INLAND APPLICATIONS 2012

[CrazzzyCatLady]

Hello there my fellow longtimer =)) Congratulations to you! YEY! We made it!

They will give you all the paperwork at the appointment, so you don't need to do a U-turn or anything like that. The appointment should take 10-12 days to arrange (if you are not us obviously=)). If it takes longer the MP will help you with that too. Also, is it does take longer than 2 week make sure to talk to them as they "forget" to forward it once in a while (referring back to our luck here hehehe).

Congratulations again, giving you a big virtual hug!

 

[bjohnson921]

Thanks for the kind words and advice!

I checked this morning again and now cic.gc.ca says "Decision Made", so I can say I am fully at DM.

I will make a note to contact my MP if I don't hear anything about an appointment by Labour Day. That's good news that they don't make you leave and come back now, too.

I will file for the OWP though as there is just 36 days left on mine. I think they would refund the OWP fee if I get PR before it takes effect though, right?

 

[bjohnson921]

My interview with the Immigration Officer is 6 Sept at 10am in Ottawa (Catherine St). ;D

Things are rockin' and rollin' now!

 

[daniellebb]

Hi! My family is also a 2012 inland applicant ;D My dad just got his permanent residence last June 14 and now we're still waiting for the passport request. What is the usual processing time for this? It's been over 2 months & I'm kinda worried because our medical's gonna expire this December

 

[MilesAway]

My interview with the Immigration Officer is 6 Sept at 10am in Ottawa (Catherine St). ;D

Things are rockin' and rollin' now!

Congratulations! As you are an inland applicant, you'll get your PR status at the landing interview. So there is no need to flagpole. You'll get the PR card later in the mail, but you'll receive the COPR at the interview, which you can then take to the nearest Service Canada office to get your permanent SIN.

 

[bjohnson921]

@MilesAway - Thanks for that info... it is good news that I won't have to wait for the actual card to get my permanent SIN. I won't have to worry about the OWP expiring 30 Sept now as the new SIN will replace that.

Do you know if a COPR will allow me to re-enter Canada if I want to drive to NY to shop, or do I need to wait for the card to freely leave and re-enter Canada (I have a US passport so there is no visa concern here).

@daniellebb - I am confused about your question. If you dad has had PR since 14 June 2015, what additional requirement is there for medical? From what I understand, the medical requirements are part of the application process, and becoming a PR is the conclusion of that process. If you are talking about medical needs other than for this application process, a permanent SIN would allow you to get a non-expiring health card (e.g. OHIP). I think once I leave Service Canada with a non-9-leading SIN, I should be able to go to Service Ontario and get a non-expiring OHIP card I believe, right?

As for passports, it is possible it would take 2 months on the outside but it is long enough you can try contacting the passport office. Usually you provide the Expresspost envelope they will return the passport in which has a tracking number you can use to see if it was mailed or not. If you didn't provide a return envelope that uses tracking numbers, you can ask them if they sent it but there will be no way to know what happened after that.

 

[daniellebb]

@daniellebb - I am confused about your question. If you dad has had PR since 14 June 2015, what additional requirement is there for medical? From what I understand, the medical requirements are part of the application process, and becoming a PR is the conclusion of that process. If you are talking about medical needs other than for this application process, a permanent SIN would allow you to get a non-expiring health card (e.g. OHIP). I think once I leave Service Canada with a non-9-leading SIN, I should be able to go to Service Ontario and get a non-expiring OHIP card I believe, right?

As for passports, it is possible it would take 2 months on the outside but it is long enough you can try contacting the passport office. Usually you provide the Expresspost envelope they will return the passport in which has a tracking number you can use to see if it was mailed or not. If you didn't provide a return envelope that uses tracking numbers, you can ask them if they sent it but there will be no way to know what happened after that.

Oh sorry, my bad. My dad is currently in Canada and got his PR last June 2016. We did our medicals last December 2015 & have been received before his interview. We're still waiting for the passport request & send our passports to Vegreville. What bothers me is that I believe that our meds is only valid for 1 year so we need to be in Canada before it expires right? I was just wondering if when should we expect to get the passport request letter? Like how many months after my dad got his PR? And how many weeks would it take for them to return passports? We're from a visa required country btw

 

[MilesAway]

@MilesAway - Thanks for that info... it is good news that I won't have to wait for the actual card to get my permanent SIN. I won't have to worry about the OWP expiring 30 Sept now as the new SIN will replace that.

Do you know if a COPR will allow me to re-enter Canada if I want to drive to NY to shop, or do I need to wait for the card to freely leave and re-enter Canada (I have a US passport so there is no visa concern here).

If you are entering by land, then showing your COPR and passport is fine. If traveling by travelling by air, then present yourself as a visitor to the airline and use just your passport. Show your COPR and passport at the border.

The issue only arises when travelling by air, since the airlines are looking for your visitor status or your PR status, but they are only trained to recognize PR cards. So telling them that you are a PR but not having a PR card can cause problems. As a US citizen, you can enter as a visitor, so the airline will let you board on the strength of your passport. Then you can show your COPR to the border guard when you arrive, and they can easily verify your PR status. Just explain that your PR card has not yet arrived.

 

[bjohnson921]

@MilesAway - thanks for replying!

@daniellebb - I don't believe you need to be concerned about the medicals. If your dad has his PR, then his obligation is done. I think I am missing something important if there is more to this than that. Such as.... is it that he is done but you've not gotten your PR yet and are concerned about the medicals for your application? Or did he have his interview but a decision is not made immediately for some reason?

