I'm at the end of the road with Canadian Immigration, having now successfully landed and verified my Permanent Residency, so I thought I would jot down a few thoughts on the entire process.
I started planning for PR last year, back when everything was form based. you needed a load of forms to fill out which actually looked a more straightforward process.
However, I didnt actually start getting serious about everything until the start of this year - and I'd heard stories about some late 2014 entrants who had been rejected and told to reapply under the new Express Entry system - so I held off
I was applying under the CEC stream, having done exactly 1 year of full time employment in Canada - under an LMIA position. However after the 1 year I left that job and got another. that too was under LMIA although vastly different NOC, it was similar in terms of industry and environment.
The first thing which filled me with dread, was having to document every job I'd held in the last 10 years. This was a problem for me as I'd been self-employed in many countries around the world on short term contracts. Some were a couple of days, others a couple of months. There were MANY positions I had to account for. This history took the most time to collate.
To a lesser extent, my travel/personal history was troublesome. As above, because of my freelancing I have lived in many countries - each requiring police certificates. I had annoyingly obtained some PCCs before coming to Canada, but at the time of my submission they had to be issued within 3 months. Ughh, So I got them issued again (from 5 different countries) although since I submitted them, CIC changed the rules and my original PCCs would have been valid - oh well never mind
My travel history was complicated. Living in Europe there are no borders, thus no stamps in your passport to account for your travels, yet I must have made many many trips "abroad" which I just couldnt recall. I had to just put a "to the best of my knowledge" list of travel details
The most annoying/irritating part of the process was having to take an English exam. I am a British national, therefore fluent in all aspects of English (as proven by my excellent scores) I strongly believe there should be some common sense applied to this step. Why should a natural English speaker, say from UK, Australia, USA etc be required to pay $300+ and 4 hours doing a test? I really think a 15-20 mins fast track interview could be applied to those sections of applicants. If you dont pass the fast test with perfect results - you get sent to do the full IELTS. But making me sit for 4 hours doing those tests was painful and I resent it a great deal.
Using the EE system was a bit buggy. Mainly because I was in the first batch of applicants so I would expect it to be. I can forgive them that
After I initially completed my profile and submitted it, I only had to wait until the next draw to be selected. I had a score of 790
Excited, I got all my documents together to upload and complete. It then became clear that I was being asked to provide proof of things which I didnt think should be needed under CEC - such as proof of education and proof of funds etc etc. I also had to get letters of reference for every single international job I had entered - this would be impossible in the timeframe - if at all.
I contacted CIC and they told me that everything I put in my profile (like current bank balance) would be used to generate my points. If I didnt want to or was unable to prove certain details, I should leave them out of my profile. Common sense would not apply here.
So I took the decision to decline my invitation, and went back and edited my profile. I removed my university education, and all but 2 or 3 of my foreign work experience details. I also listed my bank balance as 0
I resubmitted my profile (my score had dropped to about 780 I think) and waited for another ITA.
Thankfully I didnt have to wait long - I got another ITA within a few days. So off I went again.
I completed all the forms, relieved that this time I wasnt asked to provide financial status, previous foreign work experience and getting my degree validated etc.
I booked my medical in Toronto, and that was an expensive 30 mins. Quick 5 mins check up with a Dr, then pee in cup and give a blood sample, quick chest XRay and I was on my way.
After entering all the details and getting all my documents scanned into PDF I was finally ready to submit.
After submission I waited a week before my status changed to reflect that my medicals had been 'passed'
then nothing - at all - for 3 months until I got my Confirmation of Permanent Residency though
Wow! talk about no news is good news. I didnt get a single update in the entire process after medicals. ECAS & myCIC told me nothing. Just "background check in process" then "a decision has been made"
To be honest, I expected my background checks to take a LONG time, given the amount of countries I have lived/worked in, including the middle east. But 3 months is pretty impressive.
So I finally this week went to Niagara to validate my PR. a very quick and straightforward process. Interviewed by the canadian border guy and attach my COPR to my passport.
An I am now an Immigrant
Looking back I think the worst thing about the entire process was being on these forums. By that I mean you can read everyone's stories and experiences and get scared to death. People post up that they've been rejected for no reason and thats it, slammed door and they lost their application.
Given some rational though - I rather suspect there was more to those stories than the one side of scarce information we got. I rather suspect the vast majority of rejections were down to poor reading/understanding of the instructions - and failing to submit the requested documents.
This forum has helped a lot of people through the process, myself included, but I also admit it caused me a lot of anxiety when looking at other's horror stories. I would probably say this forum was 60% useful and 40% frighting
All in all, I think anyone going into the EE process would do well to take at least a month to work out if you can get all the required documentation together in time. It was very stressful having your application in the hands of 3rd parties (police checks, letters of reference, english examiners etc)
but if you know you qualify, and I mean really qualify, then it is a relatively straightforward system. Its very easy to fall down if you dont answer questions honestly or have a poor understanding of English to work out what exactly is being asked of you.
finally, after everything, the whole process has finished and I feel a little underwhelmed. No fireworks or dancing around the room now I have PR, mainly because of the drip drip drip of progress made over the last 4 months I am just relieved it's all over and I can throw away my mountain of paperwork collated over the last 6 months.
