My move to Canada......mixed results

[drb2017]

Hope I can create a new thread to share some of ongoing experiences with my move to Canada as a PR. And wish these experiences are of some use to fellow forumers.

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Initial short stay
After going through Express entry work for almost a year, ended up getting the PR. Booked tickets for a short trip/stay of 3 months to cover the processing time of getting PR in hand. PR card processing starts at airport/immigration section as soon as one lands with confirmation of PR (COPR - landing document). Takes 60 days min to process.

Most intiate the process and leave the country, making sure the card is sent to a friend or relative in Canada who will courier it to the candidate later. PR card in hand is essential to return back to Canada. Without that one has to obtain travel document from Canadian embassy. (Visa stamped on passport along with COPR is for one time entry and cancels out).

This short stay will also provide opportunity to complete several formalities like Health card, Driving license (DL) etc.

 

[drb2017]

Pre-arrival process
After getting COPR, thought could get helped with pre-arrival services from private parties who are funded by Canadian govt. I am not sure what I was looking as I have lived in Canada and US before. I am sure it is of help to new immigrants who have never visited Canada before. However in my case - it was just a "waste of time".

Pre-arrival services are numerous. Everybody will be very eager to enroll you in, getting your unique identifier # (from COPR) , DOB etc. They will be eager to let you attend webinars etc. Why? - its their job and get paid for it. And need to show client base to get continual funds from Canadian govt.

Problem - in the current digital age, one can google and get any information like lifestyle in Canada, weather, getting driving license etc. That's what I got. Not sure why pre-arrival services exist!! In reality, what you face is lot different - right from from template based answers etc. Those aren't practical solutions to issues. Was very disappointed. To start with ----
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Driving license
It is a nightmare to get one. Canada follows graduated system of license. G1 (learners license) - which requires one to clear eye test, written but can't drive alone need to be in company with a full G license passenger who has it for 4 years. Cannot buy/register a car with this license. G2 - one has to clear exit G1 road test (G2 road test). Can drive alone anywhere. However the auto insurance will be quite expensive. Full G - has to clear G road test (where you have to drive on 400 highways etc).

If you have more than 2 years of driving experience in a country where there is no agreement with canada, then you can go for full G road test (after clearing eye, written test). However, there is a big catch - one has to get a letter of experience authentication from embassy or RTO from your country. Fortunately, consulate provides such service for a paltry fee. However, commuting/staying to consulate from other parts of province adds significant expense (close to 1000$). Alternatively, one can get a letter from RTO before leaving to Canada. Not sure whether it will be accepted or not.

Drivetest center in Canada who are authorized to provide DL, unfortunately, will NOT accept sworn affidavit from consulate. It has to be in a letter head. And consulate will not give such a letter. So one is stuck for good!!. For 12 months one has to remain in G2 paying exorbitant auto insurance and risk driving in Canada. Completely incompassionate people!.

This issue is been present for several years now. And nobody bothers to inform or help. Quite disappointed with the consulate (India). At consulate they didn't even care to check originals and just gave the sworn affidavit, as they knew it is not going to work. Kudos! to the staff working there. How can you get up everyday from bed and do this for a living??

 

[canuck_in_uk]

This short stay will also provide opportunity to complete several formalities like Health card, Driving license (DL) etc.

You can't apply for provincial health coverage until you actually move to Canada.

 

[ravneetbawa]

Hi Buddy,

Appreciate your post !

I am looking to transfer my settlement funds to a Canadian bank before I land. Which bank would you suggest to be the best for me as a new immigrant and which can get the formalities completed from outside Canada, i.e., account opening, money transfer, proof of settlement funds etc..

 

[drb2017]

You can't apply for provincial health coverage until you actually move to Canada.

Yes. That is why I am staying and initiated this. In Ontario, there is a 3 month waiting period before it gets active. And few other clause like one has to stay for 182 days something to that effect. I saw these policies while signing up, but didn't get a copy to post here the details. Have to google and find out.

 

[drb2017]

Hi Buddy,
Appreciate your post !
I am looking to transfer my settlement funds to a Canadian bank before I land. Which bank would you suggest to be the best for me as a new immigrant and which can get the formalities completed from outside Canada, i.e., account opening, money transfer, proof of settlement funds etc..

Subjectively speaking, I wouldn't suggest doing that.

