|
|
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
| |
7:53 pm - Wanting to Move to Ontario
|
ext_1211819
|
Hi, everyone. I am new to this journal and was curious if anyone had any ideas for me and my fiance. We met 6 months ago and I am currently living in Michigan and him in Ontario. I am wanting to move myself and my almost two year old son (who I have sole, physical custody of) to Ontario, but we do not know where to start. It seems as if every site we go to really doesnt help us out, and just gives us information that talks in circles. If anyone who is in or has been in a similar situation could maybe give us a few ideas, we would greatly appreciate it. We are both wanting to be with each other so bad, but it seems like there's a barrier that wont let it happen.
current mood:  pessimistic
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Saturday, April 14th, 2012
| |
8:40 am
|
lostrealist_05
|
Hi there! I found this community by accident and I've been reading a lot of back entries. You guys are really helpful!
So if you don't mind, I need some advice on my current situation to make sure we're doing this right.
I met my fiance back in 2006 online. We had been best friends since then and started dating in 2009. I traveled up to Canada to live with him for a few months and after a lot of drama at the border, they let me in with a four-month visitor's pass. We hit it off quite well and have been together ever since. He visits me at least two times a year and I try and visit once, but with our jobs, that's rather hard sometimes.
A bit of background on both of us, we're both 25 and he lives near Toronto, ON and I'm from West Virginia. He's a factory supervisor with a high school education. I have my BS from WVU in Animal Science and I work as a Vet Tech (WV doesn't require you to be certified, so I never took the test to become registered) and a Dog Groomer for a huge cooperate company for which I am under a two-year contract. The company I work for has bases up in Canada and my job transfers, as long as I can work legally in Canada. I've already talked to the President of all the stores in Canada and he just told me that I would put in a transfer and I'd have to talk to him a few months prior to me moving.
Because of this and my education, we decided it would be easier for me to cross the border and come to Canada instead of him coming here. The place he's renting allows dogs, he has a spare room for me already, and there is a place quite close to his house that I could work.
Last month, he went and talked to an immigration lawyer who advised him to sponsor me and for me to apply for a work VISA. But he told us to get married first. We're waiting to see if his vacation days go through, but we're planning for the marriage to happen around the first week of June.
So, while we're waiting, I've been trying to do research down to the nitty gritty to find out if we're doing this right and what to expect as we go along so I can plan for it. Any advice is greatly, greatly appreciated since I'm rather lost about this whole thing and no one around here has done such a thing. You should have seen the confusion at the courthouse when I asked the laws and what he'd need for us to get married.
|
|
(7 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
12:20 am - Another Passport Question
|
lbd_nytetrayn
|
Just a follow-up question to my last post: I've set an appointment at the embassy, the first one available being for one week from this Monday.
At this point, I'm wondering whether I should stick with that, or if doing this my mail might yield faster results, given the week's difference. As it is, flipping through the pages of their site and all, I'm not sure... especially since those "x to y weeks" things are typically worst-case scenarios, right?
|
|
(5 comments | comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
| |
2:23 am - Getting my Passport Renewed (Take 2)
|
lbd_nytetrayn
|
I posted here a while back about getting an emergency passport renewal when someone had passed away in the States, but due to how quickly the funeral was scheduled, the plan was aborted, as there was no way I could have made it in time. And so I let it go for the time being, as I had other things to focus on.
With that said, I do have hopes to revisit the States again. I am an American citizen living in Toronto as a permanent resident, and my passport expired in December. Due to a rush of things going on at the time related to work, my U.S. passport expired.
I'm now back to trying to get my passport handled again, but it seems a bit trickier this time than the first time I got it. If anyone can help point me to link(s) that are best for me to follow to get my passport renewed from within Toronto, I would greatly appreciate it (and if you happen to know offhand what sort of cost I'm looking at, or any other useful information I should probably keep in mind, that would be appreciated as well).
Thanks (again)!
