accept when your chance of getting into Canada could be slipping through your fingers because someone in a law firm cocked up and you've got 1/6th of the preparation time that most others get)

The law firm say they did send a hard copy of the documents. But I had updated our contacts information on 15th of May so I know they had the correct address as I updated it directly onto their system! I know the date because I also sent them separately an email trying to update them about my son. They emailed back on 22nd May saying, "Once your file has been selected for assessment, you will then have an opportunity to provide the Visa Office with a fresh set of forms. These forms will update the Visa Office on all changes in your personal circumstances. We do not expect to receive any update on the status of your application at all, until your file has been selected for assessment. Please see your original Acknowledgement of Receipt for an estimate of the time that you should expect to wait before hearing from the Visa Office."

My AOR says 42-48 months, I received that email at 23 months, and was NOT informed about docs request at 24 months. So unfortunately for us wasn't expecting to have to start chasing up my lawyer to see what was going on.

AmyDavid

If the lawyer is holding anything that needs to go along with the docs, get them to send them to you, so you can drop the whole package into London rather than sending it to Montreal for them to fedex it back to London.

If you have one or two things missing, send everything else in anyway with a covering note explaining the missing bits will follow asap.

Born2BCanadians

Thank you AmyDavid,

I'd been thinking about bypassing the lawyers. Have said I'd be calling them on Monday so I'll ask if they're holding anything which needs to go along with the docs. (definitely hadn't thought about that though)

I think we've done well to get so far in such a short time but am just waiting for it all to fall apart now.

Thanks again for your positive advice, it's appreciated.

Matt

AmyDavid

All they would be doing would be checking your documents, so you could always scan in what you would be sending for them to check. It just seems so pointless sending it all out to them, only for them to send it back.

Born2BCanadians

Agreed, especially when time is in short supply. I'll get them to help me prepare the docs before I send them off (or most probably hand deliver them, if possible, saving another day or so)

It's 2 a.m and am too tired now (been a long few days) I'll pick this all up again in the morning.

Thanks again AmyDavid.

AmyDavid

Fingers crossed for you - let us know how you get on :0)

Born2BCanadians

Well, application for police certificates got picked up by the dash-it courier tonight (half expected him not to show) and will be delivered in the morning!

Big question now is about notorising copies? Especially birth certs etc. Have read a few threads, the official guide and my lawyers guide... Think I'll call the High Commission in London and ask them direct!

Got to call my Uncle in Vancouver in couple of hours once he finishes work to get him to fax over his I.D. etc docs (to my old boss' fax machine)

Have done loads in last couple of days but there's SO much more to go!

sac_de_loup

The only thing we had notarized was a translation of an Ecuadorean police check. I doubt you need to get anything else done. They can check most things themselves.

Alan2005

In the old days the only thing that had to be 'notarized' was the employment contract for some bizarre reason. Getting a lawyer to look at a photocopy and stick a stamp on it seemed to be good enough - only cost me a fiver which went straight into the guys pocket.

Born2BCanadians

Well here we are at the end of our application i believe... we've fallen short on funds by £1500. If I'd known about the deadline earlier in the year this may not have been such a problem but as the only option for raising the needed funds is to borrow money and lie about it we've had to make the painful decision to withdraw our PR application (for now) and try and preserve any of the money we've already put into this for a future application.

I asked our lawyer (paralegal) what address was on the letter they say they sent to us. Their reply was, "letter? Oh erm sometimes the term letter is used to convey a communication...blah, blah, blah..." Now feeling I still needed their assistance I didn't push things too much but I get the distinct feeling that they lied and didn't send a letter at all!

Now that our lawyers' usefullness is coming to an end I'm very much looking forward to having a proper conversation with them about all of this. Will even try to get some of our money back from them (although as they're lawyers I seriously don't think I'll get anywhere with it!!)

Any suggestions. lol.

Anyone else withdrawn an application at this late date (12 days to go) and got any of there money back (or safe guarded it for future application??)

Thank you

AmyDavid

WHAT! You don't actually need the money sat in your bank - you only need to show what funds you WILL have ie real estate, savings etc. DON'T THROW IT ALL IN FOR 1500!

Born2BCanadians

Got to be straight money in the bank. No house to sell. Not allowed to use car or static caravan as potential money. Besides we're not throwing it all in. Just biding our time as we want to safeguard us DEFINATELY getting in in the future. Rather than hoping it works, getting refused and ruining our dreams of living in Canada.

We're in it long haul so you've not seen the last of us and we'll be better prepared next time (prob won't be using a lawyer)

Gotta see what the lawyers have to say when they read my email. Will be calling them when I get home from work. Going to try getting some money back out of them yet. That'll be fun!! NOT!

Thanks for all your help AmyDavid.

Regards,

Matt, Sabrina & Lucas

AmyDavid

My thoughts would just be - if they change the skilled worker list again, what happens if your not on it and you are no longer eligible to apply? If your static caravan has a monetary value and you can get a valuation for this, then of course you can use it.