Cape Blue

Hi,

I'm currently working in the US on an H1B visa.

When looking at the CICC website one can use the simplified app process for skilled worker if I was applying in London, or the "regular process' as someone who has a "legal status in the United States and are submitting their application at the Canadian visa office in Buffalo" - I am assuming the H1B is a "legal status in the US"?

question is, which one is better?

should I apply next time I am back in London, or should I apply through Buffalo?

anyone have an opinion or know if there is an advantage either way

thanks in advance

Andrew Miller

If you have acceptable arranged employment in Canada then submit full application to London. If you don't then submit full application to Buffalo, providing of course that your admission to US is valid and was granted for at least 12 months.

Forget about simplified process - nothing will happen to those applications for about 5 years, if anything at all.

liquidsuite

Simplified process kicked in just when I applied. I am so glad I was able to send whole application in because of my arranged job otherwise with so many simplified the process would have been years and years. Couple weeks before simplified kicked in I was tempted to send everything without the AEO which I was still waiting for. I missed the deadline but lucky enough I got my AEO. I would have been gutted if my AEO did not work out and I had to apply simplified specailly when 2 weeks earlier I still could have sent everything in even without job offer.

I would advice anyone applying as skilled worker to try to find a job out there in advance via AEO or LMO. A 5 year wait is to long to wait for new applicants under new simple applications rules.

toaster

Cape Blue - Every case is of course different, but Buffalo is currently light years ahead of Buffalo in terms of processing times. Many people from Buffalo get PR in about 1 1/2 years whereas London I believe is about 4-5 years at present. I was working in the US and so seized the chance to go through Buffalo as opposed to London. Am nearing the end of the process (exactly at the 1 1/2 year mark actually) and I probably don't have it yet because I've lived in so many damn countries and the background check is taking longer (see my signature for the full timeline)

My advice would be Buffalo - hands down. Best of luck!

(Good forum with many Buffalo applicants is: http://www.immigration.ca/discussion...r=&whichpage=1)

Cape Blue

Thanks Toaster - knew it would be worth asking the question as someone was bound to have been there before

Andrew Miller

Buffalo is not using any fast track processing for applications with arranged employment - they are processed at the same speed as cases without AE. Processing takes 1 to 3 years, depending from too many factors to list here.

On the other hand London (and other visa posts) are putting applications with arranged employment on fast track - average processing time for such cases in London at present is 5 to 7 months from application to medicals, "light years ahead of" Buffalo if I can use toaster's expression.

Toaster is right suggesting Buffalo, but only if you don't have arranged employment. With arranged employment London is your absolute best option.

Cape Blue

Thanks Andrew - I have a couple more years on my contract in the US, then I fancy travelling for 6-10 months and want to consider where to aim for next. I currently live in San Francisco, so Vancouver seemed the best option.

If I stick my application in soon it could be ready before my US contract is up, which would be perfect.