NIGERIA APPLICANT PLEASE LET US NETWORK.

[martha marita]

MY LANDING EXPERIENCE

My Naija pple, though this is coming a little bit behind schedule but it would have been bad if I didn't say it.
We landed at Pearson Airport Toronto on Monday and this is the step by step info:

LAGOS: We left our house for the airport a little bit late not anticipating the long vehicles hold up at the airport. Checking- in our baggage took about 1 hour as the queue was long and the immigration process took another one hour despite the fact that concession was given to us due to our children. We boarded when it was just 20 minutes for the plane to taxi with so many KLM passengers still on queue though I'm sure that all were attended to. I hereby suggest that we should always get to the airport on time.

ON BOARD (Lagos to Amsterdam): This was a smooth, exactly 6 hrs, journey and we landed at Schiphol airport around 6a.m (5 a.m Naija time) The meal on board was good and KLM has very good entertainment system.

IN TRANSIT: We spent 8 hrs 15 minutes before our connecting flight and this gave us good chance to explore the airport as it was one of the most beautiful airports in the world with just one terminal but over 40 gates. Our journey continued by 2p.m for our 7 hrs flight to Canada. We arrived in Toronto at exactly 4.p.m Canadian time. The hospitality on board was same as Lagos to Amsterdam. A declaration card was given on board for us to fill and to be kept for immigration officers at the airport.

IMMIGRATION: At the arrival hall, all travelers queued up and after checking our declaration card and and pp we told him that we are landing, the immigration officer marked it and directed us to new immigrants' desks and within 20 minutes we were true. The officer filled our landing papers (COPR), told us to sign some portions, asked for the landing fund we were having on us and I told him without even checking it talk less of counting it, recorded the amount in a form and . He then crossed the visa, told us to expect our PR card in a month, welcome us to Canada and told us to go and get books from another room very close where we were given so many immigration books, health card forms, child benefits forms and others.

BAGGAGE: We left the officer and went for our baggage. The guy that approached me requested for 14 dollars to help us to get our bags from the conveyor belt and I quickly used my Naija instinct by doing it for myself changing dollars to coins and with 2 dollars I got a trolley and moved my bags. Note: No one will be waiting to collect trolley money from you, it is automated, and you just drop 2 dollars coin into a machine, press a button by the coin hole and push the trolley out.

At baggage checking area we were told to queue up and bags and boxes including hand bags and purses were checked into detail. If you are carrying goods not allowed they will be taken immediately and in your presence dropped inside the dust bin. In case of newly landed immigrants, nothing was checked the officer only collected our declaration card and helped us to the exit. I guess this is the norm for new immigrants.
We now went out into the waiting hands of my friend and off we were to Brampton.

INSIDE CANADA: Rested the following day and went for our SIN cards/ number the third day which was given immediately and from there to service Ontario for our health cards which could not be done cos I was not having any official document linking me with my new address. The officer said that I can bring it at any time as my three months waiting time before the activation of the health card starts from my day of landing and not when I submit the form. I went to the bank, CIBC where I opened a cheque account, a free savings account, a US dollar account (All at a go) and my debit card (ATM card) was made available immediately with a promise that my credit card will come in two weeks and my statement of account (This I can use to complete the health card registration) will come by month end. I only opened the account with 1,000 dollars for me and same type of accounts were opened for my wife at same amount. Presently we could not exchange our money to Canadian dollars as the exchange rate is bad. So watch out b4 changing money.

WEATHER: Presently the weather is mild and to describe it in a lay man way, just as if you are inside AC in your Lagos office. But I was told that it will continue to get colder. So be prepared. Landing in the heart of winter could be deadly as you have to move from one location to other unless you have somebody that can help out driving you around. This, my friend did for us perfectly.

CHILDREN: Our children will start school soon as we want to get our accommodation b4 putting them in school so that we can get a place close to our house rather than enrolling them today and changing school the following week. Anyway, school just resumed on Tuesday.

Getting a driving license will continue on Monday and the process of getting a job is ongoing.

Thanks to you all my pple, Tito, Barsindoo, SOJ, Ighehinadara, Tinu, Mot, Vikolo, Badmus, dreamteam,Kako, Right, and all other Naijas on the forum, you are all special pple in the sight of almighty God. Your advise and encouragement really helped. And to all other guys like, Qorax, Leon, PMM, Rocky and others you guys are great.

I want to tell you that while my forum name is Oloye that of my wife is Boljet so do not expect anything from her (Boljet) as we both put this up and questions can be entertained now or later or through PM.

OLOYE AND BOLJET

Congratualtions Olooye, you finally landed. I am so happy. I remember us waiting back in 2007. Good luck with life in Canada.

 

[barsindoo]

Thanks Barsindoo for your prompt response. Congrats Madam.


All the best naija.


Ig

 

[seglad]

Thanks!

 

[shola]

My fellow Naija,l have been to Accra yesterday and honestly was highly favoured.I was told by the recipient of my documents,that is now a practice to be requesting for docs now and then and she further reiterated that my former docs are intact.l was happy on leaving.l met a few people that came for visa collection,interviews etc. I met two elderly daddy's that already had their visas and were discussg about landing and medical expiration(this pale them don dey advance for age) l come dey wonder,say pale dey struggle to enter like dem P SQUARE.
Let us intensify our prayers. Accra dey work but dew must work to our own good. @ Teezee,so sorry about our missing each other at the airport yesterday.I hope you find another alternative. My people that na the koko and that my MR dey come for road and for others. Ijn. lg

Congrats-
Just to mention,i was asked to submit IM0008 form again.I have since submitted it,just waiting for my MR.
I have a feeling that this month is going to be a good month.

