MY LANDING EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATIONS

[naonidh]

Dear All,

I am posting this question twice in a day, but it is urgent as me and my family are doing the PR Landing over this weekend..

We have decided to carry CAD 10,000 (8K in traveller's cheque + 2K Cash) plus AUD 10K Cash (which is equvivalent to CAD 9K approx), which should be more than $18,097 CAD needed for a family of three.

Will this combination be acceptable?

Do I need to carry some forex statement from my Australian bank showing the equivalent of AUD 10K into CAD?

regards,
Shalini.

dear i think it is iquilent

 

[sharedknowledge]

Dear All,

First of all, I would like to salute all this forum members and those out there who have been and continue to help others in their journey to Canada and settling down there.

I would like to share my landing experience and first impressions (being in Toronto only):
- The landing was smooth. I landed with family in the morning around 10:30 am local. We were directed to right-side rather long queue. When we reached the officer, she greeted us with a friendly smile and asked us to submit our COPRs and Passports, and to go to nearby seats and wait until she calls again. Then, she called us after about 10-15 min, and validated her computer entries for each of us. That took her like 10 mins. When, done, she greeted us again saying “Welcome to Canada”. We then moved to the next counter, where a nice attendant gave us lot of brochures and information on the next steps. Then, we proceeded to receive our luggage. The customs officers were tough but friendly. They verified the B4 Forms and stamped them and all pictures of our jewelry. The next day morning, we went to ServiceCanada office in Toronto and produced our SINs in 10-15 mins.

- The people in Canada, regardless of their origins, are generally nice and friendly.
- The demography look like Jeddah: You will see Asians, Arabs, Russians, and Europeans all around.
- Communities care about their members. This makes you really feeling like a family member. So, once people know that you are new to Canada, they extend their helping hands to bring you onboard in every way they can.
- You will find plenty of Pakistani/Indian grocery items and Halal items in the markets. Most popular restaurants are run by Afghans. Most shops close by 7-8 pm.
- Income taxes reach up to 30%+ plus 13% sales taxes on services and goods in Ontario province. So, you will find most families are working hard, husband and wife, but living hand-to-mouth.
- People told me that you will need to really struggle in the first 2-3 years to establish yourself in Canada regardless of your qualifications and experience unless you are lucky or a semi-skilled person, e.g., technician, plumber, driver, etc.
- All neighborhoods of Toronto look the same with similar 2-3 story wooden houses. The buildings are concentrated in the downtown area.
- Communications and Banking system looked a little inefficient. For example, it took me about 2-3 weeks to operationalize an account with the bank (which I could easily finish in 2-3 visits in Saudi Arabia). Also mobile service is rather expensive.
- Generally, Canada is more expensive than US. And, that’s why people usually travel to US to do their weekly/monthly shopping. The property is also very expensive in Canada.
- Toronto’s downtown is highly crowded while its surroundings are spacious with nice greenery everywhere. Small markets located in every group of blocks of houses.
- The climate is good during summers, but temperatures go below -30C in winters. Maybe the reasons that the houses are built with wood not bricks are that the wood is warmer than brick and the brick can’t stand extreme temperatures.
- The home maintenance services, e.g., plumbing, electrical, masonry, etc. are so expensive that you would rather do them yourself otherwise you will go bankrupt. For example, only visit of a plumber/electrician can cost you $100. The labor and parts will cost you extra. However, in condos (apartments), normally the landlord takes care of all maintenance and bills.

I hope my experience will help. Good Luck!

 

[rawdah]

Dear All,

First of all, I would like to salute all this forum members and those out there who have been and continue to help others in their journey to Canada and settling down there.

I would like to share my landing experience and first impressions (being in Toronto only):
- The landing was smooth. I landed with family in the morning around 10:30 am local. We were directed to right-side rather long queue. When we reached the officer, she greeted us with a friendly smile and asked us to submit our COPRs and Passports, and to go to nearby seats and wait until she calls again. Then, she called us after about 10-15 min, and validated her computer entries for each of us. That took her like 10 mins. When, done, she greeted us again saying “Welcome to Canada”. We then moved to the next counter, where a nice attendant gave us lot of brochures and information on the next steps. Then, we proceeded to receive our luggage. The customs officers were tough but friendly. They verified the B4 Forms and stamped them and all pictures of our jewelry. The next day morning, we went to ServiceCanada office in Toronto and produced our SINs in 10-15 mins.

