Hi Wendy,
The process will be:
- You get the job offer.
- Send/FAX the job offer and a covering letter to AINP office to request for a letter of support (mentioning your AINP file no.)
- Also contact the officer, who signed your Nomination Certificate, through email or phone to request to expedite the letter of support.
- AINP officer will contact your employer to validate the Job offer. He/She might also ask your employer in Alberta to explain the advertising efforts.
- The AINP officer will send a Letter of Support to you as well as the Canadian consulate, you will request. They send it through regular post, so if it take time, you might want to request the officer for a fax copy after couple of days of wait.
- Meanwhile, prepare your documents for Visa. (Even if your Offer is without any ending date, please ask your employer to issue a letter, which has an ending date of 1 yr. This is required, as the consulate issues you a Temporary Resident Visa for one year initially and that is renewable till you get the final Permanent Residency approved).
- With the letter of support and other documents required for Work Visa, go to the consulate personally, if you want it faster, or else you can also get it done by post. (If you are married, you might also want to apply for the Open Work Permit for your spouse).
- The consulate time for personal visit are from 8-11 am, I guess...please confirm.
- If everything is as per requirement, you will get the work visa (conditional that you can work with that employer only) and your spouse (Open work permit - can work anywhere in Canada with any employer and for as much time as want).
- Consulate will stamp the Temporary Resident Visa initially, for both of you if you are married, and will also give a letter, which you will have to show to the Immigration Officer at the time of landing.
- With all this you will be all set to land.
- At the time of landing, the Immigration officer at Calgary or Edmonton, wherever you will land, will stamp your work visa and will also give you any other instructions, as required.
And then you will be ready to join your job. You will have to apply for SIN number, Account Number, Alberta Health Insurance Number, and driver's license later. I can guide you about those things, as and when you will need that information.
I got this thing done recently...just a month back....and landed in Calgary last month...so I am very much having everything in my mind and can help you at the best.
Good luck for the further process. Hope you get the offer letter and move forward with your plans.
Another good piece of information, another person, I will send you the Canadavisa username shortly, had his medicals done already and when he went to the consulate to get his work visa stamped, got his PR approved....so that is also quite possible depending on where your PR application is at this point of time.
Hope everything goes good for you....all the best...Do let me know if you need any further information and also update me about your proceedings.
Bye
ag