Has any prejune 2010 applicant been issued a medical request?

 

[tinuadeadebola]

shollykit@yahoo.com my brother pls add

 

[Toluwanile]

Thanks

@naijapikin,
thanks. I will send d docs tmorrw.
Tolu

 

[Oloye]

Congratualtions Olooye, you finally landed. I am so happy. I remember us waiting back in 2007. Good luck with life in Canada.

Hi Martha Marita,
Good to hear from you. I can still remember those good old days. I have PM you, kindly get back to me

Oloye

 

[Right]

My people,

I never knew that Pa Seglad can be so annoyed o. Infact he almost beat someone on the sister forum of Naijas...Pls read the below discussion and tell me what else to do?

From Fernadez (A fellow Naija!)

Its a land of opportunities although it might take some time for the manifestation.
Guys be prepared for the tick cold and different way of life especially those coming from naija where they don't pay taxes on commodities!!

Seglad's Reply:

We pay tax on commodities in Nigeria as well, though (VAT) is not pronounced , it is quietly added to the cost price of all commodities we all purchase unless you are the type who buys second hand commodities. if you are a businessman or a contractor person you would have known this. Make a search before you put something on a forum like this, please. How long do we have to depict our mother land. I found such a statement of your offensive on our dear country. If you are no more a 9ja please keep quiet. Lets appreciate what we have and whom we are. Naija,(s) are my people and will never run away from them like you, who don't want to live in Brampton 'cos' there are too many Nigerians, wrong perception,though. Brampton is not like Moston, longsides, or Clayton where you might have lived in Manchester. Do your search well about Brampton.

You can never discover if things runs in Nigeria until you are involved, unlike the western world where there are rules and regulations. Do you know you can file a tax return on the said commodities.why do 9ja people be bothered about tax commodities when you know you get your cash back.


My view:

Seglad,

No doubt I like the way you answered Fernandez (The name sound foreign! Are you sure he is a Nigerian? LOL!)

But then, seglad have you read somewhere on the post or peradventure where did you get the information that he does not want to mingle with Naijas? If the assertion is true then, Fernandez ceases to be a honourable member of the Naija forum. I will mouth this and even tell other 9ija to ignore his posts. I read somewhere on the forum when he posted something about his landing and he was praising God and some free thinker shouted him down. I know a couple of Naijas who came to his rescue.

Well he may not mean the story as interpreted though! I would not want to believe the story that he meant exactly what was written. But if it is true, he should just go and remove the post.

We could say a lot about the bad leadership and talk about the ills of the 9ija which I believed is happening all over the world (Corruption) example is the “war” going on in the middle east/Arab world now! Italy Berlusconi too is not from the mars.

I will implore all my Naija pple to desist from making stories that could elongate our already elongated waiting time. By posting this now, the CHC would alws view Naijas documents critically since one of us is saying that we are fake! Let us mind what we say on a platform like this. Archeology is unraveling the truth while Diplomacy is covering the lies. A word is enof for the wise!!!!

 

[seglad]

Pa Right, Am not annoyed at Phemmy, i just don't feel comfortable with people negating our beloved land or who blasphemy their people. As one love keeps us together on this forum, lets extend the love to our dear country Nigeria, please. I do hope Phemmy will save his pen and apologize to all 9jers on this forum.

 

[Naija Pikin]

My Naija peeps, we have good news to cheer up our weekend. My beloved brother, MOEGBENGA has received his PER.
I hope we will hear another good news before the end of today.
Love to you ALL, and do have a super weekend.

Lest I forget, who said we don't pay tax on commodities in Nigeria?, infact na me dey pay tax pass for commodities o!, the kin tax wey I don pay Naija Govt, thru Nigerian Breweries(Heineken), no be small thing o.

 

[Eljo]

My Naija peeps, we have good news to cheer up our weekend. My beloved brother, MOEGBENGA has received his PER.
I hope we will hear another good news before the end of today.
Love to you ALL, and do have a super weekend.

Lest I forget, who said we don't pay tax on commodities in Nigeria?, infact na me dey pay tax pass for commodities o!, the kin tax wey I don pay Naija Govt, thru Nigerian Breweries(Heineken), no be small thing o.

@MOEGBENGA, congrats on your PER.
@Naija Pikin,we must firmly reject all negative insinuations about us as a people and a country,it is bad enough as it is.The truth is that our strength (great survival instinct) if wrongly channeled becomes our weakness,which is manifested in a negligible few.

 

[spokes]

@MOEGBENGA,

Congrats on your PER and welcome to the real WAITING! 8)

 

[seglad]

@ MOEGBENGA,

Congrats on your PER and welcome to the real WAITING! 8)

Congratulations Moegbenga

 

[igbehinadara]

@ Shola,congrats and i say a big Amen.March and April shall be for naija by his grace.

@Moegbenga,congats.2Seglad,thake it easy with phemmy

Ig

Congrats-
Just to mention,i was asked to submit IM0008 form again.I have since submitted it,just waiting for my MR.
I have a feeling that this month is going to be a good month.

Has any prejune 2010 applicant been issue me.

 

[moegbenga]

My good brother(Naija pikin) has posted the news about my PER already,but just to inform my Naija brothers and sisters myself that i finally got my PER on the 22nd March,i did not know or rather i refused to check my mail since monday praying and hoping that by the time i check my mail on friday it would be there,and God is so so Faithful, i saw the mail this morning,thanks to everybody on this great forum,my brother Naija pikin(he never cease to encourage me),Spokes,pa right,pa seglad,madam ig,iii,Eljo and other great Nigerians on the forum,you are loved :-* :-* :-*