I read the experience of a person on another forum who recently got his PR visa stamped from Buffalo, USA. Anyone who wants to go to Buffalo for stamping his/her passport must read this.
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After receiving my PR letter last week, I came to Buffalo yesterday
(Wednesday) to have my visa stamped in person in a same-day turn-around
today (Thursday). A few details of my experience seem to differ in
minor ways from some of the earlier accounts so I thought I'd post my
observations here.
ARRIVING EARLY, AND THE LINE-UP: I arrived at the HSBC building just
after 7AM, expecting to get a coffee and then get in the Canadian
Consulate line in the lobby.
Wrong! It seems their security procedures are in flux, and may change
yet again. For my visit:
1) The man at the security desk made me sign in, took my passport,
scanned it into a data-base machine, and made up an ID badge with my
name and other info which I was to stick on my coat and have displayed
at all times while in the building. This, I believe, is a relatively
new procedure judging from from previous posts..
2) He then went on to tell me I could NOT stand in the "Canadian
Consulate" line (there was a sign and a rope along a wall) until
7:45am, and neither could anyone else! He directed me to the cafeteria
on the same floor and advised I get something to eat and chill until
7:45. I believe this is also a new policy (or perhaps just a preference
of that particular security person?
So I did get breakfast at the cafeteria -- there is also a news stand
and coffee bar on the lobby level. A caution to the renally-challenged:
there are no public restrooms in the public portions of the building;
you will have to wait until you get upstairs to the Consulate for that.
Close to 7:40 I saw many visitors with similar ID tags lurking around
various portions of the lobby so I got in the rope line, and others
followed immediately. The Security Man did not object.
By 7:45 about 30 people were in line. Some were there to get PR
Passport stamps, but others were there for other visa business (e.g.,
work visa, travel visa, PR interviews, etc). At 7:45 a nice lady came
down and oriented everyone to the procedure once upstairs. She asked
everyone if they had the photos they needed; several individuals and a
whole family had not come with passport-sized photos -- ouch! She
directed them to somewhere nearby (block or so from the building) where
they could get said photos done. She asked if those who were there for
work and visit visas had cash only for their fees (no checks or credit
cards accepted) and for those who did not she directed them to the ATM
machines elsewhere in the lobby and even told them how much cash they
needed for what type of visa. Also before we went upstairs she named
several things people could do for the lunchtime/afternoon wait with
directions to each -- local restaurants, the Marina, the library, the
farmer's market, etc. She mentioned a few public outdoor concerts
happening in the evening for those staying over. Very helpful.
At exactly 8AM she counted off the first 10 of us in line, and took us
to the elevators. Each of us stopped at another security person by the
elevators and showed our badge IDs, which were checked carefully before
we were allowed to proceed to the elevators.
UPSTAIRS AT THE CONSULATE:
A small room with many chairs, a TV, and restrooms. We got in one of
two lines at two different service windows: a line for PR stamps (there
were 4 of us in the first batch of 10) and a different line/window for
all other visa types and PR interviews. While in the PR line, a poor
fellow at the other window was asked why he was here: apparently the
letter he received specified that he come in (perhaps for an
interview?) on MAY 31 at 9AM. In other words, he apparently had a
specific appointment, yet had just shown up, seemingly never having
noted the appointed date and time. Double-ouch! I was called to the
window at that point, so I did not see if he was taken in for an
interview or was sent away until next week!
At the window, the person behind the glass asked for my PR letter, my 3
photos, and my passport. He asked if I would be picking it up today. I
said yes, and he wrote a number on a card and told me to bring the card
back between 1:30 and 3:00 today.
As I was leaving, the same "orientation elevator lady" gave me a few
suggestions. She said there was little point in lining up at 1:30 or
even earlier in the lobby. She seemed to feel that the biggest crowds
of both AM and afternoon sessions do that, and so for those who come
back at 2:00 or later there would be little or no line (although one
would still have to wait for her to fetch them from the lobby and be
accompanied upstairs). She reminded me to wear my ID badge when
returning. We also talked for a few minutes about the many eager
applicants they process: she said she felt sorry for people who call,
write, or fax the consulate asking for updates on their applications,
because "they are just ignored and never answered" and "there is
nothing to be done but wait" until they send something back to the
applicant.
