Study or Work Permit. Permiso de Estudio o Trabajo. VAC Caracas – México 2013.

Malas Noticias:
From PAFSO Facebook page:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers:
PAFSO Responds to Government’s Rejection of Arbitration

[Ottawa – July 26, 2013] Shortly before noon today, PAFSO received a letter from the President of the Treasury Board in which he rejected our offer of binding arbitration. Minister Clement’s decision was based on the grounds that PAFSO would not accept all six of the preconditions he wanted to impose on the arbitration process.

The Canadian public must understand two key facts:

1. Two of Treasury Board’s preconditions were so paralyzing that their acceptance would have predetermined the outcome of arbitration in the Government’s favour and negated the purpose and integrity of the process. Specifically, they wanted to exclude from consideration any mention of other professional groups in government who perform the same work as us – often in neighbouring offices – which has been at the heart of our position since day one.

2. PAFSO made a reasonable and responsible effort at finding common ground by accepting two of the six preconditions, and committing to a goodwill gesture – a suspension of service withdrawals while arbitration is ongoing – which would have satisfied a third.

Let us be clear: PAFSO has not rejected binding arbitration. We offered it in the first place. We agreed to pursue it even with three of Treasury Board’s preconditions. This offer still stands.

If Minister Clement truly believes his offer is “fair and reasonable”, he would not have shied away from arbitration without preconditions. Rather, he would have welcomed the opportunity to submit his offer to independent scrutiny. Instead, he sought to stack the deck in his favour by cherry-picking criteria which would have favoured Treasury Board’s position. He is trying to tilt the playing field to the Government’s advantage, and is clearly uninterested in a fair contest.

The Government has reached tentative agreements in two other long-outstanding contract negotiations during the last month, and will return to the table on Monday to address a third. PAFSO is one of the smallest unions in the federal government. Equal pay for our members could be achieved for $4.2 million – 1.5% of the impact this strike is having on the tourism sector alone. PAFSO can only conclude that the Government is behaving prejudicially toward the Foreign Service and is therefore negotiating in bad faith. This should be of serious concern to all Canadians.

Effective Monday, in order to persuade the Government that binding arbitration remains the responsible way forward to resolve our dispute, PAFSO members will withdraw all services until further notice at Canada’s fifteen largest visa processing centres abroad: Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Beijing, Cairo, Delhi/Chandigarh, Hong Kong, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Paris, Riyadh, Sao Paulo, and Shanghai.

We take no pleasure whatsoever in these strike actions and their real, severe, and mounting effects on the Canadian economy. But it should now be evident to all Canadians that from this point forward the Government of Canada bears sole and complete responsibility for these impacts. PAFSO encourages all individuals, businesses, and industry associations with a stake in the outcome of our dispute to intervene with the Government and urge them to bargain freely and flexibly with their own employees.

Hola MESSIFAN, me imagino que ya enviastes los documentos, pero capaz lo que comentare le sirva a otros, con respecto a lo de reservar un hospedaje o residencia, pueden hacer una carta explicativa donde indiquen que van a llegar a una Residencia, o que piensan alquilar un apartamento y que debido que le piden «Deposito» , ustedes van a esperar tener la Visa aprobada para hacer esa reserva. y listo!!!

Que bueno Armonie, me alegra por ti nosotros aun esperamos que podamos tener el mismo final que el tuyo. Te quiero preguntar por tus examenes medicos. tu pediste la cita y ellos te dieron el dia de la cita o puede pedir tu el dia? Te hicieron todos los examenes en solo una mañana? y cuanto pagaste por cada uno de los examenes? tambien debes pagar el envio de los resultados? Gracias. Saludos.

Buenos días, ha alguno de ustedes le llego su pasaporte?

Hola Joms

Mi caso fue muy especifico porque aunque soy de Maracaibo me hice los examenes en Caracas, porque? porque cuando yo solicite la visa de estudiante uno metia los papeles en la manana y te daban la respuesta en la tarde (examenes medicos incluidos, visa estamapada y todo) asi que como ya estaba en Caracas pues me los hice con Bacci que no me «jurungueo» mucho, un examen completo pero sin ponerse a buscale las 5 patas al gato como se que hace el medico de Maracaibo.

Los examenes que me hicieron son los mismos de ahora, el tele de torax, sangre, orina y citologia en caso de ser mujer mayor de 35 anos (como yo no lo era no me la pidieron), la verdad fue de lo mas facil Bacci me dio la cita de un dia para otro.

Porque digo que el medico de Maracaibo me deja hospitalizada? jeje ppoque a mi me duele siempre todo, me he sacado lunares y no le han hecho biopsia, entre otras cositas…

Felicidades a todos los que han obtenido sus visas, ahora se que el proceso es tedioso y lleno de obstaculos, pero cuando esten aqui todo se les olvida, se los aseguro!

Saludos y suerte a los que faltan.

Hooola James!!
Cierto! he tenido suerte, qué bueno!! =D pero me imagino que es usual que un trámite más complejo como el tuyo tarde un poco más que el de estudios. No te preocupes, seguro sale pronto!! =) Por cierto, cuándo comienzas y a qué ciudad vas?