I read a lot of people's complain over their application spending too much time with the embassy,i think they should know that people might just need any of those documents submitted plus i see no reason why they have to hold for that long and still refuse someone,it has now become a tradition now that if you don't go there to ask for your documents it will not be returned to you.
That's why i like the British embassy with their no long thing style

I Think each Canadian embassy usually have allocated number of visas to be issued every year, these delay tactics is probably a way of keeping to their targets.

tunnytox:

I Think each Canadian embassy usually have allocated number of visas to be issued every year, these delay tactics is probably a way of keeping to their targets.

I do not think so.

The wait time probably has to do with the volume of applications versus the number of staff they have coupled with the fact that they have to verify EVERY Nigerian application. Previously, Visitor Visa applicants get their decisions/visas same day while Student applicants are asked to go for their medicals (if "pre-approved" same day they put in their application. However, alot of Nigerian applications are fraudulent, even up to bank drafts, bank statements, admission letters, WAEC results etc. Hence, there are several checks the consul carries out before they go forward with any Nigerian application. My guess is the High Commission in Accra is not experiencing similar delays because there are relatively less fradulent applications there, despite the fact that the embassy caters for most of West Africa. Truth is, we make things alot difficult for ourselves, but we love to blame others!

@Delta 007
I do not agree with you ,what do you want to say about the situation of an applicant who has been denied 3 days after his or her application but was not given to the applicant until after 30 working days,the applicant only discovered this through the date on that refusal sheet.
Look let us call a spade a spade,their service is BAD.

I have every reasons to believe that generally visa application to Canada is always very slow especially if you are applying from several parts of Africa with the exception of some Francophone countries. Until recently application for Permanent Residency to Canada under the Federal Skill Workers class take up to 6 year to process in Accra while it takes only 36 months in the UK in some countries it takes on 18 months. Ask CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) for the reason they will give you a cock and bull story of slow postage and more workload bullshit.
in MY own opinion Canada visas does not favour immigrants/applicants from sub sahara African countries (with the exception of Francophone countries who are encouraged to migrate to Quebec).

A lot of PR applicants from Europe and America moves up very quickly on the queue and I can confirm that for PR visa I am very sure that they have allocated number of visas for each CIC office but for student visa i don't know. Once this visa qouta is filled they'll do nothing to your application and only just move you up in the queue until more visa are made available from the CIC main office. If you must go to Canada you just have to be PATIENT

simplychic:

@Delta 007
I do not agree with you ,what do you want to say about the situation of an applicant who has been denied 3 days after his or her application but was not given to the applicant until after 30 working days,the applicant only discovered this through the date on that refusal sheet.
Look let us call a spade a spade,their service is BAD.

You do not have to agree with me. I do not work with/in the CDHC; I'm just relaying some very reliable information.

I do agree that the process can be improved upon but it's Nigeria; name one Nigerian institution that operates very efficiently, just one; perhaps they have caught our bug.

I understand your frustation but when you make an application for a study visa in Nigeria to the CDHC, your application is received and it's stamped with the "receive date". It is then pre-screened for any obvious deficiencies, fraud, etc. Nigerians working in the HC carry out these processes. Then, your application is on the queue for verification. Every document is meant to be verified; I doubt they do verify every document because it will be a pain and will take twice as long; however, there are times local institutions (banks, schools, court, etc) are contacted to verify documents and it takes days and weeks to get an answer. Sometimes, if/when your document cannot be verified, your application is rejected. In other circumstances, you are called in for an interview to clarify. Most interviews are conducted by Nigerians. It is the Nigerians in the embassy that make recommendations for Approval or Rejections based on the info/documents you provide. The consul, based on the recommendations and other factors, make the final decision and the Nigerian workers carry out the clerical work of mailing your forms/letters/passport. There's nothing a Canadian consul gains by holding your Nigerian passport longer than necessary; it's a Nigerian passport! Now, with the several hundreds of study and visiting Visa applications coming in every week, you can understand why there are some delays. If there was less fraud in our system, the need for the extra verifications will not be there and the process will be alot expediated. Like I mentioned in my previous post, once upon a time, you could go to the CDHC in the morning, submit your application for a study Visa and get called in for an interview that morning and get your letter to go do medicals (and your passport back) at 3pm (same day). Three weeks later, you get called to submit your passport for a study visa if you passed your medicals and you get your passport back same day. Visiting Visas were issued same day you made your application as far as you got to the CDHC before 10am. But then, the system was getting screwed and clogged up with several fake bank statements, letters, waec results, bank drafts, etc and the consul could no longer make same-day decisions without carrying out proper verifications.

Can the process be improved? Absolutely. Again, I understand your frustration, but na our brothers and sisters cause am. Have you asked yourself why Nigerians, from a commonwealth country need a Visa to Canada or the UK, commonwealth countries? Citizens of Namibia and Botswana do not. Zimbabweans did not, until recently. Our leaders are not doing anything to strengthen ties and bring valuables to the table; they all have diplomatic passports and are all interested in padding their accounts and sending their concubines to Dubai and London for shopping. Meanwhile, we have no leverage and cannot command any respect amongst other nations. Our institutions are dying, that's why more and more students are taking the alternate route to any other university outside the country. My point is, we can all lament from now till tomorrow how inefficient other citizens and consulates are and how badly they treat us but until we seriously look ourselves in the mirror hold our leaders to higher standards, we will keep chasing shadows.

With regards the quota comment, I sincerely doubt it. Canadian immigration could care less about your background as far as you have something (skills, business, etc) to offer to the community. People from the middle East and other Asian countries go through more security checks than the average African for obvious reasons. The office in Accra is a small office catering for the whole West African PR applications. The US has at least 5 Canadian consulates catering for applications from N.America. No brainer, applicants in N.America will get a decision long before those in Africa. I know the Trinidad office up to recently were so backed up that your PR application was in queue for up to 5yrs; similar to Accra and other officies around the world. This is why the Immigration policy was recently overhauled and the process has somewhat expediated for skilled workers (keyword is skilled workers) who are in high demand. I believe the process takes less than 2yrs now, even if you apply from Accra.

BTW, Quebec is a french speaking province and their immigration policies are somewhat different compared to the rest of the country. If you can speak French, you stand a good chance of going through Quebec; there's no rule forbidding anyone other than citizens from francophone countries to go through Quebec. I know alot of Nigerians that have settled in Quebec (or "passed through" that did not even know how to say Bonjour!

@ Delta007
What do you mean by your frustration,i hate it when people talk like they know it all
i stated it clearly that i read alot of post where people complained about their services
and that was what prompted my this thread what has your frustration has to do
with this.

can anyone share their Quebec experience. i live in the US and getting ready to send paperwork for Quebec through the NY_ Buffalo office

You should be glad you don't have to deal with Nigerian Embassy yet.

Na true talk my brother