PAL Wait Time

[yuval]

I sent in the application on July 31, 2022, credit card was charged on October 6, and the license arrived via post on October 25 so it took almost three months.

[thegazelle]

Ontario Final Update:

Mailed early January
Received end of January
CC charged early April
RPAL in hand mid October

In my situation, there was a flag on my application which no one told me about or noticed until late September. So if you get through, don't just ask if anything is "wrong" with your application or if they have an update, ask if there's a flag on it. Something on my application triggered something in CPIC. Once that happens, your application is sent off to Orillia be reviewed and if you're unlucky, it's up to a 2 year back log.

I did email my MPP and Ontario Ombudsman. MPP's office was initially helpful, but ended up ghosting me completely. Ontario Ombudsman also got back to me for more information, but I was able to get it sorted out myself.

I appreciate all the tips and updates everyone posted. Good luck to those who are still waiting.

If no one particularly helped you, how did you sort this out yourself, if it was sitting in Orillia with a long wait? Was the flag legitimate or a false flag?

[Zooli]

Oh I meant that I essentially had to push to get my application through. If I would have just waited for the process to "get to it", would have been a long long wait.

I took a day off of work and just kept calling x7503 until I got through. The agent who answered said it was still in progress, but when I asked why so many Ontarians who sent in their applications after I did are getting their cards before me, the agent reviewed my file again and noticed the flag. We went through the application, agent said an email will go out to the Officer who had my file to go ahead and approve me. 10 days later, Officer called, reviewed my application again, saw my record was clean and actually approved me.

I asked what the flag was and was told some of my data matched someone in CPIC. If the original data entry person would have checked the flag, they would have seen that I was not the same person. But Officer said as soon as CPIC gets triggered, they pass it off to the Provincial CFO. But Orillia office is so busy, my file was with another OPP branch. The Officer mentioned the files that do need further investigation are 2 years behind.

[thegazelle]

Oh I meant that I essentially had to push to get my application through. If I would have just waited for the process to "get to it", would have been a long long wait.

I took a day off of work and just kept calling x7503 until I got through. The agent who answered said it was still in progress, but when I asked why so many Ontarians who sent in their applications after I did are getting their cards before me, the agent reviewed my file again and noticed the flag. We went through the application, agent said an email will go out to the Officer who had my file to go ahead and approve me. 10 days later, Officer called, reviewed my application again, saw my record was clean and actually approved me.

I asked what the flag was and was told some of my data matched someone in CPIC. If the original data entry person would have checked the flag, they would have seen that I was not the same person. But Officer said as soon as CPIC gets triggered, they pass it off to the Provincial CFO. But Orillia office is so busy, my file was with another OPP branch. The Officer mentioned the files that do need further investigation are 2 years behind.

Thanks for the added colour. I guess our odds improve if our first and last names are rather unique.

Glad you got it sorted out. I am still waiting on my upgraded RPAL application to be opened (been sitting there for over a month).

[G Lee]

Hello everyone:

Ontario R-PAL update today (November 1, 2022)!:

Assigned an online Application Number (November 1, 2022) on the RCMP Individual Web Services Site (IWS).

Application received on September 9, 2022. Incidentally, the application was delivered by Canada Post on September 9, 2022, so they appear to have some sort of tracking system when the applications are received.

Current status: "We have completed the initial review of your firearms licence application. If additional information is required, you will be contacted. Please check the status again at a later date."

Credit card charged today (November 1, 2022): RCMP-CFP GRC-PCAF

I am starting to get excited. Is there anything I need to do? What can I expect going forward?

I almost thought I was imagining things when I saw the update on the RCMP online portal lol. I have been checking every day for the past month.

[bondylee]

I called call center and the guy told me all need are there and he will put me in final. one day passed and nothing happen.

[Kennethdavid]

That's super cool. My application was received in July, showed issued 2 weeks ago, and finally arrived on the 31st of October. It's definitely going faster for you guys, which confirms my suspicion that my application although perfect (even had money order in it to prevent any payment issues) was slow walked to be done just after the hand gun freeze. As soon as the status changes to "your application is completed" there will still be 2 weeks for it to be printed and then mailed. They told me themselves, they only mail once a week, and depending on when yours got printed it might miss the mailing cycle. Good luck. It's really cool when it arrives. (Mine was a restricted, in case that's making a difference).

[G Lee]

Thanks for the info! Mine is a restricted PAL as well.

[thegazelle]

Hello everyone:

Ontario R-PAL update today (November 1, 2022)!:

Assigned an online Application Number (November 1, 2022).

Application received on September 9, 2022. Incidentally, the application was delivered by Canada Post on September 9, 2022, so they appear to have some sort of tracking system when the applications are received.

Current status: "We have completed the initial review of your firearms licence application. If additional information is required, you will be contacted. Please check the status again at a later date."

Credit card charged today (November 1, 2022): RCMP-CFP GRC-PCAF

I am starting to get excited. Is there anything I need to do? What can I expect going forward?

I almost thought I was imagining things when I saw the update on the RCMP online portal lol. I have been checking every day for the past month.

Ah, looks like they are starting to hit the September received ones. Mine was received Sept 21 (as evidenced by my Fedex tracking). So your application was received, validated by the Canada Post tracking, but they backdated the receipt when they actually started processing. That is good to know. I worried that mine fell behind someone's desk or something. Mine is an upgrade to restricted, but unfortunately it has to go through the same rigamarole.

I took have been checking daily since it was received. Your post gives me hope that mine will be opened soon...assuming it didn't fall behind the desk.

Time for my daily check of IWS...

[G Lee]

One suggestion I would make is to check IWS after close of business. I checked yesterday morning and the update wasn’t there. Checked in the evening and bingo!