- The people in Canada, regardless of their origins, are generally nice and friendly.
- The demography look like Jeddah: You will see Asians, Arabs, Russians, and Europeans all around.
- Communities care about their members. This makes you really feeling like a family member. So, once people know that you are new to Canada, they extend their helping hands to bring you onboard in every way they can.
- You will find plenty of Pakistani/Indian grocery items and Halal items in the markets. Most popular restaurants are run by Afghans. Most shops close by 7-8 pm.
- Income taxes reach up to 30%+ plus 13% sales taxes on services and goods in Ontario province. So, you will find most families are working hard, husband and wife, but living hand-to-mouth.
- People told me that you will need to really struggle in the first 2-3 years to establish yourself in Canada regardless of your qualifications and experience unless you are lucky or a semi-skilled person, e.g., technician, plumber, driver, etc.
- All neighborhoods of Toronto look the same with similar 2-3 story wooden houses. The buildings are concentrated in the downtown area.
- Communications and Banking system looked a little inefficient. For example, it took me about 2-3 weeks to operationalize an account with the bank (which I could easily finish in 2-3 visits in Saudi Arabia). Also mobile service is rather expensive.
- Generally, Canada is more expensive than US. And, that's why people usually travel to US to do their weekly/monthly shopping. The property is also very expensive in Canada.
- Toronto's downtown is highly crowded while its surroundings are spacious with nice greenery everywhere. Small markets located in every group of blocks of houses.
- The climate is good during summers, but temperatures go below -30C in winters. Maybe the reasons that the houses are built with wood not bricks are that the wood is warmer than brick and the brick can't stand extreme temperatures.
- The home maintenance services, e.g., plumbing, electrical, masonry, etc. are so expensive that you would rather do them yourself otherwise you will go bankrupt. For example, only visit of a plumber/electrician can cost you $100. The labor and parts will cost you extra. However, in condos (apartments), normally the landlord takes care of all maintenance and bills.

I hope my experience will help. Good Luck!

Thanks for Sharing

+1

 

[hmisabpk]

Dear All,

First of all, I would like to salute all this forum members and those out there who have been and continue to help others in their journey to Canada and settling down there.

I would like to share my landing experience and first impressions (being in Toronto only):
- The landing was smooth. .........................normally the landlord takes care of all maintenance and bills.

I hope my experience will help. Good Luck!

Thank you for sharing your experience and Welcome to Canada

hmisabpk

 

[boldon]

Hi All,

Our landing was kind of uneventful.. We landed in Vancouver (final destination was Toronto) at around 8 am Local time on 12th Oct, handed over the Declaration Card at Customs, and were directed towards the CBSA room. I was surprised that we were the only ones there for the landing at this early hours of morning (also this may have been because the flight from Australia don't usually carry as many prospective new immigrants as those coming from South Asia, China, Phillipines, UAE or UK). Nevertheless, the whole process was over in less than 10 minutes with the Immigration Officer only asking two things:
a.) The Proof of Funds - my hubby told them that we were carrying $18,700 CAD in cash (family of three), and
b.) the mailing address in Canada.

Now, what is bothering me is that there was no mention of B4 form at all - neither by the Customs nor the Immigrations.
No one asked us about the Accompanying Goods or the Goods to Follow. I am wondering if this will cause any issues at a later stage (later next year) when we come back permanently for settling down..
I envisage that we will be bringing some electronic goods like Laptop (one carried by myself and other by my hubby), one Camcorder and couple of Mobile phones etc. at that time. Will these be treated as personal items, and exempted from import duty?

regards,
Shalini.

hello - we also landed as a family in Vancouver in October 2014. similarly, the first point of entry was smooth with no hitch at all

i was initially unsure as to what questions they are going to ask us or what information they will require - but the questions are really minimal - the immigration officer who is doing the stamping is actually more strict and does not smile at all

anyway, to start from the beginning, we landed at Vancouver international from Los Angeles at around 4pm. after immigration clearance, we are instructed to go to the CIC office at the airport.

prior to that, we took our luggages first. towards the CIC office, there is this lovely old lady who was waving at us and asking "new immigrants? new immigrants?"

the first thought i had was how many new immigrants does canada get daily such that they are able to hire full time staff?

after that we were led to this guy who gave me a quick briefing as to what to do next (ie how to obtain a SIN number, how to look for jobs, immigrant support centers, etc) - it was quite unusual for me given that i have lived in two other countries since leaving my country of birth but have not experienced such a reception. i am impressed and quite happy

we were then directed to a CIC officer who took the contact address and our contact phone number in canada - they will send their PR cards to us in this address and will call us if they have any queries

the CIC officer did not ask us for any forms or POF or goods to follow list or photos or anything else - she asked us about the weather in los angeles (which is a lot warmer than vancouver! haha)

apparently all the information that CIC needs for processing the PR card is in the COPR

she asked us to sign the declarations and then off we go!

very pleasant experience if you ask me ;D

 

[canvis2006]

Yes the PR Card is automatically generated for new PR's with the info from the COPR.
(No need to fill any forms for first timers.)

All they require is your Canadian mailing address to send the cards.

