PAL/RPAL Timelines

[JeffT]

Welcome to GOC. I got my upgrade to rpal in May took 6 months. There was a new member here that applied in April and got it in June so 2 months (I don't recall if just pal or both). If you have applied recently it should be relatively quick, and will be until the courses start picking up again.

Thank you. Unfortunately I didn’t apply for my PAL/RPAL recently, it was last October when the average wait was 4-5 months. Though I’ve been waiting over 8 months now. I had made the grave error of not submitting my photo on photo paper in the first instance which delayed my application by months. Hindsight is 20/20! I’m hoping it will be soon now that my application is with the CFO. I’ve been checking online several times a day for a LONG time now.

[Big-Boss-Man]

Thank you. Unfortunately I didn’t apply for my PAL/RPAL recently, it was last October when the average wait was 4-5 months. Though I’ve been waiting over 8 months now. I had made the grave error of not submitting my photo on photo paper in the first instance which delayed my application by months. Hindsight is 20/20! I’m hoping it will be soon now that my application is with the CFO. I’ve been checking online several times a day for a LONG time now.

oh I See. Yes I heard of few people with a similar situation, I don't check the thread on cgn anymore though since I got my upgrade approved. My suggestion is to call in and ask if there is anything else that is holding it up. IMO it should've been by now. Mine was 2 weeks longer than a friend of mine because I had a box ticked [the layoff box] and my explanation was "due to the covid 19 and seasonal nature of my job I have had intermittent layoffs in the past 2 years" so I was set aside until they contacted me to discuss my 'seasonal layoff' to ensure that they never caused financial hardship. IMO unless there is something else holding it up you should be g2g by now. I was seeing on CGN that around the time I was approved the process had really sped up for most people.

[JeffT]

oh I See. Yes I heard of few people with a similar situation, I don't check the thread on cgn anymore though since I got my upgrade approved. My suggestion is to call in and ask if there is anything else that is holding it up. IMO it should've been by now. Mine was 2 weeks longer than a friend of mine because I had a box ticked [the layoff box] and my explanation was "due to the covid 19 and seasonal nature of my job I have had intermittent layoffs in the past 2 years" so I was set aside until they contacted me to discuss my 'seasonal layoff' to ensure that they never caused financial hardship. IMO unless there is something else holding it up you should be g2g by now. I was seeing on CGN that around the time I was approved the process had really sped up for most people.

I phoned last at the end of June and they advised to phone back at the end of July. Hopefully it will be approved before then!

[SIR VEYOR]

If you have the reference number from checking online, have your references call in with that number. When they call people it’s “unknown caller” and typically nobody leaves the names right in their voicemail to allow them to leave a message. That’s a typical bottleneck.

[GTW]

Just completed the paperwork and photo to renew my 92 year old father’s PAL, which he let expire. Fortunately he has no firearms at this point. Or so he tells me. He’s part of the “it’s none of the government’s damn business” era.
He wasn’t going to renew, but recently decided he wasn’t going to abandon the fight or his freedom to use a long gun to as he puts it - that “f^%king Trudeau” even if he never shoots or hunts again. Anyway, today is July 9 2021, I’ll advise when he gets it. Likely take about 7 months now due to the now in force “lifetime background checks” which we all know make us soooo much safer. He also said he feels like he just made some Liberal snowflake cry.

[RangeBob]

92 year old father’s PAL, ... “lifetime background checks”

Born around 1929.

Computer records are pretty good after 1998.

Criminal convictions are pretty good on computer, at least after 1970. But anything else computerized is probably shaky between 1970 and 1998.

My bet is anything other than convictions before 1960 isn't computerized.

Doing do diligence on a 'lifetime' ought to be fun for some Canadian Firearms Program employee. They could spend a lifetime at it.

[Big-Boss-Man]

If you have the reference number from checking online, have your references call in with that number. When they call people it’s “unknown caller” and typically nobody leaves the names right in their voicemail to allow them to leave a message. That’s a typical bottleneck.

from what I saw on the CGN thread and my own experience references aren't being contacted ATM.

[SIR VEYOR]

from what I saw on the CGN thread and my own experience references aren't being contacted ATM.

Entirely possible, but if he’s got a stalled application check all possible boxes. That is/was a frequent delay. If you’ve got anything else he can try to check to move it along, enlighten us. Slow processing and how to speed it up is why the CGN thread and ones like this exist.

The phone call/message problem might even be affecting calls to him depending on what his voicemail says for leaving a message.

[Big-Boss-Man]

Entirely possible, but if he’s got a stalled application check all possible boxes. That is/was a frequent delay. If you’ve got anything else he can try to check to move it along, enlighten us. Slow processing and how to speed it up is why the CGN thread and ones like this exist.

The phone call/message problem might even be affecting calls to him depending on what his voicemail says for leaving a message.

I agree there is SOMETHING holding it up, and it could be the ref check, but like I said I don't think they are even checking them (at least mine weren't contacted 2 months ago, along with everyone on the cgn thread up to that point)

[GTW]

Entirely possible, but if he’s got a stalled application check all possible boxes.

This is true. I once had a renewal held up because I checked off the mailing address was the same as the billing address ( or vice versa), but didn’t fill out the same address in the billing fields. Guess they can’t read their own forms.

[JeffT]

I phoned last at the end of June and they advised to phone back at the end of July. Hopefully it will be approved before then!

I saw on CGN someone had called their CFO office yesterday and their application was approved after doing so. So I got the # from same (we’re both from B.C.) and thought I’d try calling as I had nothing to lose. I got through today on my second attempt and was asked a couple questions and was advised my background check was clear and they’d work to finalize my application. Within 1-2 hours of that phone call my application was APPROVED! FINALLY! After almost NINE MONTHS! I’m so happy and relieved. I’ve been researching firearms for nearly a year now so it’s fantastic I’ll actually be able to purchase and enjoy them now! Thanks all.

[Big-Boss-Man]

congrats. Do you know if the contacted your references, I am wondering if they getting back to it again?

[JeffT]

congrats. Do you know if the contacted your references, I am wondering if they getting back to it again?

Thanks. No I’m not aware if they were contacted or not.

[JeffT]

congrats. Do you know if the contacted your references, I am wondering if they getting back to it again?

I checked and they were NOT contacted.

[JeffT]

My card FINALLY came in the mail this morning! What a brutal wait! Now I can shop and shoot.