How to make an enquiry
Before making an enquiry
Before you send us an enquiry, please ensure that you have explored all the available information. In over 90% of our responses to general enquiries, we refer back to our website.
Useful Links
- For information specific to this office including how to apply, see Visas and Immigration.
- Average processing times at this office
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Who may represent you
- For general information, visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
- To help you plan a temporary stay or make Canada your new home, visit the Going to Canada portal.
Making enquiries about…
…sponsoring your family: For family members in Canada sponsoring overseas applicants, you can get information on citizenship and immigration programs in Canada by using the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Call Centre automated telephone service or speaking with a Call Centre agent. The Call Centre can also provide you with application forms for sponsoring your relatives from Canada and can make address changes for your address in Canada. You must be in Canada to use the CIC Call Centre.
…confirming receipt of documents and bank drafts: In order to best use our resources, we will not confirm whether we have received your documents. If you would like such confirmation, you can send your documents by registered mail. If you would like confirmation that we have processed your bank draft, you can contact the bank that issued the draft.
…an application in process:
If you already have an application at our office, we will answer your question only if our average processing time has been exceeded or if there is a problem. Otherwise, you should assume that your file is proceeding normally. Processing time starts when your complete application has been received in our office and ends on the day the final decision (i.e. approval/refusal) leaves our office.
Citizenship and Immigration provides an on-line service to check your application status, e-CAS, for certain categories of immigration applications.
Keep reading to find out how to make a case-specific enquiry.
Instructions for making an enquiry…
- Choose ONE method of communication: email or mail. Do not send repeat enquiries and do not send the same enquiry by multiple means because this creates confusion and can delay our reply.
- We will only respond to enquiries sent in English or French.
- Include the following with your enquiry:
- file number, if available
- full name
- date of birth
- mailing address
- telephone and fax number
- nationality
…in person or by phone
In order to best use our resources, we do not accept enquiries in person or by phone. If your enquiry is urgent due to factors outside of your control, send an e-mail clearly indicating “URGENT:” followed by the reason for the urgency.
…by e-mail
Use this webform to send an e-mail to the London visa office for both general and case specific enquiries.
After you have sent your e-mail, you will receive an automatic message acknowledging that we have received your enquiry. This message will be sent to the e-mail address that you entered on the webform. If you do not receive this message within 24 hours, then it may be in your junk mail box or you may have entered your email address incorrectly.
…by mail
Canadian High Commission
Immigration and Medical Services Division
38 Grosvenor Street
London
W1K 4AA
UK
Enquiries by friends, relatives or representatives
You are not obliged to hire a representative for immigration and refugee matters. The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, whether they use the services of a representative or not.
However, if you wish to appoint a representative (an immigration consultant, lawyer, friend, family member, etc.), who will conduct business with us on your behalf, see information on use of a representative.
However if you just wish to designate someone to obtain information about your case (e.g. the status of your application) or to notify our office of a change in your address, then consult the release of information to an individual page. The individual you designate will not be a representative who can conduct business with us on your behalf.