On subsequent entries to Canada, you don't even need to see CBSA much, people now use those automated kiosks for re-entry

 

[Haiderzaidi]

[qoute]

Hi,
[size=10pt]Regarding starting own small business need to know the following things.[/size]

Starting a business in Canada may seem overwhelming at first. There are just so many things to do! This will guide to help you make your dream of starting a business a reality.

Each step of this starting a business in Canada guide detailed information that will show you how to complete that step. The steps are roughly in order but you don't need to follow the order slavishly when you're starting a business. It really doesn't matter if you complete step 3 of starting a business in Canada, for instance, before you complete step 2

[size=10pt]Steps to Starting a Business in Canada[/size]

1) Come up with a good business idea.

One thing that's the same about starting a business in Canada as starting a business anywhere else is that you need a good business idea first. Find collections of small and home-based business ideas you can go through, how to come up with winning business ideas of your own, and how to test the viability of your business idea once you've chosen one.

2) Write a business plan.

My Writing a Business Plan series that starts with this Business Plan Outline will lead you through the process of writing each section of the business plan. You'll find more information, including sample business plans. (Check some Business Plans websites)

3) Choose a winning name for your business.

When choosing a business name, there are two things to consider; the business name's marketing potential and its legal elements. You need to choose the best possible business name for your new business when you're starting a business in Canada.

(You can also visit the Small Business: Canada Forum for help brainstorming a catchy name)

4) Choose a form of business ownership.

What forms of business ownership can you choose to legally structure your business when you're starting a business in Canada? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the forms of business ownership?

5) Register your business name.

Business name registration is a legal requirement for almost all businesses in Canada. Find out whether or not you have to register your new business' name and learn all the details about business name registration for starting a business in Canada.

6) Find small business financing.

While many new small businesses are financed out of their owners' pockets, many others need an infusion of funds from other sources to get off the ground.

7) Get a business license.

While not necessary for all businesses, many new businesses will need to get business licenses before they can operate legally within their municipalities. If your city or town doesn't have a website, you can find the information in the blue pages of your phone book.
You may also need other licenses and permits depending on what kind of business you're starting. Industry Canada's BizPaL is a really useful tool for finding out what permits and licenses you'll need to do business. Available in most provinces and territories, BizPaL will provide a personalized list of the business documents you need for all levels of government.

You need to know this informations also when you're starting a business, including registering for the GST/HST, registering for PST, and getting your business records off to a good start.

8)Register for the GST/HST.

Although GST registration is mandatory for all businesses in Canada, there are exceptions. Find out who has to register for GST, why voluntary GST registration can be advantageous to your business, how GST in Canada works and what the GST registration process is with these GST HST resources.

9) Register for the PST.

Before starting a business in Canada, you may also need to register as a collector of retail sales tax (RST), also known as provincial sales tax (PST). Do You Have to Register for PST or RST? In provinces such as Ontario and B.C., provincial sales tax registration is called registration as a vendor. You need to learn how to collect and remit provincial sales tax in your province.

10) Prepare to have employees.

When you're starting a business, hiring employees may be the furthest thing from your mind, but it's amazing how quickly a business can grow. And once you have employees, your business will probably need to register with the Worker's Compensation Board in your province. There is Worker's Compensation Boards in every province, where you can register in the office or online in some cases.

Find out more about hiring employees, employment standards, and other employee issues. The Payroll Taxes, all the forms and details you need know to manage your employees' payroll deductions.

11) Buy other kinds of business insurance.

Protect your new business by making sure that you have the kinds of business insurance you need. Do You Have The Business Insurance You Need? explains what property, liability, business interruption, key people, and disability insurance.
Learn about home-based business insurance and how to save money on the cost of business insurance in general in Home-Based Business Insurance or small business Insurance.

12) Get your business records off to a good start.

If you keep good records from the first moment you're starting a business in Canada, things such as accounting and paying taxes become so much easier. Get your business records off to a good start with Record Management. There are many Easy Ways to Control Your Small Business.


Two major concerns for people starting a business are management and marketing. The Marketing and Business Management are main key of success in Small Business.

Best of luck in your new venture!

At the end my personal opinion if you have some knowledge and interest in business better to start small business in Canada.

I am also seriously thinking to start some small business if any one have interest and good suggestions are welcome.


Hope it will help you and others those are thing about small business.


Best regards.


hmisabpk

Hmisabpk, Thanks you so much for a very detailed business kick off plan. how mush does franchises range from? Fastfood, Mechanical, Superstore (7 11), fuel station ? If we finance generally here in Australia its a 10% down payment & business is financed i.e I deposit 10% to the bank & rest money is paid by the ban in full & i am then obliged to pay them installments.

Thanks in advance for your kind advise.

God Bless you.

