Hi folks,
I've been pretty busy these last few weeks, particularly since my Canadian Working Holiday Program (aka IEC) visa is expiring on April 12th 2013, and I'm doing many things before Friday, and afterwards. I'd love to get people's advice, recommendations, suggestions, particularly with things to make sure I don't forget to do, before I physically exit Canada on/before April 12th.
Short summary of my goals
As an Australian citizen whose WHP visa is about to expire, I made a decision several weeks ago to apply for Canadian PR, via CEC. Recognizing that this will take a year to do, I'm wanting to come back to Canada in late April as a visitor / tourist and backpack around this huge country in the spring and summer months. I have no immediate plans (e.g. flights) to return to Australia at this point, I'm focusing on exploring North America and probably onwards to Central / South America - all the while knowing I have "things" or "ties" to Canada, e.g. the PR application, filing my 2013 tax return, Canadian bank account/credit cards, etc.
My visa expiry date - and planned return to Canada "as a visitor"
My plan is to take a bus on Friday morning, Vancouver to Seattle, thereby exiting Canada to the United States. After a couple of weeks catching up with friends and sightseeing in Texas, I'm flying back to Seattle, and have a bus booked to go from Seattle to Vancouver on the 28th of April. At this point, I am hopeful of getting a 6 month visitor visa (or is this a stamp?)
Checklist - suggestions, tips, advice welcome!
What I wanted to ask you folks here, is to review my "checklist" of things to do and finalize, before/after I leave Canada and make suggestions, if I'm incorrect or missing something important that any other person in a similar situation to me, is recommended to do
Before April 12th
* Complete, printout, and mail my 2012 Canadian tax return (as a non-resident).
Question: If I'm doing this by mail, I'd better not leave this til 1-2 days before end of April right? Hence, do this now?
* I still have NOT received my AUS and UK police certificates
it makes me hesitant to mail the whole application package off to CIC before I leave on the 12th *without* including these police certificates.
Question: Would people strongly recommend that I *wait* until I receive the police certificates? I've given the AUS and UK police authorities my Canadian flat address, so its in my interests to come back and retrieve anything that gets into the mailbox whilst I'm away...
* I have photocopies of my passport, a stamped bank statement showing I've got ample funds to support myself whilst backpacking/travelling...
Question: anything else I should bring with me upon showing up at a Canadian border entry area, to minimize the risk of the official refusing to let me in?
* My employer is sending Service Canada my Record of Employment, this won't be done until next week (when I'm already outside Canada).
Question: Do I need to ring or email any Canadian government bodies and notify/inform them about my impending exit on April 12th? e.g. Immigration Canada, Services Canada? Or there is no need for this (they don't care, they don't need to be notified)?
* I do NOT have any travel or health insurance coverage at this time(!).
Question: Should I apply for one ASAP, e.g. go to WorldNomads.com and get an insurance policy or two, one that covers my 2 week US trip, and a single-trip from April 28th onwards that covers my more extensive "stay/visit" in Canada as a tourist/backpacker, say 3-6 months?
On and After April 12th
* Catch the bus to Seattle on Friday morning, thereby crossing the CAN-USA border area
* At the CAN-USA border inspection, I can tell the US border official that I already have valid ESTA, show him my return bus ticket to Canada if he/she asks, to convince them that I intend to "leave" the USA well within the 90-day visa waiver program period. I'll expect to pay $6 USD for a green I-94/W immigration record paper that gives me said 90-day visa-free travel period in the US.
* Have fun over the next couple of weeks, whilst keeping an eye on emails every little while.
Return to Canada (April 28th)
* At the USA-CAN border entry, this is where I hope I can present myself to the Canadian border official(s), tell them of my honest intent to simply enter Canada as a tourist (i.e. backpacker).
Question: Is this where its a good idea for me to present to them - should they ask for it - things like, bank statement that show ample funds for supporting myself? And travel insurance?
Question: the one thing I'm not sure of is, would I get scrutinized over NOT possessing an outbound plane ticket from Canada to somewhere? Or can I simply use another cheap bus ticket that goes back to the United States (e.g. May) that shows I have intentions of not staying in Canada beyond 6 months?
* Presuming that I had not mailed off my CEC application, upon returning to Vancouver I hope to have received the police certificates, upon which then I can proceed to include them with my other documents as per CEC Document Checklist, bundle them all together and send the application via postal mail.
* Begin my travels within the next 5-6 months, knowing I can go over to the US from time to time, and re-enter Canada (multiple-entry visitor visa, valid for 6 months if I'm not mistaken?)
If I'm missing stuff from the above checklist I've drawn up, please let me know - I'm getting slightly anxious (paranoid?) that I may have missed something, in the midst of all the chores and stuff I'm doing leading up to Friday!!
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any suggestions you may have!!!
