Canadian embassy in SD - phone numbers to pick up visa

I received an email from Haiti today that my husband's visa was sent to Santo Domingo yesterday and to call 809-262-3100 but when we call there it says its out of service...
I emailed back that the number must be incorrect but does anyone have any other suggestions??? do we just wait???

Thanks -we're super excited!!!
I emailed back and said the number is out of service - they said "it will be avialable monday" - not certain if they meant the number or the visa - but I"m guessing they were referring to the phone number working on Monday due to the move.
we tried the other phone number 685-1136 but a lady told my husband if they had it they would phone and not to phone back... he explained about the email but they're super busy so she just said to wait until they phoned.
we'll just wait - not long now!!!

Happy anniversary to us!!!!

Yes I saw it that day and am very grateful that Jess posted it - I didn't know any of that - my husband says its easy to find.

Thanks to all the moderators and participants of the forum - there is so much good information here that is more help than any lawyer or anyone else I've ever encountered about this process!!!! I hope eventually I can be as much of a help to others as everyone else has been to me!

we'll keep everyone posted -I won't really relax until he has the visa and its correct and we're back in Canada!

haha - they didn't say they were super busy - I just assume they are... she just said they'd call when they had it and didn't give my husband any time to explain that we'd received an email telling us to call ...

We've had really good luck with getting responses to emails - but only on ones where they had information to give me - for instance - never got a response to confirm they got the papers we dropped off - but they were likely well you dropped them at the embassy in SD so of course we got them in Haiti, but the email on where things were at (as the date they had given us at the interview was coming up fast) got a response the very next day... and I sent my name change via email and got a response the same day saying time to come for an interview...
that's just us - but I found it very suprising as they always emailed me and we didn't have our use of representative form filled out...

Dolores said:

New telephone of the Canadian embassy:

809 262-3100.

Click to expand...

This phone number is avaiable effective monday. The embassy is closed today for the move but reopens Monday.

so it took a bit - but we got the visa in our hands today!!!

after waiting until the 30th (haiti said they sent the visa to santo domingo on November 18th) - I resent an email to Haiti asking for an estimate of when the visa would reach santo domingo - they replied almost instantly saying my husband should have been called by now. I tried to phone santo domingo saying I had an email saying that but they just told me I couldn't call. I then forwarded the email to my MP who got his assistant to look into it the same day and she got a reply from the embassy that they'd been calling him but never got an answer and he could go right away to pick up.
at the embassy they were quite apologetic - my husband swears he didn't miss any calls - and I can't see it - he knew he was waiting for it... but we're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.. because - whatever happened doesn't matter - we got it sorted out and we'll be together very soon and we're very fortunate things went as well as they did - a few hiccups along the way but such is life!

as an aside - I have to say Haiti was unbelievable in their quick replies to help me out. they always answered and if it wasn't for them we'd still be sitting here waiting to hear something with the approach of the expiry of the medicals.

I'm flying down this weekend and we'll be back in Canada Monday night; in our home tuesday morning!!! so exciting - yet still so hard to believe!

I know, I know - I'm going to get a thousand posts saying now the real hard part comes - i get it - and armed with the knowledge of those that have come before us - we'll figure it out - just like we always do!!!!

thanks to all for your kind words, support and of course - knowledge!!!!

Kacy

Ok - first some history - we too had some bumps in the road along this journey...

for my first email - after we'd been in process in Haiti and heard nothing - I sent a general email with my husband's name, DOB, and client ID from sponsorship (since we didn't have a B-file number) in this one I said I have attached new ID - as I have changed my name and a ticket from a recent trip we'd taken together. and I asked for the b-file number so I could reference it in the future.
I got a response the same day - saying they'd sent us a letter on July 14 requesting an interview and that they would contact us for the date.
I then emailed again saying to please contact my husband by phone or by email as we didn't receive the mail. They didnt' respond but called my husband for his interview.

At our interview we were told we would have the visa in 30-45 days. I waited until the 43rd day - and said the 45th day was approaching - could we have a revised estimate if possible? Again I included my husband's full name; DOB; B-file number - I also cc'd him on every email and provided both of our contact information in the file.
again we got a response the same day (or next maybe) that the visa was sent to Santo Domingo November 18th - and to call 262-3100. I replied that the number wasn't in service - they replied right away that it would on monday (this was when the move was going on)

We waited... Then on November 30th I emailed Haiti again asking them how many days it would take to get to SD? How many days approximately before they call? and should be concerned about the upcoming medical expiry? Again - included all identifying information and contact info. I got a reply in minutes that he should have received a call by now.
I tried to phone SD and explain that - but they woudn't really listen to me. I gave the email to my MP who followed up and we were told to pick up.
when we picked up the lady apologized to my husband a lot... he said it made him feel better that they didn't just act like it wasnt' a big deal.

here's what I found with respect to communicating with Haiti:
1) be very clear what you're asking - no need for a big story (like this post is getting to be LOL)- sometimes I wrote and rewrote my emails until in a couple sentences I had the information they needed to answer and what exactly I wanted them to tell me
2) use the email address provided in their communication to you - there was an email in the letter we had that had a different email address than the general one - once you have this no problems - if you don't have this - use the general one from the website. Don't reply to their email - we didn't have as much luck with that as we did with always going back to that email address they sent us.
3). forward them back their email - so they can see what they told you.
4). no news is good news - we asked for a confirmation that they got some documents we dropped off at the embassy - we never got a confirmation - but in my experience - if they hadn't received them they would have replied right away saying they didn't. It sucks -but I guess that's how they get away from dealing with every little thing - even though its tough trust that if no one responded - there's no issues.
5). stay professional - just stick to facts. I simply said - in our interview we were told we would have our visa in 30-45 days; as 45 days is here in a couple days I was wondering if we could get a new estimate." this is better than what I wanted to say which was - you said 45 days - where the heck is it - what are you people doing???
6). if you're emailing too soon -you won't get a response... i used this site to gauge - when people with similar timelines as mine seemed to be contacted left and right - and it had now been six months since it got to haiti - then I took a chance and emailed my name change - but really I was fishing - rather than send an email asking - what's going on? why haven't i heard anything? I simply said I've attached proof of my name change and can we get our B-file number. that simple email led to our interview.
7) keep in mind the responses may be briefer than you'd like - for example - when they told me they should have called by now to pick up your visa - I was left wondering - so now what do i do - would have been great if they'd told me what to do.. but I just left it at that and let my MP take it from there armed with that email.

Its so hard to keep your cool - so I did as I do at work when I"m frustrated - I got someone to read my email - and make sure it didn't sound rude. I'll never know who helped us as no names were included in the email but I really appreciate them taking the time to reply. If I had a follow up email I thanked them for taking the time to respond so quickly. Didn't send a seperate email. I can only imagine how many emails they receive each day.

all of this correspondence was received without us having our use of representative form filled out - we didn't think we needed it (I thought it was for if you had a lawyer)- I don't reccommend not using it that's for sure - but I think the help we recieved along the way could have easily been dismissed given we didn't have this form filled out. because of this I always told them to contact me or my husband and included his info - hoping that if they weren't going to answer because of the form maybe they'd at least contact him.

sorry Anna - you asked for a "little" I gave you a lot - but I wanted to be very clear so others using this info could see what I was doing. Last tip - never have an email to haiti go on like this!

kacy