RETURNING IN THE AFTERNOON
I arrived back at the HSBC building around 1:30, and indeed there was a
Consulate lineup of about 20 anxious-looking people in the lobby. I
decided to have a coffee and went into the HSBC cafeteria. When I
returned to the lobby about 15 mins later there was no line: she had
apparently taken everyone up. So I got in line and a few minutes later
the escort returned and brought us upstairs (there was now only 5
people in the lobby line). In the consulate, several people from the
first group were already lined up in front of the PR window. She had us
sit down in chairs in order, and we slowly moved our way down to the
window; because each person was at the window only for a minute or two,
the wait was not bad at all. Once I reached the window the fellow took
my card from this morning, pulled out my file, and gave me my passport
with PR visa and my landing papers, instructing me NOT to sign the
latter until I actually land and I am in the presence of the
immigration officer. He also asked me to check over the facts and dates
on my visa and landing papers before leaving the Consulate. I did that,
all was in order, so out into the street I went. It's now 2:50Pm and
I'm back in my hotel room.
Overall it was extremely efficient, friendly, quick, and painless
(leaving aside having to travel to downtown Buffalo, which is not the
most scintillating place in the world, IMHO). Anyone worried about
timing, or losing place in line, or being "first" in the lineup or
whatever should not worry: clarly the biggest crowds arrive at line-up
time, plus they have traffic control down to a science and there is no
need to worry about somehow getting lost in the process or being left
behind. They seem to have a good understanding of the eagerness and
anxiety of applicant visitors, and obviously go out of their way to be
helpful. Perhaps the personnel will be different during others' visits,
but for me this was a very easy day.
Hope this account is useful to someone considering an in-person
stamping.
Cheers,
E2W
http://tinyurl.com/787p9
This is the experience of a person on another forum who recently got his PR visa stamped from Buffalo, USA. Anyone who wants to go to Buffalo for stamping his/her passport must read this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After receiving my PR letter last week, I came to Buffalo yesterday
(Wednesday) to have my visa stamped in person in a same-day turn-around
today (Thursday). A few details of my experience seem to differ in
minor ways from some of the earlier accounts so I thought I'd post my
observations here.
ARRIVING EARLY, AND THE LINE-UP: I arrived at the HSBC building just
after 7AM, expecting to get a coffee and then get in the Canadian
Consulate line in the lobby.
Wrong! It seems their security procedures are in flux, and may change
yet again. For my visit:
1) The man at the security desk made me sign in, took my passport,
scanned it into a data-base machine, and made up an ID badge with my
name and other info which I was to stick on my coat and have displayed
at all times while in the building. This, I believe, is a relatively
new procedure judging from from previous posts..
2) He then went on to tell me I could NOT stand in the "Canadian
Consulate" line (there was a sign and a rope along a wall) until
7:45am, and neither could anyone else! He directed me to the cafeteria
on the same floor and advised I get something to eat and chill until
7:45. I believe this is also a new policy (or perhaps just a preference
of that particular security person?
So I did get breakfast at the cafeteria -- there is also a news stand
and coffee bar on the lobby level. A caution to the renally-challenged:
there are no public restrooms in the public portions of the building;
you will have to wait until you get upstairs to the Consulate for that.
Close to 7:40 I saw many visitors with similar ID tags lurking around
various portions of the lobby so I got in the rope line, and others
followed immediately. The Security Man did not object.
By 7:45 about 30 people were in line. Some were there to get PR
Passport stamps, but others were there for other visa business (e.g.,
work visa, travel visa, PR interviews, etc). At 7:45 a nice lady came
down and oriented everyone to the procedure once upstairs. She asked
everyone if they had the photos they needed; several individuals and a
whole family had not come with passport-sized photos -- ouch! She
directed them to somewhere nearby (block or so from the building) where
they could get said photos done. She asked if those who were there for
work and visit visas had cash only for their fees (no checks or credit
cards accepted) and for those who did not she directed them to the ATM
machines elsewhere in the lobby and even told them how much cash they
needed for what type of visa. Also before we went upstairs she named
several things people could do for the lunchtime/afternoon wait with
directions to each -- local restaurants, the Marina, the library, the
farmer's market, etc. She mentioned a few public outdoor concerts
happening in the evening for those staying over. Very helpful.
