Newly landed Pakistani immigrants in Toronto join here please!

[cocknbull]

Pulling it up and putting this info in case some one has not seen it.

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t132248.0.html

How to obtain Canadian driving license for Pakistanis immigrating from Pakistan to Canada

This procedure is for Ontario province though other provinces have more or less same rules

In Pakistan we have Right hand drive vehicles but in Canada they have left hand drive vehicles so some training may be needed to adjust road conditions.


Which Canadian category licence we can get

1. If we have over 24 months 'Pakistani' driving experience -we can get the Ontario full G Driving License.
2. If we have over 12 months [but less than 24 months] Pakistani driving experience -we can get the Ontario G2 Driving License.
3. If we have less than 12 months Pakistani experience or no experience we can get the Ontario G1 license.
4. In any case we will be required to complete a vision test and pass the knowledge test


Step-1 -Before we 'Land':

1. We must obtain a "No objection Certificate" (NOC) from the country's Roads & Transport Authority, explaining our D/License stating how old our license is and how much driving experience we have from Pakistan.


Step-2 -The Tests to take:

If we have over 24 months experience

Based on the over 24 months Authentication Letter (NOC)

1. We will need to pass the vision test and knowledge test.
2. we will need to attempt the G2 Road test.
3. If we pass the G2 Test, we will get the full G license.

If we only have 12-24 months experience


1. We will need to pass the vision test and knowledge test.
2. we will need to attempt the G1 Road Test.
2. Upon successfully passing the G1 road test we will get the G2 driving license.
3. With a G2 license there is a wait period of 12 months and then we can take a G2 road test.
4. If we pass G2 test we will get full G licence.

If we have less than 12 months experience or no experience at all

1. We will need to pass the vision test and knowledge test.
2. If we pass we will get G1 license.
3. With G1 license there is a wait period of 12 months after which we can take G1 test to get G2 license.
4. With a G2 license there is a wait period of 12 months after which we can take a G2 road test.
5. If we pass G2 test we will get full G licence.


The License Grading Explained [G1, G2 & G]:


G1 licence

By law, when you have a G1 licence, you must:

Maintain a zero blood alcohol level (no alcohol in your blood)
Make sure every passenger with you wears a properly working seatbelt
Not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
Not drive on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways (e.g., 401, Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Gardiner Expressway)
Drive with a fully licensed driver who has:
At least four years of driving experience
A blood alcohol level of less than .05 (if this person is 21 and under, their blood alcohol level should be zero).
The driver accompanying you must be the only other person in the front seat. If you are driving with a driver instructor certified in Ontario, you can drive on any road.



G2 Licence

You can now drive:

Without another experienced driver in the car
On all Ontario roads
At any time of the day, in most cases.
You must still:

Have a zero blood alcohol level
Carry only as many passengers as there are working seatbelts.
If you are 19 and under, some other restrictions still apply.



-G License is the 'full fledged' driving license.


http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/get-g-drivers-licence-new-drivers

http://www.drivetest.ca/EN/licencing/Pages/Out-of-Country-Drivers.aspx

 

[cocknbull]

Any one who wants to prepare for driving test in Ontario can download this hand book from the following link

Ontario Driver's Handbook Online

http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/repository/mon/7000/10315123.pdf

and further to prepare for the test

http://www.apnatoronto.com/ontario-g1-test/

 

[cocknbull]

Dear All!

I just want to share how to get NOC from traffic police Islamabad. I went there today and first I went to record office , they asked me to write an application stating that I need an NOC and the purpose. After that I went to SSP office and after signing he asked me to go to diary room. There he stamped my application form and sent me back to original record office and from there they gave me a report stating the issue date of my license, expiry date, my name, date of birth etc. Lastly I took it back to SSP office, he typed and asked me to come back tomorrow to get the NOC because officer was not there to sign today.

Hope it helps. With this NOC we will not need to verify our license from Pakistan embassy in Canada. Thanks

Dear All!

Here is the image of NOC I got from Islamabad traffic police today.


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/scan1ey.jpg/

 

[cocknbull]

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t133480.0.html

http://www.tintedgreen.net/guide-will-my-cell-phone-work-insert-canadian-carrier-here/

Guide: Will my cell phone work with a carrier in Canada?

Step 1: Which phone do you have?
This might seem like a silly question, but a lot of people don't know anything about the phone they are holding in their hand. I've heard enough people say “an android” or “iPhone 4G” to know that this is a real issue for many.

The best site I have found to assist with identifying a phone is http://www.gsmarena.com/. To find your phone, do a search on their site (top right corner) with what you know about your phone (like the model name and manufacturer).



