US-based applicants, let's connect here

[JERiv]

Sidebar... today in "we probably shouldn't have".... We just ordered our Christmas Cards, and the 3 pictures on the card are:

1. Standard family picture of us in front of a beach in Seattle
2. The girls walking one of the suspension bridges in Capilano (Vancouver) while looking back smiling at the camera
3. The girls in front of the Vancouver Aquarium's Orca statue wearing their Canada hoodies.

We're wondering how many of our family/friends will think they're just cute pictures from our summer road trip to Canada vs pick up on the "oh-so-subtle" clues...

 

[kynno]

We received our COPR and are doing a soft landing next month. So not really PRs yet, but just about.

I'm not going to be a good resource on the WAH for US company from Canada, since I didn't actually do it and we still haven't moved. On my old job, I actually quit to be a stay-at-home dad back in December. It was a long time planned.

Since my old bosses told me (multiple times) to let them know if I wanted to return, I reached out to ask if it would be possible with the caveat of me working from Canada (I was a full-time WAH for 8 years). They said they'd look into it, and that it shouldn't be a problem to work from Canada, since they have folks who work there (I think outsourced or contract, though, which is very different). I asked several months ago, and every time I followed it up was "still looking into it". At this point, I haven't heard from them for about 2 months, which in itself is an answer. C'est la vie, moving on.

Do you know if any of those contractors at your company work from Canada (or any other country for that matter)? Reaching out to them on the side on a "what if" type conversation would likely answer a lot of your questions.

Bottom line, my only real suggestion is to have a backup plan in case the answer is no. You still work there, so you have a much better chance. Good luck!!!

That's really great advice. I'll be sure to look into that. The contractors they've hired have all been based in the US but only of them came into the office. The others were all working remotely.

As for backup plan, I don't have anything concrete other than move and find a job . I've also been looking at potentially going back to school to earn my masters which could very well be in Canada. Anyway, we'll see!

Do you know where you will be settling in Canada?

 

[JERiv]

That's really great advice. I'll be sure to look into that. The contractors they've hired have all been based in the US but only of them came into the office. The others were all working remotely.

As for backup plan, I don't have anything concrete other than move and find a job . I've also been looking at potentially going back to school to earn my masters which could very well be in Canada. Anyway, we'll see!

Do you know where you will be settling in Canada?

We're looking at BC. My BIL moved there early in the year and we did a road trip up there this summer (Vancouver to Prince George to Kamloops to Banff) and loved it. The whole area is ridiculously beautiful. But realistically the answer is: wherever my wife finds a good job.

We'll see where that ends up eventually being!

 

[disp.31089]

Hey everyone, glad I found this thread. Just love going through some of the posts here, especially since I can relate to it having gone through the same process. (think - FBI PCC and employment letter )
Me and my wife just received our passports last week from the NYC VAC office.
It has been an amazing journey, since we decided to go for the Express Entry program back Mid March.
I started using this forum once we submitted our documents on Sept 26th. Luckily, everything moved quickly for us.
Now I am here in the forum at least every other day, trying to answer questions and possibly helping out.

We are targeting to visit Toronto around Feb/Mar 2018 and thinking we'll go from there.

 

[moose17]

Sidebar... today in "we probably shouldn't have".... We just ordered our Christmas Cards, and the 3 pictures on the card are:

1. Standard family picture of us in front of a beach in Seattle
2. The girls walking one of the suspension bridges in Capilano (Vancouver) while looking back smiling at the camera
3. The girls in front of the Vancouver Aquarium's Orca statue wearing their Canada hoodies.

We're wondering how many of our family/friends will think they're just cute pictures from our summer road trip to Canada vs pick up on the "oh-so-subtle" clues...

Nice! We just officially booked our landing trip to Toronto for next month but won't be showing off the photos except to friends But we do want to take good ones for our own memories, especially with us going at Christmas market time.

 

[moose17]

Hey everyone, glad I found this thread. Just love going through some of the posts here, especially since I can relate to it having gone through the same process. (think - FBI PCC and employment letter )
Me and my wife just received our passports last week from the NYC VAC office.
It has been an amazing journey, since we decided to go for the Express Entry program back Mid March.
I started using this forum once we submitted our documents on Sept 26th. Luckily, everything moved quickly for us.
Now I am here in the forum at least every other day, trying to answer questions and possibly helping out.

We are targeting to visit Toronto around Feb/Mar 2018 and thinking we'll go from there.

Welcome! There are a few of us going to Toronto and around that time, too! I don't know about you, but it feels like just yesterday we were tentatively signing up for the IELTS unsure if the CRS would even get low enough for us to get picked! But here we are

We need @tjsecondtry in this thread, btw!

