CIC Strike

[giannetti22]

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas.
Posted processing times for both temporary and permanent resident visa applications do not take into account work stoppages.
Anyone applying for a visa should anticipate delays and submit their application as far in advance as possible.
Contingency plans are already in place to ensure all offices remain open and are providing at least a minimum level of service. Priority will be placed on urgent humanitarian applications.
CIC continues to closely monitor the situation.



Does this mean all the applications are going to get delayed??

 

[gladaki]

Talk to some one I KNOW in that department, it should be over by end of this week

 

[giannetti22]

I sure hope so.. My application is stuck my medicals which were sent electronically on 30 may and still there is no sign of progress... still havent received my rprf fees and biodata forms...

 

[ahm2307]

Some people have been saying it's a different ministry/union. I'm not entirely sure...

Either way, some people have been hearing back from the CIC since the strike began, so surely there's someone still there.

Fingers crossed the strike ends either way.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Some people have been saying it's a different ministry/union. I'm not entirely sure...

Either way, some people have been hearing back from the CIC since the strike began, so surely there's someone still there.

Fingers crossed the strike ends either way.

You realize that it is two different unions? PAFSO represents the Foreign Service Officers who work for Dept. of External affairs, and are on strike. CIC employees are represented by PSAC who are NOT on strikes.

 

[ahm2307]

Hi


You realize that it is two different unions? PAFSO represents the Foreign Service Officers who work for Dept. of External affairs, and are on strike. CIC employees are represented by PSAC who are NOT on strikes.

Well that's good news.

Still, unions have a tendency to pull together if one goes on strike; in this case, PSAC might vote a partial or complete strike to stand "in solidarity" with PAFSO (though, really, it's an opportunistic attempt to kick the government while it's down and try to cash in on the other strike). Let's hope that does not end up happening.

 

[thisisauser]

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas.
Posted processing times for both temporary and permanent resident visa applications do not take into account work stoppages.
Anyone applying for a visa should anticipate delays and submit their application as far in advance as possible.
Contingency plans are already in place to ensure all offices remain open and are providing at least a minimum level of service. Priority will be placed on urgent humanitarian applications.
CIC continues to closely monitor the situation.



Does this mean all the applications are going to get delayed??

There is no such thing as a "CIC Strike" happening at this time.

This is why forum needs sticky posts. This nonsense has been posted 200 billion times so far and just worries poor applicants who take it for real.

Different departments of different ministries. No, CEC is NOT affected.

 

[brightredscream]

Then why are media outlets saying that VISAs and immigration are being affected?

 

[DGT]

Hi


You realize that it is two different unions? PAFSO represents the Foreign Service Officers who work for Dept. of External affairs, and are on strike. CIC employees are represented by PSAC who are NOT on strikes.

That seems contrary to CIC's own disclaimer though.

 

[ondine]

I work in downtown Ottawa. Today, around lunchtime, i ran into a small demonstration of foreign service workers on strike. I talked to two of them briefly and this is what i found out: 1) there are workers from both CIC and DFAIT on strike; 2) the CIC employee confirmed that the processing of applications would suffer a slowdown.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Talk to some one I KNOW in that department, it should be over by end of this week

There are only 2 ways it can get resolved. Either a collective agreement is tabled that the members can ratify or they are legislated back to work by Harper. Parliament shuts down for the summer after tomorrow. It will take more than a day to table back to work legislation for a service that will be hard to sell as "essential".

 

[ondine]

Ok, just found a story on the PAFSO demonstration I witnessed earlier today: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1187123/media-advisory-canada-s-foreign-service-officers-announce-additional-pickets-in-ottawa-and-escalated-service-withdrawals

Some highlights that are relevant to all of us:

As part of ongoing job action to bring Treasury Board back to the negotiating table to address wage inequities, Canada's Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) announced 'information pickets' to be held Thursday, June 20th in downtown Ottawa and further withdrawals of service in key international locations.

"The escalated scope and intensity of service withdrawals this month are a direct consequence of the federal government's refusal to engage meaningfully with its employees on the issue of pay equity," said Tim Edwards, PAFSO President. "While we're eager to get back to work, these disruptions will continue until Treasury Board offers a fair deal to our members."

PAFSO officials estimate that job action by immigration officers has resulted in major delays to application processing and a significant drop in the number of visas being issued. These impacts will be felt directly by Canada's tourism industry, educational institutions, and businesses relying on temporary foreign workers. The Department of Citizenship & Immigration's decision to shift non-striking resources toward visa processing will also result in significant processing delays to applications for permanent residency.

Basically CIC is moving people from PR processing to visa processing... Hence the slowdown we have seen recently. Hopefully this whole mess will be solved soon enough.

 

[OHKIDDA]

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas.
Posted processing times for both temporary and permanent resident visa applications do not take into account work stoppages.
Anyone applying for a visa should anticipate delays and submit their application as far in advance as possible.
Contingency plans are already in place to ensure all offices remain open and are providing at least a minimum level of service. Priority will be placed on urgent humanitarian applications.
CIC continues to closely monitor the situation.



Does this mean all the applications are going to get delayed??

i submitted my passport for visa stamping less than 2 weeks ago. got it back today with everything. so not sure how the strike is actually impacting us. perhaps it is impacting applicants differently at different stages.

 

[ahm2307]

I work in downtown Ottawa. Today, around lunchtime, i ran into a small demonstration of foreign service workers on strike. I talked to two of them briefly and this is what i found out: 1) there are workers from both CIC and DFAIT on strike; 2) the CIC employee confirmed that the processing of applications would suffer a slowdown.

Damn...

What's your status/timeline like? I see you applied in September as well...

 

[cutepinay]

Talk to some one I KNOW in that department, it should be over by end of this week

hopefully it will end ...cross fingers and praying so much ..i need to get my visa and my passport .... i want to go home this november...