>>>>>>February 2019 AoR<<<< Join here
- Thread starter legalfalcon
- Start date
I feel you.
Me AOR Feb 11
File hasn’t moved since April.
Eligibility and Criminality in progress
Security hasn’t started.
Don’t worry. They are getting there ....
Hey, I found this thread which I felt was very informative, it might help
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/soft-landing-experience-april-2019.625109/
I didn't really look for threads for the post COPR things, as I decided to figure out things myself. I'll share what I did over the past week, in case it's helpful (long post alert!). Some information may be Toronto/Ontario specific:
1) Flights: I used websites like Expedia and Skyscanner to find flights. Made sure to check whether there were any visa issues on routes (I hold an Indian passport), before finalizing. Ended up booking China Eastern Airlines - Bangkok->Shanghai->Toronto. I got a return flight. Pros: Pretty much the cheapest flight I could find, planes were fairly new, in flight entertainment passable, got me to Toronto
. Cons: Could not change seats/make requests after booking (expedia site said contact airline, airline site said contact travel agent), if you are a vegetarian or have dietary restrictions or don't like Chinese food you may have issues. My scheduled transit time in Shanghai was a bit over 4 hours, and my first flight was 5 hours late (they gave me a meal voucher). Fortunately the second flight was nearly two hours late - so by dashing through the Shanghai airport I was able to make it. Staff was not a great help. I think there was a decent risk that I would have spent a night in Shanghai and/or had to wait for my luggage to come later - if thoughts of these horrify you, I would avoid this airline. I booked a one-way ticket in January for the family on Air Canada (Bangkok->Hong Kong->Toronto), which was pretty expensive, but seemed the best of a lot of bad options . General advice: I would avoid booking separate flights (i.e. not on a single ticket) as they can be nightmares if one of the flights goes wrong. Booking a return flight might be cheaper, but if you don't have clear plans they might be expensive/impossible to change later.2) Insurance: I looked at a few options for temporary insurance, and finally went with Manulife. https://www.manulife.ca/personal/insurance/travel-insurance.html. It's fairly straightforward to buy online - you just need a credit card and a Canadian address. Coverage appears to be decent, and you can choose different levels of coverage and deductibles. Haven't had to use it yet (touch wood).
3) Landing formalities: The landing was surprisingly straightforward. Immigration asked me for my passport, COPR, and an arrival card (generated from a touchscreen kiosk). It's good to have an address handy. For customs, you should prepare itemized lists - one for valuable goods (electronics, works of art, designer accessories, jewelry) you are carrying with you and one for goods to follow. There is a PDF form you can fill out, and you can use a spreadsheet to put details and summarize. If you both carry some and will bring some later, you need two forms. I only did one (claimed nothing to follow) and the officer barely glanced at it before stamping it. Tips: Make sure you put prices in CAD and you need to take photographs of all jewelry. I got my Social Insurance Number at the Service Canada desk that was just after immigration and before bag claim. It was a quick process and you get a printout (no more cards). This was useful as a proof of address when I got a library card.
4) Funds to carry/Banking: A combination of cash and a recent bank balance that add up to at least the minimum funds should be fine. I was not asked for this. On another topic, I started my bank account with Scotiabank. They have a decent scheme for newcomers - and I was able to start a chequing account, savings account, and credit card in short order. They waive banking fees for a year (I think it was something like 16 CAD a month), give you a debit card that you can use immediately, and I got my credit card in around 3 working days. I deposited the cash I had through their ATM (or ABM as they call it) and also tried a couple of wire transfers from Singapore, which were fast and painless.
5) Getting around: If you are in Toronto, and plan to use public transport, the Presto card will make your life easier so you don't need to pay cash (https://www.prestocard.ca/en/). If you plan to drive, you can do the knowledge test for the G1 license at any DriveTest location (https://drivetest.ca/). The test is conducted on a touchscreen computer and you need to get 16 out of 20 questions right in each of two sections (one on laws, one on signs). If you fail one section, you can retake it immediately. The fees were something like 100 CAD to look at my foreign license and credit me with driving experience and let me take the knowledge test. After passing the knowledge test, I was able to book a G (final) or G2 road test online (note: you get a temporary license first with a validity of 3 months. To book a test online, you have to put the expiry date as 5 years from the date you passed the knowledge test). Slots were really hard to come by, so I only got a date for the G test on the 15th of November. However, people do cancel, so a couple of days later, I saw a slot for a G2 road test in a couple of days. I contacted a driving school to do an hour of practice and use their car for the test. The test was fairly easy (simple driving, parking, parallel parking, 3-point turn). No highway, as that's only for the G test. I got a temporary paper license and should receive the actual license in 90 days(!) or less.
