Canada Visa

Hello, I had applied for visitor visa from NYC and had received notification to Fedex passport to Ottawa. I had sent the passports but the status has not been updated on whether they have received my passport or not. I do have Fedex confirmation but nothing from CPC. Is there a way to call and ask them and check on the status?

Hi,

I sent my passport on Nov 16th to NY VFC office and yet to get a response. If IRCC won't get the passport in 30 days then they will reject the application and my prepaid envelope is 14 days old now, it might also expire. I am really concerned now. Let me know how to expedite.

Regards,
Venkat

Hello,

I have sent my passport to New York on November 10 and Money order VAC fee sent to CSRA Consular Services INC on Nov 10 only later after a week i got to know office is no longer Associated, i got this info from Call center and they asked me to send the letter for explanation and Money order in new envelope so i sent them on 20th November i dint got any update so as per the previous posts i sent email to [email protected] on 27th th November explaining my situation with Travel itinerary then on 28th morning i got a email from VFS containing Tracking ID initially it showed me No Records but later 29th morning i See my Application Packet is dispatched to IRCC office on 28th November, from there i didnt got any update i have travel ticked booked for 15 th December to Travel India. I am little worried will i get my passport back to me in two weeks or do i need to visit Canada NY Office, Please let me know any suggestions based on your experiences and one more thing my Friend is located close to Visa center but when i talked to call center they were saying i am not allowed to send friends on behalf of me, any information on this greatly appreciated.

Thank you much.

My passport along with all the documents was delivered at NY VAC center on 27th but the Tracking ID is still not generated. Should I make personal visit to the center to get things expedited ? I live in Boston.
Please suggest. Looks like it was really crowdy on 29th there. Is the crowd decreasing?

Hi All,

I just received my and my spouse's passport from the NYC CVAC after almost 3 weeks of mailing it and wanted to share my experience to help others who have been going through a similar harrowing turn of events.
As of all us are aware, there has been a transition from CSRA Consular Services to VFS Global (TT Visa Services) from Nov 1 onward and this has caused an absolute mayhem. The TT Visa Services team is currently severely understaffed, and their processes are not yet properly set up to manage the volume of passports/ applications they have been receiving since the transition. Below is my experience –
1. Nov 13 - Dispatched our passports to NYC CVAC by UPS overnight. Had included a prepaid self-addressed return envelope from UPS as well.
2. Nov 14 - Passports were delivered to NYC CVAC at 10 AM,accepted by someone named Wilson.
3. Nov 19 – Started following up with the phone and chat support team to enquire about Tracking ID. Both the teams are grossly inefficient and only provide some standard response, asking you to send an email to their team ( [email protected]) . Even after sending couple of emails, we didn’t hear back anything.
4. Nov 21 – Got update from an immihelp member that his passport envelope was only opened after 15 days and that too only when he visited their center in person.
5. Nov 23- No updates yet, decided to travel to their NYC office in person.
6. Nov 26 – Reached NYC CVAC at 9.10 AM (their office opens at 9 AM) and there was already a queue of about 30 folks before me. Make sure to reach there as early as possible, considering the circumstances. It was chaotic out there, with many people in a similar situation waiting to get their tracking details or any update. One lady was in tears as she was skeptical that her passport was lost. After 2.30 hours of wait, I was called upon and they managed to locate my envelope. It was unopened so far and they only started checking the contents of the envelope and the consent forms, cheque right in front of me, all this while I was at the counter and at least 70-80 folks were waiting eagerly behind me for their turn. They gave me the tracking IDs and I asked that my UPS return envelope be given back to me. The UPS customer support team had earlier confirmed that prepaid labels expire after 2 weeks post issue, so I anyways needed to make new payment for our return courier. They collected fees for 2 return envelopes ($41.50 for each envelope, and you can make payment using Credit/debit card as well). I was informed that I would get email with our UPS tracking IDs once the passports were dispatched from the CVAC post stamping at the consulate. When I left at 11.45 am , the token number was 150+.
7. Nov 27 - Started checking their tracking portal to track the stamping status and to add to the misery and anxiety, the tracking numbers didn’t return any results even after 24 hours – “No Results Found”. The phone support team nonchalantly explained that they also have the same level of access as we have and were not able to provide any additional details on when I can expect the stamping to be done. I was worried that the 30-day timeframe to get the passport stamped, as mentioned by IRCC in the passport request letter, would pass because of the utter incompetence of these folks. Thankfully, UPS My Choice service came to the rescue. This is a free service which anyone can enroll on their website to track any incoming packages /mails to their address. I noticed on UPS My Choice that 2 return labels were generated by VFS Global on Nov 26 at 7 pm, so this gave me some hope that the ball is rolling in the backend even though I didn’t receive any further update/email from VFS.
8. Nov 28 – Finally received the elusive email from VFS around 2PM stating that our passports have been sent to consulate for stamping and within an hour got another 4 emails that they were being returned to the CVAC from the consulate. Around 8.30 PM, checked the UPS My choice portal and found that they had been dispatched from VFS offices. As expected, didn’t receive any UPS tracking ID from VFS.
9. Nov 29- Received the stamped passports back.