If their search doesn't help, try using a site search with google, like this:

site:gsmarena.com <brand> <model> <any other information>

Example:
site:gsmarena.com htc desire bravo



(Bravo is an alternative name)

Now check out the full phone specifications from the results. Does the picture look like your phone? If so, you probably have the right device. If not, try to refine your search. Going to the site of the carrier you purchased your phone from may help you identify.

Once you have found your phone, the important part to take note of is the 2G, 3G, and 4G network protocols (like GSM, CDMA, HSPDA, etc) and frequencies. This is what we will need to determine if your phone will work on a carrier.

Remember that where you bought your phone can have an impact on which frequencies it supports. European and North American versions of a phone may look exactly the same and support the same protocols, but use different and incompatible frequencies.

Step 2: Which carriers support my phone?

Here is a chart with a general overview of the three major carriers and what they support. Notice Bell and Telus practically use the same network. The 4G stuff may change a lot in the next little while. I have a special note of LTE later in this guide.

Bell
including
Virgin Mobile
PC Mobility

2G
CDMA 850/1900
EVDO 850/1900

3G (and fake 4G)
HSDPA 850/1900
HSPA+ 850/1900
UMTS 850/1900
WCDMA 850/1900
1x EV-DO CDMA2000

4G
LTE 1700

Telus
including
Koodo

2G
CDMA 850/1900
EVDO 850/1900

3G (and fake 4G)
HSDPA 850/1900
HSPA+ 850/1900
UMTS 850/1900
WCDMA 850/1900
1x EV-DO CDMA2000

4G (called 4G+)
LTE 1700/2100

Rogers
including
Fido
Petro-Canada Mobility

2G
GSM 850/1900
GPRS 850/1900
EDGE 850/1900

3G (and fake 4G)
HSDPA 850/1900
HSPA+ 850/1900
UMTS 850/1900
WCDMA 850/1900

4G
LTE 1700

Some quick history:

During 2G adoption, Bell/Telus used CDMA while Rogers went GSM. This makes phones between the two carriers often incompatible in 2G, unless the phone is dual-band (supports both CDMA and GSM). These phones are often referred to as “world phones” and this feature can be kind of rare.

When developing their 3G networks, Bell/Telus decided to switch their protocol to GSM. So, Bell/Telus and Rogers have technically compatible 3G networks. Therefore, if you by a phone on Bell/Telus and want to use it on Rogers (or vice versa), the 3G connectivity should technically work fine. I say technically, because there is another issue you may run into...

Step 3: Is your phone unlocked?

Even if your phone is compatible with a network, that still doesn't mean it will work. Many carriers (mostly North American carriers) will sim lock their phones. This means that the phone should only be able to use sim cards from the carrier you purchased it through. However, sometimes carrier subsidiaries can be compatible even with a sim lock (like a Bell phone working on Koodo, or a Fido phone working Rogers). Many carriers will unlock a phone for you, but often at a price. Some carriers can charge up to $50 for this privilege. Often you can find unlock codes online for much cheaper, but sites that provide these services can be sketchy at best.

Sometimes unlocking can be done purchase-free with a bit of hacking. The quickest way I have found to determine if a phone can be unlocked without buying a code is actually to search Youtube. Just search <your phone name> with the words “how to unlock”. If the person in the video points you to a site to buy an unlock code, it probably does not have a method to unlock without a code (yet). Otherwise, if it describes a process to root or jailbreak your device, then a free way to unlock may be possible.

The ability to unlock a phone with a free method is often determined by how “hackable” the phone is and if it has a strong hacking community behind it. iPhones and popular Android phones usually have free ways of unlocking. It will usually involve rooting, jailbreaking, flashing a ROM, installing a different baseband, and/or running weird apps. There are lots of guides for lots of phones, but it is usually not for the faint of heart. It will also often void your warranty. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, find someone that can.



Example of how to use this guide

As an example, I'm going to use a scenario that I ran into recently. It should give you a good idea of how confusing determining compatibility can be.

My friend came from Russia with her HTC Desire that she pruchased in Russia. She already knew the phone was unlocked (this is common in other parts of the world that are not North America). Let's try to figure out if it will work for any of these Canadian carriers.

First, let's search GSM Arena for the phone: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire-3077.php

Note the 2G networks. It uses GSM 850/900/1800/1900. Since Rogers uses 850/1900, then this phone is compatible with Rogers 2G network for 2G.

But what about 3G? Well, it would seem that this phone uses HSDPA 900/2100 but HSDPA 850/1900 for the North American version. Since this phone was bought Russia, it uses the 900/2100 frequencies. Since none of these Canadian carriers support the 900 or 2100 frequencies, this phone will not work on any of these 3G networks in Canada.

Therefore, the only option for her to use this phone in Canada is on Rogers. She would also be limited to 2G only. Painful, but at least we know.