All banks have programs for new immigrants which boast that they ease the move. Unfortunately, all are just waste of time. My experience -

Scotiabank
Opened account with them from India. Got a secure message with account number (quite long) and wire transfer details. Some of the wire transfer details were not used by the bank in India. They have never heard of it!
Transferred funds (CAD) from bank in India to Scotiabank before i left.
Scotiabank said - 5-8 business days to get the funds. Bank in India says few days (always we ball park things - no concrete answer).
To my dismay, funds took exceptionally long to get (more than 2 weeks). Reasons:

1. Funds were transferred to my newly created checking account with Scotiabank and not with the one that I created in india.
2. The one created in India is an "investment account" and not a checking account. Why all these multiple steps to get funds? quite a burden to jump through these hurdles.
3. No way, you can trace where the funds are. Don't need to say how banks in India work. And scotiabank will not give any clue other than "funds are not in the account". They wouldn't take any steps to trace either. So you are stuck without funds!
4. Thanks to Modi, banks in India will slap few GST's with the transfer. And thanks to Scotiabank for slapping fees for incoming wire transfer. So you get double hit from both sides plus the exchange rate loss.
5. One has to argue with banks in India to get better rates, or else they profit enormously.

In hindsight, I should have carried the money in some other form like traveler's check etc. Transferring to banks in Canada is just a waste of time. They simply lure you for nothing.

Credit card
If you have a job and no credit history in Canada, then you will get upto 5000$ credit limit for a credit card. If no job, no credit history, still you will get, albeit lower credit limit. and many other combinations.....

Bottomline - everywhere there is fine print. And one has to be lucky to have all these done without hurdles and compromises.

 

[ravneetbawa]

Subjectively speaking, I wouldn't suggest doing that.

All banks have programs for new immigrants which boast that they ease the move. Unfortunately, all are just waste of time. My experience -

Scotiabank
Opened account with them from India. Got a secure message with account number (quite long) and wire transfer details. Some of the wire transfer details were not used by the bank in India. They have never heard of it!
Transferred funds (CAD) from bank in India to Scotiabank before i left.
Scotiabank said - 5-8 business days to get the funds. Bank in India says few days (always we ball park things - no concrete answer).
To my dismay, funds took exceptionally long to get (more than 2 weeks). Reasons:

1. Funds were transferred to my newly created checking account with Scotiabank and not with the one that I created in india.
2. The one created in India is an "investment account" and not a checking account. Why all these multiple steps to get funds? quite a burden to jump through these hurdles.
3. No way, you can trace where the funds are. Don't need to say how banks in India work. And scotiabank will not give any clue other than "funds are not in the account". They wouldn't take any steps to trace either. So you are stuck without funds!
4. Thanks to Modi, banks in India will slap few GST's with the transfer. And thanks to Scotiabank for slapping fees for incoming wire transfer. So you get double hit from both sides plus the exchange rate loss.
5. One has to argue with banks in India to get better rates, or else they profit enormously.

In hindsight, I should have carried the money in some other form like traveler's check etc. Transferring to banks in Canada is just a waste of time. They simply lure you for nothing.

Credit card
If you have a job and no credit history in Canada, then you will get upto 5000$ credit limit for a credit card. If no job, no credit history, still you will get, albeit lower credit limit. and many other combinations.....

Bottomline - everywhere there is fine print. And one has to be lucky to have all these done without hurdles and compromises.

I can understand the struggle...Thanks for updating !!!

 

[meyakanor]

You have to be a bit careful about OHIP eligibility period. Yes, it is only 5 months within a year, but for the first 6 months, you have to be there for 5 months, so you within the first 6 months, you can only be out for one month.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/publications/ohip/short_absence.aspx

To be eligible for ongoing OHIP coverage you must be an eligible resident of Ontario. This means that you must:

• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or hold an OHIP-eligible immigration document; and
• be physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period; and
• be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in the province; and
• make your primary place of residence in Ontario.

 

[drb2017]

Just few more points regarding driving license......

I know this forum is filled with lots of steps in getting driving license. Most of it are similar and haven't changed much. However, the issues are still present and uncorrected.

