Canada Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) refused. Passport sent to Indian Consulate.

KRS

By KRS,
in H1B : Visa Stamp

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KRS

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Hello,

 

I'm required to travel to Canada frequently on business trips. I applied for TRV for Canada in May 2013 which was approved for 1 year and I traveled to Canada 3 times. I had a valid F-1 US visa and I was on my OPT and hence had no problems moving back and forth US - Canada. However, after my third trip, I lost my passport with valid Canada Visa (fortunately in USA). So I applied for Indian Passport in USA which I received after a month. In the mean time my status in US has changed from F-1 to H-1B. Since I need to travel back to Canada again, I applied online for the Canada Visa in December 2013. I submitted all the documents correctly and included a letter of explanation along with police report about the loss of my passport and hence Visa (included a copy of old visa), and I received a notification that they have made a decision on my application and hence requested for my passport. I sent my passport to Canadian Consulate in LA on December 18th 2013. I received a notification on January 21st 2014 that my application for TRV has been refused stating that "My passport is unacceptable and will be sent to nearest Indian Consulate." (I submitted a copy of same passport along with application online which they accepted!) No other information on when and to where my passport was sent. I emailed them, called them as well as personally visited the consulate to find more information which was fruitless. I contacted many Indian Consulates in US as I don't know to which Indian consulate my passport was sent to. Finally the Indian Consulate in Chicago confirmed that they received my passport but sent it back to the Canadian consulate in LA per their request! They also gave me tracking information by which the passport reached LA on January 30th. I do not know what happened to my passport after reaching there. I have been trying all possible ways to know when I receive my passport. Even my company is trying to find out and they even sent out a letter through our immigration attorney requesting for my passport. But the Canadian consulate is not responding to any means of communications and are not giving my passport back. 

 

Can somebody please help me how to retrieve my passport! 

 

Thanks

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KRS Newbie

KRS

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I really do not know why my passport was sent to Indian Consulate. I can understand them refusing my visa since my passport doesn't have a valid US visa and they might fear I don't return to US once I enter Canada even though I have an approved and valid I-797A (which is the case with most of the people who go to Canada for H-1B and other visa stamping). Even then they should refuse my initial online application since I submitted copies of same exact passport which I later sent for stamping. I can't really understand the logic behind them asking for my passport and later refusing my visa citing unacceptable passport. 

 

I personally did not contact any attorney but my company attorney has already sent a letter to the Canadian consulate requesting for my passport for which they did not respond!

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KRS Newbie

KRS

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@ pontevechhio

 

I can assume in similar lines. However they clearly mentioned in the notice they sent me that my application is refused and is closed. Any new information I wish to provide must be submitted with a new application and processing fee. So if they doubted my passport they would simply return it to me or to an extent send it to the Indian consulate. However Indian consulate in Chicago clearly said that Canadian consulate has requested the passport back and hence they sent it back. This makes no sense to me. If at all they have a question about my passport they would update me explaining the same and would say they need additional time for processing instead of telling me that my application is closed! 

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KRS Newbie

KRS

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It's not about the money. To start a new application I should have my passport. There is no such process of reopening my application where they can keep my passport and me/my company paying fee. Even if that is the case they should communicate it to me. They are absolutely dumb at communication and nothing is mentioned about such a process in their website. 

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Just a quick update. I again went to the Canadian consulate in LA to check what is happening. Surprisingly, the consulate is holding my passport despite all my requests to return my passport. The reason they refused my visa was very silly and unfortunate though. There was a white transparent flap between the first and second pages of my passport when my new passport was issued. However by the time the passport reached the Canadian consulate in LA, the flap somehow got glued to the first page and they could not separate it from the first page. Since they deemed such a passport to be unacceptable for visa stamping, they refused my visa and sent my passport to Indian consulate, who removed the flap out and laminated the first page again and sent it back to LA consulate. When I personally met them, they readily gave my passport back and also suggested me to apply personally as that process is quicker than doing it online. So I stayed back and applied it by hand. They said the current processing time is about 2 weeks and so I'm expecting my passport, this time with a visa, by the end of this month.

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