At exactly 8AM she counted off the first 10 of us in line, and took us
to the elevators. Each of us stopped at another security person by the
elevators and showed our badge IDs, which were checked carefully before
we were allowed to proceed to the elevators.
UPSTAIRS AT THE CONSULATE:
A small room with many chairs, a TV, and restrooms. We got in one of
two lines at two different service windows: a line for PR stamps (there
were 4 of us in the first batch of 10) and a different line/window for
all other visa types and PR interviews. While in the PR line, a poor
fellow at the other window was asked why he was here: apparently the
letter he received specified that he come in (perhaps for an
interview?) on MAY 31 at 9AM. In other words, he apparently had a
specific appointment, yet had just shown up, seemingly never having
noted the appointed date and time. Double-ouch! I was called to the
window at that point, so I did not see if he was taken in for an
interview or was sent away until next week!
At the window, the person behind the glass asked for my PR letter, my 3
photos, and my passport. He asked if I would be picking it up today. I
said yes, and he wrote a number on a card and told me to bring the card
back between 1:30 and 3:00 today.
As I was leaving, the same "orientation elevator lady" gave me a few
suggestions. She said there was little point in lining up at 1:30 or
even earlier in the lobby. She seemed to feel that the biggest crowds
of both AM and afternoon sessions do that, and so for those who come
back at 2:00 or later there would be little or no line (although one
would still have to wait for her to fetch them from the lobby and be
accompanied upstairs). She reminded me to wear my ID badge when
returning. We also talked for a few minutes about the many eager
applicants they process: she said she felt sorry for people who call,
write, or fax the consulate asking for updates on their applications,
because "they are just ignored and never answered" and "there is
nothing to be done but wait" until they send something back to the
applicant.
RETURNING IN THE AFTERNOON
I arrived back at the HSBC building around 1:30, and indeed there was a
Consulate lineup of about 20 anxious-looking people in the lobby. I
decided to have a coffee and went into the HSBC cafeteria. When I
returned to the lobby about 15 mins later there was no line: she had
apparently taken everyone up. So I got in line and a few minutes later
the escort returned and brought us upstairs (there was now only 5
people in the lobby line). In the consulate, several people from the
first group were already lined up in front of the PR window. She had us
sit down in chairs in order, and we slowly moved our way down to the
window; because each person was at the window only for a minute or two,
the wait was not bad at all. Once I reached the window the fellow took
my card from this morning, pulled out my file, and gave me my passport
with PR visa and my landing papers, instructing me NOT to sign the
latter until I actually land and I am in the presence of the
immigration officer. He also asked me to check over the facts and dates
on my visa and landing papers before leaving the Consulate. I did that,
all was in order, so out into the street I went. It's now 2:50Pm and
I'm back in my hotel room.
Overall it was extremely efficient, friendly, quick, and painless
(leaving aside having to travel to downtown Buffalo, which is not the
most scintillating place in the world, IMHO). Anyone worried about
timing, or losing place in line, or being "first" in the lineup or
whatever should not worry: clarly the biggest crowds arrive at line-up
time, plus they have traffic control down to a science and there is no
need to worry about somehow getting lost in the process or being left
behind. They seem to have a good understanding of the eagerness and
anxiety of applicant visitors, and obviously go out of their way to be
helpful. Perhaps the personnel will be different during others' visits,
but for me this was a very easy day.
Hope this account is useful to someone considering an in-person
stamping.
Cheers,
E2W
http://tinyurl.com/787p9
This is the experience of a person on another forum who recently got his PR visa stamped from Buffalo, USA. Anyone who wants to go to Buffalo for stamping his/her passport must read this.
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