Good luck to everyone going for PR!
I started planning for PR last year, back when everything was form based. you needed a load of forms to fill out which actually looked a more straightforward process.
However, I didnt actually start getting serious about everything until the start of this year - and I'd heard stories about some late 2014 entrants who had been rejected and told to reapply under the new Express Entry system - so I held off
I was applying under the CEC stream, having done exactly 1 year of full time employment in Canada - under an LMIA position. However after the 1 year I left that job and got another. that too was under LMIA although vastly different NOC, it was similar in terms of industry and environment.
The first thing which filled me with dread, was having to document every job I'd held in the last 10 years. This was a problem for me as I'd been self-employed in many countries around the world on short term contracts. Some were a couple of days, others a couple of months. There were MANY positions I had to account for. This history took the most time to collate.
To a lesser extent, my travel/personal history was troublesome. As above, because of my freelancing I have lived in many countries - each requiring police certificates. I had annoyingly obtained some PCCs before coming to Canada, but at the time of my submission they had to be issued within 3 months. Ughh, So I got them issued again (from 5 different countries) although since I submitted them, CIC changed the rules and my original PCCs would have been valid - oh well never mind
My travel history was complicated. Living in Europe there are no borders, thus no stamps in your passport to account for your travels, yet I must have made many many trips "abroad" which I just couldnt recall. I had to just put a "to the best of my knowledge" list of travel details
The most annoying/irritating part of the process was having to take an English exam. I am a British national, therefore fluent in all aspects of English (as proven by my excellent scores) I strongly believe there should be some common sense applied to this step. Why should a natural English speaker, say from UK, Australia, USA etc be required to pay $300+ and 4 hours doing a test? I really think a 15-20 mins fast track interview could be applied to those sections of applicants. If you dont pass the fast test with perfect results - you get sent to do the full IELTS. But making me sit for 4 hours doing those tests was painful and I resent it a great deal.
Using the EE system was a bit buggy. Mainly because I was in the first batch of applicants so I would expect it to be. I can forgive them that
After I initially completed my profile and submitted it, I only had to wait until the next draw to be selected. I had a score of 790
Excited, I got all my documents together to upload and complete. It then became clear that I was being asked to provide proof of things which I didnt think should be needed under CEC - such as proof of education and proof of funds etc etc. I also had to get letters of reference for every single international job I had entered - this would be impossible in the timeframe - if at all.
I contacted CIC and they told me that everything I put in my profile (like current bank balance) would be used to generate my points. If I didnt want to or was unable to prove certain details, I should leave them out of my profile. Common sense would not apply here.
So I took the decision to decline my invitation, and went back and edited my profile. I removed my university education, and all but 2 or 3 of my foreign work experience details. I also listed my bank balance as 0
I resubmitted my profile (my score had dropped to about 780 I think) and waited for another ITA.
Thankfully I didnt have to wait long - I got another ITA within a few days. So off I went again.
I completed all the forms, relieved that this time I wasnt asked to provide financial status, previous foreign work experience and getting my degree validated etc.
I booked my medical in Toronto, and that was an expensive 30 mins. Quick 5 mins check up with a Dr, then pee in cup and give a blood sample, quick chest XRay and I was on my way.
After entering all the details and getting all my documents scanned into PDF I was finally ready to submit.
After submission I waited a week before my status changed to reflect that my medicals had been 'passed'
then nothing - at all - for 3 months until I got my Confirmation of Permanent Residency though
Wow! talk about no news is good news. I didnt get a single update in the entire process after medicals. ECAS & myCIC told me nothing. Just "background check in process" then "a decision has been made"
To be honest, I expected my background checks to take a LONG time, given the amount of countries I have lived/worked in, including the middle east. But 3 months is pretty impressive.
So I finally this week went to Niagara to validate my PR. a very quick and straightforward process. Interviewed by the canadian border guy and attach my COPR to my passport.
An I am now an Immigrant
Looking back I think the worst thing about the entire process was being on these forums. By that I mean you can read everyone's stories and experiences and get scared to death. People post up that they've been rejected for no reason and thats it, slammed door and they lost their application.
Given some rational though - I rather suspect there was more to those stories than the one side of scarce information we got. I rather suspect the vast majority of rejections were down to poor reading/understanding of the instructions - and failing to submit the requested documents.
This forum has helped a lot of people through the process, myself included, but I also admit it caused me a lot of anxiety when looking at other's horror stories. I would probably say this forum was 60% useful and 40% frighting
All in all, I think anyone going into the EE process would do well to take at least a month to work out if you can get all the required documentation together in time. It was very stressful having your application in the hands of 3rd parties (police checks, letters of reference, english examiners etc)
but if you know you qualify, and I mean really qualify, then it is a relatively straightforward system. Its very easy to fall down if you dont answer questions honestly or have a poor understanding of English to work out what exactly is being asked of you.
finally, after everything, the whole process has finished and I feel a little underwhelmed. No fireworks or dancing around the room now I have PR, mainly because of the drip drip drip of progress made over the last 4 months I am just relieved it's all over and I can throw away my mountain of paperwork collated over the last 6 months.
Good luck to everyone going for PR!