I'm happy to clarify any of the above, so please feel free to ask. Don't forget that immigration is a marathon,not a sprint. Sometime things may look like they are moving slowly, but in the end they will move!
Th
will save this post and Also, if possible please check your messages.
Best of luck!
Thanks for such a detailed post. It is going to be extremely helpful in near future and is going to be a go to post on landing.I didn't really look for threads for the post COPR things, as I decided to figure out things myself. I'll share what I did over the past week, in case it's helpful (long post alert!). Some information may be Toronto/Ontario specific:
1) Flights: I used websites like Expedia and Skyscanner to find flights. Made sure to check whether there were any visa issues on routes (I hold an Indian passport), before finalizing. Ended up booking China Eastern Airlines - Bangkok->Shanghai->Toronto. I got a return flight. Pros: Pretty much the cheapest flight I could find, planes were fairly new, in flight entertainment passable, got me to Toronto
2) Insurance: I looked at a few options for temporary insurance, and finally went with Manulife. https://www.manulife.ca/personal/insurance/travel-insurance.html. It's fairly straightforward to buy online - you just need a credit card and a Canadian address. Coverage appears to be decent, and you can choose different levels of coverage and deductibles. Haven't had to use it yet (touch wood).
3) Landing formalities: The landing was surprisingly straightforward. Immigration asked me for my passport, COPR, and an arrival card (generated from a touchscreen kiosk). It's good to have an address handy. For customs, you should prepare itemized lists - one for valuable goods (electronics, works of art, designer accessories, jewelry) you are carrying with you and one for goods to follow. There is a PDF form you can fill out, and you can use a spreadsheet to put details and summarize. If you both carry some and will bring some later, you need two forms. I only did one (claimed nothing to follow) and the officer barely glanced at it before stamping it. Tips: Make sure you put prices in CAD and you need to take photographs of all jewelry. I got my Social Insurance Number at the Service Canada desk that was just after immigration and before bag claim. It was a quick process and you get a printout (no more cards). This was useful as a proof of address when I got a library card.
4) Funds to carry/Banking: A combination of cash and a recent bank balance that add up to at least the minimum funds should be fine. I was not asked for this. On another topic, I started my bank account with Scotiabank. They have a decent scheme for newcomers - and I was able to start a chequing account, savings account, and credit card in short order. They waive banking fees for a year (I think it was something like 16 CAD a month), give you a debit card that you can use immediately, and I got my credit card in around 3 working days. I deposited the cash I had through their ATM (or ABM as they call it) and also tried a couple of wire transfers from Singapore, which were fast and painless.
5) Getting around: If you are in Toronto, and plan to use public transport, the Presto card will make your life easier so you don't need to pay cash (https://www.prestocard.ca/en/). If you plan to drive, you can do the knowledge test for the G1 license at any DriveTest location (https://drivetest.ca/). The test is conducted on a touchscreen computer and you need to get 16 out of 20 questions right in each of two sections (one on laws, one on signs). If you fail one section, you can retake it immediately. The fees were something like 100 CAD to look at my foreign license and credit me with driving experience and let me take the knowledge test. After passing the knowledge test, I was able to book a G (final) or G2 road test online (note: you get a temporary license first with a validity of 3 months. To book a test online, you have to put the expiry date as 5 years from the date you passed the knowledge test). Slots were really hard to come by, so I only got a date for the G test on the 15th of November. However, people do cancel, so a couple of days later, I saw a slot for a G2 road test in a couple of days. I contacted a driving school to do an hour of practice and use their car for the test. The test was fairly easy (simple driving, parking, parallel parking, 3-point turn). No highway, as that's only for the G test. I got a temporary paper license and should receive the actual license in 90 days(!) or less.
I'm happy to clarify any of the above, so please feel free to ask. Don't forget that immigration is a marathon,not a sprint. Sometime things may look like they are moving slowly, but in the end they will move!
will save this post and Also, if possible please check your messages.
Best of luck!
Last edited:
same here AOR Feb15, no update since april , eligibility and security not yet initiated
Going by a lot of posts I read here, for many applicants, the process is stuck for months until one day, they decide to pick a file and then things move fast. What didn’t get done in 6 months is accomplished in 2 days and the applicant gets the email!
Just sharing my observation, but of course by now, we all know there is no particular trend we can go by.
I’m just really glad we have a forum like this where we can talk to all those waiting, something we have in common. Keeps our anxieties in check and us more centered.
This too shall pass