AOR

Dated 17 February 2006, received 21 February 2006 from the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, New York:

This is to advise you that your application for permanent residence has been received at the Regional Programme Centre (RPC) and that a file has been created for you. Your file number appears above. Quote this number when corresponding with our office. Your receipt for the processing fees is attached.

The next step: Your file has been placed in a queue awaiting assessment. All applications are assessed according to the date on which they are received within the Federal Skilled Worker category. Once your file has been assessed, you will receive additional information and instructions. At that time, you may also receive medical forms with instructions. For processing times, visit the CIC website ... We cannot respond to requests for the status of your application until it has been assessed.

Interviews: The letter advising you of the results of the assessment of your file will inform you whether or not you will be required to attend an interview. Complete instructions will be given to you at that time.

Dependants [sic]: You must advise us of all your dependants [sic], including children who will not accompany you to Canada or who do not live with you. Failure to do so may prevent your admission to Canada.

Changes to personal information: It is imperative that you inform the Buffalo office of any change in your mailing address, family composition (i.e. marital status, birth of a child, or death of a family member). Note: Do not use the CIC e-Cas on-line Change of address system. Your new address will not be downloaded to your file in Buffalo. Personal data (spelling of name, date of birth, nationality) in our database is taken directly from the information in your passport. Any requested change to this information must therefore be accompanied by a copy of an amended passport.

Contacting our office: If you need to communicate new information, you may use the Change in Personal Information form on the reverse. We do not confirm receipt of correspondence. Please fax or mail information one time only.

As stated, the receipt for fees is stapled to the form letter. My name and address are on a label affixed to the top left of the form. Another label on the top right of the form has our file number and bar code. The date is hand-written. For something so important, it's rather unimpressive. (That's not a complaint, just an observation.)

Also included in the envelope are our birth certificates. They are certified copies, but they look very formal and valuable; I guess they just made photocopies. I know it says only submit copies, but then there are exceptions (the police clearances, the university transcripts), so I decided to play it safe. It gets confusing because what is a copy and what is an original? Anyway, just being defensive because we DID read the directions (including signing forms with no place for signatures), but doubted ourselves. I guess no harm done.

Woo Hoo!