Even under the case where your application is In Process (not reached DM yet), December is only 9 months ago so they are still good. You only need to get new medical exams if CIC requests you to, and they don't always request them right when you hit the 12 month mark. In my case, it was 18 months after the first medical exam they required I get my 2nd one, and more than 2 years past since then, but they went ahead and made the decision on my application without requiring that I get a 3rd medical exam, so there is no guarantee they will need additional medical exams.

I am also not understanding why Vegreville has anything to do with passports. The passport office is completely different. I believe the process I am about to go though is that I will go to the interview on the 6th, then (barring something I would never expect) I will get the COPR right away, and then a while later I will get a real PR card. If I wish to apply for a Canadian passport, that would be done at one of the centres that handles passports which has nothing to do with CIC or Vegreville, and passports to not require a medical examination.

 

[MilesAway]

@MilesAway - thanks for replying!

@daniellebb - I don't believe you need to be concerned about the medicals. If your dad has his PR, then his obligation is done. I think I am missing something important if there is more to this than that. Such as.... is it that he is done but you've not gotten your PR yet and are concerned about the medicals for your application? Or did he have his interview but a decision is not made immediately for some reason?

Even under the case where your application is In Process (not reached DM yet), December is only 9 months ago so they are still good. You only need to get new medical exams if CIC requests you to, and they don't always request them right when you hit the 12 month mark. In my case, it was 18 months after the first medical exam they required I get my 2nd one, and more than 2 years past since then, but they went ahead and made the decision on my application without requiring that I get a 3rd medical exam, so there is no guarantee they will need additional medical exams.

I am also not understanding why Vegreville has anything to do with passports. The passport office is completely different. I believe the process I am about to go though is that I will go to the interview on the 6th, then (barring something I would never expect) I will get the COPR right away, and then a while later I will get a real PR card. If I wish to apply for a Canadian passport, that would be done at one of the centres that handles passports which has nothing to do with CIC or Vegreville, and passports to not require a medical examination.

My guess is that the father was sponsored inland, while the dependents are outside of Canada. So I guess the dad got his PR at his landing interview in June, and the dependents are waiting for the next step.

 

[daniellebb]

My guess is that the father was sponsored inland, while the dependents are outside of Canada. So I guess the dad got his PR at his landing interview in June, and the dependents are waiting for the next step.

Yes precisely!
@bjohnson921 Oh I'm not quite sure where should we send our passports. I hope your interview goes well!

 

[bjohnson921]

I am very happy to say --- I have my COPR (I've landed)!

The hardest thing yesterday was finding parking. There is a lot at 200 Catherine St, Ottawa, but the lot was full. I found a lot a couple blocks further but it took coin only (no cards) and I didn't have any coin. The lot is right across from the Greyhound terminal which has a sign saying "ATM inside" but it was out of service. I circled around and found a lot about a block before the CIC office but again it was coin only. I was getting nervous as it was 9:30 by then and I wasn't sure where I would have to park. Fortunately, there was a lot on the other side of the 417 (the Queensway) on Bank St that took credit cards, and was only a 2 block walk back to the office, so I made it in time.

First thing once I got there was they asked for my invitation letter. I was carrying two accordions of documentation but not that letter. I didn't know it was required. However, I knew my UIC number by memory so I provided that and that was okay. We sat in a waiting room that held about 25 people and in front of us were 4 windows, three of them were manned.

I was expecting that a group of us would be called to go elsewhere, where we would hear a small speech and then each be assigned an officer who would interview us in private. It didn't happen that way. As each window became available and some delay, we were called in the order we came in to the next window. I think it was about 20 minutes I waited for my turn. Once there, the officer (behind bullet proof glass) spent some time reading the computer monitor which I imagine had my entire file. He then asked for id from my wife and me, and asked for my passport and PR photos. Finally, he asked my wife, who sponsored me, if she wanted to complete the process knowing she would be financially responsible for me (if I were to go on public assistance in the next 3 years). Then I got 2 questions: had I ever been arrested or charged with a crime in Canada or outside Canada, and did I have any dependents not listed on my application (no, and no).

He then printed off two copies of the COPR form, signed both, turned them over to me to initial next to the questions he asked and sign the bottom. Then he taped one of the PR pictures to one of the forms, stamped my US passport and referenced the COPR number in it, and explained to me some very important facts:

1) Don't ever lose this COPR original document. I will need it for renewing PR cards, citizenship, and when I retire for CPP. This is my "Canadian birth certificate".

2) I would need to wait 24 hours before getting my permanent SIN card at any Service Canada location, and non-expiring OHIP card at any Service Ontario location.

3) I will get my PR card in 4-6 weeks. I should not leave Canada in that time as the COPR itself is not a travel document, though leaving and re-entering Canada by car might be ok depending on the CBSA officer I get at the border.

Then he congratulated me on being a permanent resident!

We were out of there before 10:30am.... such an easy ending to a difficult and frustrating journey. I was prepared for all kinds of questions that were never asked but better to be over-prepared I think.

 

[bjohnson921]

I got my new SIN number yesterday at the local Service Canada office (yayyyy!!).

Service Ontario was not so kind .... seems I have to go to a full-service Service Ontario centre to get my health card, so tomorrow I will be going to Kingston to get that done.

As for non-expiring... I learned there is no such thing since OHIP cards are photo id's.... even citizen's cards have a 4 year life span and have to be re-issued after expiry.

 

[browning911]

I got my new SIN number yesterday at the local Service Canada office (yayyyy!!).

Service Ontario was not so kind .... seems I have to go to a full-service Service Ontario centre to get my health card, so tomorrow I will be going to Kingston to get that done.

As for non-expiring... I learned there is no such thing since OHIP cards are photo id's.... even citizen's cards have a 4 year life span and have to be re-issued after expiry.

Yay!! Congrats to you Bjohnson! You deserve it! All the best.

 

[CrazzzyCatLady]

Got my PR card today!!!!!