PAL Wait Time

[Challenger2010]

I completed the safety courses for both non-restricted and restricted firearms and received my FAC license back in 1997. My FAC expired in 2002. Unsure if I was crap out of luck, I assumed I may have had to start from scratch and do everything all over again from scratch. A call in early April 2016 to RCMP Firearm program assured me I did not have to re-take safety courses. All I needed to do was fill out the Form 5592. So I did. Time line to PAL/RPAL as follows;

April 13/16 = Pay $30 to FEDEX overnight shipping and send completed Form 5592 as well as 1997 FAC coarse report, CFO certificate, school cert to RCMP N.B.
April 14/16 = FEDEX tracking supports all forms received in N.B. and signed off by RCMP at 10am.
May 3/16 = First stage of processing appears on PAL status website. I call in and ask if reference can call in. Told yes and given extension number.
May 4/16 = Reference phones in to RCMP at 10am and is interviewed for about 5 minutes. No issues.
May 14/16 = I check PAL status on Saturday after being away as mandatory 28-days expired on May 12th. PAL status updated to license in the mail. 2-weeks delivery time.
May 19/16 = PAL/RPAL card received in the mail in perfect order. No issues.

So, from start to finish, about 35 days in total it took to get this license. Sweet!

[Browningman01]

21 weeks for mine !! 😡

[Eatman]

Surprisingly fast for my friend and I, 2 months after submitting our application.
Although our other friend is still waiting...

[Greyum]

Victoria, B.C.
Took The CFSC Mid-March. Application received March 22 2016. Completed Innitial Processing Mid April and status stayed unchanged even after 3 phone calls untill June 24th. No issues with paperwork or references, was told to just wait.
Total time...... 12-13 weeks

[lynx0069]

Ontario here
completed mt courses 2nd of march, didnt get my paperwork back until 28th of march
mailed everything away on the 29th of march
received at miramachi on 4th of april
received a letter from miramachi on the 27th of april stating that they didnt accept my payment (who knew that they didnt accept debit visa, not i), called then right away with another CC number.
this was accepted and i was told my 28 day wait is over on the 4th of may, i can call them back on the 5th, and they will let me know if its ok for my reference to contact them. on the 5thof may, i called back and was
told, yep, its ok to have my reference call in, i asked if they wanted to interview me, since i was on the phone, and had the time. she told me they didnt need to interview me, and only wanted to interview 1 of my references....cool.
he called in on the 6th from work..and right after came and told me it was painless and was all of 2 questions..lol. after work, i checked online and it said "Your application has completed initial processing. It is now in progress. Please check the status again at a later date."
on the 20th of may (45 days since they received my application) i called again, and was told it is with the ontario CFO (which i figured it was anyway), and to call back again in a couple weeks.
couple weeks later i called again, and was told it is with the ontario CFO and they are busy.
today is day 91 of the wait...and i am afraid to call again thinking that they take it and move it back to the bottom of the pile when you call.
frustrating waiting for my RPAL

[jacksun0426]

I wish - here in Alberta. My son and I applied same time, same envelope, couriered to Miramichi. Received there like Nov 2, 2015. Late November I got a letter saying I made a mistake on my app - fixed it, couriered it off to them they had it by Dec 5th or so. Dec 11th or so my Son gets his PAL/RPAL in the mail. January 15th I haven't heard anything so call Miramichi, they have sent it to Alberta CFO office for their bit of processing. All references have been contacted, all documents in order. Feb 15th still nothing so I call the Alberta CFO office - was received by them Jan 15th, out for background checks, no idea how long it will take. Feb 26th call Alberta CFO office to follow up, still in process without any idea of when will be complete. Mar 25 call Alberta CFO office, told by the lady that answers she will email the CFO and put a rush on it as it should be done by now, on the CFO's desk for a rubber stamp. Apr 29th, call Alberta CFO office again, told it is still on CFO's desk, no idea when it will be done. May 13, call Alberta CFO office, told it is still on CFO desk for final rubber stamp. Huge backlog as they only have 1 CFO and based on my application number it will likely be July or maybe August before I see my PAL/RPAL. It is now July 25th and no PAL/RPAL and no change in status on RCMP website for my app. We are 7 months in (8 if you count the ~ 1 month wasted on my error) and no hope in sight.

Anyone have any ideas? And just to answer any questions I am an early 50's male, Canadian Citizen by birth, zero criminal record, worked full time continuously since I finished school, passed both courses just shy of 100%, and have received no communication from CFO office requesting further info, data, references, or anything else.

[TER]

The RCMP received my application on June 10th and I received my non-restricted PAL July 19th. 39 days no references contacted. Sounds like for once in my life I got lucky. I was very careful about filling out the application perfectly.

[Sunchild2071]

I am still waiting. Application went in Jan 18/16. Although extensive history (including a long ban), the last 10 years are squeaky clean (and sober). I received confirmation from Alberta CFO that I am approved, PAL and RPAL. It is waiting for me. Last time I talked to them, indication was that I may have a lifetime ban on the restricted. Had me worried. CFO advised me to go to complete sit down courses (I completed and passed challenges), that my paperwork is in her file, approved. I email her my course papers, she mails me my PAL/RPAL upon receipt. Booking a course, now.

[chadeech]

54 days rpal , is in da mail do will be around 65 total ish

[Sunchild2071]

AT least I had an update. Alberta CFO contacted me, instead of someone else in the office.

Due to a long prohibition, and similar criminal record, issues had arose on whether or not I would be getting a lifetime prohibition. But in any regard, I was told I would have to re-do my courses. I waited for confirmation of whether or not the lifetime prohibition was going to apply to take the courses.

Received confirmation from Alberta CFO that I would not be subject to lifetime ban. That, in fact, my paperwork had completed processing, and was approved. The part that remained was that I did have to go and take both courses, again. Upon completion, I was provided the CFO direct email, for my course reports to be sent to.

Was advised that upon receipt of my course reports, the CFO would drop my card in the mail. I sent the course reports yesterday morning. Long years of waiting, are almost over.