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, February 26th, 2012
| |
10:56 am - Immigration help, either way
|
|
jeysonmcfly87
|
I just joined after being referred here by another site, and I feel I may finally get the answers I need instead of just being redirected around to the same sites. So, here's my dilemma: My girlfriend and I met a year and a half ago in September, on a social networking site. She is Canadian, while I am a citizen of the USA. We want to be together in the same country. However, we aren't sure which way would be easier to move, nor how to go about doing so. Some background info: I am a 24 year-old male, and she is 26. Both of us carry service-type jobs that don't really make a LOT of money, but we're able to get by for now. We have plans of getting married and are currently engaged. Both of us live with our parents for now, as money is tight and the cost of renting apartments is rather high, though we have had visits in the past year to each other. My mother and I are willing to sponsor her, but from what I've gathered, she, my fiancee, has to get a visa first and then we could sponsor her. Anyway, I would really appreciate some feedback from this community. We're so lost on how to make our aspirations real, for now.
current mood:  confused
|
|
(6 comments | comment on this)
|
| Friday, February 24th, 2012
| |
11:50 pm - SIN from outside?
|
believeitup
|
Hello! Quick question, hoping someone here may have more experience with this.
I have received my confirmation of permanent residence (yay!) and will be moving in barely over five weeks (double yay!). I am attempting to start looking for work--specifically, there is a position I am perfectly qualified for and where I have been in touch with the recruiter and am likely to get, but obviously I have to be legally able to work in Canada before I can get this job, and that means having a SIN. I contacted Government Services and they told me my options were to either wait until I get up there, to travel to Canada to get my SIN in person, or to mail my COPR and the application form out and get one in return by mail. I would prefer to not wait, but I'm nervous to travel to Canada before the move (plus I'm too far from the border to make a quick trip of it), and the man I spoke with at GS was very clear that if they lose my COPR it's not their responsibility, and that is a huge risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take.
I'm just wondering if anyone on here has experience with this and if there are somehow any options other than the three I listed. You've all be so helpful in the past, I look forward to hearing your responses now!
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Thursday, January 5th, 2012
| |
11:55 am - Need a Passport Renewal Quickly
|
lbd_nytetrayn
|
So, I'm new to this community, after my wife directed me to it. Hoping someone might be able to help...
I'm an American citizen who is living as a permanent resident in Canada, and my passport recently expired at the beginning of December. My plan was to renew it at my leisure when the new year began, following a busy holiday season.
Well, this did not take into account the passing of my grandfather this morning.
So, since things are bound to happen sooner than later, I also need to get my passport renewed sooner than later if I'm to be a part of any of it.
Unfortunately, getting through to anyone besides operators who are ill-equipped to help me has been impossible, as I'm directed to one site, which directs me to another site, which gives me a link back to the first site, and all I can get there is the number.
I attempted an e-mail to the address one operator gave to me, but received the following in return:
This is an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your request. We will process your request within 3 business days.
If you have already sent information to us please DO NOT SUBMIT additional requests on the same matter. If necessary we will contact you to clarify any information needed. Sending multiple e-mails with the same request only slows response time.
Please note: The Contact Desk is for technical issues only such as applicant record issues, payment validation issues or correcting DHL routing issues.
Inquiries concerning visa questions or assistance in confirming, canceling, or rescheduling (aside from No Shows) your visa appointment will not be answered through this service.
We cannot provide you any status updates regarding your application (NIV or IV) as we are not consular officers.
Please return to the home page of our website for all visa and appointment information and to review our FAQs for answers to the most common issues.
So, it seems I'm back to square one, and I don't mean the mall in Mississauga.
Can anyone here offer some advice? Or am I just SOL?
|
|
(8 comments | comment on this)
|
| Friday, November 18th, 2011
| |
3:07 pm - So, now what?
|
believeitup
|
So! I received an email today saying it's time for me to surrender my passport for visa issuance. I am applying for permanent residence, outside spousal (I think that's all the details!). While this is obviously great news, my biggest question is, now what? Specifically, how long do I have now? They say I have to be landed before the visa's date of validity--can anyone provide me with an estimate of just how far away that might be, if I were to get my passport in the mail, say, tomorrow?
