Ghulam Hasnain said:
I am from Karachi,
We attended the session on 23 December 2012. Very informative and useful session. The facilitator shared her personal experiences which were very helpful in understanding what to expect and how to cope up with the new culture and environment. Orientation with Canadian system was also very helpful coupled with the handouts and necessary forms needed to fill out re goods we are carrying and goods to follow. The arrangement at Hotel Mehran was also good and food was fresh and healthy. The chance to meet other prospective immigrants, sharing each others experiences and Q & A sessions on continual basis were not only worth appreciation but also helped in developing learning curve for making the positive move. Thumbs up to IOM and thank you.
I also had the privilege of attending IOM pre-departure orientation session for Canada in Karachi on 23rd December. I gained a lot of useful information. For the benefit of others, I am listing down some useful stuff that I didn't learn from posts of qorax or any expert before:
- When filling out B4E and B4A, it is better if you segregate your list according to you baggage. While doing landing, sometimes immigration officer at the Canadian airport asks about the content of one particular baggage. If you do not have the answer readily, the officer may not be pleased and he/she may ask you to open it, which becomes a big hassle. Its better to be more organized and know the content of each of your luggage. The best way to do it is list your times in B4E and B4A accordingly.
- For those who want to return before getting PR Card, it is possible to get Travel document even before you go to Canada (We already know that travel document can be requested while in Canada, and after coming back to our country, but getting it before, was something new to me). It seems much more safer to me. Although, I am a bit skeptical about it, but I will try to get it confirmed, since I myself have to come back early.
- If you are landing in Canada before April, try to file your tax returns even if your income is zero (30th April is last date for submission of prior year's tax returns). It will help you as you get listed in their tax system, and you can claim your tax benefits next year more easily, as compared to people who are listing in for the first time.
- When getting your short term health insurance, make sure it is not just travel insurance. Travel insurance only covers the travel part. If you get sick after landing in Canada, you won't be able to claim. Ensure it is "short term health insurance" or both.
- Its better to get flu shots before you go to Canada. I have to find more info about it, like what kind of flu shots she meant. I guess its because every place has different strains of flu. If anyone else can explain this point more clearly.
- When you move to your own new home, first thing you need is a Mattress for sleeping. Most people forget it, and when the night time comes, they realize they have a roof but no place to sleep on. The ideal situation is to buy mattresses and have them delivered at your new home the day you move in.
- To get good cheap stuff, Sears and Walmart are best places. Also keep a look out for move out sales (forgot what it is correctly called). When people move out to new places, they usually sell out their stuff at dirt cheap prices (sometimes even give it for free) because it is expensive to relocate furniture etc. Keep a look out for such sales, especially while you are still jobless or working an odd job. You can't be spending too much during this time.