I've been pretty busy these last few weeks, particularly since my Canadian Working Holiday Program (aka IEC) visa is expiring on April 12th 2013, and I'm doing many things before Friday, and afterwards. I'd love to get people's advice, recommendations, suggestions, particularly with things to make sure I don't forget to do, before I physically exit Canada on/before April 12th.
Short summary of my goals
As an Australian citizen whose WHP visa is about to expire, I made a decision several weeks ago to apply for Canadian PR, via CEC. Recognizing that this will take a year to do, I'm wanting to come back to Canada in late April as a visitor / tourist and backpack around this huge country in the spring and summer months. I have no immediate plans (e.g. flights) to return to Australia at this point, I'm focusing on exploring North America and probably onwards to Central / South America - all the while knowing I have "things" or "ties" to Canada, e.g. the PR application, filing my 2013 tax return, Canadian bank account/credit cards, etc.
My visa expiry date - and planned return to Canada "as a visitor"
My plan is to take a bus on Friday morning, Vancouver to Seattle, thereby exiting Canada to the United States. After a couple of weeks catching up with friends and sightseeing in Texas, I'm flying back to Seattle, and have a bus booked to go from Seattle to Vancouver on the 28th of April. At this point, I am hopeful of getting a 6 month visitor visa (or is this a stamp?)
Checklist - suggestions, tips, advice welcome!
What I wanted to ask you folks here, is to review my "checklist" of things to do and finalize, before/after I leave Canada and make suggestions, if I'm incorrect or missing something important that any other person in a similar situation to me, is recommended to do
Before April 12th
* Complete, printout, and mail my 2012 Canadian tax return (as a non-resident).
Question: If I'm doing this by mail, I'd better not leave this til 1-2 days before end of April right? Hence, do this now?
* I still have NOT received my AUS and UK police certificates
it makes me hesitant to mail the whole application package off to CIC before I leave on the 12th *without* including these police certificates.Question: Would people strongly recommend that I *wait* until I receive the police certificates? I've given the AUS and UK police authorities my Canadian flat address, so its in my interests to come back and retrieve anything that gets into the mailbox whilst I'm away...
* I have photocopies of my passport, a stamped bank statement showing I've got ample funds to support myself whilst backpacking/travelling...
Question: anything else I should bring with me upon showing up at a Canadian border entry area, to minimize the risk of the official refusing to let me in?
* My employer is sending Service Canada my Record of Employment, this won't be done until next week (when I'm already outside Canada).
Question: Do I need to ring or email any Canadian government bodies and notify/inform them about my impending exit on April 12th? e.g. Immigration Canada, Services Canada? Or there is no need for this (they don't care, they don't need to be notified)?
* I do NOT have any travel or health insurance coverage at this time(!).
Question: Should I apply for one ASAP, e.g. go to WorldNomads.com and get an insurance policy or two, one that covers my 2 week US trip, and a single-trip from April 28th onwards that covers my more extensive "stay/visit" in Canada as a tourist/backpacker, say 3-6 months?
On and After April 12th
* Catch the bus to Seattle on Friday morning, thereby crossing the CAN-USA border area
* At the CAN-USA border inspection, I can tell the US border official that I already have valid ESTA, show him my return bus ticket to Canada if he/she asks, to convince them that I intend to "leave" the USA well within the 90-day visa waiver program period. I'll expect to pay $6 USD for a green I-94/W immigration record paper that gives me said 90-day visa-free travel period in the US.
* Have fun over the next couple of weeks, whilst keeping an eye on emails every little while.
Return to Canada (April 28th)
* At the USA-CAN border entry, this is where I hope I can present myself to the Canadian border official(s), tell them of my honest intent to simply enter Canada as a tourist (i.e. backpacker).
Question: Is this where its a good idea for me to present to them - should they ask for it - things like, bank statement that show ample funds for supporting myself? And travel insurance?
Question: the one thing I'm not sure of is, would I get scrutinized over NOT possessing an outbound plane ticket from Canada to somewhere? Or can I simply use another cheap bus ticket that goes back to the United States (e.g. May) that shows I have intentions of not staying in Canada beyond 6 months?
* Presuming that I had not mailed off my CEC application, upon returning to Vancouver I hope to have received the police certificates, upon which then I can proceed to include them with my other documents as per CEC Document Checklist, bundle them all together and send the application via postal mail.
* Begin my travels within the next 5-6 months, knowing I can go over to the US from time to time, and re-enter Canada (multiple-entry visitor visa, valid for 6 months if I'm not mistaken?)
If I'm missing stuff from the above checklist I've drawn up, please let me know - I'm getting slightly anxious (paranoid?) that I may have missed something, in the midst of all the chores and stuff I'm doing leading up to Friday!!
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any suggestions you may have!!!