Shorten PAL Approval Times

here is my timeline

May 2016 - courses
July 2016 - sent my application
Aug 2016 - called them and was told that they had not been able to reach my references. Asked them to call in
Sep 2016 - got an email that they need some additional documents, send these documents back (by email). Status has changed to "issued"

My "feature" is that I was less than 5 years PR in Canada, but 5+ years counting my Work Permit (temp resident) + PR status periods. As I understood it, they took it into account (that the total time I've been living in Canada is more than 5 years)
 
Well, I finally got my PAL today after my MP intervened on my behalf.

July 12: Application showed up at Miramichi. I called in to confirm that everything is in order

August 8: Both references called in.

August 9: Application arrived at BC CFO.

August 25: 45th day, no PAL, contacted MP.

September 8: Met with case manager at my MP's office and told her my whole story. I also brought along a criminal background check (which I got for free because I volunteer at a soup kitchen) and a calendar illustrating my PAL application timeline.

September 14: PAL issued.

64 days total. I shouldn't really complain since I heard people have waited for 10 years or 15 months for their. But still, the wait is stressful.

leadingmotion said:
i contacted my mp today so we will see what happens.
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Any update? Did your MP reply? Have the CFO issued you your PAL?
 
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Big thank you for this thread. Helped huge to speed up my license. I actually waited longer for my test results but had my application in early for the waiting period. When I finally sent it to cfo the waiting period was over. I had 1 reference call in for I his interview and that was all they wanted...10 min later my license was issued.
THANKS AGAIN
now itso time to spend some cash!!!!
 
73 days since my application was received in Miramichi and 31 days since my reference was contacted. i called Miramichi right after my reference did their interview and was told everything was good on their end and she submitted the info, and stated that sometimes it gets instant approval and sometimes my local CFO will hold it which they did. Does anyone have an idea as to how long the current bc cfo wait time is for new applications and has it been long enough that i should start taking further action such as contacting my mp. i have called in twice in the past month and have talked to some really nice people but have gotten no answers
 
No reply yet from my MP. No Pal, yet. In fact not a word.

Label said:
Well, I finally got my PAL today after my MP intervened on my behalf.

July 12: Application showed up at Miramichi. I called in to confirm that everything is in order

August 8: Both references called in.

August 9: Application arrived at BC CFO.

August 25: 45th day, no PAL, contacted MP.

September 8: Met with case manager at my MP's office and told her my whole story. I also brought along a criminal background check (which I got for free because I volunteer at a soup kitchen) and a calendar illustrating my PAL application timeline.

September 14: PAL issued.

64 days total. I shouldn't really complain since I heard people have waited for 10 years or 15 months for their. But still, the wait is stressful.



Any update? Did your MP reply? Have the CFO issued you your PAL?
Click to expand...
 
eddybthatsme said:
73 days since my application was received in Miramichi and 31 days since my reference was contacted. i called Miramichi right after my reference did their interview and was told everything was good on their end and she submitted the info, and stated that sometimes it gets instant approval and sometimes my local CFO will hold it which they did. Does anyone have an idea as to how long the current bc cfo wait time is for new applications and has it been long enough that i should start taking further action such as contacting my mp. i have called in twice in the past month and have talked to some really nice people but have gotten no answers
Click to expand...

Ive been waiting around 8 months and they still say its in a pile on the bc cfo's desk waiting to be looked at.
 
eddybthatsme said:
73 days since my application was received in Miramichi and 31 days since my reference was contacted. i called Miramichi right after my reference did their interview and was told everything was good on their end and she submitted the info, and stated that sometimes it gets instant approval and sometimes my local CFO will hold it which they did. Does anyone have an idea as to how long the current bc cfo wait time is for new applications and has it been long enough that i should start taking further action such as contacting my mp. i have called in twice in the past month and have talked to some really nice people but have gotten no answers
Click to expand...

You live in Surrey, visit the cfo directly (address available online.... 152nd st I think) . Be nice and courteous to the person you encounter, explain how you waited for 8 months and was wondering if you could expedite it and if there is anything you can do to finish the application process (I have done this twice.).

Be nice and courteous. Don't explain how you've waited so long, not fair etc... just ask if they can review/look over your application. They can finish it right there and then (the last step in PAL/RPAL application is a CFO review) if they decide to work with you.
 
We may have to partition a portion of this thread into a new thread called, "45 days are up and I still have no PAL. Now what?"

leadingmotion said:
No reply yet from my MP. No Pal, yet. In fact not a word.
Click to expand...