 

[cocknbull]

Landing soon, taking Electric appliances to Canada from your home country!

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t131864.0.html

Dear All!

Following info will help some one who is planning to land in Canada soon.

If you are taking any electric item from any other country to Canada like laptop, toaster, Iron, DVD player etc first check on the back of the appliance if it is compatible with 110-120V. Voltage in Canada is 110-120V. So check the back of appliance

if it says Input: ~100-240V 50/60Hz 65W

that means your appliance will work with even 110V and if the plug of appliance doesn't fit in Canadian socket then you need to buy a adaptor so you can plug your device in that adaptor and put in Canadian socket. These adaptors are cheap and can be bought for like $2 from Canadian stores.


If back of your appliance says

Input: 115/230V 50/60Hz 200W

that means you can change the voltage on appliance from 230v to 115v. Just switch to 115v and use a an adaptor if needed as said above.


If back of your appliance says

Input: 220V 60Hz 2.8A

that means it can only work with 220v like in Pakistan but won't work in Canada. In that case you will have to buy a voltage transformer and adaptor if needed.

Here is the link to buy an adaptor or voltage transformer.

http://www.adaptelec.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=282


Thanks All..

 

[rehanhaque]

Thanks for sharing CnB.

Let me add another one to this, which my friend (who's spouse is a real estate broker in Miss.) highly recommended. I have booked a short stay apartment for 5 days here also.

www.whitehallsuites.com

There is a certain Mr. Adnan there.

Thanks.
Rehan Haque

Any body looking for Short Stay in Toronto please check the links

http://www.safehomestay.com/index.html
http://www.staystudio6.com/
http://www.darryhouse.net/dh/index.htm
http://www.alisaguesthome.com/
http://www.overseashome.ca/index.php
http://www.alfredfurnishedapartments.ca/
http://sunnynewcomer.com/

 

[cocknbull]

Thanks for sharing CnB.

Let me add another one to this, which my friend (who's spouse is a real estate broker in Miss.) highly recommended. I have booked a short stay apartment for 5 days here also.

www.whitehallsuites.com

There is a certain Mr. Adnan there.

Thanks.
Rehan Haque

Thanks much for sharing dear...Helpful indeed...

 

[fahad_siddique]

Hi Guys..Do add me...I will be landing In Mid May...See u soon there..Insha Alah

 

[Ghulam Hasnain]

Dear Forum friends:
I am also very close to mak a move. I am landing on 13th March. (InshAllah). Had been very busy in wind up. Still lot of paper work to do such as preparation of lists of goods we carry and goods to follow. Can any one has any suggestions re how to disclose properties in Pakistan and how we bring in sale proceeds from property to Canada at a later stage say after a year or so.

Shall be grateful for help.

Best Regards,

hasnain

 

[valkyrie86]

Thanks ashraf for the input.

1) There is no contract with chatr.

2) Mobilicity is expensive compared to chatr. Wind is cheaper than chatr but wind won't work in basements while chatr will.

Thanks

hi could u list us the rubrique that you gather the document and when did u apply and how; would be greatful that u will help prospect immigrants applying for the FSW

 

[cocknbull]

Hi Guys..Do add me...I will be landing In Mid May...See u soon there..Insha Alah

You are welcome...

 

[cocknbull]

hi could u list us the rubrique that you gather the document and when did u apply and how; would be greatful that u will help prospect immigrants applying for the FSW

Well we are set of MI-2 applicants who when applied had different set of instructions. A lot has changed since and to apply under new FSWC go through these links..Thanks


At present FSW1 (Federal skilled worker class) is on hold and only two options are available i-e either

you have a valid offer of arranged employment,

OR


•be an international student enrolled in a PhD program in Canada (or graduated from a Canadian PhD program within the past 12 months) and meet certain criteria.


If you can't fulfill any of above two then you can't apply I am afraid.


However new FSWC is going to open on May 4, 2013

check the links if you fulfill their criteria

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-12-19.asp

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/new-fsw-points-criteria-announced-new-federal-skilled-trades-class-fstc-t115576.0.html

http://www.newroots.ca/new_independent.htm

 

[valkyrie86]

i get 7.5 in speaking. 6.5 listning. reading and writing is 6, total is 6.5 am I eligible for FSW CAUSE in the site i saw 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark assessment system

 

[ss1886]

Please tell me, what is the fare for Turkish airline from Karachi to Toronto ?? How many suitcases we can carry per person ? How much is the stop over time in Ankara ? How was the experience ?

 

[ItsBeenLongNow]

Please tell me, what is the fare for Turkish airline from Karachi to Toronto ?? How many suitcases we can carry per person ? How much is the stop over time in Ankara ? How was the experience ?

Try orbits. com and you will get good ideas about various Airlines fares