Any thoughts from anyone else re: WhatsApp vs facebook for a group? Another consideration is that our phone numbers are likely going to change as we move and WhatsApp has some process you have to do in that case: https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/bb/28030001/ Not the worst, but another thing to do (and correctly) among a whole list of practicalities we'll be dealing with so I'm leaning towards facebook to keep that simpler.

 

[canada_eagle]

Any thoughts from anyone else re: WhatsApp vs facebook for a group? Another consideration is that our phone numbers are likely going to change as we move and WhatsApp has some process you have to do in that case: https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/bb/28030001/ Not the worst, but another thing to do (and correctly) among a whole list of practicalities we'll be dealing with so I'm leaning towards facebook to keep that simpler.

I vote for just staying on this forum. I don't use Facebook or whatapp, thats why .

 

[disp.31089]

Welcome! There are a few of us going to Toronto and around that time, too! I don't know about you, but it feels like just yesterday we were tentatively signing up for the IELTS unsure if the CRS would even get low enough for us to get picked! But here we are

We need @tjsecondtry in this thread, btw!

Any thoughts from anyone else re: WhatsApp vs facebook for a group? Another consideration is that our phone numbers are likely going to change as we move and WhatsApp has some process you have to do in that case: https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/bb/28030001/ Not the worst, but another thing to do (and correctly) among a whole list of practicalities we'll be dealing with so I'm leaning towards facebook to keep that simpler.

I know that feeling. We had to wait for 2 months to get ECA and IELTS done and that's when the scores started dropping to 415 -425. And we were just hoping the trend continued till we were able to get our profile in. The time we got the ITA, it was up to 448 and we just made it. Not to mention, I still don't have count for the number of times we had to go to NYC this summer for 'visa-related work'.

Its good to know that other people in the group are looking at similar dates for their move. I feel I need to do my homework and make sure I know more before I decide on how to proceed. Good to learn from others about their landing experience.

Connecting via either Facebook/Whatsapp seems like a good idea to me.

 

[canada_eagle]

We did our landing today at Toronto. Everything was uncomplicated and smooth. The immigration lady had my kid help stamp his passport . The customs dude was very friendly and we just ended up talking about soccer teams and such. Staying in a hotel tonight before flying out to PEI. We are PNP nominees and are trying to figure out settling there.

All the best to the rest of you.

 

[JERiv]

We did our landing today at Toronto. Everything was uncomplicated and smooth. The immigration lady had my kid help stamp his passport . The customs dude was very friendly and we just ended up talking about soccer teams and such. Staying in a hotel tonight before flying out to PEI. We are PNP nominees and are trying to figure out settling there.

All the best to the rest of you.

Congratulations!!!

 

[kynno]

We're looking at BC. My BIL moved there early in the year and we did a road trip up there this summer (Vancouver to Prince George to Kamloops to Banff) and loved it. The whole area is ridiculously beautiful. But realistically the answer is: wherever my wife finds a good job.

We'll see where that ends up eventually being!

Gorgeous, beautiful... are certainly some of the words I've heard often when people talk about Vancouver. Ive never been but It's definitely one of the reasons why it's my #1 pick with Toronto as #2. But as you said, it might all depends on where I find a job, in case my current plan doesn't work.

 

[kynno]

We did our landing today at Toronto. Everything was uncomplicated and smooth. The immigration lady had my kid help stamp his passport . The customs dude was very friendly and we just ended up talking about soccer teams and such. Staying in a hotel tonight before flying out to PEI. We are PNP nominees and are trying to figure out settling there.

All the best to the rest of you.

Congrats!!

 

[mgnlky]

Sidebar... today in "we probably shouldn't have".... We just ordered our Christmas Cards, and the 3 pictures on the card are:

1. Standard family picture of us in front of a beach in Seattle
2. The girls walking one of the suspension bridges in Capilano (Vancouver) while looking back smiling at the camera
3. The girls in front of the Vancouver Aquarium's Orca statue wearing their Canada hoodies.

We're wondering how many of our family/friends will think they're just cute pictures from our summer road trip to Canada vs pick up on the "oh-so-subtle" clues...

Don't forget to change your ring/text tone on your cell phones to "Oh Canada." =D

 

[kynno]

Anyone here is planning or has made the move with their pets? How is that process??

 

[moose17]

@canada_eagle , another group would just be a supplement, at least that's my intention!

@kynno, we'll be taking two cats. It seems like we just need to show proof of rabies vaccination (or commit to getting it done within two weeks of arrival, which just no, I'll go to my normal vet and not add finding one immediately in TO to my already huge to-do list lol) and have them examined at the border. These are the two links I have saved on the matter: Importing cats and the pet food policy (again, minimizing my to-do list on the Canadian side by maxxing out my allowance with that). Hopefully if you have dogs the process is as simple.

Honestly I'm more worried about the long drive with them and fitting a litter box into a small apartment (instead of hiding them away in the basement like now) I'll be driving a car with the two not laid-back cats and a toddler while my husband drives a moving van. Heaven help me!