How can a Convention Refugee get Social Insurance Number

[CanDude76]

My dear Experts,
I was a refugee claimant here. I have received a positive response from Immigration and Refugee Board and they accepted me as a “Convention Refugee” in January 2016.
My home country is a Pakistan and my family is in back home.
My first question is that now onward what are the things / procedures I have to follow for becoming Permanent Resident.
What procedures I have to follow to get the legal Job, social insurance number or work permit. How I can apply for health card and bank account.
The most important question how long it will take to reach my family from Pakistan to Canada and what are the procedures I have to follow for the family reunion.
I was not allowed to work before this decision so it's very difficult to pay for any legal assistance so I need that information too.
Your reply in this regard will be highly appreciated.
Kind regards,

 

[sonpal]

You need a work permit to get SIN number. First, apply for work permit. Since you are Convention refugee you have to apply for Open work permit through online. Go to CIC web page for details.

 

[Taxed]

Remember that you do NOT need to pay fees to apply for work permit as a refugee.

 

[manofextreme]

SEE MY REPLY IN RED COLOR

I was a refugee claimant here. I have received a positive response from Immigration and Refugee Board and they accepted me as a “Convention Refugee” in January 2016.
My home country is a Pakistan and my family is in back home.

Me and my wife, Pakistanis, entered into Canada in December 2015 and became Refugee Claimants. Hearing was in Feb 2016 and got positive decision in Mar 2016. Here are you answers as per my experience.


1. My first question is that now onward what are the things / procedures I have to follow for becoming Permanent Resident.

You have to fill in the application for the PR and include all your dependents into your application. Keep in mind that Refugees are exempted from paying Right of PR fee. So each adult in your application needed to be paid $550 per applicant and the minors fee are less. here is the detail of your PR application at CIC website.

2. What procedures I have to follow to get the legal Job, social insurance number or work permit.

You are really late in applying your open work permit. You should have applied it once your claim was submitted. After your claim, you were required to go for medical and you should have sent your open work permit application that time as its processing time is around 3 months. Our application was submitted in Jan 2016 and we are expecting it this week.


3. How I can apply for health card and bank account.

You might have been given the paper REFUGEE CLAIMANT ID by the CBSA/CIC. you should be covered through IFHP plan. You should right away apply for extension of IFHP because it will automatically expire in 40 days after your positive decision. In between you apply for your health care card / Medical Service Plan (MSP). You should call HIBC (if you are in BC else check your province health service) and they will guide you about the whole process.

For Bank Account, you already late, because we have opened our account very next week after our arrival in Dec 2015. Just go to bank and take your Refugee Claimant ID paper and one your driving license of Pakistan or NIC of Pakistan or even your Credit card so that they can check your 2 IDs. Even your passport copy or any other document might be acceptable. In our case, we used Credit Cards as an additional ID to open bank accounts.

4. The most important question how long it will take to reach my family from Pakistan to Canada and what are the procedures I have to follow for the family reunion.

Once you will get approval for your PR application, you family memebers will be automatically advised to submit passports for pasting visa. As per my information, the process should go like that but still you can get more information on that because i have not left anybody behind in Pakistan who needed to be added in the application.

5. I was not allowed to work before this decision so it's very difficult to pay for any legal assistance so I need that information too.

You should get Legal Aid (its a type of legal assistance paid by the LSS). You can choose your lawer and can ask him first if he is agreed to work on your case by getting fees from Legal Aid. But now as your case is already positive and hearing is done so now, as per my knowledge, you cannot get legal aid anymore unless you are caught in another situation. But you can get Social Assistance from the Ministry. They might give you around 800$ per month as a financial support unless you get your work permit.

 

[Aseer]

SEE MY REPLY IN RED COLOR

I was a refugee claimant here. I have received a positive response from Immigration and Refugee Board and they accepted me as a “Convention Refugee” in January 2016.
My home country is a Pakistan and my family is in back home.

Me and my wife, Pakistanis, entered into Canada in December 2015 and became Refugee Claimants. Hearing was in Feb 2016 and got positive decision in Mar 2016. Here are you answers as per my experience.


1. My first question is that now onward what are the things / procedures I have to follow for becoming Permanent Resident.

You have to fill in the application for the PR and include all your dependents into your application. Keep in mind that Refugees are exempted from paying Right of PR fee. So each adult in your application needed to be paid $550 per applicant and the minors fee are less. here is the detail of your PR application at CIC website.

2. What procedures I have to follow to get the legal Job, social insurance number or work permit.

You are really late in applying your open work permit. You should have applied it once your claim was submitted. After your claim, you were required to go for medical and you should have sent your open work permit application that time as its processing time is around 3 months. Our application was submitted in Jan 2016 and we are expecting it this week.


3. How I can apply for health card and bank account.

You might have been given the paper REFUGEE CLAIMANT ID by the CBSA/CIC. you should be covered through IFHP plan. You should right away apply for extension of IFHP because it will automatically expire in 40 days after your positive decision. In between you apply for your health care card / Medical Service Plan (MSP). You should call HIBC (if you are in BC else check your province health service) and they will guide you about the whole process.

For Bank Account, you already late, because we have opened our account very next week after our arrival in Dec 2015. Just go to bank and take your Refugee Claimant ID paper and one your driving license of Pakistan or NIC of Pakistan or even your Credit card so that they can check your 2 IDs. Even your passport copy or any other document might be acceptable. In our case, we used Credit Cards as an additional ID to open bank accounts.

4. The most important question how long it will take to reach my family from Pakistan to Canada and what are the procedures I have to follow for the family reunion.

Once you will get approval for your PR application, you family memebers will be automatically advised to submit passports for pasting visa. As per my information, the process should go like that but still you can get more information on that because i have not left anybody behind in Pakistan who needed to be added in the application.

5. I was not allowed to work before this decision so it's very difficult to pay for any legal assistance so I need that information too.

You should get Legal Aid (its a type of legal assistance paid by the LSS). You can choose your lawer and can ask him first if he is agreed to work on your case by getting fees from Legal Aid. But now as your case is already positive and hearing is done so now, as per my knowledge, you cannot get legal aid anymore unless you are caught in another situation. But you can get Social Assistance from the Ministry. They might give you around 800$ per month as a financial support unless you get your work permit.

Appriciate your efforts. It is very informative. Please check i sent you PM.