Need Help regarding landing in Montreal while being a Federal immigrant

[Dr.Hossam]

Good Day All,
I'm having a lot of trouble deciding what to do, I've just received my PR visa and planning to land in Canada on November, but I want to land in Montreal because my wife and I have relatives and friends there. My wife is pregnant and kinda not comfortable landing in another province where we don't know anyone especially in such circumstances. At least we are planning to stay there for a month.We are planning to move to Ontario later after having the baby.
I have some questions to ask the experts here.
1- Will I be able to complete my landing process and papers in Montreal ? ( I will provide an Ontario address for the PR cards)
2- Will I be able to apply for my SIN card and health insurance in Montreal if I provided a lease contract for a month?
Actually I have a friend who did the same thing but I don't want to think of him as the norm. what can I do plz help

 

[wilson]

As you are a Federal immigrant you can land and complete the formalities in Montreal. You have to convince the immigration officer and make him/her satisfied about your onward trip to Ontario. If you wish, you can tell him that you are going to travel by car of your friend.

I think you cannot apply for the health card in Quebec province as you have not immigrated under CSQ and has to move to Ontario. Even in Ontario, unless you give an address proof of your residence you cannot apply for a health card. A bank statement received in your address in Ontario is considered as a residential proof of your address.

I am not sure about the SIN card whether you will be able to get from Montreal. Some one else may have opinion.

 

[Dr.Hossam]

Thanks Wilson for your reply, do you know if the CSQ is important to apply for the SIN and health insurance in Montreal?

 

[wilson]

Thanks Wilson for your reply, do you know if the CSQ is important to apply for the SIN and health insurance in Montreal?

Hi Dr.Hossam,

I am not sure about getting your SIN in Montreal. But according to my understanding you have to apply for OHIP in Ontario and not in Quebec province. Any how, you need 3 months waiting period for health coverage. Instead of applying SIN in Montreal you can any day travel to nearest city Ottawa (Ontario province) from Montreal and apply for SIN with the Service Canada office. It takes only half an hour or little more to get the SIN. Health Card also can be applied from Ottawa but need to show address proof.

Canadian Permanent Resident's have full mobility rights.This means that, unless you are otherwise legally restricted (bail, bond, etc.), you can move to any city or province in Canada and live wherever you wish. However, as a new immigrant you may not have access to some of the Quebec-funded services for immigrants that come to that province via their provincial selection process.

According to CIC, if you do not have a Certificat de Selection (CSQ) or proof of onward transportation out of Quebec, you will most likely have difficulties in "landing" there. The main problem is that this decision is at the discretion of immigration officials at the port of entry in Quebec. If you have indicated a non-Quebec destination but try to land in Quebec, you might have problems at the border, since Quebec has the provincial authority to choose its own immigrants, and has a somewhat different immigration process.

If you don't mind, I would suggest you and family that better to land in Toronto and travel straight to Montreal. Even if it would be troublesome to your pregnant wife for 4 hrs sitting in the car, this may simplify things a bit and you could avoid any additional processing/payment for CSQ.I read a discussion in a forum stating some experience of landing in Montreal to stay there, without CSQ as below:

Those people landing in Montreal without CSQ are called "cas frontiere" (border case). They can land in Quebec airports but the Immigration Officers will refuse to validate their landing documents at the first place. They will recommend to visit the immigration bureau in Montreal where to submit an application for the CSQ and pay the fees. (490$ around). Need to Wait for 2 to 3 weeks and has to go for an interview, if successful they will receive the CSQ and have to return to the immigration office to have their documents validated.

However, I am not insisting you to change your mind. Go ahead with your plan. If you can prove your onward travel to Ontario, your landing will be completed in Montreal without any problem.