By April 2007, I have become hostile about the immigration process. I am angry, blatantly and unabashedly full of rage. My immigration process has become a battle of principles now. Who, exactly, do these paper worshiping government employees think they are, that they can just put my life in limbo for however long they feel? My ECAS hasn't changed since November 2006.
I decide to pursue the other open item that still is out hanging: my overpayment refund. We paid my fees, in full, in October 2005. Still, not having received that refund of $485 that I have now named 'Nemo.' I feel I have a legitimate issue here and set out determined to find Nemo at all costs. My most productive call so far with the CIC agents of the Call Center, gets me a conversation that goes:
Me: "Yes, I am calling about getting a refund of my overpayment of the Right of Landing fee."
CIC Agent: "Yes, I see that you are overpaid by $485."
Me: "When can I expect that refund to be issued?"
CIC Agent: "You could get that refund in 3 days, 3 months or 3 years, I can't tell you."
Me: (stunned and silent)
CIC Agent: "You can send a letter to this address (rattles off some address in Alberta) and request the refund, but it probably won't help you get it any quicker."
Me: (still stunned) "You are kidding, right? Do you at least give interest since you have been holding that money for over a year now?"
CIC Agent: (chuckling) "No ma'am, we don't give interest. (laughs) Anything else I can help you with today?"
I know what you are thinking, dear reader. You think I am exaggerating about this conversation. I am not. With my hand firmly laid across a Bible, I swear this is the truth. I can't get my mind wrapped around this concept. I can't understand why the agent would find it amusing. CIC acknowledges the overpayment. They know its there. They willfully and deliberately will not return it. They have that money securely locked away and allocated on their budget. I do not think I will see that money ever again. They will find a way to keep it. They will change the fee schedule again just to keep it, or find some obscure government regulation that they will enforce just to keep it. I admit, perhaps some delusions of paranoia have set in regarding this refund, but I don't know what else to think.
I want to write a letter of complaint to someone (in all honesty, I want to scream at someone but I am trying to act like an educated adult). But I decide against it. All that the letter would accomplish is satisfying more paper worshiping Canadian government employees paper fetishes. Nemo is still missing and I have lost another battle with CIC. I fear I am losing the war, as well.
Showing posts with label ECAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ECAS. Show all posts
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
1 Year Anniversary (Feb 2007)
My 1 year anniversary of my arrival in Canada came and went without fanfare. My one year anniversary of being 'in process' for Canadian permanent residence followed suit. How appropriate that the traditional 1 year anniversary gift is paper.
I have no paper left to send to the paper worshiping Canadian government employee to mark the event. So, around February 2007, I devise a new game plan and determine that my only course of action is to call the Call Center continuously and check my ECAS daily. Perhaps, with just enough annoyance, I can persuade the paper worshiper to at least blow the dust off my file.
By now, I have gone from hopeful that this process will complete sometime during my life expectancy to believing that my current state of nonexistence will continue for an eternity. It has become my own little hell, not unlike Dante's. I check ECAS daily, and every day, the same words stare blankly, unforgivingly, back at me from my computer screen:
I contact the Call Center at least twice a week. I ask the same questions. I get the same answers. Some of the Call Center agents are pleasant and others are just rude. I assume that they log the calls into their system and I imagine the Call Center agent looking through this long list of my calls and thinking I must be insane. I don't care at this point. I just want the comfort to know that someone, somewhere, is reviewing my file and my state of marginal existence will end someday soon. The responses from the CIC agents at the Call Center are prerecorded as every agent says it exactly the same: "Your file was transferred on November 7, 2006. Your file is still in process."
I try different approaches, ask why the file was transferred? Is there something else I need to document or send in? Who can I talk to at the local office regarding my file? I learn that local offices don't take phone calls. I learn CIC has not requested additional information from me.
My husband is equally annoyed, but he still has faith in the Canadian government. He tells me to just be patient, they can't sit on the file forever. He hates seeing me upset. He says that he thinks we will be called in for a personal interview soon and then things will get moving. He says everything will be fine, don't worry. I analyze my latest actions and come to the conclusion that I am only upsetting myself. Even an act of God couldn't move my file any closer to the top of the pile. I stop hounding the paper worshipers for awhile, but I continue to check ECAS daily.