My two cents based on the experience –

The entire process of mailing in our passports and getting it stamped from VFS should have been a smooth one. This was the situation earlier, as I got to know from some of my friends, but the recent handover, it seems, has made the ride a lot bumpier for the applicant, at least for the near term. If you’re in a rush to get the passport stamped, it’s better not to rely on their customer support. Visit their office and deliver it in person, so that things happen, instead of waiting in the dark and hoping that they will open your envelope and process it. This may involve some out of pocket expenses but will save you considerable time. As of today, their processes are simply not streamlined enough to handle this volume and only the applications delivered in person are getting prioritized, the courier envelopes are being processed at a much slower pace and it can risk the 30-day stamping deadline of IRCC. VFS folks are currently overburdened due to lack of sufficient staff, NYC office had only 2 counters for handling 150+ people at their office with each applicant taking about 10-12 mins at the counter, so you can well understand how long a wait it can be if your token number is after 50-60. UPS My Choice is an excellent option for your peace of mind if you don’t receive any UPS tracking ID from VFS.

Hope this helps other folks here and let’s expect VFS to up their game soon enough. This kind of harassment is uncalled for.

Hi,

I have received the approval from the embassy and a request for sending passport for a visitor visa. The website says that I have 3 options for sending the passport - Ottawa, LA and NY. Considering the chaos and delays in LA, can I send my passport to Ottawa? Has anybody had any experience with that?

I need to travel abroad in a month (not to Canada), so I am a little worried if I should send it at this stage.

Thanks!

Hi Guys,

I have sent my passport to NY office for my visitor visa stamping on Nov 9. Since I haven't received any tracking ID till now, I went in person to NY office to check the status. I took this decision to go in person after trying multiple times with their customer service center. They are useless as they dont have any physical connection with the center. You dont need any appointment. Just walk in.

1. I reached the office on 11/27 by 10:30 am and it was crowded. It seems like they are understaffed. They do give you a token but thats mostly for Passport collection and drop off.

2. Someone will come out of the door and you just wait for that person and go directly and speak to him/her. Thats the best bet. DO NOT wait for the token to be called. There were lot of people to get the status of their passport.

4. They gave us a form to fill and they told us to look for an email in 24 hrs for tracking ID. But I told her to give me an answer as I have come far and I am not
here to just fill out the form and leave. [They will persuade you to leave but DO NOT leave until you get some tracking ID. Tell her that you can wait here the whole day to get it]

5. After sometime, she came again and asked for application number.

6. Waited for 2 more hrs and she gave a tracking ID which when checked online says "No records Found". She informed me that it has been sent to the embassy for stamping. The passport reached on Nov 9 but it has been sent out only on 11/26. They have a big delay in processing passports received by courier. (For all the new applicants, till they streamline the process, I would recommend to go in person to submit it so that you can get your passport back soon)

7. She also asked us to fill out another form for urgency requirement if you are traveling within 5 days with proof, to expedite the stamping process. But since I did not have a proof, I was not able to fill out the form. Most people did that. Not sure how thats gonna work.

Some people were waiting longer than me to get their tracking ID. Some said they received email from vfsglobal but their tracking ID is different from what they received in person from NY office. Not sure about it but the system at present seem to be totally messed up.

Still waiting for some status change as it still says "No records found". I am sure there are lot of people whose status says "No records found". Let me know if something changed after that.

Hope this helps!

Hi guys,

I also have the same issue. I mailed by passport to NYC on 9th Nov and they received on 12th Nov. I haven't heard anything about the tracking number or status of my application. I also tried to contact them via phone or emails (tried both email address they provide).

The phone doesn't work at all. I call them four times and asking about how long does it take to get the tracking number, one said 5 business days, one said one week, one said 7-8 days and the last said 10 days. I don't think they have any ideas but to fool me around.

I also sent emails suggested by the representatives in the phone. Neither get replied.

I sent a friend to the center in NYC in person to ask. He arrived around 1 pm today, and there were 150 people ahead of him waiting. He said there was only one person working in the window. I have to let him leave because of the too long waiting time. I will ask another friend to visit there on Thursday to see how the things go and will update when I get feedback.

Please kindly let me know if you have any ideas about the application time and what else can I do to get my passport as soon as possible. I need to travel internationally next week. Sincerely thanks!

Hi Guys,

I mailed the Passport on 11th Nov which got delivered to NYC on the 13th Nov. This was after VISA application Centre approved paperwork on 8th Nov and requested to mail passport for stamping

Address:
Canada Visa Application Centre, 145 W, 45th ST, 4th FL, NYC, NY, 10036
UPS Tracking confirmed the delivery.
Its been 10+ days and my Temp VISA application hasn't been updated.

1.What All Options do I have to expedite my application process and passport trace?
2.Is anyone aware of the delays by the application centre?

Thanks!

Hi Folks,

My passport was delivered to the new NY VAC office on Nov 13 for a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa along with a UPS Return envelope.
Address:
Canada Visa Application Centre
145 WEST 45th street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10036

I have not received a tracking id and I need to be in India by Dec 9 for a wedding. I have my flight tickets booked.

 I have three questions:

1) Can I send my spouse to ask about the status and get a tracking number?
If yes, does she just need to carry anything other than the passport request letter and my id?
[She has not applied for a temporary resident visa]

2) How long does it take to get the passport once I get the tracking number? Do UPS return labels expire?

3) Can my wife get the passport back from VFS when she goes there and can i then cancel my Canadian Temporary Resident request? Going to Canada is not urgent for me right now and I don't mind cancelling it for the purposes of traveling to India. But I am planning to be a Canadian PR and do not want this to be a negative mark on my profile.