Shorten PAL Approval Times

sent october 2nd, 2013 and credit card charged mid november. didnt hear anything till dec 18 when a letter showed up saying to call them. i did and they wanted an interview. did that and then didnt hear anything until mid feb when my references received letters to call in. they finally did last week and now my pal/rpal is approved. should be here next week. 7 months start to finish
 
Plinkatoon said:
Woohoo........its right there on the site. Finally got it.
January 23 took test non-restricted
January 26 sent full application
January 28 registered mail signed for
February 16 shows up on rcmp website
April 5th was asked to provide a police record from a country I was living in 4 years a 7 months before the application date
April 9th submitted clear police background check document.
April 11th checked website and have a license number

Thank you CANADIANGUNNUTZ for all the info.

Now just to wait in the mail for it.
Click to expand...

Got it April 20th in the mail
Today April 22nd picked up 2 Ruger 10/22 for plinking with my boy, recieved Dominion Arms 12G Grizzly with ghost sights for bear defense and anything my varmint license allows, paid half up for a Tikka T3 lite .223 for those coyotes that have been giving me the finger since last summer.

Thank you all for sharing. Its been comforting knowing there are others.
 
RPAL

Feb 24 Sent in application registered mail signature required

Feb 28 Application received but not signed for, so according to the tracking number it never arrived. After pulling my hair out trying to get answers from Canada Post for a month I cancelled my credit card fearing it would be compromised due to the lost application.

April 2 As soon as Canada Post informed me it did arrive on time, I went online and it said they needed more information (new credit card number I assumed), I called, they took the new number, charged the card, and forwarded me to the person who did my interview, my two references called shortly after and did theirs, I called back and she said everything was in order and it would be going to the Alberta CFO.

April 23 Licence issued
 
Plinkatoon said:
Got it April 20th in the mail
Today April 22nd picked up 2 Ruger 10/22 for plinking with my boy, recieved Dominion Arms 12G Grizzly with ghost sights for bear defense and anything my varmint license allows, paid half up for a Tikka T3 lite .223 for those coyotes that have been giving me the finger since last summer.

Thank you all for sharing. Its been comforting knowing there are others.
Click to expand...

April 20 was a Sunday, was it there on Fri and you didn't check or did you mean the 21st?
 
PAL and RPAL mailed March 26, received and signed for March 27. Waited 4 weeks and tried to register on-line but was unable to. Called them spoke to Tony (very nice) he explained that they are very busy and to call back Friday afternoon to see if I am in the system. If I am they will do interviews then. Can't wait for Friday.
 
Good observation, Oilersfan74.
It was in the mailbox on the sunday April 20th. I assume it was there since the 17th of April. I was away from the afternoon of the 17th until the 20th of April. My guess is Miramichi is close to Fredericton so its faster arriving.
 
'Your application has been processed and your licence has been issued." ahhhhh so excited, only 2 more weeks of waiting now. sent in my application on the 6th of march, received on the 10th, and just got that message updated today ( april 25) (ontario) goodluck to everyone else waiting!
 
Bubba911 said:
PAL and RPAL mailed March 26, received and signed for March 27. Waited 4 weeks and tried to register on-line but was unable to. Called them spoke to Tony (very nice) he explained that they are very busy and to call back Friday afternoon to see if I am in the system. If I am they will do interviews then. Can't wait for Friday.
Click to expand...

Mine was received March 28. PAL and RPAL, still waiting. Don't see it online yet but my credit card got charged on March 26.
 
Last edited:
I'm applying for a pal and rpal at thesame time. My application is now in progress. Called in to do my interview and was told i dont need to and that its a new policy change. They said they only need to interview one of my references. So thats what i did, had one reference call in. Lets see if my status changes to issued.
 
49 days from the time my application was received to my RPAL being in hand. That seems pretty quick for a first time. Now if only I didn't have plans tonight and could swing by Wanstalls
 
And there lies the frustration. I'm at 58 days and it is still at the CFO, let alone having got it in the mail.

I think there might have been a little favouritism, seem as you're in Surrey!! LOL
 
My application was signed for on March 18, arrived at CFO for Ontario on April 22, PAL issued April 25. No neither I nor my references were contacted. Faster than expected for dealing with the government but still tedious. I guess I should consider myself lucky as one of the guys from our local gun store said he heard the average wait lately was 4 - 6 months.
 
timc1968 said:
My application was signed for on March 18, arrived at CFO for Ontario on April 22, PAL issued April 25. No neither I nor my references were contacted. Faster than expected for dealing with the government but still tedious. I guess I should consider myself lucky as one of the guys from our local gun store said he heard the average wait lately was 4 - 6 months.
Click to expand...

how did you know when it arrived at CFO Ontario?
 
I called to see if they needed any more information. The nice lady told me all was in order and it had been forwarded and they had received it the day before, that call was on April 23.

PAL in hand May 02.
 
Last edited:
I am upgrading from a POL to a PAL, sent in my application March 17th. Checked the web site April 25th and says my license was issued back in 2011. That was for my POL. Called CFC and they said they had nothing. Went back to the place I took my CFSC and they said something is not right and the post office must have lost it. I should have sent it by registered mail. They took another picture and I had my wife and references re-sign and sent off the new application with a note that my test was a copy and that I had sent in originals March 17th and that my 2nd application was an original as I got my references to re-sign. At this moment, the 2nd application is on the way. Today I checked the web site for giggles and it now says

Application Received on: 2014/04/01

Current Status: Your application has completed initial processing. It is now in progress. Please check the status again at a later date.

Don't quite know what to make of that. Should I call them and explain a 2nd application is somewhere between here and there. Paid 10.35 to send that by registered mail which as it turns out was not necessary. When I sent in my first application I also included an expired POL license to further prove my identity. Anyone have any idea when I can expect to be approved. They do know I own a firearm as I did register one with them when I first got my POL but don't know if that got deleted when they cancelled the firearms registry. I don't expect they would need to contact anyone as nothing has really changed. No tickets and no negative police contact of any sort.
 
here's my timeline:
application for non-restricted PAL (I'm in Alberta)
March 19: mailed the application (regular mail)
April 28: application appeared online (with the received date of Mar 26).
April 28: credit card charged
April 29: the status says: completed intial processing.
Called in and they say that they need to scan my picture. Not sure why it takes several days (hopefully not weeks) for the picture scan.
Does anyone know if it goes to the CFO after or if they can approve it themselves (the lady told me that it may get issued without going to the CFO)?

**Update**
Called them again and apparently it can take up to 2 weeks for the picture to get scanned according to the CFC rep. Add that to the wait time with the CFO and mailing time. Really discouraging.
 
Last edited:
Called in today and was told that its waiting to be scanned. Then it needs to go to the ontario cfo for approval. Where it can take from 2 days to 3 months.
 
Called them again today, the lady kept me on hold for a few minutes checking my status. She said that they have lots of mail and my application was not yet processed.
A couple of hours later: Your application has been processed and your licence has been issued. If you have not received your licence within 2 weeks please contact the Canadian Firearms Program Toll Free number. (1-800 731-4000)

PAL in hand on May 9.

One thing I forgot to mention: at some point during the process, I had to change my reference and one agent told me that I need to mail the original signature and that the update may take 4 weeks to process. I mailed the page with the new reference's signature by amending a copy of the application (make sure to make a copy of the application you send in) and also faxed it. I guess I was lucky because they updated the file with the new reference info the next day and my application was changed to status "completed initial processing" the next day.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom