Application’s been sent to NYC: What it means and other ques

Hi everyone! I have a few questions and wonder if you can help me out with this.

I’m a Malaysian citizen living in the US with a work visa. In March of 2005, I handed in my application for immigration to Canada. Four months later, I receive a notification that the proof I used for my English proficiency isn’t enough, so I took the IELTS and submitted the results in October, 2005.

Today I received a letter notifying me that my application has been sent to the Canadian Consulate in New York City from Buffalo. So my questions are:

- What does it mean exactly? Is my application moving along, or are they just sending it to the consulate in relation to the region I’m in and have nothing to get excited about?
- If it is indeed moving along, how much longer can I expect to wait (I know I still need a medical)?
- And this has nothing to do with my application: Am I required to move to Canada right away after getting approved, or am I allowed a grace period before moving there before the permanent residency is revoked?

Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks!

What does it mean exactly? Is my application moving along, or are they just sending it to the consulate in relation to the region I’m in and have nothing to get excited about?

- If it is indeed moving along, how much longer can I expect to wait (I know I still need a medical)?
AFAIK it doesn't mean anything other than a transfer to the consulate in your region. Your application will proceed to paper screening where a visa officer evaluates your points matrix. Check the buffalo site and associated links for current processing times - it could be up to 24 months before you hear anything. Being required to submit to interview lengthens the whole procedure. I suspect the requirement for interview will be determined to a significant extent by your length of residence in the US and what your IELTS scores are.

- And this has nothing to do with my application: Am I required to move to Canada right away after getting approved, or am I allowed a grace period before moving there before the permanent residency is revoked?

Your immigrant visa is valid for the shorter of 12 months from the date of your medical examination or to the expiry of your passport. If the visa expires before it is used then you must start the process again. Once you land in Canada as a Permanent Resident you must meet the residence requirements to maintain your PR status. Such requires actual/physical presence in Canada of 2 years in every 5 years - this is a rolling period which must be met until you obtain Canadian citizenship if eligible. Exemptions apply to those PR's outside Canada accompanying Canadian Citizen spouses or in designated employment e.g. the Canadian Armed Forces. Your PR status may also be revoked if it was obtained by fraud/ misrepresentation of a material fact or where you are convicted of specific offences under the Canadian penal code to include those pertaining to terrorism.

Kayalami wrote:AFAIK it doesn't mean anything other than a transfer to the consulate in your region. Your application will proceed to paper screening where a visa officer evaluates your points matrix.

You'd think that my points matrix would be one of the first things they look at and that's done at the Buffalo Consulate General before it was sent to the one in NYC. Just makes more sense to me.

Kayalami wrote:Being required to submit to interview lengthens the whole procedure. I suspect the requirement for interview will be determined to a significant extent by your length of residence in the US and what your IELTS scores are.

I've always wondered why some people get called for an interview while others don't. If it's based solely on my IELTS score, then I probably wouldn't need an interview, since my overall band score was a 9.

Kayalami wrote:Once you land in Canada as a Permanent Resident you must meet the residence requirements to maintain your PR status. Such requires actual/physical presence in Canada of 2 years in every 5 years - this is a rolling period which must be met until you obtain Canadian citizenship if eligible.

In terms of residence requirements, does that mean in a 5 year period, I don't have to be there physically for the first 3 years, and my PR status is still valid?