PAL Wait Time

Pal + PALR, Ontario
Application mailed 13JUL
CC Charged & Initial Review Completed 26SEP
Issued 4OCT
Number confirmed by CFO-Ontario 13OCT (After 3 days of calling, 53 dials and 1hr8min on hold)
 
Applied online renewal June 22. Nothing yet. Checked online and still the same message that initial review has taken place. Have called at least 2 doz. Times to see if everything is good with same recording and hangs up. Now birthday has come and gone Mid Oct and still nothing. What can i do? Hunting season is upon us and i thought i applied for the renewal with lots of time to spare. Any suggestions from the group? Forgot to mention i tried to call the Alberta CFO office but apparently they dont take phone calls.
 
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I emailed a question on September 13th and received a response yesterday (October 17th). 35 days for a response, in case anyone is counting. I was surprised I got a reply at all to be honest (and I had long since answered my own question).

I tried calling today to check on the status of my renewal - and it didn't even put me on hold. Before you get excited, it just said "we're getting too many calls and can't take yours right now" (paraphrased) and hung up on me. Is that better or worse than what it did before - which was make me wait a half hour or so and then hang up without warning?
 
I emailed a question on September 13th and received a response yesterday (October 17th). 35 days for a response, in case anyone is counting. I was surprised I got a reply at all to be honest (and I had long since answered my own question).

I tried calling today to check on the status of my renewal - and it didn't even put me on hold. Before you get excited, it just said "we're getting too many calls and can't take yours right now" (paraphrased) and hung up on me. Is that better or worse than what it did before - which was make me wait a half hour or so and then hang up without warning?

You would think with how flush the government is with our tax dollars, they would be able to implement at the bare minimum a voicemail system (which of course at this volume would be flooded) or a callback system - many companies have this - they call you back when it's your turn in the queue. I suppose being hung up immediately is better than waiting a period of time before it happens, but probably not better by much.
 
Does anyone know the extension for the MB CFO? I see some people were mentioning the BC extension a few pages back.

Currently waiting on a renewal from February 13... with my page still saying "pending"

After calling nearly once a day since the beginning of August, I finally got through to a very pleasant gentleman.
Long story short, nothing they can do about wait times. Says my license is still in the pile and is pending, even though payment was taken on February 13.

He also mentioned that they are seeing between 800-1000 PAL applications per day...

For anyone else wondering what the extension is for the MB CFO, it's ext.8004
 
PAL to RPAL Upgrade Ontario

Received in Miramichi: June 30th

Online status updated to initial review has been completed and C/C charged: Sept 14th

Still waiting for it to get processed. I knew for a fact I forgot to put my written name on the back of the picture along with my guarantors. My guarantor just signed the back of the picture with the official stamp for where I took it but simply because my name and guarantor was not written on it they made me send a new picture with that. They received it Sept 20th so now I'm waiting until they open that letter which just got into another backlog.
 
Just adding mine here:
BC
RPAL Sent mid june
Received 22Jun
Shown on portal as completed initial review on 10Sep
Credit card charged: 10Sep

Status unchanged for past 12 days so far, patiently waiting....

*grumble about stupid ban that'll do absolutely nothing for crime rates*

So do all applicants get a phone call or random? Do references get contacted?

ok.. time to update:

Called in to CFO to ask if some references being out of country would be a problem, super nice lady said no and looked at my application, approved it. Oct 5
Issued (according to the PAL letter). Oct 11
PAL in hand: Oct 18

Keep at it guys, you'll get it!
 
ok.. time to update:

Called in to CFO to ask if some references being out of country would be a problem, super nice lady said no and looked at my application, approved it. Oct 5
Issued (according to the PAL letter). Oct 11
PAL in hand: Oct 18

Keep at it guys, you'll get it!

Hi,
Thanks Man! I was so worried about mine! I got it approved over the phone on Oct 11, 2022. I was so tensed that why it's still not being sent out to me, seeing yours timeline I might get some relief!
 
Hi,
Thanks Man! I was so worried about mine! I got it approved over the phone on Oct 11, 2022. I was so tensed that why it's still not being sent out to me, seeing yours timeline I might get some relief!

Hi,
Is there anyone who got their license approved on Oct 9,10 & 11, 2022 & got their card in hand now??
 
I'll share my R-PAL (Expired) Renewal

I applied at the end of March this year. It took about 3 months for the RCMP to update my application to "initial" application process started.

After bugging the CFO-ON in September about what's going it, my application went to processed. Then in the mail within a week or so, and then in my pocket at the start of October.

All in, about 7 months for an expired R-Pal renewal. They didn't even contact my references. And I don't even need the Restricted component.

Oh well. It's done now. What a slog of a wait.

Wow... I just realized that I got my Ford Maverick order more quickly than a PAL renewal. Ah, the joys of bureaucracy...
 
I must have called 100 without getting through, emailed last week but sure I won't receive a reply ever idiots!!!!

So I received an email reply today from kam.....

Thank you for your email.

Your application has been forwarded to us at the Chief Firearms Office for standard review. At this time, we are not able to provide a date of completion. Please expect a 9-month delay from the time the application was received to the Canadian Firearms Program June 30, 2022.
 
So I received an email reply today from kam.....

Thank you for your email.

Your application has been forwarded to us at the Chief Firearms Office for standard review. At this time, we are not able to provide a date of completion. Please expect a 9-month delay from the time the application was received to the Canadian Firearms Program June 30, 2022.

Time to get your MP or MPP involved.
 
Final update on my PAL timeline.

Ontario:
App received: July 22, 2022
App status appeared on IWS: Sept 27, 2022
Card charged: Sept 28, 2022 (had to call in to change/charge cc)
License issued on IWS: October 7, 2022
License in hand: October 21, 2022 (Letter said issue date of license Oct 14, 2022. Card was mailed out Oct 17, 2022)
 
Final update on my PAL timeline.

Ontario:
App received: July 22, 2022
App status appeared on IWS: Sept 27, 2022
Card charged: Sept 28, 2022 (had to call in to change/charge cc)
License issued on IWS: October 7, 2022
License in hand: October 21, 2022 (Letter said issue date of license Oct 14, 2022. Card was mailed out Oct 17, 2022)

Congrats on getting yours.

Just curious - when people say application received, was that verified because you had tracking on your mailing or sent by Fedex? Or are you notified by the CFC?

I sent my application for RPAL in by overnight Fedex and it was received on Sept 21, but IWS only shows the date my last PAL renewal was issued in 2018.

When the app status changed on IWS, did you get any notification in your email of a message and to check IWS? Or do you continue to just randomly check IWS?
 
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