 

[khancool2006]

You have shared a very good and helping information for all the new immigrants

 

[hsingh86]

Dear All,

First of all, I would like to salute all this forum members and those out there who have been and continue to help others in their journey to Canada and settling down there.

I would like to share my landing experience and first impressions (being in Toronto only):
- The landing was smooth. I landed with family in the morning around 10:30 am local. We were directed to right-side rather long queue. When we reached the officer, she greeted us with a friendly smile and asked us to submit our COPRs and Passports, and to go to nearby seats and wait until she calls again. Then, she called us after about 10-15 min, and validated her computer entries for each of us. That took her like 10 mins. When, done, she greeted us again saying “Welcome to Canada”. We then moved to the next counter, where a nice attendant gave us lot of brochures and information on the next steps. Then, we proceeded to receive our luggage. The customs officers were tough but friendly. They verified the B4 Forms and stamped them and all pictures of our jewelry. The next day morning, we went to ServiceCanada office in Toronto and produced our SINs in 10-15 mins.

- The people in Canada, regardless of their origins, are generally nice and friendly.
- The demography look like Jeddah: You will see Asians, Arabs, Russians, and Europeans all around.
- Communities care about their members. This makes you really feeling like a family member. So, once people know that you are new to Canada, they extend their helping hands to bring you onboard in every way they can.
- You will find plenty of Pakistani/Indian grocery items and Halal items in the markets. Most popular restaurants are run by Afghans. Most shops close by 7-8 pm.
- Income taxes reach up to 30%+ plus 13% sales taxes on services and goods in Ontario province. So, you will find most families are working hard, husband and wife, but living hand-to-mouth.
- People told me that you will need to really struggle in the first 2-3 years to establish yourself in Canada regardless of your qualifications and experience unless you are lucky or a semi-skilled person, e.g., technician, plumber, driver, etc.
- All neighborhoods of Toronto look the same with similar 2-3 story wooden houses. The buildings are concentrated in the downtown area.
- Communications and Banking system looked a little inefficient. For example, it took me about 2-3 weeks to operationalize an account with the bank (which I could easily finish in 2-3 visits in Saudi Arabia). Also mobile service is rather expensive.
- Generally, Canada is more expensive than US. And, that's why people usually travel to US to do their weekly/monthly shopping. The property is also very expensive in Canada.
- Toronto's downtown is highly crowded while its surroundings are spacious with nice greenery everywhere. Small markets located in every group of blocks of houses.
- The climate is good during summers, but temperatures go below -30C in winters. Maybe the reasons that the houses are built with wood not bricks are that the wood is warmer than brick and the brick can't stand extreme temperatures.
- The home maintenance services, e.g., plumbing, electrical, masonry, etc. are so expensive that you would rather do them yourself otherwise you will go bankrupt. For example, only visit of a plumber/electrician can cost you $100. The labor and parts will cost you extra. However, in condos (apartments), normally the landlord takes care of all maintenance and bills.

I hope my experience will help. Good Luck!

+1 for sharing.. Good luck and have a great future!!

 

[amirsrima]

I got my COPR and Passport back! I have a job in the United States that requires me to stay here until Feb-March 2014. Thus my immigration visa may expire within the time allowed. Thus, on my way to India in October, I plan to transit through Canada (Toronto) and carry on to India. I have a layover for 5 hours in Toronto so I thought I'll process my residency. Is this sufficient to process my documents and tell the officer I will return in 5-6 months?

Has anyone done this before?

from different people experience, I think you need to be there next day to apply for PR card, SIN etc and then give canada address to dispatch

 

[manish baissoya]

Very Informative, All the best to All

 

[ibrahimkl]

September Applicant - 24th sep recd - NOC 2171

Just a query, do they re-verify our proof of funds from bank?
I had submitted Fixed deposit receipts and bank statements of my wife, daughter and myself. But lately I have made some changes and shuffling of funds within these accounts. Total funds is as per their requirement, just worried if they want it in the same order as shown with the application.

 

[dbss]

September Applicant - 24th sep recd - NOC 2171

Just a query, do they re-verify our proof of funds from bank?
I had submitted Fixed deposit receipts and bank statements of my wife, daughter and myself. But lately I have made some changes and shuffling of funds within these accounts. Total funds is as per their requirement, just worried if they want it in the same order as shown with the application.

does not matter as long as you have the total as required and it is liquid cash...

 

[canvis2006]

from different people experience, I think you need to be there next day to apply for PR card, SIN etc and then give canada address to dispatch

There is no need to apply for PR Card, it is issued automatically for newcomers.
Just need to give address when landing.

 

[boldon]

just on the PR card - we havent received it yet eventhough we landed before mid October

ECAS saying it is in process since 31 October - is this usually the case?

btw, we received our daughter's card already (she is a minor and a dependent)