Centralized Intake Office (CIO)

(actual letter click photo to enlarge)

With the changes outlined in Immigration Minister's instructions published last November 28, 2008, you will be eligible to sent your application under Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category if: (1) you have an Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO), or (2) you are a foreign national who has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, or (3) you are a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the high demand occupations or what is now commonly called Canada's List of 38 Occupations.

Of the three options number three (3) seems to catch the attention of a lot of applicants of late, especially Overseas Filipino Workers. All Federal Skilled Worker class application without an AEO will now be processed at Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney Nova Scotia.

To have a better understanding of the program here is an explanation of the current processing system.

To process your application it is prescribed by the Canadian Government that you complete the forms and the documents needed.

Right after doing this your application will go through three stages:

1. The forms will be sent to the Central Intake Office(CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia Canada.

You would have to pay the courier fee to send the forms.

The role of this office to is review your application to make sure that:

•all required fields in your application forms are complete and

•the correct processing fee payment has been made

The CIO will not accept cash payments for the filing Fee they will only accept Managers Check in Canadian currency addressed to the Receiver General of Canada.

After this we will receive a Notice of Assessment from CIO

• notifies you of this fact and provides you with your reference number and sets out some basic instructions for contact with the Visa Office

2. The Visa office (Canadian Embassy in Manila) then requests that you to submit a copy of your application and all supporting documentation to a Canadian Visa Office within a timeframe of 120 days (4 months)

It is at this stage that you may file the remaining members of the Family if you chose to file just the Principal applicant during the first stage of your application. Since the Embassy only assesses the chances of the Principal applicant, filing the rest of the family at this stage will not result to delay on the processing of the application.

Once the Visa Office has received your full application, an officer will:

•Review your application to ensure you have submitted all the required documents

•Send you an Acknowledgment of Receipt letter with a file number and information on processing times

The officer will review your application to determine whether:

• your application qualifies for processing under one of the three categories described in the Ministerial Instructions minimum requirements

•selection factors

•sufficient funds (Show Money Settlement Funds)

3. If the Embassy is satisfied with the documents provided they will now issue the VISA for the entire Family

Before we received our first Notice of Assessment from the CIO I tell my clients that the interval between the first and second stage is one to three months, speculating on the publications of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

It turned out to be much much faster!

Here's a very interesting case of a Clinical Instructor/Nurse client:

Feb 09, 2009 - Application form was sent to CIO via courier
Feb 13, 2009 - Application form received by CIO
Feb 24, 2009 - Date of letter from CIO
Mar 10, 2009 - Letter received from CIO

(Actual letter attached above)

The next step after receiving the notice of assessment from CIO is the submission of full application (application forms and supporting documents) to the Visa Office. This client was given 120 days to comply(only 4 months then you can get your Visa).

This is how fast you can get your Visa, at present within 6 months time!

If you are still contemplating when you want to apply, there is not much time, you have to decide soon. Right now! To be quite blunt about it.

It is not only you that has intentions of going to Canada, because of the good quality of life in Canada, more and more applications are being Sent to The Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

When they reach their desired number of applications what do you think will happen?

Close down the program? Very possible.

The processing of the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) Notice of Assessment is very fast, if this will not make you decide to start your applications now, nothing will.

CANADIAN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY-SM North EDSA

Address: Unit 301, 3rd Floor, NorthLink Bldg, SMNorth EDSA 1105 Quezon City, Philippines Tel No: 0917 820 2531 Email: iai@go2canada.com