• Letter from Indian consulate is not valid with drivetest. When they did not accept the sworn affidavit produced by the consulate, I thought it was a recent change in policy. But it is not. This issue has been there since 2013 until now (nov 2017). This forum provides an evidence (post here) Neither the consulate nor drivetest cared to remedy. Very sad!.
• Remember fees to get such sworn affidavit is 19$ from Toronto consulate. But the expense to go collect it etc adds up significantly. Sad that none of the staff mentions the uselessness of the affidavit when they are hearing complaints since 2013.
• By the way, 19$ should be in the form of money order or bank draft. To get 19$ bank draft - bank fee is 7.50$. Nearly 50% is fee. Ridiculous!!
• Good luck getting parking in downtown Toronto. Parking is expensive atleast 15$ min plus GST.
• To make things worse - affidavit says for 3 times in fineprint that "consulate is not responsible for correctness of the facts presented in the affidavit" - 2 times "consulate is not responsible for acceptance of the document by drivetest". Now who in the proper frame of mind accept such a document? Then why do you even produce such document? Strange!!
• Can't even imagine what drivetest would think of reading such a document.
• Here is the document - http://www.cgitoronto.ca/content/india-motor-driving-license
• attempts to get proper letter was denied outright!No compassion there.

Alternatives driving extract from RTO in India.

• Good luck in getting that done. One caveat - i don't think that is accepted either. atleast heard one case where it was denied.
• Workaround is - to get attested by Indian consulate. And once again, they may fill in with fineprint saying that they are not responsible for facts presented in the document. If that is the case, not sure why drivetest should accept it.

Bottomline, atleast in this aspect, new Indian immigrants are "promised" and "guaranteed" a bad start in Canada.

Sometimes, can't help myself to wonder if there is some machiavellian plan to it. Like Indians are bad drivers. Hence for them to get used to driving in Canada safely (in terms of cost), slap them with higher auto insurance for 12 months by giving G2 license or G1. This ensures, Indians are tamed for Canadian driving.

 

[steaky]

• By the way, 19$ should be in the form of money order or bank draft. To get 19$ bank draft - bank fee is 7.50$. Nearly 50% is fee. Ridiculous!!
• Good luck getting parking in downtown Toronto. Parking is expensive atleast 15$ min plus GST.

• Anyone who has a HSBC Premier account, can get bank draft for free. Yeah!
• I parked in downtown Toronto for free because a friend of mine let me park at her parking stall.
• In BC, one can buy/register a car with a Learner's driver license.
• If you have HSBC bank accounts, your money will be transferred instantly once set up. No time wasted.

 

[Ginxmix017]

All these problems. Once in Canada, at least you're able to friend your local MP (Member of Parliament) and/or vote for a leadership who listens and both of you, can move towards creating change with all these hoops aka beaurocratic red tape

 

[vensak]

I did not have such problems with my consulate. I have just sent money in an envelope (yes money and not check) and within 2 weeks I got nice looking letter from the honorary consul on nice letter head (no fine printing).
As the only thing, they were confirming was just how long I had my driving licence. And that was all what was needed in order to skip the waiting time.

Also slight correction.
You can own a car in Ontario and nobody can stop you to own it. You just cannot own registration plates.
In order to get them, you need to own a car to begin with and then you have to have it insured (with at least minimum amount) and then you can go to Service Ontario and get your plates. (which are then registered with your car).

And somehow you cannot drive a car without plates.

And the problem why you cannot get plates with a G1 permit only is because you will not find any insurance company in Ontario that will insure your car.
So the problem are insurance companies and their rather overpriced services.

And speaking of that, that basic insurance that you will get for your car will practically not cover you at all. It will more or less just cover the damage of the other driver and property.
I honestly see it as a fee to drive a car here.

 

[vensak]

All these problems. Once in Canada, at least you're able to friend your local MP (Member of Parliament) and/or vote for a leadership who listens and both of you, can move towards creating change with all these hoops aka beaurocratic red tape

If I understand correctly the complaint here is on the Indian embassy services. Which has nothing to do with Canada.

 

[Ginxmix017]

hmm, the point I was trying to say, is making changes here in Canada may help bring changes to other nations so there is not so much-what seems, chaos with the paperwork.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

hmm, the point I was trying to say, is making changes here in Canada may help bring changes to other nations so there is not so much-what seems, chaos with the paperwork.

There is no chaos and Canada shouldn't compromise on anything in regards to foreign licenses. Provinces have basic reciprocal agreements in place with countries that they recognize to have driving standards/laws on par with their own; if your country doesn't have such a reciprocal agreement, then the change needs to happen there, not here.