Help shed some light on PR Status and Marraige Breakdown Please!

[screech339]

As others have mentioned above, I would try to land asap. As far as you are concerned you are still married, however troubled but still married. And since the husband and/or VO informed you of withdrawing the sponsorship if he haven't done yet, you are not misrepresenting yourself as you are still married with no other prior knowledge.

 

[AAA570]

Thank you guys for all your helpful advice and information! Yesterday l decided to take my chances and proceed to a port of entry to land. Upon crossing into the US side I was asked to go inside and got my passport stamped. Then I was sent to the Canadian side to hand over my COPR and have them stamped , Needless to say I'm happy to inform you guys I am now Permanent Canadian Resident

I logged onto CIC online services today after calling them myself to confirm my mailing address in the system remains the same as the one that I had my COPR papers reissued to, to insure that my PRC will arrive there and not at my in-laws residence. In addition, it now says that permanent residency application status "decision made". The CIC representative also told me that since I have landed the file is now closed.

For those of you asking before my application was sent July 2012 & processed April 2013.

From this point forward , if for any reason my spouse or his in-laws were to follow up with the status would they be able to do anything ?
How long did it take you guys to receive your PRC?
When and where do I go about applying for my SIN, Healthcard &, Photo id card?

If there's anything else you guys might add that you may find helpful to me please do so I'm all ears.. or should I say "eyes"

 

[keesio]

Good! That was the best option for you.

Note that the address in eCAS is not necessarily the address they mail your PR card to. They will mail it to the address you gave them on landing (they should have hand written it on your copy of the COPR). Anyway it sounds like you called CIC to check what address they will mail the card to so you should be good.

Since you applied before October 2012, there is really nothing your spouse or in-laws can do with the possible exception of claiming you misrepresented yourself about the relationship. But assuming you indeed are not aware of any legal paperwork filed for your separation, then you did not misrepresent yourself.

Getting your PRC varies. I've seen anywhere from as little as 39 days (like my wife) to as long as 80 days or more.

Go to a Service Canada office to get a SIN number. You can get a number on the spot:
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml

Health care varies per province. For example, you have to wait 3 months to qualify in Ontario (but you can apply as you want if you have proof of residence). Some places like Alberta there is no wait.

Not sure what you mean by photo ID card.

 

[screech339]

There are places that offer Government issued photo id card. This is the same as driver licence card except it is not a driver licence. Since the majority across Canada accept driver licence for identity purposes, those that can't get a driver licence, they can issue these kinds of IDs.

 

[screech339]

Congrats on becoming PR of Canada. Hope you will have a long lasting life in Canada.

Just so you know, if your PR application was received on or after March 2, 2012 at CIC, you cannot sponsor another spouse for 5 years, if in the event that you did end up divorced.


Screech339

 

[keesio]

There are places that offer Government issued photo id card. This is the same as driver licence card except it is not a driver licence. Since the majority across Canada accept driver licence for identity purposes, those that can't get a driver licence, they can issue these kinds of IDs.

hmmm... I think I can use one of these. Well, I do have a driver's license but it is from New York (with my parents old address). I never bothered to get one here since I don't own a car or really drive much here. But sometime it is a pain when I need to provide some photo ID with my address on it. I actually don't have one.

 

[screech339]

hmmm... I think I can use one of these. Well, I do have a driver's license but it is from New York (with my parents old address). I never bothered to get one here since I don't own a car or really drive much here. But sometime it is a pain when I need to provide some photo ID with my address on it. I actually don't have one.

If you are in ontario, you can go to any ontario service office and apply. You still need docs to verify your Identity and address though.

 

[Leon]

Congratulations with your PR

If your husband or inlaws log in to eCas to have a look, they may see that you landed. However, I find it unlikely they will do that because as far as they know, they have the COPR and they have no idea that you got it re-issued.

As others have said, they could report you for having misrepresented yourself and if they do, it is possible that immigration will ask to interview you to find out your side of the story. You can tell them that you were having marital problems and were living apart but that you were not legally separated or divorced so there is no change in marital status and you did not misrepresent yourself.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. Most likely, they won't even find out.

You can exchange your US license for a Canadian license and you should. You never know, you might want to rent a car at some point.

 

[screech339]

As for the driver's licence exchange, go to the nearest ontario service website (assuming you are in ontario) and find out what papers you need to exchange licence. Usually a driver's abstract is all they need however depending on what state licence you have, you may require to show papers of when licence was first issued. In my wife's case, she had to provide her drivers abstract and paper when her state licence was first issued.

 

[zardoz]

To the OP, congratulations!

I spent a while, during the long 160 km drive into work today, thinking about this case.
Under the circumstances, this could not have gone any better.

I wonder what would have been said if it had been your spouse posting on here instead of you.
The offered advice might have been very different

My PR card took 64 days after landing.

Just an afterthought, you might want to order your GCMS notes now and see if any communication from your spouse to CIC is recorded in them. It might make interesting reading.

 

[keesio]

As for the driver's licence exchange, go to the nearest ontario service website (assuming you are in ontario) and find out what papers you need to exchange licence. Usually a driver's abstract is all they need however depending on what state licence you have, you may require to show papers of when licence was first issued. In my wife's case, she had to provide her drivers abstract and paper when her state licence was first issued.

Did she need to take any written or road test? Or it was just a straight swap?

Anyway I'm still kinda torn on if i want to swap. The reason being when I visit family in NY, I need to drive around. My family still has me listed as a driver on the insurance (with my NYS license info). I don't need to drive in Canada because of where I live (right smack downtown Toronto in the middle of everything and a 5 minute walk to work). So I actually drive the most in NY.

btw - my apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread a bit!

 

[screech339]

It is a straight swap depending on how long the state licence has been expired to the time you exchange it. If the licence is still valid now, you would only need to do eye test.

If the licence is expired, depending on how long, you could only require a eye test. If longer than 1 year, you may require to do a written test as well. If the licence is 2 years expired, you will likely require a road test, written test and eye test. It really depends on the provincial exchange rules.

Best that you look up the website for ontario service under "driver licence exchange". It will provide what is expected of you.

 

[screech339]

And BTW you will lose your US licence. Ontario will take it and send it to the states as it is state's property.

 

[Alurra71]

The OP could in fact check the little box on the eCas system that it should not be available online and then nobody but HER would know what she is or is not doing or where she is living. This would put a huge door stop on her in laws for 'checking up' on her to see what is happening.

 

[screech339]

Ohhhhh very good advice there Alurra. Plus 1 for you