I have no paper left to send to the paper worshiping Canadian government employee to mark the event. So, around February 2007, I devise a new game plan and determine that my only course of action is to call the Call Center continuously and check my ECAS daily. Perhaps, with just enough annoyance, I can persuade the paper worshiper to at least blow the dust off my file.
By now, I have gone from hopeful that this process will complete sometime during my life expectancy to believing that my current state of nonexistence will continue for an eternity. It has become my own little hell, not unlike Dante's. I check ECAS daily, and every day, the same words stare blankly, unforgivingly, back at me from my computer screen:
We received your application for permanent residence on February 15, 2006.
| |
We started processing your application on June 16, 2006. |
We transferred your application to the local CIC office on November 7, 2006. The local CIC office may contact you.. |
I contact the Call Center at least twice a week. I ask the same questions. I get the same answers. Some of the Call Center agents are pleasant and others are just rude. I assume that they log the calls into their system and I imagine the Call Center agent looking through this long list of my calls and thinking I must be insane. I don't care at this point. I just want the comfort to know that someone, somewhere, is reviewing my file and my state of marginal existence will end someday soon. The responses from the CIC agents at the Call Center are prerecorded as every agent says it exactly the same: "Your file was transferred on November 7, 2006. Your file is still in process."
I try different approaches, ask why the file was transferred? Is there something else I need to document or send in? Who can I talk to at the local office regarding my file? I learn that local offices don't take phone calls. I learn CIC has not requested additional information from me.
My husband is equally annoyed, but he still has faith in the Canadian government. He tells me to just be patient, they can't sit on the file forever. He hates seeing me upset. He says that he thinks we will be called in for a personal interview soon and then things will get moving. He says everything will be fine, don't worry. I analyze my latest actions and come to the conclusion that I am only upsetting myself. Even an act of God couldn't move my file any closer to the top of the pile. I stop hounding the paper worshipers for awhile, but I continue to check ECAS daily.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Status Check 1
Along comes July 2006 and I haven't heard anything from the fine folks at immigration yet. I decide it is time to call them and check on the status of my application. So, I call their Call Center number and it actually takes me 2 days to connect with a government employee. I am certain I have interrupted her Tuesday Paper Worshiping Ceremony, as she is somewhat abrupt with me.
She begins this phone call with 'lets play 20 questions and after you submit a DNA sample for our lab to verify your identity, will I, as a paper worshiping Canadian government employee, pretend to answer your concerns.' So the simple question of the day is "what is the status of my application?" The simple answer is "It is in process. Our current processing time is 8 months." I learn other details such as CIC does not send you any acknowledgment of receipt of your application or send you anything to let you know they have awarded your application a number, and they basically have no contact with the applicant on any level. I did, however, manage to pry a case number from the hands of this cold, paper worshiping, Canadian government employee, which will be invaluable in allowing me to access the CIC ECAS (Citizenship & Immigration Canada Electronic Client Application System).
My application has been in the 'system' for a mere 5 months. Who am I to think something has been done with the file at this point? I do log onto the ECAS system and I see this:
I am excited by this. The application is in process. Someone is looking at it and doing their government employee vodoo on the file. This is good news.
She begins this phone call with 'lets play 20 questions and after you submit a DNA sample for our lab to verify your identity, will I, as a paper worshiping Canadian government employee, pretend to answer your concerns.' So the simple question of the day is "what is the status of my application?" The simple answer is "It is in process. Our current processing time is 8 months." I learn other details such as CIC does not send you any acknowledgment of receipt of your application or send you anything to let you know they have awarded your application a number, and they basically have no contact with the applicant on any level. I did, however, manage to pry a case number from the hands of this cold, paper worshiping, Canadian government employee, which will be invaluable in allowing me to access the CIC ECAS (Citizenship & Immigration Canada Electronic Client Application System).
My application has been in the 'system' for a mere 5 months. Who am I to think something has been done with the file at this point? I do log onto the ECAS system and I see this:
We received your application for permanent residence on February 15, 2006.
We started processing your application on June 16, 2006.
I am excited by this. The application is in process. Someone is looking at it and doing their government employee vodoo on the file. This is good news.
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