Looking at the electoral map of the GVRD, I am pretty sure your MP is a Liberal. Therefore you need to put some extra effort in your message to your MP. This is the one I wrote to my Conservative MP.

Dear The Honorable (My MP),

My name is (my name), I am a constituent of (my federal riding). I have been your supporter since 2008 and I thank you for your hard work representing our district in Ottawa. I am contacting you because I need your help.

I recently gotten involved with the sport of target shooting and I applied for a Possession and Acquisition Licence/ Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL/RPAL). However, the 28-days legislated waiting period as passed and the 45 days service standard is coming up on (my 45th day).

If the Canadian Firearms Office has not approved my application by (my 45th day), may I come to your office on (whenever you are free and the MP's Business Hour) so you can assist me with determining the status of my application?

Respectfully,

(My Name)
Click to expand...

What did you write to your MP?

scudman said:
Ive been waiting around 8 months and they still say its in a pile on the bc cfo's desk waiting to be looked at.
Click to expand...

eddybthatsme said:
Yikes. Have you contacted your MP or the B.c. Ombudsperson?
Click to expand...

+1

dacron said:
You live in Surrey, visit the cfo directly (address available online.... 152nd st I think) . Be nice and courteous to the person you encounter, explain how you waited for 8 months and was wondering if you could expedite it and if there is anything you can do to finish the application process (I have done this twice.).

Be nice and courteous. Don't explain how you've waited so long, not fair etc... just ask if they can review/look over your application. They can finish it right there and then (the last step in PAL/RPAL application is a CFO review) if they decide to work with you.
Click to expand...

You can do that as well. I did someone similar in which I phoned the Surrey office and my call was answered by a rude man. He kept trying to end the phone call and he said his office do things at their own pace and I will just have to wait. If this is the reception you got from the CFO, contact your MP.

JeffWasMyIdea said:
Well sent mine in Sep,6/16 and it still hasn't shown up on the website, hope it shows up next week!
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Sure hope so. If not, odds are Canada Post might have lost your application.
 
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Label said:
We may have to partition a portion of this thread into a new thread called, "45 days are up and I still have no PAL. Now what?"



Looking at the electoral map of the GVRD, I am pretty sure your MP is a Liberal. Therefore you need to put some extra effort in your message to my MP. This is the one I wrote to my Conservative MP.



What did you write to your MP?





+1



You can do that as well. I did someone similar in which I phoned the Surrey office and my call was answered by a rude man. He kept trying to end the phone call and he said his office do things at their own pace and I will just have to wait. If this is the reception you got from the CFO, contact your MP.



Sure hope so. If not, odds are Canada Post might have lost your application.
Click to expand...

I'm currently writing a letter to my mp which i will post after it is proof read and edited by a family member that use to work for an mp in Ottawa. i was thinking about going to the cfo office as it is only 10 minutes away from where i live however after the rather rude response to my inquiries to them over the phone i would rather not. i do have to say that dealing with cfc miramichi was always pleasant and they got some really nice and helpful people their however it is on the provincial level that everything falls apart
 
eddybthatsme said:
I'm currently writing a letter to my mp which i will post after it is proof read and edited by a family member that use to work for an mp in Ottawa. i was thinking about going to the cfo office as it is only 10 minutes away from where i live however after the rather rude response to my inquiries to them over the phone i would rather not. i do have to say that dealing with cfc miramichi was always pleasant and they got some really nice and helpful people their however it is on the provincial level that everything falls apart
Click to expand...

Your letter doesn't have to be (in fact shouldn't be) too long. I googled "how to write a letter to your representative" and here are my tips.

Your letter should be short and concise. The hardest part is that since you live in Surrey, your MP is a Liberal. Not sure how helpful they are going to be with helping you obtain something they despise. I am pretty sure that's the same reason why leadingmotion never heard back from his MP.

-Address your representative properly. For us, it should be The Honorable Mr./ Mrs. (full name). Not Justin, Stephen, or Tom. If your have the fortune or misfortune of ever having the PM as your MP (I had a classmate in university that's from Calgary Heritage, Right Honorable Stephen Harper, PM of Canada is his MP), address him/ her as The Right Honorable Mr./ Mrs. (full name). Addressing them properly helps your case.

-Show your appreciation. If you voted for him/ her, tell him/ her how much you support him/ her and how long have you been supporting him/ her. If you don't support him/ her, just thank him/ her for representing you in Ottawa.

