- Oct 6, 2010
- 3
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- Buffalo
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 21-04-2011
- AOR Received.
- 03-08-2011
- File Transfer...
- 24-05-2011
- Med's Done....
- 01-03-2011
- Passport Req..
- 28-10-2011
- VISA ISSUED...
- 10-11-2011
- LANDED..........
- 10-11-2011
Not wanting to take the risk of sending my passport through CanadaPost and for peace of mind I just decided that I would go to Buffalo and hand it in and land the same day. My soon to be hubby and I drove to Toronto on Wednesday, I left him in Toronto (because he doesn't have a US visa and he is not yet a Canadian citizen) and I took the Greyhound Wednesday evening to Buffalo. Crossing the border into the US was much less painful and hassle free than I thought I would have been. The immigration officer officer just asked where I lived and what I do for a living then I paid the $6 US and was on my way.
Got to Buffalo almost 2 hours late and went straight to the hotel. Even though I was very tired, I was so anxious and excited about the following day that I just could not fall asleep. I Got to the consulate at 7 am on Thursday, went up the escalators and the guard told me that I should go down to the Plaza area and wait by Tim Hortons and a guard would come and get us at 7.30. The guard indeed came down at 7.30 and off we went with him back up the escalators and to what I assume was the lobby where he scanned the passport and gave me a sticker. Myself and some other persons went up to the 30th floor where another security guard took our cell phones upon entrance to the consulate's office.
I then went to the first window and handed in my documents and the lady told me what my number was and that she would call me by that number in a few minutes. By the way that 'few minutes' turned out to be 3 hours. Went and sat down and basically watched as the line got longer for the first window and as the room filled to capacity. Three 3 hours later my number finally got called and I went up to the first window again where the lady instructed me to look over the COPR and visa and make sure that everything is correct and not to sign the COPR until I get to the border and a CBSA agent instructs me to do so.
At the border we got off the bus and went inside, I gave the CBSA officer my passport and COPR and told him that I was landing, he asked how long I was in the US and then wrote landing on a yellow slip and gave that to me along with my passport and COPR. Another officer took me around to Immigration section. On our very short walk there he reassured me that my bus would not leave me. Stood in line after which I got up to the counter and another CBSA officer took my documents. After entering some things into her computer she confirmed my address and then for the first time she smiled and said to me 'Well after all this time you are now a permanent resident of Canada, Congratulations'. She then asked if I was planning on going to Jamaica for the christmas holidays and I told her no then she said 'that's good because the PR cards are now taking anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to arrive in the mail'. She also told me that I should go and get a new SIN number and then said that I probably wont have to wait to get OHIP because I have been here for awhile and to take my lease and other documents showing that I have been living in Ontario when going to apply for the OHIP. She also told me that since I have been in Canada for over 4 years in two years I would be eligible to apply for citizenship in two years. I then thanked her and made my way back to my bus back to Toronto.
On that day for the first time after being here for over 4 years Canada finally felt like my home! Now I am looking forward to when I can start my citizenship application.
Got to Buffalo almost 2 hours late and went straight to the hotel. Even though I was very tired, I was so anxious and excited about the following day that I just could not fall asleep. I Got to the consulate at 7 am on Thursday, went up the escalators and the guard told me that I should go down to the Plaza area and wait by Tim Hortons and a guard would come and get us at 7.30. The guard indeed came down at 7.30 and off we went with him back up the escalators and to what I assume was the lobby where he scanned the passport and gave me a sticker. Myself and some other persons went up to the 30th floor where another security guard took our cell phones upon entrance to the consulate's office.
I then went to the first window and handed in my documents and the lady told me what my number was and that she would call me by that number in a few minutes. By the way that 'few minutes' turned out to be 3 hours. Went and sat down and basically watched as the line got longer for the first window and as the room filled to capacity. Three 3 hours later my number finally got called and I went up to the first window again where the lady instructed me to look over the COPR and visa and make sure that everything is correct and not to sign the COPR until I get to the border and a CBSA agent instructs me to do so.
At the border we got off the bus and went inside, I gave the CBSA officer my passport and COPR and told him that I was landing, he asked how long I was in the US and then wrote landing on a yellow slip and gave that to me along with my passport and COPR. Another officer took me around to Immigration section. On our very short walk there he reassured me that my bus would not leave me. Stood in line after which I got up to the counter and another CBSA officer took my documents. After entering some things into her computer she confirmed my address and then for the first time she smiled and said to me 'Well after all this time you are now a permanent resident of Canada, Congratulations'. She then asked if I was planning on going to Jamaica for the christmas holidays and I told her no then she said 'that's good because the PR cards are now taking anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to arrive in the mail'. She also told me that I should go and get a new SIN number and then said that I probably wont have to wait to get OHIP because I have been here for awhile and to take my lease and other documents showing that I have been living in Ontario when going to apply for the OHIP. She also told me that since I have been in Canada for over 4 years in two years I would be eligible to apply for citizenship in two years. I then thanked her and made my way back to my bus back to Toronto.
On that day for the first time after being here for over 4 years Canada finally felt like my home! Now I am looking forward to when I can start my citizenship application.