I apologize if this info is available in tags or elsewhere in the comm. I'm posting from my phone (too anxious to wait till I get home) and can't read it from here. Thanks in advance!
Posted via m.livejournal.com.
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, November 13th, 2011
| |
4:07 am - Languages in Canada
|
sannahkhan
|
Hi,
I'm new to the forum. My name is Sannah. I actually am Canadian, lived here all my life, but I am currently doing some research for a project, and am looking for anyone and everyone to fill out this survey. This survey will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and it is on a completely voluntary basis. You are not forced to answer any question that you do not wish to answer, and all answers are confidential. You will remain anonymous, unless you specify your name, and allow me to use it. If you have any questions about the research, you can email me at sannahkhan@gmail.com for any further questions.
The purpose of the research is to study the ways in which language affects people’s perception of the world around them. My hypothesis is that learning a language changes the way in which we think, and in turn saying that multilinguals see the world differently than monolinguals. In a society such as Canada, where bilingualism has much stigma to it, I am trying to lessen any negative emotions associated with learning a foreign language. The overall objective of the study is to raise awareness to the importance of learning new languages.
The survey is located at:
http://www.sannahkhan.com/survey.html
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
| |
7:41 pm - Work visa after student visa
|
geisha2go
|
Do any of you have any personal experience with studying in Canada and then applying for a work visa directly after graduation? How hard is it? This is not for me but I have a friend who is studying here and really wants to stay and he's American. He has no one to sponsor him so he's going to have to apply for a work visa for his field I guess.
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, October 16th, 2011
| |
12:22 am - Working during app processing
|
makeme_moo
|
Hi again,
Having trouble with google. If I went the route of inside spousal, would I be able to work in Canada before I'm granted residency? Would I have to apply for some kind of work permit?
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Monday, August 1st, 2011
| |
9:13 am - Cargo van rental
|
die_fledermaus
|
Hi all,
I'm moving to Vancouver in September from Colorado, and I was thinking I could rent a cargo van instead of a huge moving truck since I really don't have that much stuff, and no furniture, really. I was wondering if anyone has done this and can suggest a company that will let you take the cargo van into Canada?
Thanks in advance!
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
| |
6:58 pm - Tagging
|
my_fair_kadie
|
I see that a lot of the entries, as of late, are lacking tags. Would anyone be interested in helping me get the tags up to date? I think it would make things a lot easier, especially for people who are new and looking for answers.
Thanks!
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Thursday, June 30th, 2011
| |
4:51 pm - Renting an apartment with no visa
|
shinywen
|
Salut, hi hi all.
First of all, thanks for the great information pulled together here!! As a new member who has just gone through an introduction to the comm, I have a suggestion or two for the mods: Given that the process of immigrating to Quebec is a whole second ballgame, mightn't it be useful to add a link or two to Immigration-Quebec along with the links to CIC? Also I was linked, from another comm, to this great "FAQ"-type post from 2003. I think it would be awesome if this could be kept updated and maybe linked in the userinfo, and again some direction for us Quebec hopefuls would be sooooo helpful.
Related to the thoughts on Quebec, I wonder if anyone knows of any Quebec-specific comms?
Okay so, my own questions:
- Has anyone tried to rent an apartment without any kind of formal visa? As an American, I was not required to have a visa for entry. I don't know if this will come up and/or be a hindrance while looking for an apartment.
- My situation is weird*, and I need to seek out some information about the legalities of staying here. Who should I start with? Service Canada, Immigration Quebec, CIC? I don't even know.
*I am neither a student nor am I officially seeking to work in Canada, but I would like to be able to plan to stay here for at least a while. I have an online freelance business, and if I only work with American clients, I would think that doesn't technically count as "working in Canada." This is the kind of thing I'm sure I need to ask officially, but any insight you guys can provide now would also be extremely appreciated.
|
|
(7 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
| |
4:58 pm - Post graduation work permit and healthcare
|
die_fledermaus
|
Hi all,
I was granted a post graduation work permit, and I am moving to BC in September. Does anyone happen to know when I would be able to get health coverage, or if I can't get it until I become a permanent resident?