-Get to the point. Tell them you need their help.

-Your story. Tell them what's wrong, why it is wrong, and how you hope he/ she can help you. For me, I just told my MP that my PAL is overdue and I asked if her office can talk to the CFO on my behalf. The case manager of her office did and now I got my PAL. For you, tell them the service standard for a complete application is 45 days, and it is 28 days overdue.

-End. Thank him/ her for his/her time.

-Respectfully,

-Your name

Some of the people at Miramichi are quite nice. I phoned in yesterday asking for my PAL number and the guy that answered my phone is quite nice. After I got my number, I then ask him about ATT post-Common Sense Firearms Licencing Act and he explained to me what I need to do to to get an ATT. He said it is attached as a part of my R-PAL, which I will get when I purchase my first restricted.
 
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Label said:
Your letter doesn't have to be (in fact shouldn't be) too long. I googled "how to write a letter to your representative" and here are my tips.

Your letter should be short and concise. The hardest part is that since you live in Surrey, your MP is a Liberal. Not sure how helpful they are going to be with helping you obtain something they despise. I am pretty sure that's the same reason why leadingmotion never heard back from his MP.

-Address your representative properly. For us, it should be The Honorable Mr./ Mrs. (full name). Not Justin, Stephen, or Tom. If your have the fortune or misfortune of ever having the PM as your MP (I had a classmate in university that's from Calgary Heritage, Right Honorable Stephen Harper, PM of Canada is his MP), address him/ her as The Right Honorable Mr./ Mrs. (full name). Addressing them properly helps your case.

-Show your appreciation. If you voted for him/ her, tell him/ her how much you support him/ her and how long have you been supporting him/ her. If you don't support him/ her, just thank him/ her for representing you in Ottawa.

-Get to the point. Tell them you need their help.

-Your story. Tell them what's wrong, why it is wrong, and how you hope he/ she can help you. For me, I just told my MP that my PAL is overdue and I asked if her office can talk to the CFO on my behalf. The case manager of her office did and now I got my PAL. For you, tell them the service standard for a complete application is 45 days, and it is 28 days overdue.

-End. Thank him/ her for his/her time.

-Respectfully,

-Your name

Some of the people at Miramichi are quite nice. I phoned in yesterday asking for my PAL number and the guy that answered my phone is quite nice. After I got my number, I then ask him about ATT post-Common Sense Firearms Licencing Act and he explained to me what I need to do to to get an ATT. He said it is attached as a part of my R-PAL, which I will get when I purchase my first restricted.
Click to expand...

thanks for the tips
 
eddybthatsme said:
I'm currently writing a letter to my mp which i will post after it is proof read and edited by a family member that use to work for an mp in Ottawa. i was thinking about going to the cfo office as it is only 10 minutes away from where i live however after the rather rude response to my inquiries to them over the phone i would rather not. i do have to say that dealing with cfc miramichi was always pleasant and they got some really nice and helpful people their however it is on the provincial level that everything falls apart
Click to expand...

I have been there twice. Nothing but nice. I went in with a sweet, innocent me attitude, because I didn't feel like playing the game any longer.
 
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eddybthatsme said:
Yikes. Have you contacted your MP or the B.c. Ombudsperson?
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BC Ombudsman don't deal with federal programs, departments or agencies or RCMP related stuff and no I haven't contacted my MP because I'm not much for writing letters. If someone has a copy&paste letter that can easily be edited then I would.
 
scudman said:
BC Ombudsman don't deal with federal programs, departments or agencies or RCMP related stuff and no I haven't contacted my MP because I'm not much for writing letters. If someone has a copy&paste letter that can easily be edited then I would.
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Unless the BC CFO is ran by the RCMP proper and not a provincial entity(In Quebec it's the provincial police, which is under the Ministry of Public Safety, which falls under the ombudsman's jurisdiction), the Ombudsman will get involved.
 
After 16 months of getting dicked around, I called in last week and got very angry. Called me back 10 minutes later. PAL was issued. Now the waiting game for the mail to arrive.
 
Booya After almost 8 months i have been approved, thank to a local member I went through the right steps and had my pal approved in 5 minutes. If anyone in BC is waiting over the 45 days then let me know and I will send you in the right direction.
 
Just got off the phone, there are entering the letters received at Sep 7th, 2016. So anyone should expect their information enter into system in 2 weeks time frame.
 
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