Thanks!
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Saturday, June 11th, 2011
| |
1:30 pm - Car exporting
|
orly_nowai
|
Hi everyone!
I know I've read here before that exporting a US car from US -> Canada is quite pricey and often not worth it. I'm wondering if this is the same case for exporting a car from Canada -> US? My boyfriend's can get older cars (still in good working condition) fairly cheap (the one I'm looking at now is 400 + $1000 worth of work) and I'm looking to buy a car. I know I cannot find this type of deal myself in the US so it would be the cheapest option for me as far as the actual purchasing of a car. I'm just wondering if when I try to export it from Canada -> US if there's going to be an outrageous amount of fees.
Thanks in advance for any input!
|
|
(7 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, June 5th, 2011
| |
5:24 pm - Skilled Worker Class
|
lemur68
|
I'm looking at the requirements for Skilled Worker Class on Citizenship & Immigration Canada website, this spage specifically: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who-instructions.asp#list
It states:
For your application to be eligible for processing, you must include the results of your official language proficiency test, and either:
have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR
be a skilled worker who has had one year of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience in at least one of the following eligible occupations within the last ten years:"(And it lists 29 occupations)
A few questions:
Only those 29 are eligible occupations? Because I've forever been under the impression that any occupation classified as A, B, or 0 were eligible. But I'm also interpreting the above to mean that if you have an employment offer, it doesn't necessarily have to be one of those 29 (as long as it's an A, B or 0 occupation). Do I have that correct?
As a web developer (not one of the 29), am I out of luck as far as Skilled Worker Class? Or is it still an option in the event I have an arranged job?
It looks like Provincial Nomination (probably Ontario but possibly BC) could be another option, or is that one of those long-shot categories that's rarely granted?
Either way, it'll be several years before I can even begin the process, because I don't have enough points (I've only just started working in my field and I'm still working on my degree).
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, May 15th, 2011
| |
11:44 am - Woohoo!
|
die_fledermaus
|
Hi everyone!
After 4 years in Canada and about 8 months back in the US, my dad and I have figured out a date for me to go back to Canada - September 15! It's really soon and totally nervewracking, but I'm so excited to be going back! I have my postgraduation work permit and now I just have to focus on packing and sorting things out, and of course HOW to get back up there with all my stuff. But I am jazzed!
I'm planning on moving to Vancouver. Is there anyone there now or planning on going there anytime soon? I'd love to meet people and network and that kind of thing so I'm not totally alone when I get up there. If you have any ties up there, please let me know!
Yay!
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
| |
7:16 am - How many more months should I expect to wait for PR status to be processed?
|
ponchik_2
|
Hi. I applied for permanent resident status refugee class 10 moths ago. Three months ago I got the letter saying that "the decision was made". They also asked me to pass a medical check which I did and sent them papers right a way. Since then not a sound from CIC and no updates on my status on their site.
My question is how long can I expect to be waiting for any sign of CIC working on my case and me eventually getting PR status.
How fast did you get your PR after they told you "the decision has been made"?
Thank you for your answers
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Thursday, May 12th, 2011
| |
1:24 pm - Post-graduation work permit
|
zimbing
|
Hi
Does anyone have any experience with the post-graduation work permit?
I'll be done with my masters as soon as my last paper get marked and I should get graduation confirmation early next week.
I'm going to be applying for the post-graduation work permit as soon as I have confirmation but does anyone know how long it will take? My study and off-campus work permit runs out on June 30th and I'm starting a job on May 16th (which is in demand in Canada) and obviously I'm not wanting kicked out the country on June 30th. Should I apply for a bridge extension? (it's annoying that it cost $125 on top of $150 for the work permit)
Thanks to anyone who can put my nerves at ease.
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.2){kind=small}
canadabound